Bugle Tubes

[HarryToolips]

I did something different.

Last year was my first time elk hunting. So naturally I started early to prep for it, and started learning with diaphragm calls. Well it turns out my gag reflex was just too crazy with most calls, until I tried the one for youth. I guess I'm not a "big mouth". That made me start trimming the regular calls I already had, and presto, this worked wonders. Practice, practice, practice, more like learn, learn. The wife and kids got tired of hearing me even though I was mostly in the basement, and even when driving on any length of trips.

Then I started to try and figure out what I was going to use for a tube. No way I was paying that stupid money for a plastic tube. Bunch of youtube videos later, I settled on a "dollar store" gadget. Yep, small plastic bat, that unscrews in the middle, and held a few plastic balls inside it. Cut out the opening, and had an old camo t-shirt that I ended up gluing on it. It was bright orange and green, so this toned it down, and seemed to tone down the resonance a bit. Old hockey skate finished off the build as a shoulder carry.

How do I know if it worked. Well, my first morning out, first time elk hunting, I was having bugles all around me, and was playing them. Man was that an experience. No I didn't end up calling any out that first morning, but I was "hooked". As the week progressed I was able to call out a large 5x5. Yep only 5x5 in a six zone. He came out of the timber, 250 yards and circled around 180 yards out. Yep I checked about 4 million times for that elusive 6th point. He ended up going back into the timber. This was about 10:00 am already, bull sun out, but some wind. I thought what the heck and started to challenge bugle him to see what he would do. It turns out, he had no idea where I was, and I ended up getting some great phone footage of him coming past me within 25 yards. He only somewhat saw me as he came out onto the road I was near, about 40 yards past me and looked back towards my direction as he heard voices coming from the next clearing near us. I know he wasn't spooked, as he took another 10 min or so to meander back the way he came into the bush. Talk about a "jacked up" experience of a lifetime for me.

Two days later I called out a few cows with 2 smaller spikers. So I know it works, just a matter of learning more of the elk "speak" and when to use what call sequence. Yea, I was starting to learn a bit of that just before the season started.

So all that to say, yes a $2 home made tube does work. It is about 20" long, 5" wide on the big end, well you know how a bat looks like.

Something like this, but the dollar store $$.

https://well.ca/products/franklin-sp...RoCgHkQAvD_BwE

Lol that's awesome, for practice during the odd lunch break at work I use a plastic bottle with bottom cut out, so I can relate, they can indeed work..

[Arctic Lake]

LOL ! That’s awesome Wallz ! I fell for spenindin some bucks on commercial ones but did not get a chance to use them in 2023 . The hunt ended early after getting our moose in 3 days .
Arctic Lake

I did something different.

Last year was my first time elk hunting. So naturally I started early to prep for it, and started learning with diaphragm calls. Well it turns out my gag reflex was just too crazy with most calls, until I tried the one for youth. I guess I'm not a "big mouth". That made me start trimming the regular calls I already had, and presto, this worked wonders. Practice, practice, practice, more like learn, learn. The wife and kids got tired of hearing me even though I was mostly in the basement, and even when driving on any length of trips.

Then I started to try and figure out what I was going to use for a tube. No way I was paying that stupid money for a plastic tube. Bunch of youtube videos later, I settled on a "dollar store" gadget. Yep, small plastic bat, that unscrews in the middle, and held a few plastic balls inside it. Cut out the opening, and had an old camo t-shirt that I ended up gluing on it. It was bright orange and green, so this toned it down, and seemed to tone down the resonance a bit. Old hockey skate finished off the build as a shoulder carry.

How do I know if it worked. Well, my first morning out, first time elk hunting, I was having bugles all around me, and was playing them. Man was that an experience. No I didn't end up calling any out that first morning, but I was "hooked". As the week progressed I was able to call out a large 5x5. Yep only 5x5 in a six zone. He came out of the timber, 250 yards and circled around 180 yards out. Yep I checked about 4 million times for that elusive 6th point. He ended up going back into the timber. This was about 10:00 am already, bull sun out, but some wind. I thought what the heck and started to challenge bugle him to see what he would do. It turns out, he had no idea where I was, and I ended up getting some great phone footage of him coming past me within 25 yards. He only somewhat saw me as he came out onto the road I was near, about 40 yards past me and looked back towards my direction as he heard voices coming from the next clearing near us. I know he wasn't spooked, as he took another 10 min or so to meander back the way he came into the bush. Talk about a "jacked up" experience of a lifetime for me.

Two days later I called out a few cows with 2 smaller spikers. So I know it works, just a matter of learning more of the elk "speak" and when to use what call sequence. Yea, I was starting to learn a bit of that just before the season started.

So all that to say, yes a $2 home made tube does work. It is about 20" long, 5" wide on the big end, well you know how a bat looks like.

Something like this, but the dollar store $$.

https://well.ca/products/franklin-sp...RoCgHkQAvD_BwE

[Elkaddict]

For a bunch of years I just carried around a piece of pool vacuum hose about 14" long. Then I got a little fancier and bought a collapsible tube that is about 10" long but stretches out to about 2' or so. Last year I bought a Phelps Pack A Bull bugle. It has the same collapsible tube, but it also has a bite and blow reed attached. The reed gives another option, but I find they don't last long, and mostly I just pull the reed unit and use a diaphragm. It tied to the tube, so it doesn't get lost. The big tubes with the resonating chambers probably produce louder deeper calls but I have enough crap attached to me already. I carry my tube in the cargo pocket of my pants. It deploys fast enough and it's never in the way, banging off brush, or getting hung up on stuff when you're crawling through thick shit.

[Ourea]

Quick story.

I have always been a product guy, always trying to be reinventing the wheel.
Made money doing it.

I bought turkey diaphrams thinking they could work for elk, this was in the late 80's when i was kid.

I took coriigated tubing, cut a 2 litre coke plastic container to accept it. Cut the bottom of the plastic out on the bottom.
Created quite the echo chamber
Rapped it up all in black hockey tape. Made it quite, no friction noise while ninjaing around.

The resonance that came out was incredible.

[TheObserver]

Awesome good to know, thanks... I don't know the model, doesn't say on the tube.. Definitely like it loud..

Meant to ask if the tube is loud lol, I heard there bully bull extreme or somethin or the other was a really loud good tube

[TheObserver]

Last fall I used the new Phelps Unleashed v2, I like it

I'll look into that one for sure, their diaphragms are hands down the best for me

[TheObserver]

For a bunch of years I just carried around a piece of pool vacuum hose about 14" long. Then I got a little fancier and bought a collapsible tube that is about 10" long but stretches out to about 2' or so. Last year I bought a Phelps Pack A Bull bugle. It has the same collapsible tube, but it also has a bite and blow reed attached. The reed gives another option, but I find they don't last long, and mostly I just pull the reed unit and use a diaphragm. It tied to the tube, so it doesn't get lost. The big tubes with the resonating chambers probably produce louder deeper calls but I have enough crap attached to me already. I carry my tube in the cargo pocket of my pants. It deploys fast enough and it's never in the way, banging off brush, or getting hung up on stuff when you're crawling through thick shit.

Didn't even know they had collapsibles thats killer!

[TheObserver]

Quick story.

I have always been a product guy, always trying to be reinventing the wheel.
Made money doing it.

I bought turkey diaphrams thinking they could work for elk, this was in the late 80's when i was kid.

I took coriigated tubing, cut a 2 litre coke plastic container to accept it. Cut the bottom of the plastic out on the bottom.
Created quite the echo chamber
Rapped it up all in black hockey tape. Made it quite, no friction noise while ninjaing around.

The resonance that came out was incredible.

I tried this and it was okay, but how you explained it I think I know where I effed up I think i'll try it again.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

[koothunter]

It's all kinda overhyped. That said I do have a RM grunt tube that works well. I have called in bulls with just whistling. If a bull is gonna come in, it likely won't matter a lot what kinda grunt tube you have. Spend enough time out there among rutting bulls and you'll hear all sorts of bugles. Even the real elk sound terrible sometimes.

[RackStar]

Rocky Mountain tube works good for me, called in many many bulls. various brands of diaphragm calls. Heard some great things about the wapiti river , but the things huge, I already hate packing around my RM tube