how to make a wingbone turkey call

How To Make A Wingbone Turkey Call Step-By-Step!

Hi, Josh Wells here, of N1 Outdoors, and I’m going to show you step-by-step how to make a wingbone turkey call!

Why Make A Wingbone Turkey Call?

You might want to make a wingbone turkey call for a couple different reasons.

Practically speaking, you might want to use one to locate turkeys (sounds logical, doesn’t it?)

n1 outdoors turkey hunter

The fan and beard of a gobbler are prized possessions for a turkey hunter, but the wings can provide what is needed for a DIY turkey call!

Now, I’m not crazy about using one to call turkeys (I prefer a mouth call, pot call or box call). And, while a wingbone turkey calls will work to call birds, I prefer using it to locate birds because of its high pitch.

Secondly, you might want to make a wingbone call for a keepsake, which is why I’ll be showing you how to do this process.

I’m making one for my son Micah, as a way to commemorate his first turkey.

What You’ll Need

wingbone turkey call supplies list

You don’t need much in the way of supplies to make your own wingbone turkey call.

Before we get into the specific steps of making a wingbone turkey call, here’s what you’ll need to get started:

  • Pocket knife (for fleshing out the bone)
  • Paper (to cover work table)
  • Small pot
  • Dish soap
  • Peroxide
  • Epoxy


How To Make Your Own Wingbone Turkey Call

The process of making a wingbone call is similar in some regards to another instructional I have done on how to make a European mount for a deer skull. But, the cleanup is a lot easier and the boiling takes less time.

Time needed: 4 hours

  • Cut the large bone

    cut line for large wingbone

    When you cut the big bone, you want to cut it right about here and at an angle (see above). We want that end to be as wide as possible so it will project the sound effectively.

  • Clean out the inside of the bones (smaller bones)

    cleaning out wingbone with chainsaw file

    You can get the marrow out several different ways. Once easy way is just to blow it out like a straw. Just pretend like you’re blowing spit balls like you used to in elementary school.

    You can use a chainsaw file and insert it into the bone to remove the hardened marrow.

  • Clean out the inside of the bones (large bone)


    inside of larger wingbone after cutting

    You’ll notice how the larger bone has much more that needs to be cleaned out. You can work at it with the same chainsaw file. If you have a Dremel or similar tool, you can work on removing the marrow fiber that way.

  • Piece the bones together and mark


    sharpie lines on wingbone turkey call

    Piece the bones together so that they follow the same crown line and mark the ends of each, so that when you take them apart to glue them, you’ll know how they go back together.

  • Glue the bones together

    apply epoxy to wingbone joints

    Use epoxy or other adhesive to glue the joints of the wingbones together.

    Once you fit the glued pieces together, backfill any holes or creases so that the joints are airtight. The sound will be better, the more airtight it is.

    You can use your finger to smooth out the adhesive.

    Let them dry according to adhesive directions. Once it dries, you can lightly sand any undesired leftover adhesive residue.

  • Apply thread to joints (optional)


    add glue to threads of wingbone turkey call

    You don’t have to use thread on the joints, but it does give it a nice touch. Add a touch of adhesive and simply start wrapping around the joint until you reach the desired thickness/appearance.

    Once you have finished wrapping, you can add some clear adhesive, so that it saturates the threaded section, hardens, and keeps the thread securely in place once it dries.

  • All done!

    wingbone turkey call on display


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    Final Thoughts On Making Your Own Wingbone Turkey Call

    We hope this tutorial has been helpful in teaching you how to make your own wingbone turkey call. They not only make great keepsakes to remember special moments, but they are functional as well.

    Be sure to check out more great hunting and fishing tips videos on our YouTube channel!

    Good luck in the turkey woods!



    Video tutorial on how to make your own wingbone call.
    Tiny Pump 2X Review

    BIG results? | Flextail Tiny Pump 2X Review!

    The Flextail Gear Tiny Pump 2X… “Tiny” is definitely a good word to describe it!

    But, can a pump that fits into the palm of your hand really pump it up like a foot pump or other larger compressor? We wanted to find out!

    The Unboxing

    tiny pump 2x and N1 Outdoors

    We couldn’t wait to see what this Flextail Gear Tiny Pump 2X was all about!

    flextail tiny pump 2x unboxing

    Do “big” pumps come in small packages? With both pumping AND vaccuum capability, we wanted to find out!

    flextail tiny pump 2x in palm of hand

    The size of the 2X is pretty amazing. It easily fits in the palm of your hand!

    flextail gear tiny pump 2x with accessories

    The kit comes with standard with the pump itself, several pump attachments and a USB charger cord.

    flextail tiny pump 2x handle

    The pump has a little carrying handle as well.


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    Flextail Tiny Pump 2X Performance Review

    The packaging and aesthetics of the Tiny Pump 2X are definitely top-notch, but how would it perform in some real-life applications?

    Let’s find out!

    Pump VS. Queen Air Mattress

    tiny pump 2x filling up queen air mattress

    Our first test of the pump was on a queen-size air mattress. It pumped it up completely in about 10 minutes!





    Pump VS. Vacuum Bags

    tiny pump vs flextail vacuum bags

    Flextail also makes vaccuum storage bags. So, this was a perfect way to test the vaccuum feature.

    flextail vacuum storage bags

    Here’s a look at the vacuum storage bags right out of the package.

    N1 Outdoors shirts to be put in flextail vacuum bag

    Not that you would EVER want to store away awesome N1 Outdoors shirts…

    putting shirts in flextail vacuum bag

    …but they made for a good test subjects!

    vaccuum sealed flextail bag

    To vaccuum the air out, you connect the opposite side of the pump to the port opening.

    flextail vacuum time 20 seconds bag

    It took about 20 seconds to suck all the air out of the bag. Pretty neat!


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    Watch this video review of the Tiny Pump 2X, from Flextail Gear!

    Final Thoughts

    Overall, we were impressed with the design and performance of the Tiny Pump 2X.

    And, although the pumping performance was not super fast when pumping up the air mattress (10 minutes), it would allow someone time to set up something else on their campsite while letting the this little pump do some big work of its own.

    flextail tiny pump 2x with bag

    The Tiny Pump 2X is a great addition to a camper or backpacker’s supply list!

    The storage bags that Flextail makes are also a great use for the vaccuum feature of the pump.

    All-in-all, a great little product from Flextail that won’t take up much space in your vehicle, backpack or supply bag, and will come in handy in a variety of outdoor scenarios.

    Great job Flextail!

    NAP Killzone review header image

    In The Zone? | The NAP Killzone Broadheads Review

    In this broadhead review, I tested a tried and true mechanical that has been around for a while… the NAP Killzone.

    I’ve used this head on hogs, turkey, and deer, and it has always performed pretty well for me in the field.

    But I wanted to see how it performed in my testing regimen.

    So, let’s zoom in and go through some of the design features and specifications of the Killzone 125 grain and then we will put it to the test.

    NAP Killzone Broadhead Up Close

    NAP Killzone closed position

    Here’s a good look at the Killzone. This is a classic, classic rear-deploying head. When the blades are fully opened, it has got a cutting diameter of 2″ in the open position and it doesn’t utilize any O-ring or retention clips or anything like that.

    NAP Killzone Wings

    It uses a mechanism where the blades slide back due to pressure right here on these little wing bats on the little hinge. They slide back into their open position. They don’t lock open, but they’re held open just by the force that’s being pushed against them.

    NAP Killzone open position

    The Killzone in the open position. The body of the NAP Killzone is a 7075 aluminum, which as I always say, if you’re going to use aluminum, that’s the way to go, because it’s stronger than some steels. But, it’s very vented, so I definitely wanted to see how it would hold up.

    NAP Killzone chiseled tip

    It also has a nice kind of chiseled type tip that’s a hardened steel and the blades are steel as well. By my measurement, they are 0.035″ thick. So, really nice rear-deploying, good size cut, classic, simple mechanical head.


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    NAP Killzone Testing

    Let’s see how the NAP Killzone performed in the below tests…

    For these tests on the Killzone, I used my Bowtech CP28 set at 72 pounds. I used Bishop FOC King Arrows for most of the shots, and Bishop FAD Eliminators for the really hard impact ones.

    Flight Forgiveness Test (I field pt then I broadhead @30 yds)

    The NAP Killzone broadhead flew almost exactly like the field point.

    Initial Sharpness Test

    NAP Killzone out of the box sharpness

    The pre-testing sharpness was 325 (the lower the number, the sharper the blade).

    Penetration Test 1 

    NAP Killzone MDF Ballistic Gel test

    I shot the Killzone into FBI ballistic gel that was fronted with a 2/3″ rubber mat and 1/2″ MDF. It penetrated 5-1/4″.



    NAP Killzone entrance hole in foam

    This was the entrance hole in the foam mat that fronted the MDF and ballistic gel.

    Edge Retention Test (sharpness after Penetration Test 1)

    NAP Killzone post test sharpness

    Post-test sharpeness = 375.



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    Penetration Test 2 (layered cardboard)

    NAP Killzone layered cardboard test

    The Killzone penetrated through 51 layers of cardboard.

    Angled Shot Test (1/4″ MDF/Carpet): No problem.

    I shot the Killzone into an angled MDF board… it penetrated it with no problem.



    Durability Test (1/2″ MDF max 3 shots)

    NAP Killzone after 3 shots in MDF

    After the three shots in the MDF, one of the blades started to get pretty bent there. And then the base of the ferrule, the blades cut into that base on both sides pretty much. But overall, it held together pretty well.





    Durability Test (22 gauge steel plate max 2 shots)

    NAP Killzone steel plate test

    Here it is after the two shots through the steel plate, and you can see, it held together, but not that great. Both of the blades got significantly bent and they are locked in that position. They would not open or close anymore. The ferrule got a bit narrowed and one of the blades is broken halfway through. And then, you can see the holes on the steel plate… they are a lot smaller than the actual cutting diameter. The blades kind of crunched down on the steel plate.



    Durability Test (Concrete Block)

    NAP Killzone after concrete block test

    Here it is after impacting the concrete. And as you can see, that one blade that was pretty bent broke off and then the other blade that was pretty bent got even more bent. But, the ferrule held up pretty well. It also had a bit of a wobble. But, it did fairly well for an aluminum, really long-vented, ferrule like that.



    Post-Testing Thoughts On The NAP Killzone

    So what do you think of the Killzone?

    Like I said in the beginning, I’ve used this head in the field and it has performed fairly well for me.

    One of the drawbacks has always been its penetration. It’s just never been a very good penetrating head, not just because it has got a big 2-inch wide cut, but it even penetrates less than most mechanicals that are rear-deploying with a 2-inch cut.



    And, these tests just exposed a lot of the weaknesses that it does have in penetration as well as in sharpness and in durability.

    There are better heads that are on the market, but it doesn’t mean this can’t get the job done. It has killed a lot of animals. It has worked well for me. And if it’s your favorite, then great, more power to you. But, I do think that there are better options available.

    NAP Killzone Score card

    The NAP Killzone Scored 77.51 out of 100 possible points.



    Also, I have to say, I was really surprised that it fell apart and lost its blades in the cardboard. That happened on a Rage that I tested a while back and I thought that was just kind of freaky. I guess cardboard is a tougher test than I realized! But, it held up through steel plate. That was really interesting.

    Anyway, it did relatively well, just not the best. But, check out the score sheet below, and good luck out there hunting!

    John Lusk archery goat

    John Lusk of Lusk Archery Adventures.