Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: Fesup on November 14, 2007, 12:37:49 PM

Title: Sitka blacktail call
Post by: Fesup on November 14, 2007, 12:37:49 PM: years ago i was in Alaska and an Indian showed me a call he made it was two flat cedar pieces with some type reed . I was blown away when he showed me what he could do with it when calling deer he spooked this buck it ran he called it right back spooked it again and it came back. he made me a call and dumb ass me loaned it to a so called buddy and never got it back anyone seen these calls and happen to know where I can get one again without going back to Alaska>
Title: Re: Sitka blacktail call
Post by: jackelope on November 14, 2007, 12:47:07 PM: there is a commercially available mule/blacktail deer call i've seen, kind of makes a squeal type noise. they sell them at gi joes if i remember correctly. can't remember the name or maker though.
sounds like it looks like what you described.
Title: Re: Sitka blacktail call
Post by: rainshadow1 on November 14, 2007, 12:47:28 PM: I have a regular looking hand call that does deer bleats really well.

What you're talking about is probably as close as a piece of cedar kindling and a post office rubber band. Split the kindling, carve notches up and down, put it back together so the notches make one hole, about 1/2" along the split by about 1/4" up and down, then run the rubber band longways along the split. Adjust the tone by tension on the band and air volume.
Title: Re: Sitka blacktail call
Post by: Chesapeake on November 14, 2007, 04:04:27 PM: It is pretty easy to carve your own, or you can use a piece of servey ribon held in the slot between your two thumbe when you press them together.

To make the call just cut a piece of wood to about 3" length and maybe 1"X1.5". Split it length wise and carve depressions in the two faces. Then use a rubber band, electrical tape, latex, ect... as a reed and pinch it between the two halves of wood. Tape the two pieces together to hold all in place. Tighten or loosen the reed to adjust the pitch.

The call just makes a soft buzzing doe bleet sound that works well on Sitka Blacktail around the rut.

A company used to market a doe bleet and cow elk version that were plastic with a rubberband for a reed, but I cant remember who.
Title: Re: Sitka blacktail call
Post by: sdwwaverider on November 15, 2007, 10:20:52 PM: I grew up in Sitka for my 1st 17 years. And the split cedar is really close to what we used. I take a alder branch ( never far from one of those in SE Alaska), cut it about 2 1/2 - 3 inches long carve out about 1 - 1 1/2 inches in the center on both pieces (it doesn't have to be very deep), run the rubber band down the center and use electrical tape on one end. Pull the band and try until you get the right tone and tape the other end. be sure to try it again after you've taped it because sometimes it slips. It does work that well (really we slayed them up there, 4 deer a year oh the good old days) and I use it pretty effectively on blacktails here in western WA during the rut. Even got a few pre rut. Always thought about making them and putting them for sale but I just end up giving them to my buddies then they give them to someone and they call me wanting another before the season starts. If all else fails we'd use a piece of bear grass between your thumbs. Took a couple of tries to get it right but worked very well.
Title: Re: Sitka blacktail call
Post by: Chesapeake on November 16, 2007, 11:18:22 AM: I grew up on POW.

Just bought plane tickets for this august to chase the Sitka's again.
Title: Re: Sitka blacktail call
Post by: Fesup on November 21, 2007, 09:44:55 PM: anyone know if there is a video out there on calling sitkas
Title: Re: Sitka blacktail call
Post by: steelheader on November 21, 2007, 09:58:20 PM: Fesup, there is a guy in aberdeen who used to live in Ketchikan he makes deer calls from alaskan yellow cedar. These are the real deal. You can contact them via e-mail and order one. judie44@comcast.net Hope this helps.
Title: Re: Sitka blacktail call
Post by: Hunting Cowboy on November 22, 2007, 06:11:35 AM: Quote from: Fesup on November 14, 2007, 12:37:49 PM
years ago i was in Alaska and an Indian showed me a call he made it was two flat cedar pieces with some type reed .

I worked on Prince Of Whales Island for a logging company for a couple of summers back in the early 80's and I was also shown how to make one of these type of calls by a local Tlingit Indian. He wouldn't make it for me but he did show me and help me make one. The ones he made were very simple using traditional and modern day items. For example. We made two.
Title: Re: Sitka blacktail call
Post by: Hunting Cowboy on November 22, 2007, 06:12:16 AM: #1 call was out of old growth western red cedar. It's made of two thin slabs measuring 3-1/2 inches Long, 3/4 inch wide, 3/16 inches thick. The center is carefully hollowed. This creates a very thin slot. The read is a large, heavy duty rubberband sandwiched and stretched tight between the two slabds of cedar. Pinching this tightly so a not to allow the band to slip, lightly bite down on the call and blow between the slabs to tune. You want a high pitched tone for a young doe or fawn and a lower pitched tone for an older deer. By lightly biting down or letting off pressure with your teeth as you blow, you can fluctuate the sounds. Once tuned, we used electrical tape on both ends of the call to hold the slabs and keep the reed tight.

#2 call was exactly the same except we used alasken yellow cedar and black electrical tape for the reed. Experiment with different widths and thicknesses of rubber bands or electrical tape for different sounds.

He built new calls every year in preparation for the hunt. I have the original calls from that time, and I use them as my model anytime I build a new one. They do work. Two days after Thanksgiving in 1998 I got to my treestand late. It was about 1pm. I started lightly calling trying to sound like a whimey young doe and a lower toned older deer. 40 minutes later I had a 4x4 blacktail sneak in behind my stand thinking I was a doe in estrus. I missed him at 25 yards by hitting a tree, and shot over his back at 35 yards. He continued to be called back for the next hour or so, but never presented another clear shot. That's my best example but there are many others.
Title: Re: Sitka blacktail call
Post by: Fesup on November 22, 2007, 11:02:03 AM: ya I think the cedar is the trick. everyone says oh Its a deer or fawn bleat and Ive seen the plastic calls but they just dont have the tone these calls they use up there. I belive the cedar give the call that rich tone that these deer go nuts over.
Title: Re: Sitka blacktail call
Post by: Skyvalhunter on November 22, 2007, 11:20:00 AM: If someone would like to get one of those calls I know how to get ahold of the Indian who sells them. I got 3 in the mail last week from him and they are $35.