Contributors to this thread:
I broke my bugle. Need a new one. Not interested in Phelps/Rocky Mtn/Primos.....what else is out there? Yes I know I can make my own. What else is out there that you guys like?
Curious why you’re not interested in those options?
With those comments it shows me he's not a serious caller of elk! Size of your bugle should not be in ones decision making. Get what helps you to be better than you really are!
ElkNut
Well SBH, from one non-serious caller of elk to another, this is what I use. It’s 19” long, has a 1 5/8” OD, and is quite flexible. I’ve been using it for over 30 years and it’s fooled LOTS of elk. Apparently I’m just lucky or only run into tone deaf elk. I’m ok with that.
I don’t care to haul a wiffleball bat through the woods either. My tube provides plenty of volume for long distance calling, but in close is where it shines for me. Where I hunt is very thick. I can easily maneuver it, with very little movement, to “throw” my call in any direction to entice a bull to take a step or two to open up a shot. So yeah, for me, size and flexibility is most definitely taken into consideration. Use what you feel is best for you, big or small, and tune out the noise.
Rod, your bugle looks just like one of the Primos bugles he said he didn't want! (grin)
ElkNut
Paul, it is somewhat similar to the Primos Terminator, although I’d cut off the pre-positioned mouthpiece. Since he mentioned Phelps and Rocky Mountain tubes, I would think he was referring to the Primos Hunting Hoss tube.
No problem, honestly here I'm not sure what he wants? (grin) If it took a 5 gallon bucket to haul around to call elk I'd be the 1st in line for it! Ha Ha!
ElkNut
Yeah, curious too about why he's eliminated those tubes. I've used several over the years and my current favorite is the big Phelps tube. I'm still strong enough to lug it around the mountains.
I agree, use what makes YOU a better caller. I’ve used several different tubes now throughout the years and have called in my fair share of elk but not a pro by any means. My favorite just so happens to be the larger size Phelps (ya… the wiffle bat one). For me the biggest factor is the Reed itself which again, is the Phelps AMP frame. This year the Maverick. I’ve tried tons of others with moderate success but these work well for me.
I am gonna try the Berry Shorty this year. Wanted to move to something smaller.
Thanks huntabsarokee and Wyobull. I'll see if I can find Berry's stuff around here to take a look.
Since I'm in need of a new one this year I just wanted to try something different. That's really the main reason. In my town I can only find those three brands to look at. Did some searching online and didn't really find many other options so was just seeing what else was out there. No huge reason other than a change of pace. I've owned the primos bugles, still have one that I use and pulled the blue mouth piece off. Not opposed to them but I was hoping to find some more options. The phelps tube is just bigger than I would prefer. I don't like the size of the Rocky Mountain mouth opening....too small for me. Those are my reasons for looking around.
I guess I can see how that means I'm not a serious elk caller? Paul I owned the bugle tube you used to make and really liked it but I broke it and you don't sell them anymore. FWIW that was one of my favorites. I made a few myself over the years that were similar and we called bulls in with them. Thanks for the kind words....grin.
This world can be a tough place. I look at it like this, I wouldn't dare take a lightweight (4 oz) vacuum cleaner hose to a calling championship with any expectations of doing well. The Elkwoods can be a lot tougher than calling to human judges. No way would I consider choosing that same bugle material when there's so much better out there. I want to use whatever it takes to sell myself as the real deal even if it weighs 9 oz instead of 4 oz. Just the same, good luck to you sir!
ElkNut
^^^ Elknut - when was the last calling championship you participated in?
Look at a Power Bugle tube. The size, diameter, lends itself to more of the actual size of an elk windpipe. For me I look at the diameter of the tube. Elk are big animals and their windpipe is correspondingly big. You need to fill that tube with some air to sound like an elk. I do think a vacuum tube would work fine, given it is the right diameter. Length also affects the tone of the sounds coming out, I have 2 power bugles. One I cut the tube shorter and it sounds very different. I use it for sounding like smaller bulls or location bugles.
Location bugle at first light.
3 bulls answered on the ridge across the river!
Location bugle at first light.
3 bulls answered on the ridge across the river!
I have really good success with the Glen Berry Thunder Bugle.
Its not an external reed bugle, and most people don’t like that.For doing location bugles, this has been the best one I have seen. It is way louder than any other mouth reed/bugle tube combo I have heard, and we get bulls to answer from a long ways away. To me this is where it stands above other mouth reed/bugle tube combos. It also works good for the rest of the stuff also.
I know this style of bugle seems to be kind of taboo on the hunting forums for some reason. It’s like your not a real elk hunter if you don’t bugle with a mouth reed.
All the bulls me and my few friends that use this bugle call in don’t seem to mind each year!
One of many bulls that was first located with the Thunder Bugle, that I don’t think would have answered most mouth reed/bugle tube combos.
One of many bulls that was first located with the Thunder Bugle, that I don’t think would have answered most mouth reed/bugle tube combos.
After the bulls answered in the pic above we went back to our spike camp, and packed everything up. Moved down the ridge we were on, and set camp up on the other side of the river. That evening we went 1/2 up the ridge where we heard the bugles in the am. Let out a bugle and got 1 answer. The bull came in, but spooked at 3 yards coming through a thicket. It kept answering g my buddies bugles and cow calls, but wouldn’t come in. I spent the next 90 minutes sneaking in on the bull. It was very thick, and it took another 20 minutes before he got into a shooting location.
I agree with Bowhunt. I bugle about twice a day and the rest of the time I sit in my tree stand. The Berry Thunder Bugle is excellent at what I use it for. It is not as versatile as a mouth reed, but it sounds good, and it is loud enough to carry the sound a long way. That is all I want a call to do.
Agree with wytex on the E.L.K. Power Bugle. My buddy had one on my AZ elk hunt and the pitch he got out of that thing was awesome. Very high and seemed to travel better than my diaphragms and Rocky Mountain tube.
https://www.elkinc.com/power-bugle/
That’s awesome stuff bowhunt. Thanks for the post. Great bull.
I’ve called in more than a handfull of hunters in the past few years. It’s easy to tell if it’s a hunter when they are blowing on a flute but I play the game long enough to be sure. Only hunter call ins I had that I thought was an elk were using a bat style tube and a diaphragm. I’ve had hunters come in silently believing I was an elk. Maybe bulls like the flute sound but it sounds terrible to my ear. Yes hunting OTC Colorado sure allow for a lot of hunter call ins.
I use the thunder bugle for everything, locating bulls is where it shines in my opinion. I seek out unpressured areas, and call a lot covering ground to locate a bull if I feel they are talking. If I don’t feel they are talking we slow way down and just target bedding suspected bedding areas. We get within a couple hundred yards of where we think they would be and call for 30-40 minutes. Cow/calf talk, kick rocks, breaking sticks, rake a tree every once in a while, and quiet small bull sounding bugle every 5-6 minutes. Bulls typically just sneak into this call set up silent.
Like any other reed/bugle tube combo, the thunder bugle also works great on the more aggressive bulls. I have no problem starting out more passive, and escalating the aggression in the sound of my bugle to get the bull really pissed off.
Its a very versatile bugle that works great in all scenarios for me.
I actually took the thunder bugle mouth peace and fabbed it to fit in a Phelps tube. I can't use diaphragms worth a shit because I use to have a retainer in the roof of my mouth. I think the Phelps tube makes it sound alot better even though it's pretty bulky.
Yes sir Bowhunt, nice bull there!
ElkNut
Yep, my son is now using my Thunder Bugle. Great tube in general and good for those who can’t/ don’t like mouth reeds. Nice bull Bowhunt.
Glenn Berry I remember BigDan saying a monkey can call in a bull with it good luck Lewis
Anybody have the new Bull Basher bugle from Rocky My.
Check out Liberty Game Calls, hunting partner had one of there calls, sounded good and said was pretty easy to use.
I had a nice bugle tube that I left on a bench along bucks creek by Warren Idaho the last day of my hunt about 15 years ago. If you find it you can have it or ship it back to me, LOL.
