Calling, specifically bugling

[Lark Bunting]

For those callers out there, what would be your simplified method to learn how to bugle?

My son and I practiced several times each week last year leading up to our first real year of elk hunting. In the living room we sounded great. When we actually attempted it in the woods it was awful! Atfrith can validate this as well.

We mainly stuck with cow calls last season.

I\'d like to be better at bugling, even if we don\'t use it as often as the cow calling.

If you were to break it down, how would you teach someone to bugle? I\'ve read the books, I\'ve watched dozens (maybe a hundred) hours on it, I attended gselkhunter\'s shindig last year in Colorado Springs, and my confidence is at an all time low.

 

[atfrith]

I\'ve been practicing a lot in the truck on my way to and from work. There are a couple podcast I have saved on my phone where the guest illustrates some of his calling techniques and I find that It\'s better practice when I\'m \"playing along\" so to speak, than when I\'m just screwing around on my own.

 

[cnelk]

What are you using for a mouth piece?
Diaphram or External reed?

 

[Lark Bunting]

What are you using for a mouth piece?
Diaphram or External reed?

Diaphragm calls. I have a hell of a lot of different calls but really like Rocky Mountain\'s Mello Yello, the brown Raging Bull, but LOVE LOVE LOVE the white Primos for cow calling. And, I\'m using the bugle tube you sent my Brad.

 

[Lark Bunting]

Oh, and I have about 30-40 of these calls that I CANNOT get to work for me! So frustrating! Any tips on what I could do to get these to work? Seems a lot of people like them...

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[Swede]

Lark, if you can make good sounding calls in the living room, then you have the learning part taken care of. I have no idea why you are doing something different in the field. Sometimes diaphragms lose their elasticity and need to be replaced. You can get some sound out of them, but they just won\'t give you the sound breaks needed to make a good 3 note bugle. They still work as a cow call for awhile. For location/advertising bugles there are some good bite and blow bugles on the market. They are very easy to use, You can supplement them with some cow calls.

 

[cnelk]

Yeah I agree.
If you are having some issues with your bugles, cut to the chase and get an E.L.K Power Bugle with the external mouth piece
They are super easy to use and sound great.

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[mainebrdr]

Agree with Brad. I have a E.L.K. Royal bugle. Sounds good and didn\'t take long to master!

 

[Deertick]

I never could get good sound from my power bugle. Just sayin\'.

I have no musical talent, though.

 

[cnelk]

See??!!
Now we are getting somewhere.

Some people like diaphragms, some like ext reed bugles.
It really doesn\'t matter what you use, just make it work and do it well

 

[iccyman001]

All of my calls are about to become targets.

It has nothing to do with their quality..... it\'s the user.
:mg:

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

If you can make good cows sounds then you can bugle. The number one mistake callers make is trying to learn the entire bugle all at once. Instead, break down the bugle into 3 parts. Each part has it\'s own meaning and can be used independently or in conjunction with the others.

Growl(warning) - Once you learn how to cow call high to low, reverse it and go low to high with additions of growly voice inflection.

Bugle(contact announcing the bulls location) - learn the spike squeal then add a little more bass and start out deeper.

Chuckles(dominant expression) - after you learn the nervous bark, learn how to give the bark repeatedly. Blend them and put less emphasis on the harder notes.

Lower notes are done by less tongue pressure and higher notes are the result of greater tongue pressure.

My 2-cents.

 

[RM Montgomery]

I\'d like to pass my Power Bugle on to my son-in-law for this Fall\'s hunt and was wondering if the Bugling Bull external reed is as easy to use or should I just get another Power Bugle? I LOVE this tube !!!

 

[Jaquomo]

Learn to voice-bugle. Suck in air while controlling the tone and pitch by contracting your throat muscles. I can mimic any bull bugle, and no diaphragm or commercial bugle sounds like it. It also produces whines, squeals, chuckles, grunts.

If I\'m somewhat close to a bull I do it without a tube and the bull thinks I\'m further than I am. I call them into my lap that way.

The hard voice grunt is my stopper for bulls when it\'s time to shoot. They lock up every time, unlike with a cow call when they sometimes take another step or two.

 

[Deertick]

Learn to voice-bugle.

Video, please.

Just kidding, but I\'d love to see that sometime. I just can\'t get anywhere near a \"hard voice grunt\" with my voice. It would be a real handy talent, though a mouth reed isn\'t that inconvenient.

 

[Jaquomo]

Deertick, I\'ll give you a lesson on Sunday. In the meantime work on contracting your \"Linda Lovelace\" muscles.

 

[elkmtngear]

Deertick, I\'ll give you a lesson on Sunday. In the meantime work on contracting your \"Linda Lovelace\" muscles.

:haha:

 

[Deertick]

Deertick, I\'ll give you a lesson on Sunday. In the meantime work on contracting your \"Linda Lovelace\" muscles.

I reserve the right to respond to this when I think of a good comeback.

 

[AndyJ]

Deertick, I\'ll give you a lesson on Sunday. In the meantime work on contracting your \"Linda Lovelace\" muscles.

Lou-Are there any specific exercises you do for those

 

[cnelk]

Im sure Linda did some exercises, not sure if Lou does the same ones