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Commando's Sweet Talk friction call
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If you ask nicely…
Brenda Valentine believes a little Sweet Talk goes a long way when pursuing an old longbeard. That’s what the packaging says on her new turkey call by Commando Hunting Products. The call made its market debut in December 2010.
“I’ve waited a long time before putting my name on any turkey call product,” said Valentine, who is a spokesperson for the NWTF. “The designers and engineers at Commando have listened to my ideas and produced a line of friction calls that I can wholeheartedly recommend for seasoned or novice turkey hunters.”
Each call is built one at a time on state-of-the-art lathe equipment at the Commando Headquarters in Bolivar, Mo. The result is a call that’s easy to use and produces realistic sounds with minimal effort.
Turkey Country caught up with Valentine after the NWTF National Convention and Sport Show, before her calendar fills with dates with toms across the country, for some “Sweet Talk.”
Turkey Country: Why Sweet Talk?
Brenda Valentine: I named the product line Sweet Talk, since, after all, it is usually a sweet talking hen that drives an old gobbler crazy.
TC: What was the buzz in the NWTF sport show exhibit hall about your new call?
BV: The Commando booth was crazy busy all weekend with folks wanting to hear and hold the Sweet Talk. A lot of kids and first-time callers looked pleased when they were able to produce a good yelp the first time they tried.
TC: The first product in the Sweet Talk series is a double-sided slate with a red heart cedar striker; what can customers expect next?
BV: While not divulging too much, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a Sweet Talk box call with unique features like the double-sided pot call next.
TC: We’d like to note that this call is not just for women hunters. Who is it made for?
BV: Over the years, I’ve noticed that it is the calling aspect of turkey hunting that intimidates most people, when it actually should be one of the most fun and satisfying parts of the hunt. I’ve felt that if there was a call easy enough for anyone to use while producing reasonably realistic turkey sounds, more people would have the confidence to hunt on their own. Sure, many women fall in to this category, but so do a lot of men and young hunters.
The Sweet Talk has tapered sides and is a tad smaller, which fits the hands of more hunters without tiring or straining. It is also just the right size for a shirt pocket.
The Sweet Strike red heart striker [that comes with the call] is also my design. I found a flared tip made it easier for me to produce a larger variety of sounds and softer purrs.
TC: We’re sure you field-tested the calls before putting your stamp of approval on them. What is your most memorable Sweet Talk experience so far?
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Brenda Valentine NWTF Spokeswoman |
BV: For a full year, I drove my husband, as well as Alex Carr and Matt Burtin of Commando Hunting Products, crazy with drawings, ideas and suggestions. We tried every grade, thickness and type of wood for the pot and the striker, not to mention the various slate configurations. Alex put his wood lathe through the paces and sent me a shoebox full of prototypes for consideration. I rejected all of them. I felt bad, but unless it was better than what I was already using why would I want to trust it on a tough gobbler? It had to meet my criteria or I wouldn’t put my name on it.
TC: Any advice for turkey hunters this spring?
BV: While I admire those with the talent to win turkey calling competitions, thousands of turkeys are duped into range every year by mediocre calling. The most successful hunters are the ones who are out there every chance they get.
The Brenda Valentine Sweet Talk is available wherever fine turkey calls are sold or online at www.commandthewild.com or at www.brendavalentine.com.