Diaphragm Seminar Question

[JALA RUT]

When turkey hunting I carry a variety of calls from pot calls (slate and glass), a box call, and diaphragm calls but in reality I'm not very confident in my use of the diaphragm.  So my general tactic is that I use my pot calls to work birds into my set up while keeping the diaphragm tucked into my cheek; so if a bird hangs up while coming in and I can't use my pot call fearing he'll see the movement, I'll use the diaphragm for a cluck or a purr.  But I'd like to get better and more confident in using a diaphragm for yelping , cutting, kee-keeing, plus get better at my clucks and purrs with it.  I've watched YouTube videos and other things on line but really need something more along the lines of a seminar with an instructor to give some feedback and instruction.  Is anybody aware of any seminars coming up near the Rochester area teaching how to use a diaphragm call?

[buffalojay83]

Practice practice practice. Come April I keto my mouth calls in my truck and practice when I'm in the truck. I found putting in your mouth and saying "chuck,chuck " is best. And I only call once or twice every ten minutes at the most. I had a great year last year and found that most of my focus is on staying as still as possible pays off. The long time in between calls can get the gobbler it looking and investigating. I sit in the tree line and put a few decoys just into a field/clearing and I face into the woods. Good luck!

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[growalot]

I personally think you should try using your own voice and diaphragm. It's basically the same but without the.mouthpiece.

 

[Doewhacker]

I took a quick look at the NWTF and didn't see any kind of instructional events coming up. I don't know that I have ever heard of such a thing either.

 

I am self taught, started using mouth calls at the age of 13 and took to it for some reason. Basically I practiced a ton, and I have found that the best teacher's are Turkeys themselves. In my youth I would record myself and listen back to see if it sounded good enough. You do not need to be a champion caller to make it work, just try different things until you find what you like.

[growalot]

Jala.... have you ever tried calling using just your own mouth?  It is just positioning your tongue, the back part of your tongue, to the back of the roof of your mouth then from your diaphragm pushing air out. In short bursts...you should get a high pitched click or squeak This is the air vibrating over your vocal cords as it's forced through that small opening. Once you get use to that..and yes it can take effort, you then can add movement to your tongue and lower jaw...this will get you yelps... sliding your tongue and lower jaw forward and back does this. As that gets easier you can bring these motions to the back of your mouth and involve your throat muscles...this will bring out a deep raspy sound.

 If you try let me know how it goes..It's a difficult thing to describe...

Edited February 20, 2017 by growalot

[Steve D]

5 hours ago, growalot said:

Jala.... have you ever tried calling using just your own mouth?  It is just positioning your tongue, the back part of your tongue, to the back of the roof of your mouth then from your diaphragm pushing air out. In short bursts...you should get a high pitched click or squeak This is the air vibrating over your vocal cords as it's forced through that small opening. Once you get use to that..and yes it can take effort, you then can add movement to your tongue and lower jaw...this will get you yelps... sliding your tongue and lower jaw forward and back does this. As that gets easier you can bring these motions to the back of your mouth and involve your throat muscles...this will bring out a deep raspy sound.

 If you try let me know how it goes..It's a difficult thing to describe...

Need a video of that

[growalot]

Ya I'll get right on installing a mini cam in my mouth... like I said it's difficult to describe...though actually no different than what one does with a diaphragm in their mouth...I can  call turkeys when ever and where ever I wish...and have shot birds for the last umpteen years using my own vocals. I only bring slates with me so I can sound like multiple birds when needed.

I actually had a couple of very short videos of my calling on here...

Edited February 20, 2017 by growalot

[JALA RUT]

10 hours ago, growalot said:

Jala.... have you ever tried calling using just your own mouth?  It is just positioning your tongue, the back part of your tongue, to the back of the roof of your mouth then from your diaphragm pushing air out. In short bursts...you should get a high pitched click or squeak This is the air vibrating over your vocal cords as it's forced through that small opening. Once you get use to that..and yes it can take effort, you then can add movement to your tongue and lower jaw...this will get you yelps... sliding your tongue and lower jaw forward and back does this. As that gets easier you can bring these motions to the back of your mouth and involve your throat muscles...this will bring out a deep raspy sound.

 If you try let me know how it goes..It's a difficult thing to describe...

Grow, I've done this at times when I've been out on hikes with my camera when I've stumbled onto birds and try clucking or yelping with my mouth to get pictures of them. It seems like I can get their attention when I use my mouth but not natural enough sounding to get them to really respond to it.  Although that would be a convenient and cool skill to have.

[JALA RUT]

10 hours ago, Doewhacker said:

I took a quick look at the NWTF and didn't see any kind of instructional events coming up. I don't know that I have ever heard of such a thing either.

Yeah Doewhacker I checked there as well and did some quick google searches coming up empty too.

Thanks for checking though!

[Pygmy]

I envy Growie for her skill at calling by mouth...

In past years I became halfway decent with a diaphragm, call, and over a period of perhaps 20 years, I killed a bunch of birds with it..  However, I never really had a good understanding of what was going on inside my mouth while I was calling..

Eventually, I have regressed to using friction calls again, although I own perhaps 20 mouth calls...

For those who are skilled with the mouth call, it is the very most authentic  and most effective call....90 % of the hunters I hear in the woods are NOT  very skilled with a mouth call, and  most of the time I can tell it is a hunter rather a real turkey...

Fortunately, turkeys are not as discerning...You don't have to be that good..Otherwise,  many fairly successful hunters ( myself included) might never have killed one..

[Buckmaster7600]

back when I called turkeys I learned from listening to my dad and he only used diaphragms. He was the best I have ever heard at it and I was never even close to as good as him but the birds didn't seem to mind. Cadence is more important than tone. Learn how turkeys talk and do it In your own "voice" and the birds will come.

As for grow's suggestion the only call I can do with my own voice is a "put put" immediately followed by a load boom.


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[nyslowhand]

The #1 factor in using a diaphragm turkey call is getting it to fit in the roof of your mouth properly. Takes a lot of experimentation with trimming the edges and bending the frame to fit snuggly into the contour of the roof of your mouth... a little at a time. The better the fit, the less exhaled air it takes to make the sounds. Then you can begin to practice, practice, ....! I actually got banned from practicing in my own home by a family vote. Began listening to a CD in my car while commuting & learning to make each sound. Not the most ideal acoustic environment, but you can get the basic techniques this way w/o a lot of strange looks or complaining from family members. Eventually you'll need to fine tune the sounds, cadence, loudness, etc outside.

Slate & box calls are great, I have a couple of each and carry/use them on almost every hunt. But when those gobbles start getting louder and you know he's coming in, at least for me, I want both hands on the shotgun, up & ready and concentrating on the shot opportunity. Unless you're hunting from a blind, this is the time when those old, wily Toms pick-up every movement in the woods. Thus.. I've learned to use a diaphragm call.

Edited February 21, 2017 by nyslowhand