RedBone builds two snow goose calls - they differ significantly - their design, operational characteristics and use are not the same - different calls that were developed and designed for different uses.
The Snow call is designed for the higher pitched and many note style calling generally assiociated with calling Snows. Its also used in contest calling and was used to win two World Snow calling championships.
Our other design is called the Buzzerd. It is on the opposite end of the scale from the Snow call. It is built specifically for producing the sounds of Snows on the ground. The Buzzerd also produces Canada goose sounds. Its run with hotter air and a lot of voice.
The sound files will give you a good idea about the differences in the calls. Take a couple of minutes and compare the Snow call and the Buzzerd to the sounds of live geese.
The 2009 RedBone Buzzard is a Snow goose call that also makes a very realistic Canada goose sound. It has the brass/acrylic gut system that's in the Speck but the toneboard and wedge are ground/shaped differently to get the combo sound. Its not a gimmick it'll do both sounds very effectively. Check out the sound files - the proof is in the sound
As you can hear from the recordings snows and blues have a flight sound and a ground sound - thats just a plain ole fact. Most folks associate the sound that they hear as blues and snows fly by as their only sound. This fact can have a huge effect on calling strategies
The callmaking industry sells what folks want to buy and so an "industry sound" has developed and hey, thats great. Customers should be able to get what they want. For this reason RedBone builds snow/blue calls with either the "industry sound" or the sound that geese make while they are on the ground feeding, staging, roosting or whatever - take your pick - we'd be happy to sell you one of each.
If you are interested in entering snow goose calling contests you'll need the "flight tuning" - not the live bird sound. Live snow sound is much too simple sounding to score high in a contest situation. But if you want to sound like they do while they're on the ground our live bird set-up may be just what you want
Special thanks to Latigo Hext who's the manager of the Live Oak Gun Club in northern California for his assistance in making a lot of the field sound files that were used in the final development of the 2009 Buzzard and the instructional material supplied with it - thanks Latigo
The Snow sound air presentation is from higher - its of throat and mouth origin. With more much more larynx, scratch and trigger finger constriction at the exit bore of the call. Again calling into the call is very useful for forming notes. And keep in mind that snows and blues make a different sound on the ground than they do when flying
The setup that was used to win the 2007 World Snow was the prototype of the 2009 RedBone Buzzard. We changed things to concentrate the calls peformance on the ground sounds . The call will still get up but its a scratchier high pitch than the "industry sound" and is blown with the introduction of a high pitch voice into the call. The design supports that lower, raspier, hollow sound that they make when they are lit
The Texas coastal plain winters specks, snows and several of the canada species. The idea of building a call that that would do the hunting sounds of both canada and snow geese started there. Down there as well as many other places across the country where snows and canadas can get tangled up on occasion it can be pretty handy to be able to switch back and forth between the species quickly without having to feel around for another call. Laying under a ghillie blanket with a white parka on or snuggled into layout blind are not situations condusive to locating a second call while trying to stay hid and still. Two handed grips are used on both snow and canada calls so the caller is forced to drop one and look or feel around for the other call.
The ability to flop back and forth instantly between the sounds can also work well with decoy strategies that include both species geese. Sounding like both species at the same time can create a really good security sound. The techniques also lends audible support to the decoy picture you are trying to create in spreads where both types of decoys are being used.
The Canada sound is produced in the call by using "hotter air" than for the Snow sound. The air should come from deep to get it going then from higher after the break - less larnyx is used to start the sound than what you may be used to. More like as if you were trying to call canadas with your voice
The 2009 Buzzard has a huge tonal range. It can be set up to take advantage of one end of the range or the or the other. The set that you hear being run in the "typical tuning" sound file is what we reccomend. We feel that its the best "middle" and would suggest that you take delivery of the call set this way. If after you run the call for a while and decide that you'd like to have your call setup a little one way orthe other send it to RedBone. The re-set is free as is tuning on any RedBone call providing of course that "drastic improvements" have not been made out side the shop. If you'll provide shipping from the shop back to you RedBone will tune it for free. We recommend shipping insurance
