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How long do your mouth reeds last?

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How long do your mouth reeds last?

Postby Fozziebear2000 » 06 13, 2018 •  [Post 1]

I think I’m starting to treat my mouth reeds a little kinder – at least I’m not screeching on the front edge of the latex anymore :-). And I am working on control at lower volume. So my reeds are lasting longer than they used to.

But it still seems like after 2-3 hours worth of practice calling (mixture of cow sounds, locate bugles, and lip bawls), a new reed will go around the bend. Every few weeks or so, the amount I practice. Just wondering if this is normal, or how long reeds last for the more experienced callers.

And... how many reeds do you carry on a hunt.


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Re: How long do your mouth reeds last?

Postby Lsb » 06 14, 2018 •  [Post 2]

I'll go through 2 -3 a year. I've been using the brown Carlton triples. I'm going to give wapiti rivers a try.
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Re: How long do your mouth reeds last?

Postby >>>---WW----> » 06 14, 2018 •  [Post 3]

I think the one of the main reasons reeds don't last long for many people is that they blow too hard on them. This also causes loss of control and may cause the user to force even more air trying to get a sound. Try easing off of the air pressure and learn to control tongue pressure to achieve better sounds and you will find your reeds will last much longer. Personally, I can easily get a couple of hunting seasons from the same reed. And I use them a lot!

Try practicing tongue control without a reed in your mouth. Do this by forcing air lightly up from you diaphragm and gently, without increasing the air flow, use your tongue to seal off the flow. Once you achieve control, try the same thing with a reed in your mouth.

Hope this helps!
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Re: How long do your mouth reeds last?

Postby Tigger » 06 14, 2018 •  [Post 4]

I can get 1-2 years out of mine typically and I bring with 3-4. I have had 1 call go wheels up during a hunt and I just switched and everything was fine.
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Re: How long do your mouth reeds last?

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 06 14, 2018 •  [Post 5]

>>>---WW----> wrote:I think the one of the main reasons reeds don't last long for many people is that they blow too hard on them. This also causes loss of control and may cause the user to force even more air trying to get a sound. Try easing off of the air pressure and learn to control tongue pressure to achieve better sounds and you will find your reeds will last much longer. Personally, I can easily get a couple of hunting seasons from the same reed. And I use them a lot!

Try practicing tongue control without a reed in your mouth. Do this by forcing air lightly up from you diaphragm and gently, without increasing the air flow, use your tongue to seal off the flow. Once you achieve control, try the same thing with a reed in your mouth.

Hope this helps!


Spot on =>>>---WW---->! I have guys out to my place quite often over the course of the year to help them work on their calling and one of the things I notice is that they use too much air pressure vs. working on tongue control to get the various sounds. As far as overall durability/lasting qualities, I've found that the single latex reeds (which are pretty much easier to use and overall, can make all the quality noises a person needs) don't seem to last quite as long as multi-latex reeds. The trade off is that the multi-latex reeds seem to be a bit tougher to control and get the sounds from (but it's not insurmountable).
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Re: How long do your mouth reeds last?

Postby Lefty » 06 14, 2018 •  [Post 6]

Mine last until the first time I set them down on a log or rock and walk away. :lol: Ive had some spent over a season in my mouth. Not being blown much.
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Re: How long do your mouth reeds last?

Postby Fozziebear2000 » 06 14, 2018 •  [Post 7]

Thanks for the input, gentlemen, very helpful. I’m not surprised it’s a finesse thing.
I just received Paul’s Mastering the mouth reed dvd, with that and this feedback I’ll keep working on it.
Lefty, my calls don’t get much of a workout during the season. There was a post on here recently about calling often if you know you sound like an elk, not much if you don’t. I’m in the second category for now.


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Re: How long do your mouth reeds last?

Postby Lefty » 06 15, 2018 •  [Post 8]

Fozziebear2000 wrote:Thanks for the input, gentlemen, very helpful. I’m not surprised it’s a finesse thing.
I just received Paul’s Mastering the mouth reed dvd, with that and this feedback I’ll keep working on it.
Lefty, my calls don’t get much of a workout during the season. There was a post on here recently about calling often if you know you sound like an elk, not much if you don’t. I’m in the second category for now.
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A long time ago. A friend was always blowing his duck call,.. drove everyone nuts, he was terrible. But once we were able to drive,.. the guy had become a duck calling magician.
Im not saying the same applied to me. But I really didnt start calling much at all until I started hunting timber. Im still not great at elk conversation. I can make good sounds,. but need to work on sequencing..

On another site, years back, Paul keep promoting calling, unfortunately for me I was doing so well in the desert with spot and stalk and seeing way too many elk to chance blowing elk off calling.
Three years back, a new hip, I started hunting timber, calling came quickly. Elk responding to a call is a completely different type of hunt. .
After talking to Elknut this spring I will take more of his advise,... simple as it sounds we will be calling inside thicker timber, I had always been looking for those open areas that would in reality be better with a muzzle loader, open to 60 70 yards.
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Re: How long do your mouth reeds last?

Postby Swede » 06 15, 2018 •  [Post 9]

Mine last several years. I store then in a cool dry place in my basement. I have found they last a long time if you never let them get warm and wet.
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Re: How long do your mouth reeds last?

Postby ishy » 06 16, 2018 •  [Post 10]

Rinsing helps too. Saliva is a very destructive substance, so I try to remember after ending each day to rinse and shake and even slip the corner of a paper towel between palate plate and latex to dry before putting it back in it's case.
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Re: How long do your mouth reeds last?

Postby Elkhunttoo » 06 16, 2018 •  [Post 11]

Lefty wrote:Mine last until the first time I set them down on a log or rock and walk away. :lol: Ive had some spent over a season in my mouth. Not being blown much.



:lol: :lol: that's me, I lose way more then I ever wear out
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Re: How long do your mouth reeds last?

Postby CurlyTail » 06 18, 2018 •  [Post 12]

I replace my latex diaphrams yearly. Some could make it longer but I am not willing to comprimise quality. I feel like they stretch out gradually, making it harder and harder to get the exact tone you are looking for. They do not fail all at once. So I err on the side of caution.
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Re: How long do your mouth reeds last?

Postby Wapiti » 06 26, 2018 •  [Post 13]

I lose more then I wear them out. 2015 I used a Reaper for the month of September and had many battles with that reed against some pretty talkative bulls. 2-3 hours of screaming lipbawls back and forth !

That same reed came with me to Las Vegas where we once again entered into battle at the world elk calling Championships !! That same exact reed won me my first world title !! Yes I finished 3rd in the pro division but some say I won the whole dang thing !! I walked off stage knowing in my heart I had just put down the best bugling sequence I'd ever bugled !! At that moment I knew I was the World Champion.......even if the judges didn't think so...I knew, my wife knew and the crowd knew !!

That same reed is mixed with all my other reeds now and it's hard to tell which one it may be.............................

How long does a reed last...........if you find a sweet one like I did it could last a long time !!!!!

That one reed will last a life time for me !!!!
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Re: How long do your mouth reeds last?

Postby Navesgane » 06 27, 2018 •  [Post 14]

for you guys that lose them, check these reed quivers out!

https://www.bend-able.com/
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