best elk diaphragm call

[vandeman17]

What call do you guys prefer to use? Right now I run the Primos hyperplate but want to pick up a new one for my old man's elk hunt since mine is old and has a few too many bite marks and chew residue on it. 

[Elkterd]

Phelp's Game Calls 

[vandeman17]

I run one of his reed calls and love it. His diaphragm calls are on my list for sure, just wanted to see if there are any others out there

[Annette]

there's a new design out from Berry game calls and I LOVE IT!! Called GOLDEN DOME.  Made by the men who know elk!

[grundy53]

Phelp's Game Calls 

Another vote for Phelps calls. They sound great and are easy to use.

[jackelope]

I run one of his reed calls and love it. His diaphragm calls are on my list for sure, just wanted to see if there are any others out there

Whats the difference between a reed and a diaphragm?

[WapitiTalk1]

Glacier Country Hunting Calls, Wapiti River Outdoors, Phelps, Bugling Bulls, and Berry all make good calls that sound great.  I personally prefer the old school Berry diaphrams that I've used for over 30 years (not the same one, lol); they sound great and last a long, long time.  I'm doing my summer practice now with the same one I used all SEPT last year.  Can't get that mileage out of a lot of diaphrams.     

[WapitiTalk1]

I run one of his reed calls and love it. His diaphragm calls are on my list for sure, just wanted to see if there are any others out there

Whats the difference between a reed and a diaphragm?

Pretty sure he's referring to an internal reed call vs. a stand alone diaphram used on the roof of your mouth.

[vandeman17]

I run one of his reed calls and love it. His diaphragm calls are on my list for sure, just wanted to see if there are any others out there

Whats the difference between a reed and a diaphragm?

Pretty sure he's referring to an internal reed call vs. a stand alone diaphram used on the roof of your mouth.

Yes sorry. I meant a hand call and not a mouth/diaphragm call

[RadSav]

While I do very little calling in WA anymore I have two calls I never go without.  Quaker Boy Screamin' Green Double and Berry Game Calls X-Series Herd Bull.

I do have a bunch of new Phelps calls.  I am trying to decide which ones will come to Utah with me.  They are nice!  I also have some custom reeds from Knight and Hale that I like quite a bit too. 

They are small, so I usually carry half a dozen with me in the field.  Even if the first two listed get 80% of the work.

[vandeman17]

Nice part about this hunt is I am strictly caller/spotter/packer so hoping I can really put my practice to use and get a bull in close for my dad.

[zwickeyman]

I like Quaker Boy

[Netminder01]

While I do very little calling in WA anymore I have two calls I never go without.  Quaker Boy Screamin' Green Double and Berry Game Calls X-Series Herd Bull.

I do have a bunch of new Phelps calls.  I am trying to decide which ones will come to Utah with me.  They are nice!  I also have some custom reeds from Knight and Hale that I like quite a bit too. 

They are small, so I usually carry half a dozen with me in the field.  Even if the first two listed get 80% of the work.

Is this because you think the elk have become call shy or ....?

[PlateauNDN]

Phelps reed and diaphragm

[RadSav]

While I do very little calling in WA anymore I have two calls I never go without.  Quaker Boy Screamin' Green Double and Berry Game Calls X-Series Herd Bull.

I do have a bunch of new Phelps calls.  I am trying to decide which ones will come to Utah with me.  They are nice!  I also have some custom reeds from Knight and Hale that I like quite a bit too. 

They are small, so I usually carry half a dozen with me in the field.  Even if the first two listed get 80% of the work.

Is this because you think the elk have become call shy or ....?

I get a bigger thrill by killing elk than bugling them.  And with Washington's short season I don't really mess around with them.  I prefer to just sneak in and kill one.  Guess I'm just a better ferret than I am a crow.

[_TONY_]

Phelps Dragon Slayer!!

[MountainWalk]

I've always relied on the red Promos and Carlton yeller calf plate

[nw_bowhunter]

I bought a Bugling Bull Game Calls palate plate which was ok and didn't take long tolearn how to use it but I did find it rather large. Normally use Sonic Mini's

[blackveltbowhunter]

The best one is the one the bull comes in to   Seriously tho, with all the sizes, shapes, latex thicknesses, stretch, Dome this, palate plate that etc... it really is a matter of trial and error IMHO. I have found that some  manufacturers have different standards, and call quality can vary within identical calls from some. My hunting partner swears by the primos red reeds, but every third one seemingly gets thrown out due to stretch quality or latex thickness. I had a similar issue with the Bugling Bull herd master a couple years back. One would sound amazing the next would sputter and crack... All of them offer a good warranty but for the price I seldom use it.  I still love it as its one of the few calls I can personally transition from bugles to cow calls seamlessly with. Same with the Berry X herdmaster Rad reffered to. I like the range of the Berry Roosevelt reed, but have trouble getting the top end notes out of it. I am having good luck with the canyon crusher from phelps as a quality locator noise for me. If I had to pick 1 it would be the BB herdmaster. If I could take 2 it would be the Berry Roosevelt and Phelps Canyon Crusher. But Like Rad I seldom limit myself to 2 and normally have 5-6 in a pouch ready to go. Also I like to have a couple spares of my favorites since I seem to always lose them.   

[RadSav]

Also I like to have a couple spares of my favorites since I seem to always lose them.   

   I learned you want to bite down on them pretty good when you bend over to check out a nice big steaming pile of bear poo

[Netminder01]

While I do very little calling in WA anymore I have two calls I never go without.  Quaker Boy Screamin' Green Double and Berry Game Calls X-Series Herd Bull.

I do have a bunch of new Phelps calls.  I am trying to decide which ones will come to Utah with me.  They are nice!  I also have some custom reeds from Knight and Hale that I like quite a bit too. 

They are small, so I usually carry half a dozen with me in the field.  Even if the first two listed get 80% of the work.

Is this because you think the elk have become call shy or ....?

I get a bigger thrill by killing elk than bugling them.  And with Washington's short season I don't really mess around with them.  I prefer to just sneak in and kill one.  Guess I'm just a better ferret than I am a crow.

 

I'm neither right now - just hoping to get into a few good shooting situations. Can't wait!

[ridgefire]

Pretty much any of bugling bulls from Rocky Jacobson. I prefer the brown raging bull for bugling and the mello yellow for cow calling.

[deerhunter_98520]

Mellow yellow and a Phelps are always with me when I elk hunt 

[buglebrush]

Try 5 or more.  Seriously.  One style will fit your mouth much better than the others.  Bubbling bull palate plate for me personally, but my buddies can't use them at all.  They go Glen Berry.  Try until it is right.

[steelnducks]

I have spent a lot of money on diaphragms. phelps and bugling bull works best for me.

[LeviD1]

I just started using diaphrams this year and really like my phelps calls. He helped me a lot in selecting easy to use calls for a beginner that still sound great. Im very excited even though I dont do much of the calling since my dad does it for me as he no longer bow hunts. But I still like trying to be good at it! One of these days i gues someone will want to hunt with me lol.

[Fullabull]

Hey Vande, I think you and I are in the same boat. I have been trying to call in a bull for my dad for years now. He can't go to far so we can't hunt more than a half mile from the road where a lot a pressure is. I do a lot of calling to bring elk to us since we can't go to them. He uses mostly a blow external call and I use an internal mouth read so I can bugle and cow call. He uses a single read primos and some other call he found that works pretty well. He has had his chances but never seams to work out,I have taken bulls that came to me while calling for him but we keep trying. Would love to get him one (even a cow) with his bow before he quites hunting and becomes camp cook...

[pianoman9701]

I used diaphragms for cow calling exclusively for 10 years. The last few years I've been using Phelps' EZ Estrus calls. The range of sounds you get on them is excellent. A couple of Bearmanric's calls are also great as cow calls when you're hunting somewhere where you might be both elk and bear hunting. No need to go outside the forum for these calls.

[jackelope]

Phelps Dragon Slayer!!

Check the medium framed Phelps calls. It seems like they fit universally more than the full sized ones.

[splitshot]

cant use one cuz they tickle my mouth and throat.  mike w

[RadSav]

cant use one cuz they tickle my mouth and throat.  mike w

That sensation usually goes away in a short period of time.  I remember the first day I picked up an oboe.  Spent most of the day yakking and spitting.  A month later I was offered a full scholarship to Berkley, in large part because I was an oboe player in addition to all the other instruments.  Not that I would have EVER gone to Berkley    Mouth elk reeds were a very similar experience.

Luckily with some of the new exterior reeds becoming so good it is not as important to have a mouth reed as it used to be.  I carry both.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Phelps calls are as good as any , if not better ...the Dragon Slayer is my favorite ...sounds awesome ! speaking of which I need a couple new ones 

[JPhelps]

Thanks for the comments.

My advice is use the call you are the most confident in. It may be one of my calls or it may be a bugling bull or another brand. We all call different and like different diaphragms. If you have any questions let me know.

Our Dragon Slayer and Elk Commander are both great calls.

[vandeman17]

Thanks for the comments.

My advice is use the call you are the most confident in. It may be one of my calls or it may be a bugling bull or another brand. We all call different and like different diaphragms. If you have any questions let me know.

Our Dragon Slayer and Elk Commander are both great calls.

I am going to order a few here in the next couple days. 

[Chad Berry]

Here are a few NEW products for 2015 from Berry Game Calls including the Golden Dome Mouth Reeds that are available in 3 different styles.

[nastybynature]

I just ordered the calls that radsav uses for my first ones to try. Had planned on starting with Phelps elk commander and dragon slayer but couldn't find them on Amazon. :-( I will get some Phelps to try next time I order. Not bow hunting until next year at earliest. Figure my son needs to be able to draw and shoot a 50lbs bow first.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

[4fletch]

Berry camo cross latex   And Steve Chapell orange two of the easyest for my mouth to use. both make excellent calls.

[RadSav]

I just ordered the calls that radsav uses for my first ones to try. Had planned on starting with Phelps elk commander and dragon slayer but couldn't find them on Amazon. :-( I will get some Phelps to try next time I order. Not bow hunting until next year at earliest. Figure my son needs to be able to draw and shoot a 50lbs bow first.

http://phelpsgamecalls.com/products/elk/dragon-slayer

[nastybynature]

I just ordered the calls that radsav uses for my first ones to try. Had planned on starting with Phelps elk commander and dragon slayer but couldn't find them on Amazon. :-( I will get some Phelps to try next time I order. Not bow hunting until next year at earliest. Figure my son needs to be able to draw and shoot a 50lbs bow first.

http://phelpsgamecalls.com/products/elk/dragon-slayer

I know, but I was already ordering like $200 of books, etc off amazon for some birthday gifts and they just happened to be available there. Like I said, next time I purchase some calls, it will be direct from Phelps. :

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

[RadSav]

I know, but I was already ordering like $200 of books, etc

People still read books with paper and bindings? 

[nastybynature]

I know, but I was already ordering like $200 of books, etc

People still read books with paper and bindings? 

My kids do. They have full bookshelves and read every night before bed. My son has been told by his teachers he needs to read more fiction and less non-fiction. Kid is an encyclopedia of Titanic facts and trivia, among other things. Guess I am old school like that.

Sorry to jack the thread OP. Will let you know how these game calls work for me when I get them.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk