Search through a dedicated turkey hunter’s vest and it is doubtful you will find a tube call. It may be one of the rarest calls found in a vest. Personal opinion is that few even know what a tube call is because they are not mass produced by the major call manufacturers. And secondly, they can be a bit difficult to master.
But when the conditions are right, the sound generated by a tube call can bring about an excitement in a Tom unlike any other call.
The tube call is made with a bellow style ‘tube’ with a piece of latex stretched over one end covering about half of the opening. The top lip is pressed against the latex and the user blows across the edge of the latex to generate a sound. All standard calls can be mimicked with a tube call. Yelps, clucks, cutting, purrs, etc. They take some practice, but they can be mastered. Perhaps the greatest benefit of the tube call is the volume it can generate. Few calls can be as loud as the tube call. It is my ‘go to’ locater call. This call will reach out and touch a gobbler like no other call. Mine is so loud, I cover one ear when locating with it.
Different preferences determine where or how much of the opening is covered with the latex. The more covered, the softer the call to a point. When I need to make soft yelps or purr, I stretch the latex to cover more of the opening and blow a lot softer.
. Having a call that an ole Tom has never heard can be a big bonus on public property. A quick internet search will reveal plenty of individuals who make these calls for reasonable fees.
The tube call can be one of the finest assets to place in your vest. It will do things no other call can do, and it can do them very well.
