# Owl Hooter design Purple Owl



## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

I just could not let the Owl Hooter call problem go without another serious run at a better design. Here is my latest attempt, the "Purple Owl" owl hooter, made of course out of Purpleheart Wood, and using a J100 reed set. My goal was to design and make a Hooter call that had a much louder sound than my first call. I did all the design and drawings in AutoCad and if anyone is interested I can convert the dwg drawings into a pdf format and post them here so that they can be copied and printed out.

The call itself has ½" and 3/4" bores (openings) and I only have a 5/8" mandrel so I went to my metal lathe with some 3/4" and 1" aluminum round bar and machined two "adapters". These adapters allowed me to easily do all the turning in my wood lathe that was required and I can use them on other projects later on.

I am very happy with the way the call turned out with the way it looks but most importantly the great increase in the sound level. Late one afternoon with almost no wind, I had one of my friends stand a measured 417-feet from me and I made several calls. He was able to hear a good portion of each call and at 300-feet he clearly heard each call. I’m thinking that a Turkey can hear a whole lot better than a human, so in the right conditions this call should be effective in the 400-plus foot range for communicating with Ole Mr. Gobbler.

The way I used the call was to hold it in my left hand and use my little finger curled at the exhaust opening to create a restriction. This procedure does require a bit of finesse, which is typical, but did not take long to find that sweet spot. I do plan to experiment with some pre-made plugs that would possibly eliminate the need for the "curled finger hold".

I have made a lot of calls already but this one is going on my do not sell shelf. It has been a good challenge and a lot of fun making this one.

Have a great day,

ThomasT

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## DKMD

Very cool!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Ray D

Very nice.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## jbowers

Looks great! I had been playing around also and found 3/4 for barrel works good stopping short so it could still fit together with the 5/8 delrin. I played around with plugs in the exhaust and it helps with the error factor of finding the sweets spot, but it does lower volume a bit, so it's a trade off.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Informative 1


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## ThomasT

jbowers said:


> Looks great! I had been playing around also and found 3/4 for barrel works good stopping short so it could still fit together with the 5/8 delrin. I played around with plugs in the exhaust and it helps with the error factor of finding the sweets spot, but it does lower volume a bit, so it's a trade off.



Hello Josh,

Thank you. The plug cutting down on the volume was my big problem with the first Hooter that I made. I have not tried any plug with this new Call but it is much louder so I may be able to find a compromise. I have only applied one coat of the Paste in these photos, but will get at least four coats of Wax on it and then will experiment with some form of a restrictor.

What kind of a plug did you find that worked best?

I am attaching my drawings so you can see what the insides look like. These drawings can be printed out on 8-1/2x11 or 11x17 paper.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## ThomasT

DKMD said:


> Very cool!



Hello and thank you Davis.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> Very nice.



Hello and thank you Ray.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## B Rogers

Nice job Thomas. Sounds like a machining background is coming in super handy. You'll be able to design and make any jig you might need. We may be calling on you as well.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## ThomasT

B Rogers said:


> Nice job Thomas. Sounds like a machining background is coming in super handy. You'll be able to design and make any jig you might need. We may be calling on you as well.



Hello Bryson,

I feel sure that my years on a metal lathe has helped me get started on the wood lathe. The two adapters are very basic but sure made this job a lot easier and will come in handy later on down the road. Here is a photo of the two pieces; one is turned from 3/4" down to 1/2" that I used in the Collet, and the other one is turned from 1" down to 3/4" on end with a center drill to use with a Live Center, and the other end down to 5/8" with a center drill.

Thank you and have a great day,
ThomasT

Reactions: Like 3


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## Ray D

Thanks for posting your drawings. I played around with the J100 reed a bunch but never quite got the sound I was after. I made it pretty much the way you did plus made a wide variety of exhaust plugs. Your post makes me want to dig them back out. Thanks......I think. Lol

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1 | Funny 1


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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> Thanks for posting your drawings. I played around with the J100 reed a bunch but never quite got the sound I was after. I made it pretty much the way you did plus made a wide variety of exhaust plugs. Your post makes me want to dig them back out. Thanks......I think. Lol




Hello again Ray,

Look at the Barrel drawing and note the 5/8" relief that is in the bore. Looking from right to left, the 3/4" bore, then the 5/8" relief and then the 1/2" bore. The relief is to allow room for the O-ring that is on the J100 reed when you purchase it. This is of course for my design and may not be needed in another design. Hope this will help some.

If you come up with a "good" design for a plug, please let me know. It will be next week some time before I can start experimenting with plugs.

Thanks again and have a great day,
ThomasT


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## jbowers

ThomasT said:


> Hello Josh,
> 
> Thank you. The plug cutting down on the volume was my big problem with the first Hooter that I made. I have not tried any plug with this new Call but it is much louder so I may be able to find a compromise. I have only applied one coat of the Paste in these photos, but will get at least four coats of Wax on it and then will experiment with some form of a restrictor.
> 
> What kind of a plug did you find that worked best?
> 
> I am attaching my drawings so you can see what the insides look like. These drawings can be printed out on 8-1/2x11 or 11x17 paper.
> 
> Have a great day,
> ThomasT



I started small and found a good compromise, I still have to cup my hand over the end to get back in pressure to smooth be get the sound but it's still pretty loud. I'll have to check when I get back to shop but I used two plugs in the barrel about an inch or so apart stepping down a bit for end plug. I think the inner one was around .265 and end plug .250

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## myingling

I got a few owl hooters nether is very loud and have end plugged with small hole ,, but they work from one hollow to next i always figured it was the deep base that made the birds gobble

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## Ray D

myingling said:


> I got a few owl hooters nether is very loud and have end plugged with small hole ,, but they work from one hollow to next i always figured it was the deep base that made the birds gobble


That’s kind of what I have found. I use Harrison’s owl hooter and it’s not very loud but boy does it sound good. I have never been able to reproduce that sound.[/QUOTE]

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## Ray D

ThomasT said:


> Hello again Ray,
> 
> Look at the Barrel drawing and note the 5/8" relief that is in the bore. Looking from right to left, the 3/4" bore, then the 5/8" relief and then the 1/2" bore. The relief is to allow room for the O-ring that is on the J100 reed when you purchase it. This is of course for my design and may not be needed in another design. Hope this will help some.
> 
> If you come up with a "good" design for a plug, please let me know. It will be next week some time before I can start experimenting with plugs.
> 
> Thanks again and have a great day,
> ThomasT



Thanks. I’ll definitely give your design a try.
Ray


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## Ray D

jbowers said:


> I started small and found a good compromise, I still have to cup my hand over the end to get back in pressure to smooth be get the sound but it's still pretty loud. I'll have to check when I get back to shop but I used two plugs in the barrel about an inch or so apart stepping down a bit for end plug. I think the inner one was around .265 and end plug .250


That’s interesting with the two barrel plugs. Are you also using the J100 reed? Just for sound comparison, have you run one of James Harrison’s owl hooters?

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## ThomasT

jbowers said:


> I started small and found a good compromise, I still have to cup my hand over the end to get back in pressure to smooth be get the sound but it's still pretty loud. I'll have to check when I get back to shop but I used two plugs in the barrel about an inch or so apart stepping down a bit for end plug. I think the inner one was around .265 and end plug .250




Hello Josh,

OK two plugs with different bores, gives me a new starting point.

Thank you and have a great day,
ThomasT


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## ThomasT

myingling said:


> I got a few owl hooters nether is very loud and have end plugged with small hole ,, but they work from one hollow to next i always figured it was the deep base that made the birds gobble



Hello Mike,

Back in the woods here in Deep East Texas that deep soft sound seems to be the ticket for a regular Turkey call, so I would assume that would also hold true for the Owl Hooter. On my Purple Owl Hooter it depends how I blow into the call that gives two different sounds.

Thanks for your help and have a great day,
ThomasT


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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> That’s kind of what I have found. I use Harrison’s owl hooter and it’s not very loud but boy does it sound good. I have never been able to reproduce that sound.


[/QUOTE]

Hey again Ray,

Have you looked inside of the Harrison hooter? Can you tell what makes it sound so good? Is the reed like a J100?

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## Ray D

Hey again Ray,

Have you looked inside of the Harrison hooter? Can you tell what makes it sound so good? Is the reed like a J100?

Have a great day,
ThomasT[/QUOTE]

I would love to see what’s going on in his owl hooters but he glues them together. Lol. He knows he has a good thing going and he wants to protect it. Look him up on line. He can flat out run a call! I guess that’s the reason he has all the trophies to prove it. Several championships under his belt and a heck of a nice guy to talk with. Hooks calls.

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## Lou Currier

That finish is sure looking good....is that your paste wax?

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> Hey again Ray,
> 
> Have you looked inside of the Harrison hooter? Can you tell what makes it sound so good? Is the reed like a J100?
> 
> Have a great day,
> ThomasT



I would love to see what’s going on in his owl hooters but he glues them together. Lol. He knows he has a good thing going and he wants to protect it. Look him up on line. He can flat out run a call! I guess that’s the reason he has all the trophies to prove it. Several championships under his belt and a heck of a nice guy to talk with. Hooks calls.[/QUOTE]

Hello Ray,

Did that and I just placed an order for one of his calls. Boy they sure do sound good. He said "reeds" (plural) in his video, wonder if it is a double reed. Might just have to open that baby up when it comes in.

You know animals here the lower tones than we do, and an Elephant is supposed to be able to hear a low rumble sound over 4-miles away. It could be that our Calls can be heard a lot further away than we have been thinking.

I have a place over near Toledo Bend Lake that I can hunt on and it is full of Turkeys, might take the Hooter over there and see if I can get any kind of a reaction

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## Ray D

ThomasT said:


> I would love to see what’s going on in his owl hooters but he glues them together. Lol. He knows he has a good thing going and he wants to protect it. Look him up on line. He can flat out run a call! I guess that’s the reason he has all the trophies to prove it. Several championships under his belt and a heck of a nice guy to talk with. Hooks calls.



Hello Ray,

Did that and I just placed an order for one of his calls. Boy they sure do sound good. He said "reeds" (plural) in his video, wonder if it is a double reed. Might just have to open that baby up when it comes in.

You know animals here the lower tones than we do, and an Elephant is supposed to be able to hear a low rumble sound over 4-miles away. It could be that our Calls can be heard a lot further away than we have been thinking.

I have a place over near Toledo Bend Lake that I can hunt on and it is full of Turkeys, might take the Hooter over there and see if I can get any kind of a reaction

Have a great day,
ThomasT[/QUOTE]

Awesome. Did you get the synthetic one or the wood? I currently have a synthetic one and my hunting buddy has one in wood. They both sound fantastic. I know a bunch of other turkey hunters that also run his hooters. 

Ray

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## ThomasT

Lou Currier said:


> That finish is sure looking good....is that your paste wax?




Hello Lou,

Yes it is, and only the Paste in those photos. I have not put any of the "Wax" on it at that time. I did apply one coat of Wax this afternoon. I applied the Paste with the same rag that I have been using on the lathe at 400 rpm. Then I cranked it up to 1000 rpms and used the leather to get it hot and rub it in. I did this three times, the first two just soaked into the wood.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## myingling

if i had say it would be first link pics below is out of one hooters i got they fell out
https://www.shipleysoutdoors.com/owl-hooter-kit.aspx
https://www.grassycreekcalls.com/Owl-Hooter-Kit-p/ohkt.htm


custom on left harrison plastic righ



 

 

 

 harrison plastic right

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## Ray D

Not sure I follow you mike. Are you saying the reed you have pictured is the one in the Harrison hooter?


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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> Hello Ray,
> 
> Did that and I just placed an order for one of his calls. Boy they sure do sound good. He said "reeds" (plural) in his video, wonder if it is a double reed. Might just have to open that baby up when it comes in.
> 
> You know animals here the lower tones than we do, and an Elephant is supposed to be able to hear a low rumble sound over 4-miles away. It could be that our Calls can be heard a lot further away than we have been thinking.
> 
> I have a place over near Toledo Bend Lake that I can hunt on and it is full of Turkeys, might take the Hooter over there and see if I can get any kind of a reaction
> 
> Have a great day,
> ThomasT



Awesome. Did you get the synthetic one or the wood? I currently have a synthetic one and my hunting buddy has one in wood. They both sound fantastic. I know a bunch of other turkey hunters that also run his hooters. 

Ray[/QUOTE]

Hey Ray,

You know I am not sure...he he,  I was so involved watching his video that I went and placed the order.., I will let you know when it comes in.

Have a hoot of a day,
ThomasT

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## ThomasT

myingling said:


> if i had say it would be first link pics below is out of one hooters i got they fell out
> https://www.shipleysoutdoors.com/owl-hooter-kit.aspx
> https://www.grassycreekcalls.com/Owl-Hooter-Kit-p/ohkt.htm
> 
> 
> custom on left harrison plastic righ
> 
> View attachment 160897 View attachment 160898 View attachment 160899 View attachment 160900 harrison plastic right



Hi Mike,

That looks like the one I purchased from Shipleys Outdoors and installed in my first Hooter. Not real sure though???

Have a hoot of a day,
ThomasT

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## myingling

came from wood one ,,but they both sounded the same

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## Ray D

@myingling, I have purchased the reed from Shipley’s, as well as others, and still can’t get his sound. Lol

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## ThomasT

ThomasT said:


> Hi Mike,
> 
> That looks like the one I purchased from Shipleys Outdoors and installed in my first Hooter. Not real sure though???
> 
> Have a hoot of a day,
> ThomasT



Hey again Mike,

Come to think about it, it looks like the Shipley but mine did not have the O-rings.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## myingling

Ray D said:


> Not sure I follow you mike. Are you saying the reed you have pictured is the one in the Harrison hooter?





ThomasT said:


> Hi Mike,
> 
> That looks like the one I purchased from Shipleys Outdoors and installed in my first Hooter. Not real sure though???
> 
> Have a hoot of a day,
> ThomasT



did it have small hole end of reed

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## ThomasT

myingling said:


> did it have small hole end of reed
> 
> View attachment 160903



Hey again,

Yes it did, just like your photo.

ThomasT

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## Ray D

I don’t recall it having a hole in the reed but I would have to go out to my shop to be sure.

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## Ray D

A hole in the actual reed or a hole in the end of the reed assembly?

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## myingling

Ray D said:


> @myingling, I have purchased the reed from Shipley’s, as well as others, and still can’t get his sound. Lol



maybe their shaving the reeds or modifying them a bit ,,not sure never got into building them


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## myingling

reed assembly

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## Ray D

Ok. Definitely had a hole in the reed assembly.

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## Ray D

myingling said:


> did it have small hole end of reed
> 
> View attachment 160903


So the one pictured actually fell out of the Harrison hooter?

Sorry, didn’t see that you already confirmed that it fell out of the wooden one.

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## Ray D

By the way Mike, you make some great calls. A couple of my buddies use your pot calls that they purchased off OG. Oh, and thanks for all the give aways you do over there. I had one of your copper ones but I could not get used to it.

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## myingling

Ray D said:


> By the way Mike, you make some great calls. A couple of my buddies use your pot calls that they purchased off OG. Oh, and thanks for all the give aways you do over there. I had one of your copper ones but I could not get used to it.



Thank You Yes them copper u eather love them or hate them LOL

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## B Rogers

ThomasT said:


> I would love to see what’s going on in his owl hooters but he glues them together. Lol. He knows he has a good thing going and he wants to protect it. Look him up on line. He can flat out run a call! I guess that’s the reason he has all the trophies to prove it. Several championships under his belt and a heck of a nice guy to talk with. Hooks calls.



Hello Ray,

Did that and I just placed an order for one of his calls. Boy they sure do sound good. He said "reeds" (plural) in his video, wonder if it is a double reed. Might just have to open that baby up when it comes in.

You know animals here the lower tones than we do, and an Elephant is supposed to be able to hear a low rumble sound over 4-miles away. It could be that our Calls can be heard a lot further away than we have been thinking.

I have a place over near Toledo Bend Lake that I can hunt on and it is full of Turkeys, might take the Hooter over there and see if I can get any kind of a reaction

Have a great day,
ThomasT[/QUOTE]
You're not kidding. I think he sounds better than a real owl. If I were a turkey I'd be tore up. I may have to get one on order too... Unless Thomas gets it figured out so we can make our own sound like that. I've been wanting to try an owl hooter.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## ThomasT

B Rogers said:


> Hello Ray,
> 
> Did that and I just placed an order for one of his calls. Boy they sure do sound good. He said "reeds" (plural) in his video, wonder if it is a double reed. Might just have to open that baby up when it comes in.
> 
> You know animals here the lower tones than we do, and an Elephant is supposed to be able to hear a low rumble sound over 4-miles away. It could be that our Calls can be heard a lot further away than we have been thinking.
> 
> I have a place over near Toledo Bend Lake that I can hunt on and it is full of Turkeys, might take the Hooter over there and see if I can get any kind of a reaction
> 
> Have a great day,
> ThomasT


You're not kidding. I think he sounds better than a real owl. If I were a turkey I'd be tore up. I may have to get one on order too... Unless Thomas gets it figured out so we can make our own sound like that. I've been wanting to try an owl hooter.[/QUOTE]


Hello Bryson,

I looked on my confirming order and it showed _"Hooks Harrison Custom Hoot'n Stick Owl Locator Call"_ is what I had ordered. Cannot wait to get that in my hands to see how it sounds in real life. He has several videos and no wonder he has won so many contest with all the various sound that he can make. I am hoping that we can custom make our own Hooters that get real close to sounding like his.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## rocky1

Good looking call Thomas; glad to hear you worked through it, and found a working solution.

Drawings are way cool as well. 

There is little doubt in my mind that you will have cured the age old problem with the J100 Reed in a week or two at the rate you're going!

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## ThomasT

rocky1 said:


> Good looking call Thomas; glad to hear you worked through it, and found a working solution.
> 
> Drawings are way cool as well.
> 
> There is little doubt in my mind that you will have cured the age old problem with the J100 Reed in a week or two at the rate you're going!



Hello Rocky and thank you for the vote of confidence....

I was just getting ready to post my latest work, so here it is:

Hello everyone,

Well I think that I am getting a little closer on the sound along with the volume. The call on the right is my original with the "90-degree restrictor plug" and it has a good sound but a bit low on volume. Also with the side exhaust ports it is hard to "cup" your hands to modify the sound.

So I machined a new plug for the Purple Hooter (on the left) that uses the same principal of a 90-degree deflection. This new plug requires the side outlet holes to be within the exhaust chamber, so in order to allow the air to escape I milled four grooves from the holes to the front of the plug. This allows cupping of the hands to alter the sound and it works really well and allows the "laughing" and "rolling" sounds that the Harrison call makes. However, there is some loss in the volume and the actual sound is not as good as the Original Hooter. So not there yet but getting a little closer.

I am open to any and all suggestions fellows and appreciate your interest and help.

Have a hoot of a day,

ThomasT

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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

OK fellows not sure this will work or not but I am going to try and attach a short video of me harassing some Crows early this morning. The Owl Hooter actually sounds better in real time than on this video because the camera was set up under a back porch where I was standing and getting a lot of noise/bounce back. In this shot past the telephone post there is a short white fence and just past that were 5 Deer when I made the first call. That is 384 feet from where I was standing and all of the Deer threw their heads up at the first call. I think this low sound travels much farther than expected. Anyway there are a lot more Crows hollering back at me than can be heard, because they are such a long distance away. This was pretty cool, don’t know if I faked the Crows into believing there was an angry ole Owl in their territory or not, but I had them stirred up for a while.






Have a hoot of a day and enjoy the Daytona 500,

ThomasT

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## myingling

not sure on your exhaust end the the hooters i got they both seemed to be bored at least 7/8 to 1 in hole thats how their getting that base bit louder call

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## ThomasT

myingling said:


> not sure on your exhaust end the the hooters i got they both seemed to be bored at least 7/8 to 1 in hole thats how their getting that base bit louder call



Hello Mike,

If there is no restriction on the exhaust outlet, then just blowing into the Call gives a sound like a sick Duck. If you use your hands or fingers to restrict the opening, then you get a much better sound. However, that process is not real reliable to always get a good sound, kind of have to play with it a bit. Harrison does state that there is a restrictor already in his calls.

May I ask what brand of calls do you have and do you have to use your hands or fingers on the outlet?

Thank you and have a great day,
ThomasT


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## myingling

i got one thats wood custom made and the Harrison plastic and yes they are restricted at ends small holes and u still have use your hands ,,, i would say they are a basic design see lots guys using ,,, you would have to experiment and figure out how insides work out and what reeds u want use to get that sound that you like 
@ThomasT are u happy with your sound ? and if not,, What would u like hear more of in your call ?

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## FLQuacker

Hands are the sound chamber..and what Ive played with, some of the tone comes from where ya blow it from. Blow it from the bottom of your gut.

I like the rattle at the end in your vid

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## ThomasT

myingling said:


> i got one thats wood custom made and the Harrison plastic and yes they are restricted at ends small holes and u still have use your hands ,,, i would say they are a basic design see lots guys using ,,, you would have to experiment and figure out how insides work out and what reeds u want use to get that sound that you like
> @ThomasT are u happy with your sound ? and if not,, What would u like hear more of in your call ?



Hello Mike,

Thanks for the information. I really like the sound on my original Hooter, but would like it to be just a little bit deeper in tone and as loud as my second Hooter. The second Hooter has plenty of volume but lacking in the tone sound.

Again thank you for the help and have a great day,
ThomasT

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## ThomasT

FLQuacker said:


> Hands are the sound chamber..and what Ive played with, some of the tone comes from where ya blow it from. Blow it from the bottom of your gut.
> 
> I like the rattle at the end in your vid



Hello Wayne,

Yes you are correct about how to blow, rather than just pushing some air into the Call I try real hard to make it as deep as possible except with "roll" sound. Yes also about the hands being a sound chamber which is a critical part of the final sound.

I wish that I had started making that video sooner because I had several of the Crows up in the trees on my property and right next doors, it really got silly there for several minutes.

Thanks and have a great day,
ThomasT

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## Ray D

ThomasT said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> OK fellows not sure this will work or not but I am going to try and attach a short video of me harassing some Crows early this morning. The Owl Hooter actually sounds better in real time than on this video because the camera was set up under a back porch where I was standing and getting a lot of noise/bounce back. In this shot past the telephone post there is a short white fence and just past that were 5 Deer when I made the first call. That is 384 feet from where I was standing and all of the Deer threw their heads up at the first call. I think this low sound travels much farther than expected. Anyway there are a lot more Crows hollering back at me than can be heard, because they are such a long distance away. This was pretty cool, don’t know if I faked the Crows into believing there was an angry ole Owl in their territory or not, but I had them stirred up for a while.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Have a hoot of a day and enjoy the Daytona 500,
> 
> ThomasT


. 

Sounds good Thomas, in my opinion you are really close.

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## Ray D

Thomas, I would not be too concerned about the volume. When I blow my Harrison hooter it’s not all that loud but the sound really gets out there. 
Ray

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> .
> 
> Sounds good Thomas, in my opinion you are really close.



Hello Ray,

At one moment I think I am right there and then, ....well maybe not
I 'm not going to give up until I figure it out, always like a good challenge.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## Ray D

I talked with a guy at the turkey expo last weekend about the reed owl hooters he had for sale. They sure looked but when I asked him how they sounded he kind of shrugged and said “not too bad”. Wayne May have seen him as well being he was set up right next to him. It sounds like a lot of call makers struggle with a “good” owl sound. Lol
Ray

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## Ray D

ThomasT said:


> Hello Ray,
> 
> At one moment I think I am right there and then, ....well maybe not
> I 'm not going to give up until I figure it out, always like a good challenge.
> 
> Have a great day,
> ThomasT




Your close. Following this thread closely. 
I have one that I made that I would actually use in the woods but it’s just not deep enough for me. Our turkey hunts are normally a real good 3 day draw hunt and I want every edge I can get so the Harrison hooter always rides along in my turkey vest.
Ray

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> Thomas, I would not be too concerned about the volume. When I blow my Harrison hooter it’s not all that loud but the sound really gets out there.
> Ray



Hey again Ray,

You know you are 100% correct. In my video those Deer were almost 400-feet from me and on my first Hoot they all threw their heads up, so they had no problem hearing me. I was not trying to be loud, I just wanted to see if the Crows were going to react to the Hoot and I was concentrating on making a "good" sound. I guess I need now to get the Purple Hooter to sound better than the original, just need the tone to be a bit deeper.

Thanks for this help Ray, I probably got of course. Often I need to be hit in the face with a wet salmon or something 

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## FLQuacker

...and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure a "perfect" sound ranks up in the categories for real woods applications.

Comp calln is a different story.

Slam your truck door when ya get out in the morning

As with calling, cadence and rhythm trump tone

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## Ray D

Thomas, what brand of reed is in your original hooter that was used in your video? If you already mentioned it I apologize.
Ray

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## Ray D

FLQuacker said:


> ...and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure a "perfect" sound ranks up in the categories for real woods applications.
> 
> Comp calln is a different story.
> 
> Slam your truck door when ya get out in the morning
> 
> As with calling, cadence and rhythm trump tone



Your definitely correct Wayne. It’s those stubborn older birds that can give us fits and every arsenal in my bag can be needed. Lol. Your a turkey hunter so I’m sure you can relate. We hunt some tough public land quota draws and any edge is appropriate. Lol

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## ThomasT

FLQuacker said:


> ...and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure a "perfect" sound ranks up in the categories for real woods applications.
> 
> Comp calln is a different story.
> 
> Slam your truck door when ya get out in the morning
> 
> As with calling, cadence and rhythm trump tone



Hello Wayne,

Yep too funny, we spend thousands of dollars on all of our equipment, wait for that perfect morning, go to that perfect spot and you "city" hunting buddy slams the truck door....

I had a work friend ask if he could go Deer hunting with me and a couple other friends and I said sure. Anyway we were all to meet at the main gate of the property and walk in to the various "sites", ( I did not have any stands). First off he is 20-minutes late and when he gets out of his car, I could smell his Old Spice at 10-feet away. We all voted to either send him home or give him a bath in the half frozen creek.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> Thomas, what brand of reed is in your original hooter that was used in your video? If you already mentioned it I apologize.
> Ray




Hello Ray,

My original reed is from Shipleys Outdoors and the second Hooter use a J100 reed.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## Ray D

How right you are. This guy walked by me during lunch at work. I won’t even mention how much money and time I devote to turkey hunting and then have this happen. Lol. I have a video of him but I can’t load it.

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> View attachment 160964How right you are. This guy walked by me during lunch at work. I won’t even mention how much money and time I devote to turkey hunting and then have this happen. Lol. I have a video of him but I can’t load it.




OK that just cracks me up....

I went with a hunting friend to fill up all of his Deer feeders and we were literally attacked by an old Gobble at the second feeder. Of course neither one of us and any kind of a weapon! The "sport" of hunting is glorious.

Have a hoot of a day,
ThomasT

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## FLQuacker

ThomasT said:


> OK that just cracks me up....
> 
> I went with a hunting friend to fill up all of his Deer feeders and we were literally attacked by an old Gobble at the second feeder. Of course neither one of us and any kind of a weapon! The "sport" of hunting is glorious.
> 
> Have a hoot of a day,
> ThomasT



uhh..shooting turkeys over feeders ain't sport or glorious.

But I'm guessing that's just a wild tale

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## ThomasT

FLQuacker said:


> uhh..shooting turkeys over feeders ain't sport or glorious.
> 
> But I'm guessing that's just a wild tale




Hello Wayne,

OH NO.... you misunderstood....I would just shoot up in the air to scare him off

Have a great day
ThomasT


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## jbowers

Ray D said:


> That’s interesting with the two barrel plugs. Are you also using the J100 reed? Just for sound comparison, have you run one of James Harrison’s owl hooters?


No, I've never seen or played another owl hooter. I just played around using. Scrap 2x4 studs. Yes I'm using the jc reeds

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## ThomasT

jbowers said:


> No, I've never seen or played another owl hooter. I just played around using. Scrap 2x4 studs. Yes I'm using the jc reeds



Hello Josh,

Thank you for sharing this information, I will experiment with this combination.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## myingling

ThomasT said:


> Hello Ray,
> 
> My original reed is from Shipleys Outdoors and the second Hooter use a J100 reed.
> 
> Have a great day,
> ThomasT



whats was the wood of your first hooter maybe the purple heart being a heavy wood is toneing it down ,,,not enough deep to it or the purple heart on exhaust end needs thinner walls ,,,,, for me good rule thumb is if i experiment with new calls ,,,cherry ,,,walnut or maple

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## ThomasT

myingling said:


> whats was the wood of your first hooter maybe the purple heart being a heavy wood is toneing it down ,,,not enough deep to it or the purple heart on exhaust end needs thinner walls ,,,,, for me good rule thumb is if i experiment with new calls ,,,cherry ,,,walnut or maple




Hello Mike,

I think you might be on to something. The first Hooter is Black Locus and it is a bit lighter and the exhaust bore is 5/8". The Purple Owl is Purpleheart with a 1/2" bore, to me that is quite a lot of difference, not apples to apples. Thank you, I will make another Hooter of the same design but with a 5/8" exhaust bore and a lighter wood. Some times the little things are big things.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## Ray D

I had the day off today so I dug out a couple owl calls I previously made. One with the j100 reed and the other with a Shipley style reed. Going to play around with them again. Thanks Thomas. Lol

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> I had the day off today so I dug out a couple owl calls I previously made. One with the j100 reed and the other with a Shipley style reed. Going to play around with them again. Thanks Thomas. Lol




Hello Ray,

I ordered a bunch more material today including more Reeds of various brands. When it comes in I can get started making more Hooters with different modifications based on all the suggestion I have received. If you discover any new improvement please let me know and good luck.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## Ray D

ThomasT said:


> Hello Ray,
> 
> I ordered a bunch more material today including more Reeds of various brands. When it comes in I can get started making more Hooters with different modifications based on all the suggestion I have received. If you discover any new improvement please let me know and good luck.
> 
> Have a great day,
> ThomasT



I also found the owl reed kit I purchased from Al over on THO gamecalls. Al was a very big help in making my first owl calls about five years ago. Sounds more like a duck then an owl but our grandsons sure like them. When the boys come over they always want to go out in the shop and make something. ( 4 and 7 ). 
They always love digging in my call drawers and driving grandma crazy. Lol.

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## FLQuacker

myingling said:


> for me good rule thumb is if i experiment with new calls ,,,cherry ,,,walnut or maple



And that right there is a great tip

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## rocky1

Ray D said:


> I also found the owl reed kit I purchased from Al over on THO gamecalls. Al was a very big help in making my first owl calls about five years ago. Sounds more like a duck then an owl but our grandsons sure like them. When the boys come over they always want to go out in the shop and make something. ( 4 and 7 ).
> They always love digging in my call drawers and driving grandma crazy. Lol.



Have the same problem with the grandniece when making calls... She's got to have one, and until she decides to play it in the bathtub, or drops it in the sink, she about drives everyone crazy.

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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

@Ray D @ @FLQuacker @rocky1

Well fellows maybe we should concentrate more on making some really nice looking "noise makers" for the kids to have fun with rather than something that sounds like a bird

I have made several really, really good noise makers....

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## rocky1

They don't necessarily have to be nice looking. Long as they make noise, the kids are happy!

Speaking of which... I have three grandchildren in ND, 7, 4, and 1, that have pretty much been locked indoors for over a month. And, a daughter I haven't picked on lately.

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## ThomasT

rocky1 said:


> They don't necessarily have to be nice looking. Long as they make noise, the kids are happy!
> 
> Speaking of which... I have three grandchildren in ND, 7, 4, and 1, that have pretty much been locked indoors for over a month. And, a daughter I haven't picked on lately.




Hello Rocky,

I would think it surely would be a good time to send your daughter a dozen Texas Yellow Roses and a big box of candy. I cannot imagine my wonderful, loving, sweet mother and father being locked up with me and my brother for even one week.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

Well I am not sure what to say..... EUREKA or I can’t believe this? Are you kidding me, turned this out of a piece of scrap 2 x 2 pine ?? I now have an Owl Hooter that not only sounds GREAT but is LOUD. Are you kidding me, scrap lumber?

I got up at 11:45 pm last night and came into the computer room and started work on a new design that I had in my head ( note did not make a mistake and say brain ) and made several drawings and came up with this. Satisfied with the way it looked, went into the kitchen and fixed an early breakfast and several cups of coffee. Could not find any good wood the right size in my shop ( I do have plenty blanks that are predrilled with a 5/8" bore ) so went out to the shed and found this piece with blue paint over-spray.

Drilled all the holes as required on the drawing and was able to use one of my machined aluminum adapters that I had made earlier for the Purple Owl Hooter. Had no problems turning it into this rough shape and installed the JC100 reed set and gave it a test and *Eureka*.

I will clean up my original drawing and convert it to a pdf document and upload it here later on today.

I must give all the credit to you kind folks that have been so helpful and patience with me fumbling and asking so many questions as a newbie.

Thanks fellows and have a hoot of a day,

ThomasT

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## Ray D

ThomasT said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> Well I am not sure what to say..... EUREKA or I can’t believe this? Are you kidding me, turned this out of a piece of scrap 2 x 2 pine ?? I now have an Owl Hooter that not only sounds GREAT but is LOUD. Are you kidding me, scrap lumber?
> 
> I got up at 11:45 pm last night and came into the computer room and started work on a new design that I had in my head ( note did not make a mistake and say brain ) and made several drawings and came up with this. Satisfied with the way it looked, went into the kitchen and fixed an early breakfast and several cups of coffee. Could not find any good wood the right size in my shop ( I do have plenty blanks that are predrilled with a 5/8" bore ) so went out to the shed and found this piece with blue paint over-spray.
> 
> Drilled all the holes as required on the drawing and was able to use one of my machined aluminum adapters that I had made earlier for the Purple Owl Hooter. Had no problems turning it into this rough shape and installed the JC100 reed set and gave it a test and *Eureka*.
> 
> I will clean up my original drawing and convert it to a pdf document and upload it here later on today.
> 
> I must give all the credit to you kind folks that have been so helpful and patience with me fumbling and asking so many questions as a newbie.
> 
> Thanks fellows and have a hoot of a day,
> 
> ThomasT
> 
> View attachment 161101
> 
> View attachment 161102



Awesome. Looking forward to seeing and hearing the final product. And the pdf file. lol

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## B Rogers

Nice job Thomas. Way to stick it out. Appreciate you being gracious enough to share the details of all your hard work.

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## rocky1

From rookie to accomplished call makers in 3 weeks, you kick ass for an old retired guy!

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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

I decided to start a new thread to prevent any confusion between the Purple Owl and the new Travis - Owl Hooter - Short Exhaust design. I may still be able to get the Purple Owl Hooter to work but there will be a need to alter that design a bit and I will make those corrections on that thread.

Anyway here is the link to the new thread: https://woodbarter.com/threads/travis-owl-hooter-short-exhaust-design.38034/

Have a great day,

ThomasT


rocky1 said:


> From rookie to accomplished call makers in 3 weeks, you kick ass for an old retired guy!




Hey Rocky and all others,

Thanks for all you help, and a great big thank you again, however I'm still a Rookie ( I just promoted myself up from a Newbie ).

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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