total rookie with mouth diaphrams.

[elky McElkerson]

i ordered a few to start practicing.

i\'ll just say it. i suck. last time i let out a cow call, everyone reached into their packs and tried to hand me a hoochie mama. i\'m okay with a mouth reed type.

i\'ll watch some videos when they get here..and i suppose i\'ll just start trying on my work commutes.

any great videos you suggest?

 

[colorado russ]

I\'ll toss out my rookie 2 cents which may be overpriced!! Then, Wapiti or WW can jump in laughing and correct it.

Be sure and buy a single reed as they\'re the easiest to make ANY sounds with. Definitely practice in the truck on way to work! I found that making turkey yelps was easier and started with that - plus I thought YELP was a good description of the first sound I made!

I think you should just download some .wav files or podcasts as it\'s really hearing the sound you\'re after - not many ways to put the mouth diaphragm in assuming it fits to the roof of your mouth good so video might not help as much.

For what it\'s worth, I sound great in the truck but add in adrenaline of a bugling elk and it makes me glad to hunt a popular flyway and ducks sounds are frequent!

Take the hoochie when offered and resell on the TX bowhunter site in early September before they all head to SW CO for elk!!

 

[iccyman001]

Take the hoochie when offered and resell on the TX bowhunter site in early September before they all head to SW CO for elk!!

:haha: :haha: :haha:

 

[Lark Bunting]

Try as many styles as possible. I can\'t make a sound with Travis\'s calls to save my life but the Palate Plate designs from Raging Bull work perfectly for me. I can make great sounds with Carlton\'s Call flat calls but the dome reeds hurt the roof of my mouth and I can\'t use them. It took several styles before I finally figured out exactly which calls worked best for me.

What helped me was mimicking a sound, one single tone, high pitch, hold it. Then try two sounds, high pitch for 5 seconds then lower sound for 5 seconds. Then speed up the two sounds, hiiiigh-loooow (two seconds). Next go for one second, Hiigh-loow, then high-low, and that\'s the basics of a cow call. Don\'t manipulate it with the lips (don\'t make a oh-face... ahem) instead relax your lower jaw. Apply more pressure with the tongue to make the high pitch, and relax the jaw and tongue pressure to make the lower sound. \"Heeeeeee-Ahhhhhhh\" not, \"Heeeeeee-Ohhhhhhh\"

Try that and see if you can master the cow call first. Then, practice making sounds, \"hum along\" to songs that you know.

It all starts with a diaphragm that fits your mouth correctly. Find that and you\'ll be in good shape.

 

[colorado russ]

Good points Lark. I did exactly that with the Primos diaphragms - they had a package of 3 I believe and the sonic mini-dome fit the roof of my mouth much better than the others. Air would \'escape\' around the roof of my mouth making ANY sound difficult.

Another option may be Cow Talk from E.L.K. Very easy to use and can hold in mouth while drawing/shooting. You have to bite down on it with your front teeth so NOT as comfortable as a diaphragm but easy to make cow and calf sounds.

 

[Tdiesel]

I agree with the others on trying different ones all the time but I would not sell the hoochie mamma that call is the one I have the most consistent success from now of course I know where the escape routes are hike up there early then send your buddy down honking on it like any out of state hunter and you will soon have the elk filing past you in a brisk walk it consistently works year after year sometimes with the help of a few non residents my buddy and me can both sit and kill elk from the same trail it\'s the best driving call ever if you play your cards right they don\'t run like a gun shot just nice move out walk all you have to do is stop them in the shooting lane

 

[colorado russ]

BRILLIANT!

 

[Ucsdryder]

I\'ve tried a few and always go back to the mellow yellow. The primos with the sonic dome are decent too.

 

[Lark Bunting]

How is the elk calling going, Cliff? You could always record some sounds on Soundcloud and upload them for us to hear, critique, judge, etc.

I am relieved to say that after misplacing my entire case of elk calls I finally found them in a bag of \"misc.\" crap that my son had left over after going through his hunting pack. I have 8 calls in there that I cherish and I was not looking forward to purchasing more.

Keep practicing!

 

[elky McElkerson]

Thank goodness for windows and AC in my truck. I\'m getting better.