They are beautiful and artful except for the diaphragm, the most useful caller of all. If you can have only one caller, the humble diaphragm call works in every environment and every situation.

A diaphragm call consists of one to three strips of latex stretched across a frame that looks like a half circle. A nylon skirt encloses the frame and gives the device its shape.

He places the turkey diaphragm call at the top of his mouth and blows across it from his diaphragm, dropping his jaw to break notes, he said.

When Radcliff began to practice with the diaphragm call, he soon learned how to make the sound of a wild turkey hen. The clear, sharp and melodious little call producing the sound fascinated Radcliff.

Considering how many turkey hunters have gagged the first time they placed a diaphragm call against their palate, the victim here may be the caller, not the call.

Turkey calling, like waterfowl calling, is an art unto itself. To the skilled turkey hunter, knowing the yelp, cluck, purr, cut, and locator calls is as elementary as learning how to walk is for a ...

At age 66, Rich Shively has been hunting turkeys more than 50 years. His passion compelled Shively to create his own turkey calls. His main design is the Super Yelper, a style of call most turkey ...

Clinton "Tres" Phipps holds a homemade diaphragm turkey call he made at his home near Bethel Friday morning. KELLY BOSTIAN / Tulsa World ...