New to bugling - recommendations?

[jstrickc]

I've hunted elk for the last 7 years or so. Connected with a nice cow last year.    But I may be headed to a different spot this year, where some bugling may come in handy. I have played around with cow calls some (finally found some reeds that worked for me), but never bugling. Just like everything else in hunting, there are too many options out there. Anyone have recommendations on a decent bugle for a newbie.   Thanks!

[trophyhunt]

Get some reeds built for bugling, practice in your car to and from work, when at home and anytime you have spare time. I use the small plastic Phelps tube w my reeds, works great, easy to carry. I tie a string on my tube so I can just drop it if needed. Timing and Types of bugles is something to be learned by watching videos.

[Crunchy]

if you have a reed that makes good cow calls it will also be good using a bugle.  plenty of YouTube
videos to walk you through how to make the bull sounds. 

[elkrack]

 The elknut app helps a lot 

Bugling in the car is always fun to watch people expression’s 🤣. I’m sure some people think I’m taking a big ole bong hit🤣

[vandeman17]

elk nut videos taught me how to bugle and call. Elk101 on youtube also has some good videos

[jstrickc]

Thanks for the input.  I just found the elknut videos last night on youtube, like drinking through a firehose, but a lot of good info to digest for sure. I only commute once a week now since covid, so I'll just have to drive the family crazy and practice at home, LOL.

[Iveexcaped3]

This doesn’t work for you but my clients are gone 90% of the time I work on their house so I get A LOT of time in on reeds. My suggestion is practice, I’m no expert but from what I’ve read and seen it boils down to practice, learning how to make the small controlled changes in the reed to sound organic. Multi season deer last year I can’t tell you how many bugles I heard that didn’t sound authentic. I don’t know where you live but the feeding stations around central WA are a great time to practice for obvious reasons.

[WapitiTalk1]

Here’s one of the best instructional’s I’ve seen on the “how to use” a diaphragm call. Beyond that, dig into ElkNuts teachings on what the sounds may mean in various situations. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VITaRJNVuyQ

[fowl smacker]

I have used the Elk Power Bugle since about 2007-8.  I think it'll make the best sounding bugles the easiest.  It uses bands instead of mouth reeds.  I use reeds for cow calling, and some bugling,  but when it gets time to really get bugling, I find it very hard to beat.

[Caveman123]

I started with the primos with the blue mouth piece found it was the easiest to make a noise on. Years later I wanted to be louder and switched to a power bugle the transition was not to hard. One year I got a Phelps tube and one single reed and essentially learned how to use it on my way to elk camp. If you want to use the reed style calls I recommend getting a few different kinds from a few different brands some work well for me and some not no much. All you really need to be able to do is hit that high note, some of the worst sounding bugles come from real elk.

[OltHunter]

My buddy couldn't handle mouth reeds and he got the Phelps EZ bugler with the metal tube and had great luck with it. Something to think about, some people just can't handle mouth reeds.

I will second the advice to get a few different brands of you go mouth reeds. Your palate will dictate which one will work best, sort of like factory ammo out of a new rifle.

Another tip, if you pull the reed out and you see wrinkles in it, cut notches to take them out. Those wrinkles will kill your air flow. I struggled to hit the high ringing tones till I figured that out.

[Ricochet]

Lots of great information here, all I can add is calling in a big rutty bull is the most exciting thing I've ever done in the woods. Maybe too exciting.  When I came home from Idaho with my first 6X6 it was pretty much all I talked about for several days. Finally, my wife asked me which was more exciting, killing that bull or the first time we made love. I answered, "Well, it was my first 6x6." We're divorced now. 

[pianoman9701]

You said you're a beginner. Does that mean you want something that's easy to make a bugle? Or does that mean if you get the answer now you're going to practice all year to learn about diaphragms and tubes? One of our site sponsors and a hugely successful bull killer is Jason Phelps. His reeds and the big tube are capable of making all bull and cow sounds. But it takes a lot of practice to do them all. I haven't tried his EZ Bugler, but this might be the way for you to be able to call fairly quickly. In lieu of using Jason's products, Primos bugles have a snap-on blue single reed that goes over a mouthpiece and can produce bugles within the first session, especially if you watch YouTube. I believe pricing is comparable to the Phelps EZ bugle. Buy Jason's stuff and practice.

[Stein]

Elknut is great, he really has a system different than others and something I like.  With regards to reeds, you just have to try a bunch and see what works for your mouth.  I started with Rocky Mountain and a few other brands but after trying Phelps last year, they are 10x better for me.  I don't think they are "better" reeds in general as they all use pretty much the same stuff, they just fit my mouth better.

He has a chart showing where the different colors are and you can start on the bottom with easier to blow ones and move on up as you progress.  Half the challenge is deciphering all the different reeds and figuring out what is what.  It's like salmon lures, they make new ones all the time to get people to buy more.  Phelp's chart does a good job showing you what is what.

[pianoman9701]