A tube call is a very simple device, which you can make at home. It makes every sound in a turkey’s vocabulary from yelps to purrs to gobbles. 

The tube call is a popular caller for many of the nation’s top turkey hunters. With it, a hunter can make virtually every sound in a turkey’s vocabulary from yelps to purrs to gobbles. Using a tube call takes practice and patience.

The first patented commercial tube call was made by Kenny Morgan of Morgan’s Turkey Callers in 1972. Commercial tube calls are refined and tuned to give the user the best possible sounds. But a tube call is a very simple device, which you can actually make at home. It is a tube with latex stretched over the calling end. A tube call can be easily made by following these simple tips:

Materials needed:
• Pill bottle or 35mm film canister with lid
• A powderless latex glove
• A sharp knife
• A pair of scissors

Directions:
• Cut off the bottom of the canister or bottle.
• Cut a half circle in the lid.
• From the glove, cut a three-inch by two-inch strip of latex.
• Place the latex over the top of the canister so that it lines up with the hole in the cap, creating a thin gap across the lid hole.
• The cap will hold the latex in place.
• Stretch or loosen the latex to get the desired sounds.
• Practice, Practice, Practice.

Once the call is made, exhale air across the stretched latex, which vibrates and makes the turkey sounds. By moving your lips over the latex and moving your jaw up and down, you can change the pitch and tone of the sounds.

The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) is a great resource for turkey hunting tips and other wild turkey information. Visit the NWTF’s website at www.nwtf.org for information or call (800) THE-NWTF to become a NWTF member and receive one of our great magazines filled with turkey hunting tips and stories. 

About the NWTF: In 1973 when the National Wild Turkey Federation was founded, there were an estimated 1.3 million wild turkeys and 1.5 million turkey hunters. Thanks to the work of state wildlife agencies and the NWTF's many volunteers and partners, today there are an estimated 5.4 million wild turkeys and approximately 2.6 million turkey hunters. Since 1985, more than
$135 million NWTF and cooperator dollars have been spent on over 15,000 projects benefiting wild turkeys throughout North America.

The NWTF is a 390,000-member grassroots, nonprofit organization with members in 50 states, Canada and 11 foreign countries. It supports scientific wildlife management on public, private and corporate lands as well as wild turkey hunting as a traditional North American sport.