Bob H in NH

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I am working on getting a deeper pitch from my power bugle, I think the issue is pressure on the rubber band that goes around the mouth piece.

I have seen the bugle used in a video (eastmans hunting video) and the guide puts the entire mouth piece in his mouth, I seem to have better luck putting my top lip on top of the mouth piece.

Is the pitch controlled by pressure on the rubber band or the amount of air pushed through the call (blowing harder or softer) or both??

Any help would be great!!

Also I can't seemt to chuckle with it at all.

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Dirt2

It seems to me you get a higher pitch with more lip pressure, and a lower pitch with light pressure. It's funny, because my concern is to get a very high pitch. Sometimes I think my Power bugle is too low! I'd say that 95% of the bulls I bugle with are higher-pitched than my Powerbugle.

The chuckle takes more practice for me, and to further complicate matters, the chuckle seems too high-pitched to my ear. I do most of my chuckling with my throat. It's really not a tough sound to make that way. I'll bugle then pull the bugle out and throat-chuckle.

You can get a real gnarly growl out of the bugle by starting with a normal call, then twisting the call in your mouth so one edge starts to come away from your lip.

bsurplus2003

You want that higher pitch, that is the sound of a young bull, if you talk right, Bigger bulls will come to that easier that if you sound deep and narly, let me ask you a question......if you had to fight would it be a bigger guy or a smaller guy.........same goes for elk....Ive killed all my bulls with a power bugle, if you know how to talk then you will succeed every time....
Brett

Bob H in NH

thanks guys, I will try the roll the call off your lip for the growl.

How do you hold it to your mouth, I've seen 3 ways:

1) Entire mouth piece in the mouth (on a movied)
2) top lip on the top of the mouth piece (seems to work best for me)
3) both lips right at the hole (guide I went with does this)

bsurplus2003

Which ever way feels comfortable to you, and you accomplish the sounds that gets them to answer..........not every bull bugles perfect, and you dont want to be perfect, if you sound squirly that is the sound of a younger bull, and bigger bulls will certainly pick the fight with a young punk!....
Brett

Colorado Luckydog

Would you rather get in a fight or meet a nice young available woman? Use your bull call for a locator, use your cow call for the kill! I was within 150 yards of my last bull that I killed before I called. I hit my primos diaphram with 3 sexy cow calls andI had a 6x6 at 25 yards in a matter of seconds. My bugle was still behind my back!!! Work on your cow calls!!!

game4lunch

I put teeth on upper side, and use lower lip to vary pressure on band. Pressure on band has most to do with pitch. BUT! Which band are you using? They have white (regular) and gray "Hi-pitch" bands. I use the white almost exclusively.
You can also get pitch difference by sliding band towards hole (higher) or away from hole (lower pitch).
Did you ever play sax or clarinet? It is very much the same as you need to develop your embouchure. Try this, place mouthpiece in mouth and without trying to make any elk calls, vary the lip pressure on the band so as to start low and slowly move note higher. Capice? Then try playing a familiar tune by varying pressure on band. You know, happy birthday or something.
So to get lower notes you need to use white band, slide band back, loosen pressure on band, and even kind of drop your jaw as you do lower pressure. Then start growling in your throat as you "make music". You'll like the results.
Remember, what you say in response to an elk is more important than you think. Saying less is sometimes saying more!

Bob H in NH

Been working with this call more, as well as with a diaphram through the tube. Getting better... can cow call nicely with my turkey calls now.

Still having trouble changing the tones in the bugle.

However, last night I got a "pack bugle" by primos, it came in the mail from Eastman's bowhunting journal.

WHAT A GREAT EASY TO USE CALL. Came with a blue reed and within 5 minutes I could do basic bugles and several cow/calf calls.

Within 15 minutes I could add a "growl" into the bugle, change the pitch and even do a passable chuckle at the end of the bugle.

muley96

If your serious about elk hunting and calling you simply must learn to use mouth reeds, there is no substitute. You have more flexability with your calling and can transition b/w bugling and cow calling seamlessly. for the record, I do subscribe to the theory that you must cow call to get a bull in. I get several in with the bugle every season and there is a time and place were the bugling is more effective. The theory that a bugle should be used for 'locating" only is absurd. The most effective way to call is to gage every encounter separately and call according to what you hear. I have simply harrassed herd bulls with a bugle until they couldn't stand it anymore while the cow call did zero. Every situation is different.

Colorado Luckydog

Agreed that every situation is different and diaphrams are the best way to call. But most bow hunters (that know what they are doing) use theirbugle very sparingly. Rifle hunting is always different because you just need to get them to show themselves within a few hundred yards.Locate them with a bugle, bring 'em in close with a cow call. If the cow call will not get them in then you start trying to use whatever it takes to finish them. When they are going away youcan try any callto turn them around!A bugle in the hands of someone that does not know how and when to use it,will send the herd bull out of there.

I've been a very successful rifle elk hunter over the last ten years, and I killed my last 3 bulls within 30 yards. This will be my first years to elk hunt with a bow, but if the information that I am givng is bad, I just might have to whoop Will Primos's ass.(Just kidding, I love Will and his crew and use their methods and products!)