Thanks! Your points about bull bugles really got me reminiscing.

My favorite bugler was the running bull I talked about earlier. Every morning at first light I would pick him up by his bugling, and just stand there for a while listening to his bugle in amazement. I cannot stress how "bad" this bull was at bugling. He absolutely would have been run off the stage at a bugling contest, "Uh sir, the flute recital is across town at the cultural center." The best way I could describe it is to imagine someone imitating that two-tone siren call on some firetrucks with a flute. He'd go ooh-ahh-ooh-ahh until he ran out of breath, then close off with the godawfullest growl imaginable. To add to the strangeness, as I would bugle back at him over the course of the morning, he would gradually conform his bugle to mine until he sounded "normal". Then next morning, it would start all over again.

Anyway, that bugle taught me to be confident in my own bugling. I knew from then on I could never sound as bad as he did. I really think calling ability is vastly overrated. I use a power bugle, and am pretty good with it, but the call that really knocks'em dead is my throat bugle. I just let out a caterwalling squall approximating a bugle, and it really works. Sometimes I'll demonstrate it for a hardcore bugling purist just to watch them roll their eyes. I would use only this "primal scream" bugle IF my throat could take it. As is, I have to ration out my use of the call to save my throat. I also cow call with my throat, and unlike my throat bugle, it is very good sounding. I could probably win contests with it, but again I have to limit it to about 20-30% of the time to save my throat. I use a Sceery call the rest of the time.

Also, I don't buy scent control either. Partly because on an 8 day backpack hunt you just are not going to contain the ol' BO.

Thanks again, I was hoping some really experienced hunters/callers would go in depth on this post like you have. It should make for some good reading.