Hunting can be broadly classified into two categories. In one, you will sit silently in one place along a known animal trail with your hunting gear and wait for prey to cross your path. In another, you will seek out your prey then approach it before shooting. In both cases, the success of your hunt depends on your ability to attract an animal.
Game calls are the primary devices used to produce convincing calls which draw an animal towards you. There are several types of game call devices stocked in hunting stores in Michigan. You should know where, when, and how to use these devices to call your target.
Game calls produce different calls such as mating, aggression, and position calls. Distress calls resemble those of prey in distress and attract carnivorous animals to it thinking that dinner is nearby. Position calls resemble that of a member of your prey and will put other species of the same at ease. Mating and aggression calls generally attract animals looking to mate. The following are some of the call devices you can use to generate these calls.
Hand Calls
These are devices held to your mouth, and you need to either draw air in or blow into it to create a sound. Hand calls comprise a tone board, reed, stopper, wedge, and barrel. The barrel is held to your mouth, and a hand is placed on the opposite side to control the generated sound. The reeds are made into different shapes out of metal, reed, or bamboo. Most hand calls have two ends, with a whistle at one end. They are used to attract coyotes, deer, turkey, and waterfowl.
Box Calls
Box calls generate sound when pieces are rubbed together. A box call has a walnut or cedar hollow rectangular box with sides, which are slightly arched serving as the sounding boards. There is an attached puddle on the top side of the box with a hinge screw to allow back and forth movements, which produce sounds such as gobbles, clucks, and yelps. The strength of the sound a box call generates depends on the contour of its sides. It is primarily used for turkey hunting.
Diaphragm Calls
There are interior and exterior diaphragm calls. The outer variant features a plastic tube with latex stretched over it, which you blow into to generate sound. An interior diaphragm call fits into your mouth’s roof, and you blow intensely into it while working your jaws up and down to generate different sounds. A diaphragm call is used for elk, hen, and turkey hunting.
Electronic Calls
These feature different sounds stored on a computer chip. You only need to push a specific button to generate your intended sound. Though an electronic call is the easiest to use and attracts virtually all types of game, some states do not allow it.
You cannot just sit or wander and expect to bump into your intended prey. Without the right call device, your hunting trip will be frustrating and yield no fruits. Most hunters will opt to have more than one call device from the above-mentioned game calls to boost their chances of success in their hunt.