best elk calls

[jammer17]

hey fellas thinking of picking up a elk call. whats your guys opinion of elk calls on the market?

[jacksondog]

Anything Primos!!!

[Bowzone_Mikey]

Bugling Bull

All the Primos calls are BB design that they bought the patent from Rockie Jacobson

http://buglingbull.com/

[toad]

Bush in the bush, the are made in the east koots. gets yours today if you want meat in your freezer!!! my freezer is stocked up again because of this call....Thanks Tom!!!!

[GOLDEN TOP SNIPER]

power bugle

[guest]

Wayne Carlton Diaphragms ........... plus grunt tube ..... for bugles

[ACE]

Abe & Sons ...... diaphragm / tube

[todbartell]

tried lots of them. Mouth diaphram calls are the best, if you put the time in to be proficient with them. Some calls will work for some, and not others, so buy a few different kinds. I couldn't get the Bush calls to work at all, same for Wapiti River. Found best results with Primos palate plate & Rocky Mtn calls. Once you get the mouth reeds working for you, there's no point in using much else. I still pack the Primos baby hoochie mama to inject into a cold calling setup, but it rarely leaves my pack. If you won't practice enough to make the mouth reeds work, I'd look at the Primos cowgirl, Imakadabull crazy, Hoochie mama, and for a bugle I'd look at the Primos Terminator or the Berry Thunderbugle

Here's some audio footage of an elk calling setup we did earlier this fall. My partner was about 50 yards off. All calling done with Primos mouth reeds.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DlFfHJ5RRo

[Salty]

Awesome Mark ^ helps a newb out a lot

[mike-juliet]

I've got about a dozen cow calls and a few bugles, The ones I keep going back to are the Dual (formerly mossback) Bugle, and a Berry Game Call's Sleezy Cow Call. I have a Dual widow maker cow call, not my favourite. I do however like the Rocky Mountain Game Call's cow calls that I have picked up. I also have a few hoochie Momma's.

Ive tried several mouth calls and damn it, they just don't work. Maybe I'll give them a try from another manufacture.

[jammer17]

Awesome thanks fellas.

[RobTurbo]

Make sure to let us all know what you go with and how you like them!

[greybark]

Wayne Carlton Diaphragms ........... plus grunt tube ..... for bugles

(X2) on the diaphrams . The slightly rough texture of the Carlton diaphrams eliminate it slideing around in your mouth . Tough dialing 911 and explaining !!!!
Cheers

[Looking_4_Jerky]

I have the Primos Terminator and I am I big fan of it. Although I'm not an experienced caller, I've had some success calling with it and it was extremely easy to learn to use the blue silicon reed. I'm still looking for my favorite cow call. I've heard Imaka Dabullcrazy is very good, and have read great reviews for the Cow girl as well.

Although I like the ease of using the call, I've heard the Hoochie momma is easily recognized as a "non elk" sound in areas that get lots of pressure. I do have to say, I'm not the biggest fan of a call that sounds the exact same every time.

[J_T]

Elk calls are like fishing tackle. Buy a couple every year. Have your go to calls but dont be afraid to switch it up if nothing is biting.

[Shikari300WSM]

Amen to that JT. Personally, berry thunder bugle and sleazy cow, but having a hoochie in your pocket can be quite handy

[Bugle M In]

try these calls for diaphragm's...they stopped making them for a while, (think it was due to legal dispute with primos).
I haven't ordered the new ones, as I just saw that they came back out, and will be hoping that they are the same as the old ones in design.
Plate helps keep it in the roof of mouth, and I think these calls are much better than the Primos that are similar.
The latex seems to be better suited to making it the better diaphragm in my opinion.
I never liked the Primos, when HS (Hunters Specialties also together with Carleton) were stopped to produce these diaphragms, and I switched to Primos,
but I was disappointed in them...anyways "HS Tone Troughs" are back.
http://www.hunterspec.com/content/tone-trough-elk-diaphragm-calls-new

As for bugles, yes, power bugles work, but the rubber bands are very delicate, and get ruined easily.
Primos works also, and has the similar rubber fitting to blow thru as did my Carleton Bugle many years ago, before switched to Diaphragms.
But, the Berry Thunder Bugle and the Buglin Bull use a similar style diaphragm look that you blow thru, which is as close as it gets to using a
diaphragm call, without actually having the diaphragm in your mouth.
The Berry Thunder Bugle would be my choice for those who cant use in mouth calls or whatever reason.
However, I did purchase the Packable Buglin Bull to try out. ( my hunting partners were saying I sound to big with my mouth calls, and that I was also
sounding to big with the Berry Thunder Bugle )
The Buglin Bull has an additional "bite down" feature, which seems to make it easier to achieve the different pitches in notes.
It also seems easier to not sound as big, and to reach the real high note...which is the one that carries furthest.
The Buglin Bull fell in between the Power/Primos Bugles and the Berry Thunder Bugle in my opinion.
Berry is more realistic, but for some, I think the Buglin Bull is the better route to go for the beginner, as it may be the easiest to blown and the sound carries
like the Power Bugle is known for.
And not to put down Primos, for cow calls I generally use a mouth diaphragm, but use some of the Primos cow calls that they sell.
I "maka da bull crazy" for one, gives a unique sound.
I avoid the "Hoochie Mama"...not because of the sound, but because it can be unreliable when pushing down on the plunger, in other works, inconsistent.
I thought maybe mine was faulty, but my 2 other hunting partners also found similar experiences.
The Primos "Hyper Lip with Tone Converter" is the almost identical in sound to the Hoochie Mama, and in my opinion, way more reliable.
Don't know if they make them still, but I guess I will find out, as I just lost mine somewhere amongst the Pine, Birch and Alders.
If not available, maybe I will look into the Sleazy Cow, but that "Hoochie Mama"/ "Hyper Lip" is hard to beat in sound, IMO.
But don't get to hung up on it, every Bugle that hunters have posted "WORK".....that's why they suggested them.
The thing that will be the defining factor for you, is and will be... is whatever you find the most comfortable using to blow and achieve different
tones and sounds etc.
Unfortunately, you may be purchasing several different style bugles , cow calls and/or diaphragms,
over several years, until you find what works for you....not the Elk.
Good luck, and have fun with it...when you get them bulls roaring, there's nothing else like it!

[.264winmag]

Hunter specialties 'Mac Daddy', easiest I've ever found to use. Works for all bulls big and small.

[J_T]

^^ Good information here. For years I used the diaphragm calls. I still have them, but I've moved over to the others. I like the chuckle that the Power Bugle produces. I agree the thin reeds can wear out or tear. I do like, that as a hunter you can tell when it's a Power bugle and that saves aggravation, trying to work a bull that isn't a bull.

I use about 3 different bugles but my go to bugle is the Primos Baffle Bugle. What I like most about it is the ease with which it blows and the tone I get.

On Sunday a buddy and I were out before daylight trying to locate a bull. We reached our objective and within 15 minutes, my partner let out a bugle using a Power Bugle. We continued on the ridge for a ways and he bugled 3 more times. He does a great bugle and has been successful numerous times. He wasn't getting any response so I pulled out my Primos Baffle Bugle and let rip and instantly got a response from within 100 yards.

Point is, like anything else, change your tackle and see what happens.

[jammer17]

So I ended up getting the three pack of primo diphrams which I'm having trouble being consistent with. primo hoochie mama and the duel power bugle.
Been practicing on them . The dog does not like it hahaha. Thanks for all the suggestion fellas

[Bugle M In]

^^ Good information here. For years I used the diaphragm calls. I still have them, but I've moved over to the others. I like the chuckle that the Power Bugle produces. I agree the thin reeds can wear out or tear. I do like, that as a hunter you can tell when it's a Power bugle and that saves aggravation, trying to work a bull that isn't a bull.

I use about 3 different bugles but my go to bugle is the Primos Baffle Bugle. What I like most about it is the ease with which it blows and the tone I get.

On Sunday a buddy and I were out before daylight trying to locate a bull. We reached our objective and within 15 minutes, my partner let out a bugle using a Power Bugle. We continued on the ridge for a ways and he bugled 3 more times. He does a great bugle and has been successful numerous times. He wasn't getting any response so I pulled out my Primos Baffle Bugle and let rip and instantly got a response from within 100 yards.

Point is, like anything else, change your tackle and see what happens.

so true....you never know what is going to get a bull to suddenly respond and to what.
Sometimes diaphragm calls don't seem to get bulls to respond, and another bugle, as all those mention by everyone, will get a bull to respond.
Puzzling but true.
Thus, the difference in opinion by each individual hunter....they will all work......sometimes.
Just find one for sure, that leaves you the most comfortable in blowing and using with consistency, and even if you blow a "goofed up" attempt,
those bulls quite often still come in.....it's just up to what is going on in the bulls mind at the time...IMO.