Hen Bone vs. Jake or Gobbler Bone CRAZY!!!!!!

[Trumpetyelper]

I wonder if anyone tried making a 3 bone yelper but used a large gobbler bone mouthpiece as the number 2 bone.. and used a small hen bone as the mouthpiece.. basically a 3 bone call but smaller...third bone would be what is typically used as the number 2 bone in a standard 3 bone yelper... this could sound super confusing but just an idea.

[stevelumma]

I make this style of call. I use a gobbler ulna, a hen ulna , and a hen radius for the mouthpiece. It is the style I like for close in calling.

[Zumer]

A couple guys makes those gobbler strikers.....

    I have a set from Fred Cox, a single from Jim McNeil, and have seen a few made by Steve Mann....They work great on certain type surfaces.

    We have a fall season here in PA......I've learned to run an all gobbler bone made by Tony Ezolt or one from Ralph Snodgrass.....I've had success with both of them....Close down your hands, draw more air at a slower rate and you should be fine..

    Zumer

[EZ]

Just my opinion, but from a guy who's made quite a few over the years, if you can control the lip pressure, the internal diameter isn't all that important. With the correct pressure, pitch can be controlled. If anything, the tone might be a bit more hollow. I have no problem with a gobbler bone. I try to use smaller diameter bones, however, because they are more popular and, as this thread proves, most folks think it makes a big difference.
I think using a lipstop makes a difference in control and pressure, so try learning to call without one.
JMO
Oh yeah, I've made a few cane/bone strikers too.

Sorry to resurrect this thread but I find this very interesting because I also have been making wingbones for quite some time and I agree with gonhuntin on this. Wrong mouthpiece??? I know (at least I heard,lol) that it's "common knowledge" that the hen radius is "THE" bone to use for a wingbone call and I know that some of the greats have stated such, so who am I to aurgue? For one thing, sometimes you want the deeper sound for fall gobbler hunting, but that aside, IMHO a jake or gobbler radius call can sound every bit as good as a hen, or, dare I say even better??? for spring time hunting. Besides your calling techniques as gonhuntin described, when I cut my gobbler radii, I cut it as close to the joint as possible, where the hole is the smallest. Also, another thing I've found for getting the higher pitch out of gobbler bones is to cut down the length of all the bones slightly so that the overall length of the call is not much more than the length of a hen wingbone call. These are just some things that work for me.

[BountyHunter]

One seldom see's a Hen bone in a Jordan Call, mostly Jake and Gobbler, a Fall Call, as meant to reproduce the Sounds of Jakes and Gobblers, not a Hen.

If you can Kee on a gobbler bone, which one can, you can get any sound.

All about Air control.

[Spring Dragon]

I play and hunt wingbones often along with my trumpets.  I prefer a jake bone mouth piece for sure.  I do not like the jenny bones much at all as to me they seem to be too high pitch with less volume and the bone is so small its tough to get comfortable with a good seal.  I produce fantastic hen (young & mature) sounds with my wingbones from Harold Skip Perry and Rob Balaam of jake bones.  I don't care much for the gobbler bones though a well made one is capable of producing good sound.  Its all about the tone, pitch and volume you want from the call and then your abilities to manipulate it.---Jason

[M Sharpe]

Personally, I make them all. I use only the smaller diameter bones. But, a jake bone makes the widest range of sounds. Most people can't back off the pressure enough to run a henbone the way they need running. If the gobbler bones are not small enough, and that depends on where they come from, I don't use them. An 18 or 19 pound gobbler down here is the norm, they make fine bones. I've had hen bones from the mid-west that was a big as the gobbler bones here. That is one of the reasons I'm leary of making bones from gobblers others have killed. Sometimes you get great big old bones that you know aren't going to sound good, then some one is dissappointed with the bone caller. Folks don't seem to realize that you can tighten up your grip on the mouthpiece and get a higher tone, even with gobbler bones. Relax the grip and you get the more gobbler tones from them.

Mark

[professorwingbone]

Not attempeting to throw a wrench into this debate, but the old timers use to plug the end of a gobbler bone w/ glue and then drill a hole to get the sound they liked.

Bill

I've never considered myself an old timer  but as I reflect on my age, I guess I may be. I've filled the ends of many gobbler boned wingbone calls with epoxy and drilled smaller holes for a higher pitch. I've been doing this for over 20 years. But, as Mark and others have said, a good wingbone caller can manipulate the sounds and pitches with controlling the amount of pressure used with which to call. That being said, I prefer the hen radius over gobblers or jakes. I guess a lot depends on what type of hunting you are doing, whether it be fall or spring. Also, as was noted earlier, in NC and SC, hen wingbones are hard to find. Luckily, I've got several friends in Va, Pa, and Ny that save hen wingbones for me to make into wingbones. Of course, I'm always on the lookout for more wingbones from any fall hunting states. Many years ago, I started making a free wingbone call for anyone that could supply me with six wings. They get a call and I'd have five to make for my business. That's worked out pretty good.

As far as strikers from gobbler bones, they make good ones. I've don't make a lot of them but the ones I do make are made with a corncob top. I use the dimensions given to me by Neil Cost. I do the same with snowgoose and Canada wingbones.

EZ hit the nail on the head when he mentioned the length of the call. This has much to do with the degree of pitch. You may not hear a lot of difference between a call that is 8.5" long as compared with one that is 8.25" long but play it against one that is 7.5" long and it is very discernible.

Fred

[M Sharpe]

You're right Fred. I've even had some hen bones that were too small to use except the mouthpiece bone. Those bones placed in the right gobbler bones make fine callers.