Handmade Quail Call

This great handmade quail call is made specifically for Q5 and only available here. Made by Jim Matthews.

Listen to the Quail Call Sound File.

This call mimics the sound of both valley quail and Gambel’s quail. It may be blown from the front (where the rubber band is
closest to the edge of the call) to get the resonating effect of the sound chamber. If blown from the back, the sound chamber is not utilized. This gives you two distinct sounds in a single call so you can imitate both young and mature birds.

From Jim:

Jim Matthews Signature Call is a one-of-a-kind custom handmade quail call. They are made from figured pieces of walnut collected locally from our mountains and deserts. Matthews takes a great deal of time selecting and cutting the wood so the calls are eye-pleasing, and he hand sands them and rubs in an oil finish to bring out the grain and color. The valley and Gambel’s quail calls are simple rubber band calls, making the “reed” easy to replace.

Assembly and Disassembly

Your custom “chamber call” is made from walnut and uses No. 32 rubber bands. The rubber bands should be replaced at least annually, and most hunters change them out at the beginning and middle of each season. The two pieces of the call are held together with 4×40 machine screws (5/8-inches long, if you ever need a replacement). An Allen wrench of the correct size (1/16th-inch) was included with the new call. Screws only need to be snug when reassembling the call. You will never lose one of the screws if you don’t remove them completely from the bottom piece of the call when changing rubber bands.

Adjusting the Sound

You can adjust the sound of the handmade quail call by loosening or tightening the tension of the rubber band across the blowing slot. New rubber bands should be stretched two or three times before being fitted on the call. No. 32 rubber bands are one of the most common sizes and should be easy to find when you need a replacement.

Keeping It Spiffy

The call was finished with food-grade walnut oil. The handmade quail call can and should be touched up at least once a season with any food-grade oil (like butcher block oil). These oils should not irritate the skin on your lips. Try not to get oil inside the sound chamber because the untreated wood has a better sound.