What is a wing-bone turkey call, and how to make it
ANTHONY SEGRAVES/Sun-Gazette Shown is how a finished wing-bone turkey call will look, with the bones being placed inside of one another.
ANTHONY SEGRAVES/Sun-Gazette A dremel tool and bones of a turkey is what’s needed to make a wing-bone turkey call.
ANTHONY SEGRAVES/Sun-Gazette Shown is how a finished wing-bone turkey call will look, with the bones being placed inside of one another.
ANTHONY SEGRAVES/Sun-Gazette A dremel tool and bones of a turkey is what’s needed to make a wing-bone turkey call.
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A year ago my friend was talking about a wing bone call. I had never heard of it and it piqued my interest. So I began researching and finding out everything that I could about how it is made and used.
You can find lots of videos online, but a week ago I began building my first wing bone call. I started with a turkey wing from a friend that had a successful spring hunt. Then I removed the first bone that connects to the turkey shoulder and breast. I continued to the next two bones that run side by side in the wing. That completed the set of three bones that are needed. Some people have constructed these calls with only two bones, but I decided on the construction of a three-bone call.
I cleaned as much meat and other scraps from the bone. The bones were then added to a pot of boiling water with a teaspoon of Dawn dish soap for 30 minutes. This removed some of the particulates, but you will have to use a dremel tool or knife to clean the outside of the bone.
After the outside of the bones are clean you will cut the rounded joints off each end of the bones. At this point you can customize the length to your preference. Some folks recommend keeping each section about three inches in length. The most important thing is to make sure that the bones can fit inside of one another.
The next step is to give the bones a second bath in boiling water and Dawn. After that, you will use a pipe cleaner to clean the inside of the bones. Follow that up with a rinse in the sink. You will want to use a dremel tool or knife to clean out what I call the bone honey comb interior.
When the inside is finished you can begin adjusting and sanding bones to get a proper fit. You will use an epoxy or glue to put the joints together. At this point you have a completed call.
You can spend as much time decorating or putting finishing touches on the call. I'm not the most artistic of folks, so I just wrapped twine around my joints. Some people might want to try burning images or other interesting things.
I found this to be an interesting project that did not have a high cost associated with it. This project also does not require a lot of time. I would say about three to four hours for your first build.
I also liked the fact that it gives me a use for another part of the animal that is usually discarded.
Now it is time to perfect the use of it and see if it might someday call a bird in for me or a friend.