Increase in cost of turkey calls especially mouth calls

[megalomaniac]

Another example of free market...

I just realized I'm almost out of BOSS TOM TSS shells. I switched to them when Federal raised their prices to $50 per box.and lost me as a customer. BOSS was $45 per box last year, they went up to $55 per box this year. I don't give a rats ass about 'inflation' they can charge whatever they want, and I decide whether I'm spending my hard earned money on them...

So they lost me as a customer. Instead I ordered 5 boxes of these. The free market works both ways

TSS Shot Tungsten Super Slam Ammunition 20 Gauge 3" #9 1 5/8 oz Tungsten Shot Box of 5

SPECS Gauge 20 Gauge Shot Size 9 Muzzle Velocity 1100 Shotshell Length 3in. / 76mm Type Tungsten Shot Charge Oz 1 5/8 Payload Pellets 585.0 Package Quantity 5 Usage Turkey WARNING: This product can expose you to Lead, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or...

www.powdervalley.com

 

[Setterman]

Everything that has happened to the commercial side of turkey hunting is pretty disgusting. Hence one of the 5000 reasons the convention is stupid and I'm just overall disgusted by turkey hunting outside of the actual game I'm playing in the woods.

 

[Rockhound]

Another example of free market...

I just realized I'm almost out of BOSS TOM TSS shells. I switched to them when Federal raised their prices to $50 per box.and lost me as a customer. BOSS was $45 per box last year, they went up to $55 per box this year. I don't give a rats ass about 'inflation' they can charge whatever they want, and I decide whether I'm spending my hard earned money on them...

So they lost me as a customer. Instead I ordered 5 boxes of these. The free market works both ways

TSS Shot Tungsten Super Slam Ammunition 20 Gauge 3" #9 1 5/8 oz Tungsten Shot Box of 5

SPECS Gauge 20 Gauge Shot Size 9 Muzzle Velocity 1100 Shotshell Length 3in. / 76mm Type Tungsten Shot Charge Oz 1 5/8 Payload Pellets 585.0 Package Quantity 5 Usage Turkey WARNING: This product can expose you to Lead, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or...

www.powdervalley.com

Let us know how they shoot, I've wandered about them.

 

[Bgoodman30]

I can generally get a few years out of a mouth call by cleaning them up real good and keeping the reeds separated by toothpick or paper clip and storing in a cool dry dark place.

I don't do this anymore. Got a bad infection one year pain was so bad I could barely hunt...

 

[Boll Weevil]

I don't do this anymore. Got a bad infection one year pain was so bad I could barely hunt...

My regimen includes a Listerine soak for bacteria. But yeah…I totally get it.

 

[Jbird22]

Soak em for 15 mins or so in 50/50 mix of water and ALCOHOL FREE mouth wash. After the soak, rinse em them, shake them dry and put em in your freezer (not fridge). Scott Hook told me to do this years ago and it absolutely works. I'll use the same calls for 2-3 seasons without any issues whatsoever.

 

[Bgoodman30]

My regimen includes a Listerine soak for bacteria. But yeah…I totally get it.

I do that as well now.

 

[megalomaniac]

Back when kids were little I'd only get to hunt 1 week in a year, so I'd get 2 or 3 years out of a mouth call.

Even though I'm meticulous taking care of them, I usually go through 2 or 3 a year now, as I'm usually in the woods 45 days between Mar 15 and May 28

 

[Bgoodman30]

I am with you Ren I was pissed in the Woodhaven booth.. 3 for $40 some deal... I used to buy 5-6 of them every year.. I have killed plenty with other mouth calls but the Red Wasp has been my favorite by far. IDK why I like it and they like it.. I need another call I like but I don't want to drop the unnecessary cash to figure it out..

 

[Jbird22]

As for the price of mouth calls, it's all in the eyes of the beholder. As a consumer, $15+ mouth calls seems unreasonable. However, try building your own and it may not seem so unreasonable. The way some of you feel about expensive mouth calls is how I feel about expensive pot calls. But then again, I'm just a consumer when it comes to pot calls but a builder when it comes to mouth calls.

 

[REN]

As for the price of mouth calls, it's all in the eyes of the beholder. As a consumer, $15+ mouth calls seems unreasonable. However, try building your own and it may not seem so unreasonable. The way some of you feel about expensive mouth calls is how I feel about expensive pot calls. But then again, I'm just a consumer when it comes to pot calls but a builder when it comes to mouth calls.

but thats the thing, its NOT expensive to make them vs a pot call and a pot call can last a lifetime.

 

[Jbird22]

but thats the thing, its NOT expensive to make them vs a pot call and a pot call can last a lifetime.

REN, sure materials are not expensive. But factor in $800 into a press and tape cutter plus your time in building them and you have to build/sell a LOT of calls to truly make any money. The reason you see so many presses for sale is people realize it's not all it's cracked up to be. Personally, I build my calls on a hand jig I designed/built. I only build a handful to sell just to help offset material cost. If I factored in my hourly cost of what my job pays me into making mouth calls, my per call price would probably look ridiculous too.

As for pot calls, I remember when $40 would get a nice pot call. Heck, I saw where Lonnie Sneed is getting $80 plus shipping for his pot calls now. Halloran's stuff is dang near $100 now. I have calls from both guys and paid half of what they're asking for them now. Everything is getting outrageous is all I'm saying.

 

[yellalinehunter]

And don't get me wrong... im NOT saying his calls are better than Woodhaven, etc. I'm just saying you don't need a $18 call to kill birds... even old birds. A $5 call will do just fine killing the old birds.

May 2023, Doug Smith 3 Reed split v (not that the number of reeds or cut makes any difference)

Next year I'll be in need of a new supply... hoping he is still making them!!!!

Them some dinosaur hooks right there

 

[REN]

REN, sure materials are not expensive. But factor in $800 into a press and tape cutter plus your time in building them and you have to build/sell a LOT of calls to truly make any money. The reason you see so many presses for sale is people realize it's not all it's cracked up to be. Personally, I build my calls on a hand jig I designed/built. I only build a handful to sell just to help offset material cost. If I factored in my hourly cost of what my job pays me into making mouth calls, my per call price would probably look ridiculous too.

As for pot calls, I remember when $40 would get a nice pot call. Heck, I saw where Lonnie Sneed is getting $80 plus shipping for his pot calls now. Halloran's stuff is dang near $100 now. I have calls from both guys and paid half of what they're asking for them now. Everything is getting outrageous is all I'm saying.

yes absolutely if you are buying a $600 press and for a normal Joe or someone selling some here and there I get that. But a company MASS PRODUCING calls has made back 100x the the cost of the press and still charges above and beyond. Heck I can get a jig and materials for $90 to hand make them and Id give them out if I go that route down the road just to help some folks out but company like woodhaven is making A LOT of profit off the hunter

 

[Jbird22]

yes absolutely if you are buying a $600 press and for a normal Joe or someone selling some here and there I get that. But a company MASS PRODUCING calls has made back 100x the the cost of the press and still charges above and beyond. Heck I can get a jig and materials for $90 to hand make them and Id give them out if I go that route down the road just to help some folks out but company like woodhaven is making A LOT of profit off the hunter

Woodhaven has always charged higher than normal prices on turkey calls IMO. Back when quality pots were going for $40-$50, their Cherry Classic Crystal was $75. Most mouth calls were around $5-$7 but their Red Wasp and Copperhead was $10-$12. I agree that their current prices are high but I have no idea what their overhead is either. Apparently they still have plenty of customers willing to pay their prices but I'm definitely not one of them.

If I didn't make my own now, Hooks would still be getting my money. But even their prices started around $5 per call and are now $8.50 per call.

 

[Poker]

I have always bought several mouth calls a year to find the ones that fit my needs. But once they started getting over 10 dollars i drew the line. I bought a press and started making my own, roughly 70 cents in each call. The company's that are charging 15-20 dollars a call are robbing the piss out of people buying them.

REN I defiantly recommend buying a jig, Thad Bright makes a good little jig for like 250 bucks. I had that one and now I have one of his production press that a buddy lets me use. It's a lot of fun to play with different style of cuts and tension.

He also sells all his calls for just $3 a piece, too.

 

[Rockhound]

I don't do this anymore. Got a bad infection one year pain was so bad I could barely hunt...

I did to a few years ago it was awful. I'll spend $100 a year on new calls to avoid it again

 

[Wooden Arrow]

i buy 3 or 4 H&S Strut "raspy old hen" every couple of years. nothing else sounds/fits right to me. if price jumps on them, i'll make my own.

 

[muddyboots]

I dislike woodhaven because they take a ton of air to make sound like I want. I watch campfire and but hs strut infinity latex when they put them on sale. Usually 3 dollars a call. But I haven't bought any this year so they maybe higher now. I think I'll go look.

 

[muddyboots]

HS strut 13.99 for 4.