Can't call to save my life

[Louisiana]

Any help is appreciated... I, along with two buddies are going on our first elk hunt in CO in two weeks. Despite practicing through the summer, I can't seem to get these diaphragm calls down.

Are there any other style calls you suggest that I may be able to get a handle on? Thanks for any help or strategy you can offer.

[mandrroofing]

Have you tried cutting the diaphragm down to fit better?this really helped me to fit the roof of my mouth

[Heartwood]

Continue to practice with the diaphragms and you will eventually get it. For me the key was the positioning of the call in mouth. Call needed to be further forward than i was used to for turkey calls. That said, try some external reeds to get by until you figure out the diaphragms. You can get great cow sounds out of many of the externals like Carlton, Bugling Bull, Primos etc. Same for external reed bugles, not great but good enough to call elk. At this point you want to stick to the basic essential calls recommended by Elknut in previous posts.

[tdirks]

Continue to practice but you have time to pick up the 'temptress' external reed call. Sounds great and is easy to make most cow elk sounds! I could be wrong here but I think that Paul even will occasionally use one.

[Solitude]

I agree with the posts above. The Bite and blow calls have brought many bulls into close range for me as well. Hyper lip double call is with me on every trip.
Keep practicing as the diaphragm is "the ultimate" IMO, but go with what you are most comfortable and confident for the trip as you will enjoy it more.

[WapitiTalk1]

Louisiana, sounds like you're out of time for this year with using mouth diaphrams.. but, not out of luck. Elknut sells a very good external reed tuble tube (Elknut Chuckler XTR) that will serve you just fine for your this year. For a cow call, there are a ton on the market but again, Elknut carries several in the store. I've heard very good things about the Temptress. There ya go! Get those ASAP, use the Elknut Tips and Clips to practice by (or perhaps even get the sounds by the Elk CD), and you should be ready to do battle with those stinky galoots in no time . Don't give up on mastering the mouth diaphram for next year.. It takes time but you can do it.

[Louisiana]

Thanks.. Still working on the diaphragm but will pick up a couple of the calls mentioned.

When you say trim the diaphragm, do you mean the outer ring so there are no wrinkles in the fabric?

Thanks for all of the help

[mandrroofing]

For me Out of the package the calls did not fit well.i trim the out side diaphragm little by little till i get a good fit.I use the the raging bull and mellow yellow momma

[elk.addict]

I use the the raging bull and mellow yellow momma

Good suggestion; both of these calls are very easy to use and sound great.

[six]

E.L.K. inc makes a real easy to use call. I liked the "Original Cow Talk". I think it was under $15. They're made in Gardiner Montana. I was fortunate enough to get one at the shop where they are made this summer. I did drill a small hole in mine and ran a piece of fishing line through it for a lanyard. Good luck lots of good calls out there.

[spookinelk]

I love calling with a diaphragm but truthfully for cow calling I have had better success over the years with an external reed call like a fighting cow call, more volume and there is something about that raspy sound that drives bulls crazy. I'm not crazy about any of the external reed bugles though. You should be able to master a bite and blow cow call in a few days and they will call bulls in!