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August 20, 2009
Custom Turkey Calls - 14
 Photo by Steve Hickoff Enlarge PhotoScott Basehore of Pennsylvania is a custom turkey call maker whose fine work graces my turkey call collection. It’s a box call you guys would notice, adorned with a hand painted strutter (see photo); one you want to pick up and run some clear-noted yelps on. A two-season turkey hunter, he’s also an avid dog man who runs his turkey-nosed canine on fall flocks where it’s legal (as in PA); a list of states that grows annually. Basehore started making turkey calls way back in 1985, just as the golden age of turkey hunting we now enjoy was commencing. To quote him, and put simply: “I thought it would be great to take a turkey using a call which I had made.” The dream became real as he guided and hunted across turkey country. More people saw his calls. More began to order them, Scott says. In 1994, Basehore won his first National Wild Turkey Federation competition, taking top honors in the Grand National Decorative Box Call slot. In 2000, his work place first in the “Gibson” Working Box Call Judged on Sound competition. He’s placed high many other times. But will they work in the woods? “My calls are not mass produced. They are built one at a time, and worked according to each individual piece of wood.” And he backs that careful work up with a promise: “If I do not feel confident the call will call turkeys, it will not be sold.” His custom and paddle boxes are made from a solid block of wood, your choice: butternut, cedar, polar, cypress and mahogany. Money back, guaranteed. Mine sounds as sweet as a gobble answering yelps on a nearby ridge. Want more information? Basehore makes home base in Denver, Pennsylvania. He can be reached at 717-336-4458 or by email at: cbasehore@yahoo.com/ Don’t own a custom turkey call yet? You hardcore Strut Zone turkey chasers definitely owe yourself one. Run a custom or paddle box made by one of these guys, and you’ll see the difference between some of the lower-grade inexpensive options that of course allow everyone to play the calling game, and these custom made works of art. |
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Comments (14)
Hey guys,
If you do own a custom box call, who made it?
Own more than one?
Thanks . . .
-S.
I don't have one yet, but my first one will probably be one I make. I've got a box turtle shell and some slate, I'd better get the two together before September or I'll be too busy hunting to make it until this winter. I've been thinking about woods and tools to make box calls too, but that takes a bit more skill and start-up cost.
I'm kinda rough on things. I'd be afraid to take something that pretty out in the woods.
Know what you mean, seadog. It's funny, I've mentioned my similar concerns to the turkey-call craftsmen who build these wonderful (and functional) works of art, and they all insist to a man that they're intended to be used. But I am REAL careful, for sure. Like you, I can beat up on gear up something awful. Once belly-crawled to jumpshoot ducks, and killed a camera (in my pocket) in the process. Once made a river retrieve on a dead greenhead and destroyed a wristwatch. The list of what I've sat on in the turkey woods at setups is limitless.
Hey Levi. How's it going over your way? Sure enough, shell/slate calls, wingbones, tube calls, etc., are all fun to make, but you're right. Better get it done before the coming hunting season(s) eh.
-S.
I didn't count my first tube call. I used it to call in my first gobbler, now I don't remember which one it is. I have a few old film canisters that I cut roughly and put in some latex, those are super cheap, easy, and can make just about any turkey call with a little practice. Things are going good, I haven't heard how the hatch was this year, but it should be better than in years past, I've been seeing turkeys regularly, but unfortunately in areas I can't hunt, but I'm sure there are some in areas I can hunt, it's the middle of Missouri after all.
When the turkey was set I felt the complusion to collect calls including the custom ones. They come in field verison and presentation models. My calls have come from a variety makers. I have a special fondness for those call makers who come up with different styles. Love creativity.
One of my favorite call artists is Dave Constantine who is close by.
http://www.dconstantine.com/
Hey charlie elk,
Yep, Dave's a good one. Thanks for the link too.
When do you get first crack at the fall turkeys? Still envy all those tags!
-S.
c.e.,
By the way, the robust gobble on Dave's website just made one of my bird-crazy English setters jump off the home office couch where she was napping, and leap toward the computer monitor screen!
-S.
Turkey season starts 9/12. I was out in morning and they were chain gobbling!!! My pulse shot up and I nearly fainted dead away. Lucky the season wasn't open or my wingbone might have got sucked down the old throat.
Saw couple of flocks with multiple hens leading poults around. Activity is increasing almost as fast as my pulse.
Did you get slobber wiped off your screen?
I have one my uncle made some years back,never used it because it was the last one he made before he past away,so it's just a keep sake.But I have made some sweet yelps around the house with it.Even made a Tom gobble with it out behind the house one morning.One day when time permits I plan on making one myself.I'm with Seadog and Steve I know if I used a nice piece of art,like in the picture,I would just mess it up.
Later,
BRBB
Some calls are made to be used, others are pure art and some like BRBB's are really special.
A call I picked up last year was a Do-Ral Sassy Slate. This is a simple one hand operated slate call. Not too spendy and was a good performer during my spring hunts.
Due to superb gag reflexes that never fail to impress my dentist I am not comfortable with a diaphragm call. Making friction calls a wise choice for me.
Hey charlie elk,
That screen slobber from my turkey dog leaping at the sound of the website gobble is a good thing as it helped prompt me to make amends with the state of New York and pony up the recently inflated $135 this morning (NR small-game & NR turkey permit).
So the glass is half-full now . . . still don't have as many tags as you(!), so we'll expect full reports this coming turkey season here at the SZ.
In the end, a guy like me can't complain when he gets to turkey hunt a half-dozen states in a calendar year, scouting 24/7 & 365 days the rest of the time. Life is good.
-S.
Steve, glad to hear you ponied up to get the NY tags – good doggie you have there.
When states raise our fees it gives us all pause.
Look at it this way:
All of us have been allocated a fixed number of hunting days in our lifetimes. We don’t know how many so it would be a shame to waste em. It is only money; we can’t take the money with us. But I am not so sure we can’t take our memories with us –
I’ll try to report in during hunting season. My job allows me to take a lot of time off to hunt - Sept-Dec end up really, really busy. ;-))
Not a custom box, but a wing bone I made last year with instruction from Larry Proffit. Got it's first Tom last year. It will be a keep sake now along with my late dad's old Roger Latham box. Got more wing bones in the works! Plan to give them to friends, kids.
Post a Comment (200 characters or less)
Hey guys,
If you do own a custom box call, who made it?
Own more than one?
Thanks . . .
-S.
I don't have one yet, but my first one will probably be one I make. I've got a box turtle shell and some slate, I'd better get the two together before September or I'll be too busy hunting to make it until this winter. I've been thinking about woods and tools to make box calls too, but that takes a bit more skill and start-up cost.
I'm kinda rough on things. I'd be afraid to take something that pretty out in the woods.
Know what you mean, seadog. It's funny, I've mentioned my similar concerns to the turkey-call craftsmen who build these wonderful (and functional) works of art, and they all insist to a man that they're intended to be used. But I am REAL careful, for sure. Like you, I can beat up on gear up something awful. Once belly-crawled to jumpshoot ducks, and killed a camera (in my pocket) in the process. Once made a river retrieve on a dead greenhead and destroyed a wristwatch. The list of what I've sat on in the turkey woods at setups is limitless.
Hey Levi. How's it going over your way? Sure enough, shell/slate calls, wingbones, tube calls, etc., are all fun to make, but you're right. Better get it done before the coming hunting season(s) eh.
-S.
I didn't count my first tube call. I used it to call in my first gobbler, now I don't remember which one it is. I have a few old film canisters that I cut roughly and put in some latex, those are super cheap, easy, and can make just about any turkey call with a little practice. Things are going good, I haven't heard how the hatch was this year, but it should be better than in years past, I've been seeing turkeys regularly, but unfortunately in areas I can't hunt, but I'm sure there are some in areas I can hunt, it's the middle of Missouri after all.
Turkey season starts 9/12. I was out in morning and they were chain gobbling!!! My pulse shot up and I nearly fainted dead away. Lucky the season wasn't open or my wingbone might have got sucked down the old throat.
Saw couple of flocks with multiple hens leading poults around. Activity is increasing almost as fast as my pulse.
Did you get slobber wiped off your screen?
I have one my uncle made some years back,never used it because it was the last one he made before he past away,so it's just a keep sake.But I have made some sweet yelps around the house with it.Even made a Tom gobble with it out behind the house one morning.One day when time permits I plan on making one myself.I'm with Seadog and Steve I know if I used a nice piece of art,like in the picture,I would just mess it up.
Later,
BRBB
Some calls are made to be used, others are pure art and some like BRBB's are really special.
A call I picked up last year was a Do-Ral Sassy Slate. This is a simple one hand operated slate call. Not too spendy and was a good performer during my spring hunts.
Due to superb gag reflexes that never fail to impress my dentist I am not comfortable with a diaphragm call. Making friction calls a wise choice for me.
Hey charlie elk,
That screen slobber from my turkey dog leaping at the sound of the website gobble is a good thing as it helped prompt me to make amends with the state of New York and pony up the recently inflated $135 this morning (NR small-game & NR turkey permit).
So the glass is half-full now . . . still don't have as many tags as you(!), so we'll expect full reports this coming turkey season here at the SZ.
In the end, a guy like me can't complain when he gets to turkey hunt a half-dozen states in a calendar year, scouting 24/7 & 365 days the rest of the time. Life is good.
-S.
Steve, glad to hear you ponied up to get the NY tags – good doggie you have there.
When states raise our fees it gives us all pause.
Look at it this way:
All of us have been allocated a fixed number of hunting days in our lifetimes. We don’t know how many so it would be a shame to waste em. It is only money; we can’t take the money with us. But I am not so sure we can’t take our memories with us –
I’ll try to report in during hunting season. My job allows me to take a lot of time off to hunt - Sept-Dec end up really, really busy. ;-))
When the turkey was set I felt the complusion to collect calls including the custom ones. They come in field verison and presentation models. My calls have come from a variety makers. I have a special fondness for those call makers who come up with different styles. Love creativity.
One of my favorite call artists is Dave Constantine who is close by.
http://www.dconstantine.com/
Hey charlie elk,
Yep, Dave's a good one. Thanks for the link too.
When do you get first crack at the fall turkeys? Still envy all those tags!
-S.
c.e.,
By the way, the robust gobble on Dave's website just made one of my bird-crazy English setters jump off the home office couch where she was napping, and leap toward the computer monitor screen!
-S.
Not a custom box, but a wing bone I made last year with instruction from Larry Proffit. Got it's first Tom last year. It will be a keep sake now along with my late dad's old Roger Latham box. Got more wing bones in the works! Plan to give them to friends, kids.
Post a Comment (200 characters or less)