when you guys buy Reed calls.

[pointysticks]

turkey or elk reed calls.

how many do you order? i know very little about reeds. how long they last, how to not lose them, etc. hehe.

anyways, say i buy a few to try from a sponsor here...practice all summer. they will get destroyed by then right?

[jmez]

Destroyed is relative. If you wash and air dry them fairly regularly they should last a while. A bull reed won't last as long as a cow reed. The latex on the calls will stretch with use. Some consider this broke in and like them that way others prefer the latex to remain tight so don't use them as long. You leave them in a hot car they will last about 24 hours.

Pick a brand and order a couple of each style you think you may like. You will find that you prefer one over the others. I would say practice all summer and plan on replacing them for hunting season. Another thing to keep in mind the more reeds and cuts the call has the harder it is going to be to blow.

[BrentLaBere]

Beat me to it ^^^^^

Short experience talking here but it depends on how you use them and how you treat them.
Practice a lot and use too much tongue and air pressure they will go by the way side rather quickly.
Buy an assortment of them.....single/double, cow calls and bull cows to find the one that you like and make the best sounds with. Later in the summer prior to the season reorder more than one for the year. Break them in, because they do sound different out of the box compared to a little ware, that way you have a back up while hunting.

quick 2 cents.....

[ferris bugler]

I usually order mine a few days after the season starts when I realize I forgot to get them in time.

I try to carry two of every kind that I like plus a couple random ones while I'm hunting.

[Indian Summer]

jmez has some good advice for you: Clean and store them properly and they'll last twice as long. Buy a little vented call case for them. You should be able to use the same call this fall that you have now if you do that. Do not let wet latex dry while stuck to something!

I usually start the season with three new ones. One to use, one to lose, and one to have as a back up after I lose the first one. They are small and light enough.... and important enough to always carry a backup..... even after losing or tearing one up.