Slate Calls
Slate calls are some of the most popular calls among today’s turkey hunters. The term “slate” is somewhat misleading, since these friction calls are fashioned of everything from plastic to glass to aluminum and, yes, slate. These different surfaces give different sounds and some even allow hunters to use them in the rain.

Slate calls can be made up of three main pieces: the slate (or friction surface), the pot (the base that holds the slate) and the striker or peg (used to make the friction on the surface of the call).

Strikers come in a variety of materials as well, ranging from the traditional wood striker to high-tech carbon or plastic strikers. Also, a slate call may be a plain piece of slate without a pot.

Using a slate takes practice, but is fairly simple. Holding the striker like a pencil and the slate at an angle away from your body, pull the tip of the striker across the surface to make a sound. Making a small circle will give you a nice yelp. Pulling the striker slowly and gently over the surface in a straight line will give you a purr. The range of turkey sounds can easily be made with a little time and patience.

Try playing along with an audio tape or CD of turkey sounds, such as Spittin’ Feathers, which can be ordered through the NWTF by clicking here. Kids, Make sure you have a parent help you when ordering.