Shane, IMO you can’t beat a diaphragm, if you can master it. First, you can hold it in your mouth and keep calling as an elk approaches, without needing a hand. Second, you can get a lot more tones out of it than from a reed call. Third, you can control the volume better. And you can bugle as well as cow chirp, though I generally caution against that. But lots of folks can’t get the hang of a diaphragm. Elk get wise to the consistent sounds of various calls right away. To beat that, stay away from whatever call is most popular at the time and carry two or three different types and switch around. For years the Skeery was the “best,” but so many of us have used one over the years that most elk now are savvy. As you noted, no matter the call, the primary thing is to not over-call. Always have a set-up and strategy before calling, and never just stroll through the woods tweeting.
