advantages of a trumpet

All about turkey calling + News, techniques, routines, advice, etc..
Meleagris gallopavo
Posts: 86
Joined: February 16th, 2021, 11:17 am

advantages of a trumpet

Post by Meleagris gallopavo »

Hi folks,

I see a lot of activity on the forums and Facebook about trumpet calls. I've been talking with a friend of mine that's very knowledgeable about turkey calls and he says they really get the hens fired up. All I've used are pots and diaphragms with good success, but I'm always looking for an excuse to try a new call. What's the deal with trumpet calls?
User avatar
GLS
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 3566
Joined: May 16th, 2012, 11:29 am
Location: Lowcountry, GA

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by GLS »

Take a look at the latest Pinhoti Project. Mark Prudhomme, Kerry Terrell and Dave discuss the trumpet for 45 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv06EwiR-Fg
Hobbes_mobile
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 2503
Joined: April 23rd, 2019, 11:18 am

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by Hobbes_mobile »

I may be beat for my opinion, but.........
I suppose some of them are awfully cool looking works of art. They are just a call, no more and no less. You are seeing so much about them because a few well known folks have them hanging around their neck right now.

I've heard some guys that sound really good, some that sound okay, and some that sound terrible. Good, mediocre, or terrible calling gives the same kind of results coming out of one type call as the other.
User avatar
WV Ridge Reaper
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 1064
Joined: July 16th, 2014, 10:19 pm
Location: Some Where Deep In West By God Chasing A Turkey

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by WV Ridge Reaper »

Turkey season 2021

What did you hear today ?

Trumpets...lots of trumpets


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword
decoykrvr
Posts: 853
Joined: February 10th, 2015, 1:28 pm

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by decoykrvr »

I personally think that an integral part of the "turkey response" equation is the fact that most turkeys have not been bombarded by trumpets/wing bone yelpers. I've carried a wing bone for over 35 years, and can attest to the response by hens and gobblers to the call, not a given, but frequent enough that I seldom leave an area without running my wing bone before moving on. I often get similar results with a diaphragm/tube call and I think that it too works because most hunters can't, or don't, use one.
Gar Commander
Posts: 374
Joined: February 26th, 2013, 6:52 pm

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by Gar Commander »

I bought a Billy Buice trumpet 1 1/2 years ago and I may not be quite ready to use it this year. Heck of a learning curve. When I hit a good sequence it is awesome. Hit 1 bad note in there and the whole sequence stinks!
User avatar
Jbird22
Posts: 581
Joined: February 28th, 2012, 11:38 am
Location: South MS

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by Jbird22 »

Before it goes there, let's avoid turning this into a Dave, THP, Shane Simpson, Youtuber disapproval thread. There's already one of those on the elderly male turkey forum.

Will more people look into trumpets as a result of Dave's latest video? Sure. But, I believe the price tag of a high end trumpet will discourage most from actually buying one. I also believe the majority of folks who buy trumpets will be ready to sell them within a week once they realize they sound NOTHING like Mark Prudhomme. The ones who commit to dedicating the time and effort into learning a trumpet will be few and far between.

I bought my first trumpet about 5-6 years ago and Lord knows I still have a long way to go to become proficient at using one.
Last edited by Jbird22 on February 16th, 2021, 7:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Contact Info - 4XWADSLITTER@GMAIL.COM
deerhunt1988
Posts: 136
Joined: January 18th, 2015, 9:20 am

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by deerhunt1988 »

WV Ridge Reaper wrote: February 16th, 2021, 6:01 pm Turkey season 2021

What did you hear today ?

Trumpets...lots of trumpets


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
:lol:
Ain't that the truth. You'll see folks strutting around with 'em dangling from their neck like a gold chain. But I really do hope folks go crazy with 'em. They'll screw themselves on a lot of birds.

I carried one for a few years. Killed a bird or two with it. Broke two trumpets because i'm just rough on gear. I hate carrying stuff around my neck so I'd stuff the trumpet in my vest. I'd forget about it, bring it out to use, and it'd be broke. Finally decided I couldn't afford to keep breaking them so rarely use one now. Never noticed any benefits but I was only about a 4-5 on a 10 scale of running one. Consistency was the toughest part, especially with cold lips!

I've ran into some folks in the woods who could flat out sing on a wingbone and if you can make a trumpet sound like I've heard a couple folks on the wingbone, you definitely have an advantage!
swampchicken
Posts: 664
Joined: March 17th, 2014, 7:12 pm
Location: Central Missouri

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by swampchicken »

I hope a bunch of newbies are wearing them around thier necks and squaking on them. Will make me quite happy!

I do like a pretty trumpet and is a very neat part of turkey hunting history!
Hobbes_mobile
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 2503
Joined: April 23rd, 2019, 11:18 am

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by Hobbes_mobile »

If it was assumed that I was bashing the YouTube guys, I wasn't. I watch all of those mentioned and enjoy watching them (except when I recognize background) :)
User avatar
Jbird22
Posts: 581
Joined: February 28th, 2012, 11:38 am
Location: South MS

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by Jbird22 »

Hobbes_mobile wrote: February 16th, 2021, 8:07 pm If it was assumed that I was bashing the YouTube guys, I wasn't. I watch all of those mentioned and enjoy watching them (except when I recognize background) :)
Nope, didn't assume that at all based on your post.
Contact Info - 4XWADSLITTER@GMAIL.COM
pedro
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 2190
Joined: June 6th, 2012, 9:21 am

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by pedro »

Trumpets are a good tool to learn. Turkeys probably hear a trumpet less often than other calls. They work in the rain. Easy to practice in the car with one hand. Low maintenance. Air operated calls are cool.
User avatar
GLS
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 3566
Joined: May 16th, 2012, 11:29 am
Location: Lowcountry, GA

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by GLS »

I've used trumpets and wingbones for over 40 years. The most fun I've had with one has been with the ones I've made out of rivercane. A few years ago I detailed on this site how I do it. They are capable of a clear or raspy tone; easy to make and they fool their share of gobblers. Gil
User avatar
Hoobilly
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 13335
Joined: August 15th, 2011, 10:15 pm
Location: Argos Indiana
Contact:

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by Hoobilly »

I love trumpets because they produce that clean nasally hen yelp that sounds so realistic at a distance
Don't start none, won't be none!

https://foxtrotammo.com/
Hobbes_mobile
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 2503
Joined: April 23rd, 2019, 11:18 am

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by Hobbes_mobile »

Jbird22 wrote: February 16th, 2021, 8:13 pm
Hobbes_mobile wrote: February 16th, 2021, 8:07 pm If it was assumed that I was bashing the YouTube guys, I wasn't. I watch all of those mentioned and enjoy watching them (except when I recognize background) :)
Nope, didn't assume that at all based on your post.
Okay, but I could see where someone may think I meant it that way.
User avatar
poorcountrypreacher
Posts: 677
Joined: July 10th, 2012, 1:39 pm

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by poorcountrypreacher »

GLS wrote: February 16th, 2021, 8:22 pm I've used trumpets and wingbones for over 40 years. The most fun I've had with one has been with the ones I've made out of rivercane. A few years ago I detailed on this site how I do it. They are capable of a clear or raspy tone; easy to make and they fool their share of gobblers. Gil
And I was one of those that Gil so generously gave a couple of his calls. I killed some turkeys with his that first year, and then he told everyone exactly how to make them. I've made and used my own since then and have used a rivercane at least partially on almost every one I've killed since.

I carried trumpets for decades, but I haven't even used one the past 2 years. The rivercane is much easier to use because it is smaller and moves a lot less air. It makes a softer call that is much more appealing to most of the paranoid turkeys I hunt.

If you are starting without any experience, I think you will do much better with a rivercane. Search for that thread and you can see there is nothing to making them. And if you find you don't like it you will have spent about $2 instead of hundreds for a trumpet.
User avatar
Turkinator
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 2989
Joined: May 13th, 2013, 6:25 pm
Location: southern onio

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by Turkinator »

I use one on a majority of my hunts. Usually a KP or a Buice. Steep learning curve? Yes indeed, but worth it.
2B4841BE-129D-41DC-8AF5-E45FCABD4C22.jpeg
Hobbes_mobile
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 2503
Joined: April 23rd, 2019, 11:18 am

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by Hobbes_mobile »

I just watched/listened to Dave's trumpet video. Those two fellas are a cut above what I've heard before especially the guy in the mossy oak. That's some crazy good quiet and mid range stuff. I didn't listen to all of it, but wonder if they can hit higher volume for more open country??

I doubt that I have the patience. I never have followed through with the tube call so don't see me getting there with a trumpet either
User avatar
Southern Sportsman
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 1314
Joined: February 24th, 2013, 12:32 am
Location: West TN

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by Southern Sportsman »

I don’t think there is anything remarkably special about trumpets other than they sound a little different that friction or mouth calls. And on any given day a particular gobbler may respond to a particular call but not another. They give you another option in the rain. And you can cup your hand over the bell and make calls softer than I can make with just about anything else. I haven't dropped the money for a high-end trumpet yet. I probably will. But I think I’ll be paying for wood working craftsmanship more than turkey killing prowess. And I’m okay with that. In the meantime, I’ll keep carrying a wingbone and a cane yelper.
I go stubbornly into error by myself, and reach my own fallacious conclusions using my own faulty data. ~Tom Kelly
User avatar
GLS
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 3566
Joined: May 16th, 2012, 11:29 am
Location: Lowcountry, GA

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by GLS »

Here's the thread on how to make a rivercane call:
https://www.gobblernation.com/phpBB3/vi ... =rivercane
User avatar
Hoobilly
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 13335
Joined: August 15th, 2011, 10:15 pm
Location: Argos Indiana
Contact:

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by Hoobilly »

Hobbes_mobile wrote: February 17th, 2021, 1:12 am I just watched/listened to Dave's trumpet video. Those two fellas are a cut above what I've heard before especially the guy in the mossy oak. That's some crazy good quiet and mid range stuff. I didn't listen to all of it, but wonder if they can hit higher volume for more open country??

I doubt that I have the patience. I never have followed through with the tube call so don't see me getting there with a trumpet either
I have a couple tubes. Trumpets for me was easier to run


I do need to practice more. And I’m always taking a trumpet
Don't start none, won't be none!

https://foxtrotammo.com/
User avatar
davisd9
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 1352
Joined: June 28th, 2012, 10:15 am
Location: South Carolina

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by davisd9 »

Lots of people are going to be disappointed when they get their new trumpets. It took Mr. Mark a lot of work and dedication to get to where he is. Many will pick it up and not have a clue how to get a sound. That is a big reason why the trumpet guys are a community all within themselves. Anyone can learn one, but most will not pick it up and be ready to hunt it in a month and many will not put in the time it requires to get decent on one. When you saw another guy with a trumpet or a yelper around his neck there was an instant connection cause you know the work they put in to feel confident to hunt it. Dave will get good on a trumpet as he has the drive but he has a ways to go. I see this being a big fad for a few years then a lot of trumpets will hit the market or display shelf. I am very glad to see the interest in such an awesome call that has so much history and is a true piece of folk art.

As for the video it was very well done, but Mr. Mark felt his calling was off and I have heard him in person several times and that was not his best run, but it was better than 95% of us could do for sure.
Roy
Posts: 463
Joined: July 20th, 2011, 4:40 pm
Location: Your Mamas

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by Roy »

Trumpets are now a FADD, nothing more.
" Y'all keep discussing it among yourselves...I'm sneakin' in to pop the noisy one. " - Stinky J Picklestein
User avatar
GLS
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 3566
Joined: May 16th, 2012, 11:29 am
Location: Lowcountry, GA

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by GLS »

I would rather see someone carrying an expensive trumpet around their neck than see a bag full of decoys slung over their shoulder. Gil
User avatar
davisd9
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 1352
Joined: June 28th, 2012, 10:15 am
Location: South Carolina

Re: advantages of a trumpet

Post by davisd9 »

GLS wrote: February 17th, 2021, 7:57 am I would rather see someone carrying an expensive trumpet around their neck than see a bag full of decoys slung over their shoulder. Gil
Absolutely!
Post Reply

Return to “Calling & Competition Calling”