making a bugle/grunt tube

[mannyCA]

thought I'd try using a tube this year and wanted to see if anyone else had this idea. I've had guys use everything from a PVC pipe to a section of black accordion tube used for irrigation drains. They all seem to get the job done.
Any thoughts? Or is this a waste of time?

 

[Ridge Ghost]

Not a bad idea. I prefer a tube that has more of a bell shape for that deeper, resonant tone. You can make one out of a cheap kids plastic baseball bat.

 

[cnelk]

Just get a kids big plastic bat and cut both ends off and cover it.
Thats what most of the average sellers do

 

[Ridge Ghost]

A tip on the baseball bat: when you cut the exit hole, make it smaller than the circumference of the rest of the tube. If you leave a lip around the rim of the exit hole it will help create back pressure in the tube and make a better sound.

 

[5MilesBack]

It works, but I haven't used it for hunting yet. I have plenty of others that I actually take hunting with me. Maybe some day.

 

[mannyCA]

excellent ideas everyone, thanks. Looks good 5MB!

 

[insanelupus]

I understand the DIY side of making a tube, but between the Phelps tube and Rocky Mountain tubes, I've found the commercial variety has been a better investment than the ones I have made.

 

[Lark Bunting]

Buy one.

 

[Wapiti1]

My opinion, elk all have different voices, and the tube you use makes zero difference if you are saying the right thing. If I couldn't call in an elk, maybe I'd think differently. I still use a section of 1 7/8" shop vac hose I stole off my dad's shop vac in 1993.

Jeremy

 

[trophyhill]

Great topic! A few years ago, I'd forgotten my tube on a weekend hunt. I ended up cutting 2 Gatorade bottles and taping them together with duck tape. Worked great! Wouldn't have won a fashion show, but the elk don't care what it looked like

 

[Tag_Soup]

I used one of the chartreuse green wiffle ball bats from walmart (the really short fat one) the past three seasons. Drill out the end with a 3" hole saw to leave a little lip around the end. This gives enough back-pressure to get a good guttural sound out of a diaphragm. Cut the small end off just past the enlarged hand stop. Chamfer the inside end somehow (I used a large counter sink, but most may not have one big enough) and use a lighter to smooth all the cuts up. Drill a hole near each end and use some shock cord for a lanyard.

That being said, it doesn't paint up well and the chartreuse is pretty offensive in the woods. Instead of paying $15 for camofoam tape, I just bought a Jacobson RockyMtn one for this season. We will see which I prefer. I think the tone is better on the RockyMtn one, but the home made one is definitely louder.