Custom Elk Calls by Gene Galitz

Thanks to another great connection via social media (Twitter) my husband and I were blessed with learning about and purchasing some amazing custom elk calls made from elk antler!

 

Gene Galitz of Fins & Feathers Taxidermy from Wyoming called in his first elk in 1989 using a mouth diaphragm. Over the years he has put in years of effort trying varying calls (some with success, others producing dismal results). He has called over 40 elk into range with about half into bow range and he decided to try his hand at producing elk calls.



*The calls are hand turned from stabilized elk antler. Each call insert is hand tuned to each particular call barrel, then cutting and shaving the reed until it sounds just right. Several coats of durable weatherproof finish is applied, then sanded to a high gloss finish. The elk antler barrel produces true elk sounds and unparalleled volume*
 

 We purchased 2 separate custom elk calls to use on our Colorado elk hunt; The E1 adult cow call and the E2 young elk/calf. I know there are numerous calls out there that you can buy over the counter but I thought about how many hunters use those and more importantly how many elk have heard a hoochie mama or a Primos call. Could a custom made and tuned call really make the difference?

 

 

We were willing to try. We don't get to spend a lot of time scouting in Colorado and although we put in hours and hours of research of bedding areas, migration routes, hot spots etc, hunting public land means, well public. A lot of hunters, a lot of traffic and a lot of calls. I have learned with elk calling its not just what you say but how you say it and having a different, unique and extremely real sounding call could be the difference maker.


The call used for my cow elk and the two aspens where I shot her!

 

When that moment arrived on our hunt where the cow elk and my husband were calling back and forth, I stood in amazement trying to decipher who was who, I knew the calls were good. Would we have called in an elk without Gene's custom calls...maybe, but I like to think the custom-ness of the sound was something she hadn't heard chirping up and down the mountain before and she was truly deceived to come in that close.

 

Another reason I am sold on these custom calls...well we were the first ones to use them and call in an elk and kill it; for rookie 2nd year elk hunters, that's a win in my book. I have always struggled using calls too and these proved to be easy to use!

I am forever grateful for not only an awesome product, but a great connection and friendship made throughout the process. My husband and I are honored to have dropped the first elk with Gene's calls (and have his initials on one of them). The second elk to fall to these custom calls was his wife Judy's spike elk! It appears a rookie and a veteran elk hunter can use them and expect success!

Want to order?

 

*Each call is produced from either a naturally shed antler or one you provide; comes with an instructional video, a velour carrying bag and a call lanyard. The E1 adult cow call or the E2 young elk/calf call are both extremely versatile and with practice can be used as a predator call (coyote vocalizations and prey animal distress sounds).     

 

 

Price: $140

Find Gene here:

Phone #: 307-332-7772

Website: www.finsandfeatherstaxidermy.net

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Fins-and-Feathers-Taxidermy-248689265180304/timeline/

Email: ggalitz@q.com

 

Gene's wife Judy with her 15th archery elk & another elk to fall to the custom calls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOSGEAR Review – Custom Paracord Rifle Sling

 

SOSGEAR is a unique company that creates custom paracord products including gun slings, bow wrist slings, turkey totes, lanyards and more. Below is my review of the custom paracord rifle sling that I received. 

Durability/Function/Design:

 When I received the paracord rifle sling I was impressed immediately with the quality and bright saturated colors. The sling was solid and stiff, yet flexed and moved with ease. The loops and knots seem to work together for durability but provided enough flex to mold to my hands and shoulder. I am not familiar with the different techniques of ‘braiding’ or ‘looping’ but it appears that this pattern is conducive to more bending and flexibility for throwing over your shoulder, hitting the woods, and enjoying the comfort it provides.

 

 I used the sling in Deep South Texas recently while chasing pigs and javelina; as I was driving around the land there were times when I needed to jump out quickly to make a move and attempt to get in range of an animal and surprisingly this sling actually made that easier. My previous nylon/cloth sling would easily wrap around the shifter of the Polaris but the SOSGEAR sling did not sag or wrap around any components of the vehicle. This may not seem like a big deal but if you need to jump out and run after a pig you don’t want your gun sling getting hung up on gas pedal, shifter, other guns, legs or anything else in your way. (I am a bit clumsy so things like this are important to me!)

 I also put the sling to test while doing a great deal of walking and stalking on a pig hunt. The entire hunt was 5 hours long with multiple stalks lasting 30 minutes or more. The sling seemed to mold to my shoulder during the long walks and remained comfortable throughout most of the stalks. I have small hands and probably not the strongest shoulders so when I needed to grab it off my shoulder the sling fit right in my hands and my shoulders did not tire from the long stalks. The paracord material sits nicely on top of your shoulder and clothes and does not ‘cut or dig into’ your skin leaving marks. Although I have only had the sling for a few months its durability in warm & cool climates seems promising and will hold up for many years to come.



Reverse Positives?

 I don’t want to use the word negative or ‘cons’ in this review because the small concerns I had will not affect everyone and are not solely the owners misstep. There were a few times on the long stalks where there was a slight discomfort on my shoulder. I noticed that where the sling connects back on itself is a little thicker and slightly bumpy from the extra material but is necessary to hold it together. It did not bother me most of the time but occasionally would move to a certain spot that I could feel.

The only other concern I had was actually just a lack of communication between me and the owner regarding the type of ‘attachments or connectors’ (D-rings, buckles, loops etc) I had on my gun to attach the sling too. SOSGEAR used quality sling swivels but unfortunately did not fit on my pre-attached loops. I made a simple modification with black cables ties (zip-ties) to attach the sling in the same manner as some binoculars have them; problem solved and lesson learned.

 

As I said the only ‘cons’ were minor issues that will not affect everyone and can even be avoided with a few questions and answers during the ordering process.

 

 

 Overall Impression

 I absolutely love my custom paracord rifle sling. I loved the colors I picked out (which were true to color in the picture and in person) and SOSGEAR provides a wide range of colors to choose from that will appeal to everyone from little girls to grown men! The prices are perfect knowing the hard work put into each hand made piece and the friendly customer service is a rarity in today’s world.

Please check out SOSGEAR at: http://sosgearmt.com & Follow Chelsea & SOSGEAR on twitter & Instagram: @SOSGEARMT