HOW TO USE A TENTERFIELD (OR JAM JAR) FOX WHISTLE
In an earlier guide, I showed you how to make a Tenterfield fox whistle. This time I’ll teach you how to tune it, and more importantly – how to use it!
What is a Tenterfield fox whistle?
Simply put, a Tenterfield fox whistle is a bent piece of metal, with two holes drilled into it. As the user blows through the whistle, a noise is produced which replicates the sound of an injured rabbit or hare. This will attract predatory species such as wild dogs and foxes. While the concept may sound cheap and ridiculous, it’s surprisingly effective. As an added bonus, it also requires very few items and a short amount of time to make one.
How to use the Tenterfield fox whistle
Place two fingers inside the centre of the whistle – one on either side, making a slight V-shape.
Hold the whistle in this position by placing your thumb over the string hole.
Place your top lip above the hole in the top.
Move your bottom lip just past the hole on the lower section.
Rest your tongue just under the lip on the bent edge, and blow.
As you blow, the air should travel through both holes and makes a high-pitched squealing noise. Be prepared, as it can be a steep learning process. If no noise is made, try altering the angle or depth of the whistle in your mouth to find the sweet spot.
Tuning the whistle
There are a number of ways to tune the whistle in order to produce different sounds. The first option is to change the shape of the bent edge, like you can see below with the toothpick.
You can also play around with different sized holes drilled into the whistle – with some popular choices being 2.5mm for the top hole, and 4mm on the bottom hole.
To manually manipulate the pitch and noise from the whistle, you can also move the whistle in a horizontal motion while blowing, this will make a more frenzied distress call to lure in predators.
Practicing
As I mentioned earlier on in this guide, these whistles can have a steep learning curve. My recommendation is that you leave it in the centre console of your car, and practice while stuck in heavy traffic, or while waiting on the family at your local shopping centre. Not only is it a good way to pass the time, but it’s also a good way to mess with other car drivers.
Final advice
Before using the whistle, always make sure the whistle is free from any gross build up – like last Tuesdays servo pie, or any mould. If in doubt, give it a good scrub, or kick it to the kerb, and replace it with a newer model. Just like you would if it were a similar discovery made while out on bad tinder date…
Enjoy!
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