(elk call)
- So, can you be successful using external reed bugles?
We're gonna answer that question
plus break down the different types
of external reed bugles that are available
on the market today, coming up.
(dramatic music)
(elk call)
Hey, everybody, Michael Batease
from the Elk Calling Academy where we give you
the blueprint for success in the elk woods.
So, I know in The Beginner's Guide to Elk Calling,
we've primarily been focusing on diaphragm reeds
and I've had some people ask,
"Can you do these same things on an external reed bugle?"
Yes, there are some limitations
and some things that you can't do.
Now, obviously, a diaphragm reed is a better option to go
but I certainly understand that some people
have a gag reflex and others are even allergic
to latex so they can't use a diaphragm reed.
So, as far as external reed bugles go,
there's a lot of different types.
There are lip driven.
There are tongue driven.
There are bite n' blow and there's even some out there
that you just blow and push a button.
So, what's the difference between them all?
Really, between all of 'em, you can do the sounds
and they will work, they are successful.
I know guys that use external reed bugles
and they're very successful elk hunters.
It really comes down to personal preference,
you know, what type do you want?
Now, obviously, if you have an allergic,
of if you're allergic to latex,
you don't really wanna go with ones
that you run with your lips or run with your tongue,
you would wanna go with a bite style,
that basically is then driven by a silicone
false tongue, per se, really it's top teeth,
bottom teeth, and you use your teeth
to put pressure on the reed.
Now, as far as the lip driven ones,
there's a few options, you know,
this is a mouth piece from Berry Game Calls.
It comes on their Thunder Bugle Pro Magnum.
This is a mouth piece off of a Power Bugle.
As you can see, a little bit different
but both are designed that you can run these
with either your bottom lip or your top lip.
So, whichever of these that you go with,
try the two different ways to see which lip
you have more control with and everybody's
a little bit different with that.
Now, the tongue driven ones have a larger learning curve
because you have to learn how to place your reed
on that shelf and really channel the air over the reed.
So, bigger learning curve but with this,
you get some really good deep tones and some good sounds.
So, just remember that, it'll take a little bit longer
to learn but you can actually get some really good tones.
Now, you know, I said earlier, "Can you do all the sounds?"
You know, we hear about a lip ball
or a display bugle where we're puttering our lips.
Obviously, if you're using a lip driven type
external reed bugle, you're not going to be able
to putter your lips so you have to add your voice
but there are tubes on the market
that have external reeds that you can still putter your lips
and you can still get that guttural sound
by puttering your lips.
With a lip driven one, you just basically
add your voice (low groan).
So, let's break it down.
So, on the diaphragm, where we talk about bugling,
talked about making just a little bit of contact
with that reed and (low groan) adding your voice.
Same thing with this, I'm gonna just put
hardly any pressure, now, before we get into that,
I don't put my lip right up against the reed.
I actually hold my lip down a little bit
and then I roll my lip up into it.
For me, I found that's how I have more control.
So, okay, to start a bugle on an external reed,
like I said, very light pressure
(low groan), growl with your voice.
(elk call)
So, you certainly can get that growl.
Now, to break into the bugle,
you just stop growling with your voice
and start adding a little bit more pressure with your lip.
(elk call)
Then come back off and add your voice
back down at the end of it.
Now, if you wanna do that type of bugle,
that display or that guttural sound,
what you're gonna do is when you're in your upper notes,
you just add your voice back into it.
(elk call)
And then chuckling, you're gonna take the same principle
where you apply pressure and (low gasp).
Apply pressure and (low gasp).
(chuckling elk call)
So, you can really do a lot of the same sounds.
Location bugles, challenge bugles,
it's all a matter of how much lip pressure and air pressure.
Now, I talked about bottom lip or top lip.
(elk call)
Roll it over.
(elk call)
So, it works both ways.
Now, the Power Bugle comes usually in a tube
and what I've done here is I've actually
put it into a Dominator from Flex Tone,
just 'cause I wanted a little bit more expansion
on that sound.
Now, the neat thing is if you like the mouth piece
from the Berry, it slides in there as well.
So, now you can have a little bit more expansion
but really the tube that this comes in
from the Berry Game Calls is a good tube.
It does have good expansion on it.
This just gives you another option, so,
again bottom lip or top lip.
(elk call)
Top lip.
(elk call)
So, as you notice, this mouth piece
gives you just a little bit more volume.
Now, if I was going to steer someone
in the direction of what's the easiest
external to use on, I normally steer people
towards the Power Bugle.
Now, the Power Bugles does give you a couple of options
that you can use either the gray band or the white band,
which will give you different tones.
The Berry mouth piece actually comes with
a white reed, red reed, green reed, and black reed,
so you have even more options
to mix up the tones and the voices a little bit.
This mouth piece with the false tongue
is from Rocky Mountain Hunting Calls.
It comes on their selectable, and packable,
they have a couple of different bugles
that come with this mouth piece.
Like I said, this one is nice
because it's a bite down style.
But, then again, you can always flip that down
and turn this into a lip driven or a tongue driven.
So, this mouth piece here gives you all three options.
You can use your teeth, your lip, or your tongue
where these two, Power Bugle, you're pretty much
limited to your lips, the Berry Game Call,
lip and tongue, so you have some options there as well.
Now, just like this tube from Deep Timber Sounds,
it is primarily strictly just a tongue driven.
If you do go with the Rocky Mountain Hunting Calls
or the Berry Game Calls and decide
that you want operate those as tongue driven,
the learning curve is a little bit bigger
and it's gonna take you a little bit longer to learn that.
So, I'm gonna go back to my recommendation
for beginners is the Power Bugle to get started.
Then, once you gain some confidence
and you get some ideas, you can start playing
with the other types and start learning
that tongue driven option.
Alright, guys, as always we appreciate you guys tuning in
to The Beginner's Guide to Elk Calling.
Next week, we actually are not going to film
a Beginner's Guide to Elk Calling
because we will be in the Western Hunting Conservation
Expo Show in Salt Lake, but we will be doing
some live videos throughout the day.
Now, if you have missed any of the episodes,
we'll put some links up at the end
that you can actually click on
to go to all of the chapters within
the Beginner's Guide to Elk Calling.
We'll also put up a link where you can click
and go to Wapiti Wednesday Q and A
where we break down some of the sounds a little more.
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on anything, alright, guys.
Keep calling, keep practicing, but most of all,
have fun and we'll see you guys on the next chapter
of The Beginner's Guide to Elk Calling.