# Elk bugle/grunt tube



## freebird134 (Feb 8, 2009)

I couldn't drop another 25-40 bucks on a new elk bugle. So I bought a wiffle ball bat today and I'm gonna make me a bugler! :wink: I know guys have been making them from wiffle ball bats for a while, and think that is even what the infamous Elknut uses in his, so I'm going to give it a shot. I'd love to hear from anyone that's done this or knows some good resources (e.g., links) that might help!

I'll keep ya'll updated.


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## SilentElk (Oct 6, 2004)

I have found that wrapping your bugle in tape give it a better sound and minimizes the echoing. It you dont have athletic tape, a couple rools of electical will suffice. Last time I used about 60-80 yards of 2" packing tape and kept it somewhat wrinkled. Then I wrapped in electrical tape. Sounds good. Adds about 1/2 pound weight though. I once leaned over to look at something on the ground and the bugle swung around off my back and gave me a fat lip actually.


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## freebird134 (Feb 8, 2009)

SilentElk: A fat lip!! Really? I'm going to try to avoid that 

I"m wondering how I can make the flexible end like the ElkNut tubes have. I wish I still had mine to peek inside and try to figure out how they do it.


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## dmr400 (Feb 24, 2012)

I didn't like the sound I was getting using the commercial grunt tubes, so I did the same thing. Bought a wiffle bat and cut it off about an inch past where it thins down to the handle (left 1" or so of handle on in other words. Then I took about about 7 inches of white flexible hose that would fit over the end (I believe it was sump pump hose or something similar) and slipped it over the end (tight fit, so no glue required). Then I marked and cut out a circle roughly 1 1/2" in diameter on the fat end, leaving most of the shoulder (hoping for a little compression to give grunts a better sound). Drilled a hole near the end for a piece of 550 cord, which I threaded in and knotted to make a stop, and tied the other end on the opposite end of the bugle. Wrapped the whole thing in camo tape, and have been experimenting with rubber bands to tone down a bit of vibration. Called 5 bulls into bow range with it last year, including one that was killed by an old boy scout of mine, his first bull. That evening I was actually calling to a 6x6 that would come into about 80 yards, get nervous, and head back and check on his cows, and then repeat the process when this bull came in out of nowhere, bugled 15 yards from Chris before he even knew it was around, and then walked out from behind the tree so Chris could drill him at about 7 yards. Needless to say he was pretty pumped . I am thinking about trying one of Paul's (Elknut) grunt tubes this year though, I believe he starts with a commercial tube and makes several modifications to it. It sounds pretty good in his video, although Paul sounds pretty good with just about anything


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## bullfisher (Apr 22, 2009)

I too have a big toy bat bugle. Found a short fat one while walking through riteaid one day that i had to have. Sounds killer. A friend of mine has been experimenting with different bats and shapes and came to the conclusion that the harder thicker walled bats with a hole 2/3 the size of the bats circumference are magic.


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## SilentElk (Oct 6, 2004)

freebird134 said:


> SilentElk: A fat lip!! Really? I'm going to try to avoid that


Well, it didnt split or anything but I could look i nthe mirror and see one side was little bit than the other. I was a bit over ambitous in hindsight. It sounds good though. Take the wiffle bat do as dmr400 suggested. Wrap in athletic tape... its lighter


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## rhendrix (Jul 1, 2011)

Any links on how to use a homemade grunt tube?


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## freebird134 (Feb 8, 2009)

rhendrix said:


> Any links on how to use a homemade grunt tube?


I think you would use it just the same as you use any other grunt tube.


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## BowHunter4Lif (Jul 23, 2009)

I have one of Paul's (elknut1) tubes and I am telling you, its built like a tank! Haven't had a lot of time to play with it as I just got it and have some major family medical stuff going on so I will be playing with it here sooner than later.


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## freebird134 (Feb 8, 2009)

BowHunter4Lif said:


> I have one of Paul's (elknut1) tubes and I am telling you, its built like a tank! Haven't had a lot of time to play with it as I just got it and have some major family medical stuff going on so I will be playing with it here sooner than later.


I had one too. It was the nicest tube I've ever laid hands on. Then I got rid of it. And don't want to drop another $30 on one! Plus I'm looking forward to that satisfaction of calling in a bull with one of MY tubes


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## rhendrix (Jul 1, 2011)

freebird134 said:


> I think you would use it just the same as you use any other grunt tube.


All the ones I've seen have a reed though, haven't seen a reed being mentioned yet.


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## DogWoman (Sep 9, 2011)

http://books.google.com/books?id=EX...Sm8ibCw&ved=0CHMQ6AEwCA#v=thumbnail&q&f=false

Go to page 105


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## dmr400 (Feb 24, 2012)

rhendrix:

You are thinking of a complete bugle. We are talking about just a tube to amplify the sounds we make with a mouth diaphragm call. It takes more skill and has a bit of a steep learning curve, but IMO it is much more versatile:

1.) I can put a diaphragm in my mouth and make bull sounds using the tube, cow sounds without, and it is totally hands free for the cow sounds and small bull sounds (think spike squeal).
2.) It sounds much more unique for each person that uses it, which is actually why I started. I got tired of hearing a supposed elk sound in the woods, and thinking to myself "D#A$N...that guy is using a (Power Bugle, Abe and Sons, Primos, insert bugle here) too."
3.) It is in your mouth ready to call for an entire setup, so if an elk comes in you can draw when out of site (think elk behind tree, rock, brushpile, etc) and use it to cow chirp when the animal steps into your shooting lane to stop it. More effective in my experience than a sound made with my voice.

As far as using one, Paul Medel (Elknut on here and on his website) has a great DVD called mastering the mouth reed. You can find it at www.elknut.com. Just as a side note, I ordered this and the 4 video set for my dad for christmas. Between dad and I we have about 45 years of elk calling experience, and we were both super impressed with Paul's take on elk calling and felt we learned things from watching the videos.


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## JacobOutdoors (Oct 4, 2011)

dmr400,

How difficult would you say it is to learn diaphragm calling for elk? I already use diaphragms for turkey calling so I have a little experience but I have been leaning towards using a hugle tube for elk.


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## freebird134 (Feb 8, 2009)

AssassinfromOR said:


> dmr400,
> 
> How difficult would you say it is to learn diaphragm calling for elk? I already use diaphragms for turkey calling so I have a little experience but I have been leaning towards using a hugle tube for elk.



Piece o' cake. Use one of your single or double reeds that doesn't have fancy notches cut in it. I bet there is a youtube video that could give you a lesson.


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## huntinguyg (Dec 7, 2009)

I turkey call in competitions and build all my own diaphrams for myself and to sell to ppl. I have found an awesome way to amplify the sound is to take a single barrel shotgun, break the barrel down and bugle through it, it actually sounds really good. As for learning to bugle get you a call that is 2 reeds with a ghost cut it in and it will be a peace of cake to learn.


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## rhendrix (Jul 1, 2011)

dmr400 said:


> rhendrix:
> 
> You are thinking of a complete bugle. We are talking about just a tube to amplify the sounds we make with a mouth diaphragm call. It takes more skill and has a bit of a steep learning curve, but IMO it is much more versatile:
> 
> ...


Thanks for breaking it down Barney-style...I'm still trying to use a mouth call for turkeys, haven't quite masetered it. Waiting until April or May, then I'm getting some Elknut stuff.


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## dmr400 (Feb 24, 2012)

Glad it helped. I've had the best luck teaching beginners with the primo's reeds, especially the ivory plate. I learned on that one as well, and then worked my way up. I still carry a couple of primo's reeds though, so don't think they are just a tool to get good...choosing a reed is like choosing a bow, all about how it feels for YOU.


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## JacobOutdoors (Oct 4, 2011)

I'm looking for some help guys. I bought a smaller wiffle ball bat to make a more compact bugle tube. I'll admit that I know nothing about elk calling but want to learn more and figured I would give making my own tube a shot. So I cut it off at one end like a member above mentioned and than make a hole on the other end. When I blow into the tube I get nothing...am I supposed to play it like a trumpet for noise? Or should I be using a mouth reed and only using the tube to magnify the sound? I'm kinda confused by all of this and thought maybe it was because my bat doesn't have more than a 2 inch diameter at the end. 

Any help you guys can offer up? I would appreciate it a lot.


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## freebird134 (Feb 8, 2009)

AssassinfromOR said:


> I Or should I be using a mouth reed and only using the tube to magnify the sound?


 :thumbs_up

Yes, you got to use a reed. Most of us use a diaphragm, but you could build an external reed like is commercially available. But, yes, the bugle/grunt tube I'm talking about making is entirely for shaping the volume and tone of the reed call.


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## Coreytee (Oct 2, 2009)

Sorry to resurrect this old thread. Would someone be able to post a link to elknut1's bugle tube they are referring to? I'd like to get a bugle ordered up soon. Unless there is something better of course 

Thank you


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