If you could take only ONE diaphragm call into the woods...

Lark Bunting

New member
Sep 14, 2016
710
I posted a while back about my inabilities to bugle well. About three weeks ago I was driving to work and ripped off the best bugle I have ever done. My ears were ringing in my truck and I was so surprised I couldn\'t believe it. I recorded a few and listened to them at work, time and time again it sounded great! Chuckles, no problem! I couldn\'t be happier! My confidence is through the roof. Been practicing a few times each week.


I was messing around with my calls Friday after work, trying to narrow down the amount of calls I carry into the woods. I know there are different calls for different reasons but I started wondering if I HAD to choose only one...which one? I narrowed it down to my few favorites, then down to one:

Primos Ivory:
REALLY good high pitches for cow and calf chirps. Not very reliable for bugling.

Rocky Mountain Mellow Yellow:
Excellent high pitches, cows, calf, etc. Excellent bugles.

Rocky Mountain The Challenge (blue):
Good cow calls, not great for calf chirps, Excellent for bugling.

Rocky Mountain Raging Bull:
Good cow calls, not great for calf chirps, Excellent for bugling.


In the end I decided I liked the Mellow Yellow for the best overall diaphragm call for me. I will be stocking up on those since it\'s my luck that I will really like something and it will get discontinued.

What\'s your favorite call?
 
After just getting the Black Widow from Wapiti River Outdoors, I would have to say that gets my vote for just taking one.

But, I wouldn\'t suggest only one call. Ever.
Many times I have been calling with no responses or contact and I switch calls and BOOM!
There they are.

The minimum I take would be 3.
 
\"cnelk\" said:
After just getting the Black Widow from Wapiti River Outdoors, I would have to say that gets my vote for just taking one.

But, I wouldn\'t suggest only one call. Ever.
Many times I have been calling with no responses or contact and I switch calls and BOOM!
There they are.

The minimum I take would be 3.
I am carrying all of the calls listed above, narrowed down from over a dozen. :oops: I just want to make sure I have more of the calls I liked the most. (I\'ll carry two Primos Ivories and two Mellow Yellow\'s. I\'ll have one of each of the others. :)
 
Whatever one or two makes the most versatile and consistent sounds for YOU. I say that because everyone has a little different palate and tongue placement, so what works great for me may not be the best for you. I used to \"tune\" my diaphragm frames back when they were aluminum, but these days they\'re almost all plastic and fixed.

That said, I got a couple of Jason Phelps Dragonslayers this summer and absolutely love the true pitch and multi-tone bugles I can get from them.
 
\"cnelk\" said:
But, I wouldn\'t suggest only one call. Ever.
Many times I have been calling with no responses or contact and I switch calls and BOOM!
There they are.

The minimum I take would be 3.


In 2012 I hunted with another hunter who could call better than me. Three times in two weeks he called and no response. I let out one of my whinny squeeeky bugles and the bulls sounded off. I sat on a ridge one evening talking to a heard bull as he yelled at me threatening me to stay away from his cows. I stayed put and my partner got to 15 yards from a slobbering enraged bull. He didn\'t get a clear shot angle he liked so he passed. Soon the bull made him and was gone. My partner was pumped when he got back to me. He said that was his single best encounter in six year of elk hunting. I was just about as excited and didn\'t even see the elk.

It is good to have different sound options like Brad said.
 
I\'ve tried quite a few and the one that works the best for me, by far, is the Mellow Yellow/Mellow Momma!
 
If I could take only one, it would depend on my goals and season time.

If I could take one it would be one of these two:
Either Troy\'s Orange eranger or Travis\'s Bull buster.


I love them both in their own way, but I would use each one for different situations.
 
\"JohnFitzgerald\" said:
I\'d take the Secrete Weapon from GCHC. I\'m partial to tighter stretched latex.


I\'m not experienced enough to work it haha.
I have one, but it\'s TIGHT!!!!!!!!!
 
X2 on troys secret weapon if I had to chose ONE.

The black widow would be my cow call of choice though. I just can\'t make a bugle worth a damn with it
 
For my mouth, it\'s Rocky Mountain calls that fit the best.i think, like Lou said, that FIT is the big thing. I like the raging bull as my \"go to\" call, but I\'ll have others with me.
 
The green one from Bugling Bull (Screaming Tormentor?) I\'ll echo what Brad said on never just having one. I carry at least 6 diaphragms and 5 open reeds at all times and use a handful of different calls on every set up as well as voice grunts and bugles for close range
 
bugling bulls the closer
for some reason I can get any sound out of that reed that I want. got a challenge reed to try this year and gonna pick up a couple its kinda funny seeing personal preference of others some that others like I could use but not my first choice by far although I usually have about 10 different calls/reeds but always have about 3 of the closer reeds.
 
I have some very good calls, but I am partial to the GCHC Orange Enrager. It makes some sweet sounds for me.
 
For those of you that are carrying more than a couple reeds do you carry them in their container they come in, make one up, or buy one to put them in? I carry three and find myself digging around my pockets finding the one I want.
 
\"Don K\" said:
For those of you that are carrying more than a couple reeds do you carry them in their container they come in, make one up, or buy one to put them in? I carry three and find myself digging around my pockets finding the one I want.

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You might try this... Silent Call Pouch. I have used these forever. glaciercountryhuntingcalls.com
 

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My favorite call would be Troy! But I can\'t get him to come to Colorado to do the calling for me. LOL!

Those little change purses he sells are the way to go for sure. I\'ve been packing a couple of them for years. I usually pack 2-3 diaphragm calls in each one. Mostly because I have a tendency to loose them.
 
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