It won’t come as a shock to most, but I annually spend quite a bit of time picking new turkey calls to try out. Particularly with diaphragm calls, I am always looking for a new call that will fit my style of calling better than my previous go-to calls. Out of the dozens of calls that I have owned over the years, I find myself constantly reaching to pull two out of my vest. Despite trying out many different brands, both of the calls that I use the most are produced by Woodhaven Custom Calls. Their calls have been consistent for me, and I don’t mind paying a few more dollars when that is the case. What works well for me won’t work for everyone, but I hope to give you an idea of two calls to try out in the woods this spring.
Talk about a unique cut! I’ve used a wide variety of diaphragm designs, but this call stands out above others to my ears. It is a triple reed call, but is still fairly easy to use and doesn’t require too much air. Part of the reason that I love this call is how sharp cutts sound. I cutt quite a bit when I am calling, and this call has the high-pitched front end that allows a cutt to resonate cleanly. This high-pitched front end also makes it very easy to throw yelps into a cutting sequence, which can be difficult to do on some calls. Even with the high front end, I can easily jake yelp and gobble on this call without losing sound quality. Additionally, the Ninja Hammer allows for a wide range of volume, and is one of the few calls that I feel comfortable striking and finishing birds with. While the Ninja Hammer is one of the more expensive diaphragm calls on the market today ($15.99 MSRP), its versatility can replace many other diaphragms you might otherwise buy.
This is one of the only products I have ever wanted to try because I saw it used on a hunting show, and I’m glad that I did try it out. Last year, I watched the guys at The Hunting Public strike several birds with this glass call, and I had to at least give it a try in a store. My favorite part of the Cherry Classic is the high, sweet notes that you can get yelping on the call. This also translates into aggressive cutts, which comes in handy when trying to strike birds at long range or through wind. Speaking of this, the Cherry Classic is LOUD. I haven’t run many calls that have the ability to occasionally leave my ears ringing, but the high notes of the Cherry Classic will do this when I really get aggressive. While a box call could probably produce the same volume, most box calls lack the high pitch that will cut through the wind and distance like this glass call can. I mainly use this call for striking birds, but it can also produce sweet yelps, clucks, and purrs to work a bird. I previously used a slate call as my switch-hitter, but now I mainly stick to the Cherry Classic when I want to try something different. It does take a little more work to condition this call compared to most slate calls, but this isn’t an issue for me. As noted with the Ninja Hammer, the Cherry Classic isn’t cheap ($94.99 MSRP). For that reason, I would encourage you to NOT try it out unless you are ready to buy one, as it may ruin all other friction calls for you!
(Above) The Woodhaven Cherry Classic glass call is my favorite friction call ever. Besides being a quality build, it makes beautiful sound that is awesome for striking up birds!
Conclusion
Everyone has their own way to work turkey calls, so these two may not work the best for everyone. However, I would encourage you to try them out if you haven’t yet, as I personally feel they both provide something unique that my other calls don’t. Since we’re always looking to try something new, let us know what your favorite calls are in the comments and we’ll try them out!
