Elk Diaphragms, Tips and Techniques

[Bugle M In]

There is a company that sold a Rubber corrugated hose, just like the old rad hoses you found on vehicles in the 50’s.
Nice thing with a soft rubber vs plastic is, it doesn’t give you that “tinny sound”.
You will also see some tubes have a heavy rubber band around them to reduce that also.
I may try to find an inner tube to fully wrap around the tube I have.
I have one of those large tubes, and then the corrugated hose mounted to it.
I was considering buying the Abe and Sons tube and seeing if i could cut out that sound chamber and modify in between the rubber hose.

As some one said, it can get expensive.
I think most real avid elk callers have dozens of different manufactures diaphragms, hand held cow call and tubes sitting around, trying to find what works best for them.

Back when I started, there weren’t many folks that you could learn from.
Larry D Jones, Carleton we’re probably some of the first to get deep into it and showing different techniques on calling sounds and ways to hunt elk, imo.
So very few hunters out there in the field that were good.

Today there are so many folks that are damn good at it.
And there will be plenty of different views and opinions to draw from.

[MOUNTAIN MICKEY]

If you are looking for tubes---vacuum cleaner hose works. I started off with a plastic "whistle" then acquired a grunt tube and some diaphrams. Few years later I had to get a top partial plate and the "fit" was off so I shopped around and got a whole bunch more diaphrams trying to get previous results reclaimed. I always have multiple cow/calf/bull calls with me as I want to be a "herd" of elk not just one bull/cow etc. Like some of my hunting friends, we prefer to be less agressive "animals". But there are times when mixing it up is the answer.

[Imdone]

Wayne Carlton or Rocky Mountain Diaphragms are my fave.
Combined with a Grunt Tube.
Put emotion into the bugles and rake too.

[maze]

one thing I will say is that I think learning what calls actually mean is one of the most important things you can do. Sure, you may know how to do certain calls, but if you dont know WHEN to use them, it's all kinda pointless.

As for diaphragms, i really love Rocky Mountain calls, specifically the "reaper" and "black magic" ones.

this is the video that taught me a lot of the basics of calling: https://youtu.be/1zMW6w1Drb8

[TheObserver]

Thanks for the replies Gents as always!

Last year mid summer I picked up some diaphragms, so I have a 4 pack of Wayne Carleton's variety, a single, double, 2.5 and a triple (no domes). I also got a 3 pack of Rocky Mountain calls, Elk 101 3 pack 2.0, all of them are single's I believe (all domed) but these 7 are what I will be starting with.

Couldn't learn them quick enough last year I felt so I went with the ELK inc. Power Bugle and Deluxe Cow Talk I started practicing these well before when I bought the diaphragms, I called in a Bull that almost ran me over to 5 yards (he definitely thought the power bugle was a real bull challenging him) and had a vocal interaction with another with it. Heard some others too so not a complete stranger anymore. I have already purchased Elk101 in Sept (kind of late for last season) so will be going through that a couple times before opening as well.

But forsure after learning just about Elk in general and habitat, feed etc and finding ~4 different rutting grounds of different Elk. This year will be focusing more on the right call and when to use it.

Thanks for the tips and links I will be trying out this stuff for sure and watching the linked videos. Also idk if anyone has used an aluminum tube I bought one made by Rocky Mountain calls we'll see how it sounds i'm going to try the home made tubes suggested here too.

[Bugle M In]

Rocky has some interesting features to their tubes.
I managed to get a hold of one part from one of their tubes that had a metal coil spring in it.
I then adapted that part into their bigger tube with that corrugated tube that actually had a mouth call on it.
I see that some of their tubes now have a cross section metal piece inside the mouth area.

I suspect I know what they are trying to do.
Abe and sins has that chamber half ways in between their tube.
Primos tried to put a bulbous chamber at the end of their calls,
They are all trying to produce that deeper hollow resonating sound a real bull makes.
Elk have huge lungs, and a long throat.
Its almost like their tones have an amplifier.
I can really explain it, but when you are around a bull, especially up close, most know what I mean.
Like trumpet compared to a baratone.

What I have come to realize, imo.
A tube with bigger corrugation design seems to give more depth to the call vs a tube of with smaller corrugated ridges.
A longer tube is better than a short tube.
A soft, say rubber tube removes that plasticy metallic sound, but a rubber tube also quiets down the volume vs plastic, it dampens it.
So rubber tube sounds better, but the range the bugle carries is less.
The rubber band version if elk calls, like power bugle do give that higher whistly sound that is just not as easy to reproduce with a diaphragm.
You certainly can hit very high notes with a diaphragm, but you lose that little bit of flutey sound.
I think that’s why we see those metal springs in some calls.
It probably adds some vibrato to the sound..
And that Abe tone chamber probably adds that hollow resonance that a bull has.

Calls/tubes alone will never properly be like a bull.
Thats where a disphragm and an individual talent closes the gap.
But unless you have an amplifier on the end of the call, it will never be 100% real.

But chuckles, lip bawls, grunting and glunking are all things that can be achieved with a diaphragm.

When to chuckle only or add it in or do this or that, well that’s much harder to know.
A chuckle can get a bull amped up more, other times he wants nothing to do with it.

Thats why cow calls really help.
And I use a diaphragm for that also.
But I really do like the hand held cows calls even more.
Primos hyper lip is probably the closest I have found.
Like the hoochie, but way more reliable.
And Ticky makes some great ones also!
I think Rocky has the best options for those big bellowed tubes.

If I recall right, it might have been Berry’s that made that rubber packable corrugated tube??
Every few years I try to adapt my call.
Trying to get that closer to hollow amplified sound.

But I think elk calling and what you can get is all that is ever needed anymore.
Its come a long way.

[ACE]

Have used an early Abe & Son bugle for many years, combined with a CowTalk call.
Find the reed type calls are quite 'one dimensional' . . . the A & S is versatile.
Learn when to call, when to move, etc. . . . lots to learn, many variables, all fun.

I've had a G-bear come to my calls in the Flathead . . .

[TheObserver]

Have used an early Abe & Son bugle for many years, combined with a CowTalk call.
Find the reed type calls are quite 'one dimensional' . . . the A & S is versatile.
Learn when to call, when to move, etc. . . . lots to learn, many variables, all fun.

I've had a G-bear come to my calls in the Flathead . . .

I had a big one I ran into right after calling in the Okanagan this season, I figure he must have been making his way up to me where I was making my way down calling. He heard it all for sure

[Bugle M In]

Twice for me plus a cougar.
And 3 really big bull moose!!??????

[TheObserver]

Twice for me plus a cougar.
And 3 really big bull moose!!??????

Haha yep I also called in a big Bull Moose with bugling+raking this year as well, Oct 4th ran in breaking everything in it's way thought it was going to be a Bull Elk for sure.

Then 20 mins later I found this..... was a crazy season!