Your Favorite All Time Elk Reed!
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: ElkNut1
17-May-23
Hey guys, I'm curious & I'll bet others are too, what's your favorite Elk Reed? Many of us have used countless reeds over the years & some are fairly new to elk reed use. Maybe we can assist some & save them a few bucks & the trial & error process that we've been through.
Personally I'm a big fan of the Pink Amp, Jason's signature series reed. It's one of the best I've used. How about you guys?
ElkNut
From: Whocares
17-May-23
Want a waypoint too Paul? :))
From: t-roy
17-May-23
My all time favorite reed was a Lohman’s Model 820 double reed diaphragm. Before I had surgery for sleep apnea (had my tonsils, adenoids, and uvula removed) I could produce all kinds of different sounds with it. All ranges of turkey sounds, from a gobble, kee-kee, fighting purrs, and everything in between. Bugles, chuckles, growls, mews and chirps. Coyote howls and barks. Dying critters, javelina squalls, pheasant crows. I’ve used dozens of others, but IMO, I’ve never found another reed that I liked nearly as much as that 820.
From: Jaquomo
17-May-23
Phelps Dragon Slayer for every elk sound I can't make with my voice.
From: [email protected]
17-May-23
Rocky Mountain All Star.
From: HUNT MAN
17-May-23
The bugler from Phelps. Red one is my go to these days
From: butcherboy
17-May-23
An old Wayne Carleton blue double reed.
From: c3
17-May-23
I have no idea what my favorite WAS, but I had one once in 2018 that had a little tear out about 1/16" on a perfect half radius from one side and then angled out to the left where it met the normal edge. It was probably 1/3rd the width of the reed and only a 1/16th inch deep into the straight edge.
Damn thing sounded epic and I've never been able to reproduce it. Wasn't very loud, but made a perfect soft growl, that no other reed I've ever had has ever made.
I have a recording of it at the 11:30 mark of this video if you're bored - https://rumble.com/vnhkqi-montana-2018.html
Cheers, Pete
From: wyobullshooter
17-May-23
Pretty much a toss up for me between the Phelps Amp Gray and Amp Pink. Can’t go wrong with either one.
From: sasquatch
17-May-23
Phelps maverick and wapitiriver black widow
From: HDE
17-May-23
At first I was thinking reed as in read like a book about elk LOL.
From: bowhunt
17-May-23
Phelps amp gray reed
From: pav
18-May-23
Dang! Sounds like I need to give those Phelps diaphrams a try! Honestly, never even heard of that brand prior to this thread...
All I've ever used is the Primos Sound Plate Series. My favorite for bugling up mature bulls is the Hyper Plate Double with the "Y" cut on the lower reed. Also use the Imperial Plate Double with the "V" cut on the bottom reed often for locating bugles and cow calls.
If I'm calling for a newbie that will be happy with any bull, bugling with the Ivory Plate Single has been a really good choice for pulling in raghorns.
From: T-rex
18-May-23
Gray reed from Phelps followed closely by the white and the Maverick
From: Blood
18-May-23
Phelps gray or pink. Both sound great and are easy to use to get multiple sounds and different pitches.
From: welka
18-May-23
I have tried many, but the one that I always go back to because it seems to get the most responses is an old wooden Primos Timberline. Hope it never dies on me!
From: Treeline
18-May-23
Carlton brown (triple) or blue (double) have been my go-to for years. Tried a couple of different ones over the years but keep going back to Wayne’s old originals.
From: Lewis
18-May-23
Been a while but Glenn Berry double reed worked for me Good luck Lewis
From: elkmtngear
18-May-23
Carlton Triple has worked well for me
From: SoDakSooner
18-May-23
I like the Rocky Mountain Palate plate calls, but I'm not that good. They make up for my mistakes for sure. I'd have to look, but I was getting some really raspy, great sounding calls out of one of them this year. Mellow momma is great for cow calls. Think it was either the remedy or raging bull that really worked for me last season.
From: ElkNut1
18-May-23
t-roy, now there's a reed company I have not tried, interesting.
c3, that's a great sound with great tones, thanks!
Jeff, triple reed, wow, not easy to use for most of us. Obviously works well for you, nice!
ElkNut
From: GFL
18-May-23
I have several but always seem to use my Allstar every year.
From: Buglmin
18-May-23
I'm a huge fan of the Mellow Momma from Rocky Mountain. Also love the Elk Camp from Rocky Mountain. They seem to hold up better for guys that use a lot of pressure and blow reeds out.
I used to love Abe Meline's Natural Elk Sounds diaghprams. They held up great, and produced great sounds.
From: Bob H in NH
18-May-23
I am somewhat restricted due to a very high and narrow pallet. I need to use youth calls. Primos blue double works best , rocky mountain also has a youth call, I can bugle great with it but have trouble varying cow call tones
Had the same issue turkey hunting in the east. Even tries cutting the normal calls, never worked for me
From: HDE
18-May-23
Rocky Mountain Game Calls
From: Z Barebow
18-May-23
The old Mellow Yellow and Ivory Plate. Today, I use whatever I have from Phelps.
From: Jason Stafford
18-May-23
Phelps AMP gray and black
From: Sivart
18-May-23
Phelps Maverick
From: Jason Stafford
18-May-23
Phelps AMP gray and black
From: Cheesehead Mike
18-May-23
Phelps Amp green and gray.
Used to really like the Primos red and Ivory but quality seems to have gone downhill.
From: LUNG$HOT
18-May-23
The Phelps pink is great and was very surprised with the Born and Riased outdoors blue reed. Usually have several of both every year
From: rattling_junkie
18-May-23
Red and Pink AMP from Phelps, though I've noticed the new ones not being as good.
From: FORESTBOWS
18-May-23
Old Carlton blue! Its all you need.
From: huntnmuleys
19-May-23
I like the Rocky Mountain Game calls, and particularly the All Star. But funny as it sounds, that old “cow talk” from e.l.k.inc bite call that sounds just barely so/so, I’ve called in more bulls with that than all my reeds (which I much prefer) combined…
From: SoDakSooner
19-May-23
Scoot, I am the same. Ive tried them but they just don't work for me. I use the palate plate style for that reason.
From: ElkNut1
19-May-23
Yes sir, that ole Blue Carlton double used to be my favorite reed years back, it's a good one! The All Star & Raging Bull along with the ole Mistress were keepers too!
ElkNut
From: Cheesehead Mike
19-May-23
I've said it before and I'll say it again; favorite elk reeds are like favorite boots, what works for one person may not work for the next. For example, a lot of guys like the Rocky Mountain All Star but I hate it. I have several of the Phelps Amp reeds that I like but I can't get consistent sounds out of the Maverick. That's why some people might have to try multiple reeds before they find some that work well for them.
