Calling Elk

[Abalone]

How much calling do you do ?

Do you bugle at all ? or do you cow call occasionally ?


Bowhunting Tactics




Twenty Years Of Elk Calling


"You've Got To Call A Lot And Often Because Elk Call A Lot And Often."--Big Al Morris

By Jay Strangis

http://www.bowhuntingmag.com/tactics/elk_0618/

[baltz526]

in the cascade general rifle hunt in the last two years i know of 3 bull elk that where killed after being called in with a bugel call. one spike two 5 points.in other words calling is all about timing.i have had more elk come to a doe bleater than to my cow call. while rifle hunting.

[RoscoeP]

There are too many varibles to give an exact answer. How much I call and how agressive I am just depends on the situation. Locating a bull with the Bugle is great if it works. Then I will try to mimick what the bull is doing. WE all know how call shy these critters can get at times. Sometimes more calling is better. Sometimes less is more...

[ehunter]

I agree with Rosco, it all depends on the situation. We always start with a soft cow call in case there is a bull nearby. Bugling for us is more about hearing elk and identifing location. It depends on the elk if we hear a bugle we might start with a cow call and if likes it we continue if he likes a bugle we will use that if he likes raking we will use that. A lot of bulls in the coast come in silent they may rake a tree or give a soft grunt. We think we move too fast when calling we have busted lots of elk coming in when we get up becasue we didn't hear any thing. And start moving . Our goal this year to stay put at least a hour when we know that elk are nearby.

[Oregonhunter]

Yep I agree try to match the situation, some bulls will come in by calling often while others will just shy away from over calling.

I try to lean towards less calling rather than over calling, dont get too carried away...its really easy to get over exited and start sounding like the whole zoo. Most times this will spook the bull into the next zip code but there are some critters that will respond better to more vocal's than others.

Over here on the west side I have had more luck with soft (less) calling rather than yelling at em.

Good luck!

Oregonhunter

[Abalone]

"Our goal this year to stay put at least a hour when we know that elk are nearby."


This I think is the lesson from last year.

I stepped into a spot where I sit alot. While sitting there I usually put some scent on the ground before I leave.
On the last weekend of the season last year I got to this spot. It was evident that something had been there. Like an ignorant hunter I blew into my Bugle. Not more then 100 feet away I got a very loud answer. The Bull was right there but I couldn't see him in the Alders saplings. I heard him one more time but he was a good 200 yards off in the distance.

I think it's a bit like Jennie says. Expect a bite with every cast.

Only: Expect a Cow or a Bull to hear you anytime you call.

Or

If you call, wait around at least an hour before you make your next move.


I plan to call a lot but I won't do it so randomly like I have in the past.

[ehunter]

Alabone that is the very reason we always give a soft mew first that is even after moving into a area the elk can hear you coming and they may think it is a elk and a soft call will calm them or they might even come in to see who it is. Since I hunt with another guy we will often softly cow and calf call as we move though noisey brush and stop and pull some leaves any thing to make them think we are elk and not humans walking though.

Larry Jones always called a lot trying to make things happen get a bull stirred up. I don't think there is any perfect method.

[stick flicker]

I think calling elk is something that must be learned through experience in the feild. Experimenting with differnt tactics is the only way to learn what works and what doesn't.There are as many different ways to get animals to respond to your calls as there are elk encounters. I have called randomly while walking through the thick brush on the coast and had a bull come running in more than once, and didn't they make any vocalizations. Other times I have cow called and one will bugle but won't commit and start coming in. I'd move to them and cow call only to have them back off and bugle some more.Last year I played with the same bull for a couple of weeks on end. He busted me more than once in the thick cover while trying to stalk him while he bugled. He just wouldn't come to a call. Over last year I learned alot just in a couple of days trying differnt calling/ambush strategies.If you get a herd bull moving away trying to herd his cows, try and get in front of him while someone else keeps him busy bugleing.You may have to run and work real hard but it can be done.I located this one bull with a bugle about 250 yards away, I then went silent and got to the general area I thought he was and started raking a tree. He and I went back and forth for at least 15min. raking. He'd grunt and chucle but I never called. He came running in silent and downwind of me. I think that of all the big bulls I have called in 75% of them will go to out of there way to get down wind of you and they will do it stealthy and silent. If I was to position a shooter on these big boys I would always put them at the 10 to 9 o clock position from me down wind. As far as calls go I think I have them all. I use a hyper lip single alot and then mouth reads for bugles and cow calling. I defintely recommend getting a tube to bugle through it makes a world of difference. The guy that taught me never used one and that held me back some for a season or two. Expect that sometimes you can't make anything happen but don't be affraid to try something. Thats how to learn.Most of my best kills the animal made everything happen the right way not me.

[tailchaser]

"You've Got To Call A Lot And Often Because Elk Call A Lot And Often."--Big Al Morris

I think this phrase is one of the problems with bowhunters today. Calling is not always the answer to killing elk. The mood of the bull is the #1 key. If you watch the bull for 20 minutes while softly cow calling, mixing in a few grunts, you'll recognize what he likes and may tick him off. Sometimes, they're just not interested for whatever reason. Then it's time to shut up so you don't give away your position and do some sneaking. Too many people mention the phrase above when they're also the makers of elk calls, ie Larry Jones. I hear him say this all the time. Weather, temperatures, barometer, full moon, and most importantly the estrus of nearby cows will determine how vocal elk are going to be.

If you can't watch the bull and only have the ability to listen, there are distinct bugles that seperate moods of a bull. The more raspy, typically the more ticked off he's getting (unless that's his usual bugle). But bugling too much will send a bull running because they don't always want to fight, just say stay away from my chicks! And they'll take the cows and sneak off, thus not hearing him again. So the circumstances vary way too much to just say keep calling and you'll be successful. Mostly because 80% of callers don't sound like elk at all. Granted sometimes it will work, but only experience will bring good calling technique and sound. So there are too many variables to calling that just tooting your horn. Once you start noticing trends you can start manipulating the situation in your advantage. Only experience will bring this ability.

tc

[Abalone]

i have had more elk come to a doe bleater than to my cow call. while rifle hunting.

Baltz:
I wonder about this. I posted an experience I had with a Doe Bleep. I called in a herd of Ten cows and a Spike using a Doe Bleep to sound like an injured fawn. All I can say is it worked well. The lead cow came within 50 yards of me before she picked up my scent.

I have wondered if it would work during hunting season ?

[RoscoeP]

I agree with your 10/9 o'clock theory when working tandem. My brother was working solo and had a hot bull working last year that already was with his small herd. When the bull answered him the first time, my brother sprinted straight back downwind for about 100 yards and shut up completely. Unfortunately the bull snuck in at about 150 yds. downwind.... Busted. He also had a couple of cows circle around to the downwind side of him to about 50 yards away. Positioning yourself if solo, or another shooter to the side could be VERY effective!

[baltz526]

Baltz:
I wonder about this. I posted an experience I had with a Doe Bleep. I called in a herd of Ten cows and a Spike using a Doe Bleep to sound like an injured fawn. All I can say is it worked well. The lead cow came within 50 yards of me before she picked up my scent.

I have wondered if it would work during hunting season ?

i have used the doe bleeter while tracking elk and got busted by the elk, blew on the doe bleeter and the lead cow came back to check on the deer,

[bullslayer]

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[stick flicker]

Yeh running downwind is a great tactic to use over east if you are hunting solo. I was doing that with the bull that I described above who was having the raking contest with me. I moved twice on him downwind of my calling postion hoping to get the timing right when he would come in. Fortunately for him he gave no indication that he was coming down off the hill to the creek bottom where I was waiting to ambush him. After my second move downwind I saw him about 70 yards away moving fast and silent trying to catch wind of his challenger. Unfortunately I don't smell like an elk in 85 degree weather no matter how hard I try. After thinking about the bulls behavior it made perfect sense to me why he would want to come downwind before coming staight in. In the same drainage there was a monster herd bull that shared this area we had pushed out the day before trying to get shot. This bull probably had his butt kicked a few times by him and wassn't going to risk it again without figuring out who was doing all that raking. I think moving downwind would have worked for me if the timing and distance were right. As it turned out the bull came in 100-125yrds. downwind of my calling location. This is probably a safe distance for them that they can smell at preety well. After the bull winded me he would continue to bugle I asume herding his cows. I tried to get ahead of them moving away but I couldn't tell where they were in back of me after a 15 min run around the mountain. So I bugled and sure enough they were right behind me 150 yrds, but as soon as I bugled he turned them uphill and went away from me. I am sure that bull had encounter hunters before. He was a real dandy six point. I know this because I called him in the day before solo and missed a shot because of misjudged distance.

[bullslayer]

Cool! That must have got your blood pumping Sounds intense. I've only had a few of these encounters in the 3 years I've archery hunted and that was very exciting. Last years action was the best by far. I tried raking a tree afew times last year and got burned once by a bull once that I know of. I stood up after 35 minutes of soft calling and raking and all was quiet until I decided to answer the call of nature and all #%$#@! broke loose downwind of me about 50 yards away. "foiled" again :blush: Well thats archery hunting for you. When I rifle hunt I can usually get the drop on them even if I do screw up. I hope to have some seriously close calls this year and hopefully I'll finally get a shot at an elk. I'll shoot a cow or a bull until I finally get my first bow kill. Every elk is a trophy to me. Good luck, Kris.