The Humble Scratch Box
Scratch box calls are well regarded by turkey hunters for their ease of use, portability, versatility and ability to mimic authentic turkey sounds.
A scratch box turkey call has a straightforward design: a small, thin box as a sound chamber matched with a separate blocky striker. One of the side walls features a slightly elevated open edge that touts a chalked lip. Rubbing the lip on a short, rectangular striker will amplify the sound inside the box cavity. Scratch boxes can be short and flat, long and thick, closed or open. Regardless of how a call maker designs and builds a scratch box, there are many reasons to appreciate it.
This type of call is generally easy to use, but it takes some rehearsal time to get a feel for it. It’s also relatively compact and lightweight, allowing hunters to carry it easily in their pockets or vests.
Scratch boxes are renowned for their authentic, accurate tones and pitches. Their sound differs from that of other friction calls, and that difference might be what makes a stubborn gobbler sound off.
They also offer versatility in the sounds they can produce. As with any friction call, the yelp is the most prominent call hunters produce on scratch boxes. But scratch boxes can produce clucks, purrs, tree yelps and more with training and experience.
To play a scratch box, a caller firmly grips the bottom edge of the sound chamber, typically in the middle for optimal leverage, and flips the call upside down. In the opposite hand, the caller holds the wide, stubby striker by pinching it between the thumb and finger and holding it steady. The caller then pulls the sound chamber’s lip gently and deftly against the striker. The resulting vibrations are amplified within the box’s cavity, producing realistic turkey sounds.
It takes practice to get a feel for the pressure and speed required to get good sound for the front end of a yelp and a subtle flick of the wrist can add that realistic break in the yelp’s ending.
Although the simplicity of a scratch box is part of its allure, call makers get creative when designing and building them. They often experiment with various box dimensions, types of wood, striker materials and construction techniques, customizing call designs to achieve their ideal sounds.
Here are some excellent, expertly crafted examples of this call type, in no particular order. Several are from call makers who have won Category 16: Scratch Box Design at the annual Grand National Callmaking Competition.
Rick White, Stranger Creek Game Calls: maple and poplar with cherry and walnut parquet design with a cherry wood striker. White was the 2024 gold medal winner in this category. (913) 723-3365.
Eric Rice, Shine Box Turkey Calls: blue mahoe with curly movingui wood and brass inlays, plus a slanted-grip bottom with a matching magnetized striker. Rice won gold with this design in 2016 and 2017. (612) 270-3347.
Tim Bullock, No Bull Custom Calls: classic Davis-style cedar and black walnut with a slate-over-cedar striker. In 2019, Bullock took home gold in this category. (828) 447-0806.
Scott Basehore, Custom Box Calls: cedar with Brazilian cherry striker. Basehore won gold in 2012 for his scratch box and has a long history of crafting award-winning calls. (717) 917-5872.
Jerry Wilson, Game Calls: These red cedar double-siders are packaged as a two-call set with a slate striker. This purposeful four-in-one call design is also available in walnut. (484) 860-0505.
Ben Heape, Spurs Up Calls: spalted sycamore double-sider housing a circular sound chamber with slate and ceramic strikers, attachable with a leather strip cord. (843) 441-2776.
The scratch box embodies the adage less is more. Crafted from humble materials, this unassuming turkey call has become an essential ally of seasoned old-school hunters.