(reprinted with kind permission of Ned Northrup (DevilDog)

Hey, Ned.  After making one of these and practicing for hours, I have failed to bring in any deer....are you sure these whistles work on deer LOL

INSTRUCTIONS 1.    Cut a piece of antler to about 2 ½ - 3 inches long.  I prefer to keep the tips for myself and other adults, (kids could get hurt with a sharp point hanging around their neck) and give the thicker base antler whistles as gifts to children.  The further down the tine, the thicker, bulkier and heavier the whistle will be.  I have found that kids think bigger is better and they like the big thick whistles and it is more hand filling for them and durable. 2.    Drill a ¼" diameter hole into the thicker end of the antler.  Only drill down through the center (running the length of the antler) and only drill to depth of 7/8" to 1". The longer/deeper the hole, the lower the "tone" of the whistle.  Conversely, the shorter the hole, the higher/more shrill, the tone will be. 3.    Approximately 5/16" from the end with the drilled hole, using a hack saw, cut straight down approximately half way though the antler and into the hole you drilled. 4.    Measure 5/16" down the antler and make another hack saw cut at an angle towards the first cut. 5.    Cut a ¼" diameter hardwood dowel into a piece approximately 5/16" inch long.  Split or shave 1/3 to ¾ off the length of it and test fit it into the hole.  It should not extend past the cut that is straight down into the hole.  If it sticks out to far on the end where you blow then you can sand it down or cut it off later.  This is the tricky part.  You may need to test the dowel shaved anywhere from 1/3 to 3/4.  It all depends on how deep the hole is and the size of the notch you made.  It is best to split different dowels and test them in the hole before you glue it in. 6.    When you get the tone you want, use wood glue or super glue to hold it in place.  I have learned that kids, after using the whistle, tend to soak the wood dowel with saliva.  To counteract this, cover the dowel with "Polyurethane" or "Skippers Varnish" using a small paint brush or even a "Q-Tip".  A little dab will do ya and this helps the dowel stay in place and keeps the wood and glue from softening up from saliva! 7.    At the opposite end of the mouth piece drill a 1/8" hole from one side to the other across the antler.  Thread a 36" length of rawhide through this hole and tie a not approximately 1" from the whistle then another at the running ends of the rawhide. 8.    Extra work if you want:  The 3rd whistle is how the first few were made (with flat ends).  The other 3 were given a shallow scoop or lip cut by using a "Dremmel" tool with a sanding bit.  It gives it a more finished look and is comfortable to rest on your lower lip.  Do not shape the end until the dowel is dried in place because as the last hand held picture shows,  you will need to also cut and shape the dowel.  Regardless of how you shape the mouth piece use a "Dremmel" tool, file or sand paper to bevel the edges around the mouth piece to eliminate all sharp edges. YOUR DONE!!! __________________ Take a kid hunting or shooting! Semper-Fi!