Glass, aluminum, and other Slate Calls as well as their Strikers  require proper maintenance to make them last for many hunting seasons. Here's what to do.

Pot and peg calls, also known as slate calls because of the primary material they were once made of, now come in a variety of surfaces. Whether your call is made of glass, aluminum, slate or some other material, using some general maintenance rules can make them last for many hunting seasons.

Most importantly, always make sure to keep fingers, other oil surfaces and dust off the striking surface. Use storage pouches, holsters or plastic bags when you are carrying your slate calls or storing them. Store your calls in a cool, dry place to prevent the warping of the call's wooden chambers.

Keep your call surfaces sanded, and only sand in one direction. Never sand back and forth and certainly not in a circular motion. Sanding in one direction makes for a more reliable sounding sweet spot from which to pull your best calls.

Use sandpaper, light steel wool or a sanding stone to rough up the surface of the call. A good rule of thumb is to use light grit sandpaper for true slate calls and heavier grit for other surfaces.

It’s also important to lightly sand your striker tips with an emery on a regular basis to clean them of oil and dirt. Like your calls, sand the striker tips in one direction as well.

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.