Calling Elk

[PUDDLE JUMPER]

For the nimrod. I have never hunted Elk but will be able to in a couple of years. I am interested in what works for you and any suggestion for someone new to Elk.

Hunting Wyoming/Colorado limited entry areas that do not require a ton of points (3-6). I am especially interested in your thoughts on not calling at all if you hunt that way.

[pumatrax]

too many people are way over calling in my opinion...being conservative with calls or not calling at all can be effective....if you do call; two people ( a caller and a shooter ) usually works better ....

[old_goat2]

Cow calling is way more effective than bugling but both have their place. I rarely bugle except as a locator.

[rix2]

Just read A MAN MADE OF ELK by David Petersen,he had some good ideas on elk calling(or not).

[cch]

Joel Turner has a very good video on elk calling. I think you can pic it up at A&H. If you ever talk to Joel he has some new way to call them in that he has almost 100% success with.

[monterey]

Originally posted by old_goat2:
Cow calling is way more effective than bugling but both have their place. I rarely bugle except as a locator.

X2

And when you do locate with a bugle, don't start off after him bugling all the way.  If he is a good bull with a harem, he is almost sure to move his harem away from you.  Especially if you are sounding like a big competitor.  The natural order with elk is like turkys. The male is sounding off to attract the females and it's natural for an unattached cow in heat to go to the calling bull.

And, as well, a cow in heat call is going to draw an unattached bull to you possibly sounding off as he approaches.  A bull with a harem is not going to go any great distance to a cow in heat.  He has a harem to keep in line.  But, careful and infrequent cow calling as you approach will not drive him off like a bugle might.  What you do when you get close is a tough call (pun intended    )

Most guys are too aggressive with their cow in heat calls.  Calling too often (every 15 minutes is good) or perverting the call into a fast chirp that when pushed too far is a cow danger warning call.

I'm not the best caller for sure, but what has worked for me is three long mews in a row and then stop for a while.  The mews I use sound like a lost housecat meowing.  When you apply logic to cow calling, it is apparent that the best time to cow call a bull in is early in the season when most bulls are without harems and most cows are not yet in heat.  

Anyway, those have worked for me.  Keep an eye out here for other ideas, mine are for sure not the last word.

[pumatrax]

almost 100% ...my interest is definitely peeked now....

[Whip]

I think the biggest mistake that people make is by not getting close enough before calling. Bugling or cow calling are both more effective if you get in tight first.

That being said, I killed a bull last fall that responded to a cow call from probably 800 yards.  Go figure.

[Hummer3T]

I like to see or smell the elk locate bull and cows, get between or in their faces, then call.

[Shinken]

Ditto on A MAN MADE OF ELK - one of my fav's and I would also recommend GOING TRAD by the same author....

Good stuff!

Keep the wind in your face!

Shoot straight, Shinken

   

[PUDDLE JUMPER]

Thanks for all the great advice. I have been wanting to read some of David Petersons work. I am going into this realizing there is a tendency to over call regardless of animal pursued.

Calling in close makes sense but how do you know  its an Elk and not another hunter. I assume that's part of the advantage of getting close.

[Pete McMiller]

Well, yes you're right, how do you know of its an elk or another hunter?  You don't.  Some of the best AND worst bugles have come from real bulls.  Then again hunters aren't always very good either.  Caidence, timing and amount of movement between calls will 'usually' tell you which is which.  In my experienced cow calls have been way more effective than bugles in heavily hunted areas, BUT you really have to play the hand your dealt - an appropriate bugle at the right time can be magic.

It's a wonderful time of year that isn't matched by any other animal we hunt.  I count the days until the next elk season.

[old_goat2]

Originally posted by Pete McMiller:
Well, yes you're right, how do you know of its an elk or another hunter?  You don't.  Some of the best AND worst bugles have come from real bulls.  Then again hunters aren't always very good either.  Caidence, timing and amount of movement between calls will 'usually' tell you which is which.  In my experienced cow calls have been way more effective than bugles in heavily hunted areas, BUT you really have to play the hand your dealt - an appropriate bugle at the right time can be magic.

It's a wonderful time of year that isn't matched by any other animal we hunt.  I count the days until the next elk season.

My very first morning elk hunting, I wasn't even but about a quarter mile from the truck and I heard another elk hunter in front of me cow calling, it sounded exactly like my Carlton's squeeze bulb call, so I paused and tried to figure out what to do next because I didn't want to mess up somebody else's hunt. Was in a tough spot to try and head out any other direction because of the landscape. I set there for about thirty minutes and when I heard no more calling I eased forward only to find a slimy fresh pile of elk poop! I had actually been listening to an elk and missed probably a pretty good chance of calling in a lonely cow looking for company. I found her a little later but she smelled or seen me first. So unless you know there are hunters in your area, don't assume it's another hunter, give them a little call.

[huntnmuleys]

I think both bugling and cow calling is the way to go, SOMETIMES.  I really tie my choice of or lack of calling to the situation in front of me and have had good results with it.  the elknut dvds help a lot, he has some good info on there.  over calling can and will ruin your hunt. saying the wrong thing the same. but at times, a bugle or cow call is exactly what ya need.

personally, I think too many hunters pigeonhole themselves into "im an elk caller", or "i never call".  go with whats presented...

[old_goat2]

Staying put and not giving up too soon, if you have one answering, stay put, also I've had good luck breaking branches and rolling rocks right when I start calling. I tell you, I'm getting pretty good at calling in elk, but I absolutely suck at killing them;-)

[monterey]

David, I have the same problem in the killing dept.

Most of the elk I've called were not making any sound, just blind calling on faith.  I like to wait till the air warms and is rising uphill and then hunt and call down the ridges where (hopefully) they are hanging thru the day.  

These days getting up high to hunt down is the hardest part  

[FerretWYO]

You can start an interesting debate here. I personally call none to very little. It has worked well for me. Though I have to probably cover more country and wait for the right time. Both have their merits and both are effective. Understand both sides and your up your odds considerably.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I've had great success calling elk at times, and other times couldn't even get them to lift their heads.... I don't think quality of your calls, whether it be cow calling or bugling is real critical as long as you don't get too aggressive and over do it....

I think the elk set the mood. Sometimes they are very responsive, and other times it's just like they could care less.... learning to do a distressed calf mew can get some pretty intense response from cows sometimes. i've almost got trampled a few times doing that. LOL

The only time you are going to get a good response  from a herd bull and have him come to you, is after you've got in pretty close to his harem. Typically they'll holler back at you and move their cows away. If you have the ability to go after the herd and keep up with them, sometimes that big boy will come back to fight. THAT is exciting when it happens, but its a tough one to pull off.....

Calling Roosevelt elk is different from Rocky mountain elk. Or so it seems to me. I've had a ton of Roosevelts come in dead silent and scare the crap out of me.....and others just go nuts tearing up trees by the roots. The rocky mountain elk seem to be a bit more vocal, but when they push their cows off they'll go for miles sometimes.

 Roosevelts in a thick jungle environment don't go as far after they've been bumped, but in that steep nasty terrain they don't have to....

Bottom line is if you catch em in the right mood, calling works great. If they aren't talking much, you may get no action at all.... Nothing ventured nothing gained..... my advice would be learn a good cow & calf call and use it sparingly until you get some action going. Then you gotta play it by ear & nose.... Pun intended...

[fnshtr]

Hard and fast rules about calling are few. Most will say do not bugle on public land or with hard pressured elk. Last year, on public land, with considerable pressure... I located a bull that would NOT respond to cow calls but was chasing every other bull that bugled off the mountain.

I bugled him in twice in two days. Super advice above... but stay open minded about calling.

Good luck!

[Montanawidower]

We love calling very aggressively!   Its the spice of life.  Give me bulls screaming and charging anyday of the week.   With that said we hunt mostly unpressured elk that act like elk....not scared whitetails.  

I think the terrain means as much as the elk.   If the country is open and you can see hundreds of yards, you should probably forget calling.  FerretWYO is good proof of that.   However in dark thick timber and or really broken ground, calling is about your only consistent chance.  

My two cents


jeff