Shine Box Turkey Call Official Product Review

Official Product Review Score: 29 / 30 “A Rating”

Functionality 5 / 5
Durability 4 / 5
Effectiveness 5 / 5
Variety 5 / 5
Price 5 / 5
Overall Product Satisfaction 5 / 5

We feel that the Shinebox Call line up is extremely functional. With three different types of calls available there is a call for every turkey hunter and the sounds are as similar to a hen turkey as possible. Call maker Eric Rice also custom makes every call so it assures a perfect sound. Eric has also experimented with over 35 different species of woods to find the top 5 – 6 wood grains that not only sound great but also are easier for the beginner to use.

The durability of the original Shinebox turkey call is the only slight weakness we found however with call maker Eric Rice’s new patended magnetic adhesion the striker is now always attached to the call. The only lack of durability is that the main call shell is hollow and if stepped or a similar type situation could be crushed in. Otherwise we found no apparent problems with the durability of the call.

We have found the overall effectiveness of the Shinebox turkey call to be second to none. With a little practice it was very evident that this is one of the top turkey calls on the market today and many Minnesota turkey calling judges agree as turkey call maker Eric Rice was named the 2011 Minnesota State Turkey Calling Champion using one of his custom Shinebox Calls in the 2012 competition.

The wide variety of calls, woods and customized wood burning engravings is unbelievable. Eric has experimented with over 35 woods to pick the top 5 – 6 woods to make the majority of his custom Shinebox Calls. The most popular woods currently available are: Maple, Poplar, Black Walnut, Cherry and Cedar. Eric finds that the softer the wood the easier it is to use and the harder the woods the more crisp the sounds are that can be made. Eric also can wood burn and custom engraving including his most popular engravings, full strutting toms, a gobbler head, turkey feathers and tracks as a business logo or virtually any customer engraving that can be thought of. Obviously the engraved calls are a little extra in price. New for 2012 Eric is now offering a traditional line of box calls and slate calls that can also be engraved.

The standard base price of the Shinebox Call is only $20.00 making it one of the most economical calls on the market today other than a diaphragm call. The custom wood engraving is a little extra depending on the engraving and the call. The new slate call price starts at $40.00 and the new box call price starts out at $50.00. We feel that all of Eric’s custom made calls are worth every penny.

Overall we feel that this special turkey call is not only a work of art but a working piece of art. Similar to the old wooden duck decoys. The traditional Shinebox Call is a throw back to the old calls used “down south” back in the colonial days of our country. Call maker Eric Rice has revived the old “Pot Call” idea and made it his own. Adding the unreal custom wood engravings really make these calls a working piece of art. We were 100% satisfied with the entire Shinebox Call line up.

Product Field Testing
by dan wennerlind

I had a chance to sit down with Eric for a one on one session to really get to know him and what the Shine Box line of turkey calls truly exemplify. Eric shared with me that what makes his call line so unique is that he hand carves every call that he makes and he even picks out each piece of wood and specifically carves it and hand tunes it for the specific hunter in mind. Not only has Eric become a master call maker but he is also a master wood burner. Eric can engrave any specific emblem onto a call that one would like done and so his custom calls are not only an effective tool for the field but a perfect customized gift for the avid turkey hunter in ones life.

So as we wrapped up our session Eric shared with me how to hold the call, how to make each specific call of the hen turkey and identified what which of the different woods were easier for the novice hunter as well as which of the woods offered a more unique sound for the more advanced caller.

Being a month before the spring season I had plenty of time to practice with my new Shine Box turkey call and it sure paid off big. Hunting the fourth season of the Wisconsin spring season the toms were a little more wary than I would have normally liked. However after a hard day of hunting I was able to call in three nice jakes during the last hour of the day. One single and what looked to be a pair of brothers. The single bird came in on the wrong side for a clean shot through the brush however the next two didn’t have a chance and I was able to take my pick of the two. I was very impressed with the overall quality of my new Shine Box Call not only at home in front of the tv but also in the field where it matters most. And new for 2012, for those who like the more of the traditional line of calls, Eric has an incredible line of box calls and slate calls available. I am personally adding one of Eric’s new slate calls to my package and feel confident that other than my diaphragm call, the Shine Box line will be the only calls needed in this turkey hunters bag of tricks.