Advanced Elk Calling Tactics

[JohnFitzgerald]

A buddy and I were just sitting around one day in the woods. The elk had been silent all morning so we were just shooting the breeze and talking about advanced calling idea\'s. We decided to get ~30 yards apart and start projecting a battle between bulls. Vicious warning bugles, lots of ground noise, and many other accompanying sounds like short screams and whinny cows sounds were the sequence of the hour. This seemed to make every bull within ear shot start sounding off! A quiet day turned into a day of hunting many vocal bulls.

It\'s not a sequence I use often but sure did help that time.

Does anyone have an \"outside the box\" tactic that they use? Or how about one they\'ve been thinking about using?

jf

 

[AndyJ]

I\'ll be honest with you, John. I\'ve got a calling technique that works great, but I\'m not going to post it. It\'s \"my move\" when it comes to elk hunting and I\'ve really never heard of anyone doing it before which is why I think it works so well. In fact, most calling authorities would say I\'m calling all wrong. I\'ll give you a hint though: Listen to real cows in a real herd.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

I\'ll be honest with you, John. I\'ve got a calling technique that works great, but I\'m not going to post it. It\'s \"my move\" when it comes to elk hunting and I\'ve really never heard of anyone doing it before which is why I think it works so well. In fact, most calling authorities would say I\'m calling all wrong. I\'ll give you a hint though: Listen to real cows in a real herd.

:eh:

Since I\'ve listened to many herds and have gathered many tactics, it could many one of many.

1) Walking your cow sounds over the top of each other.
2) Whinny Shutter.
3) The wisper.

Even if I guessed, you probably wouldn\'t state yours. So I\'m happy to share mine with anyone that wants to use or know more about them. :upthumb:

 

[Swede]

One afternoon I was having trouble with an old diaphragm that should have been replace. Like many people I go cheap on the most important items, so I can afford a new range finder or whatever. Well as I was trying to get that old diaphragm to work, I made some awful sounds. Sitting there with my back to a bushy fir tree, I bent the diaphragm one way then another. Finally it was working for me, sorta. I got up, took a couple of steps, and stood there face to face with a nice bull. Those awful sounds, I was squawking out, for about 15 minutes had lured him in.

 

[AndyJ]

You know what...I\'m here to help and most guys won\'t do it anyways. I think most guys underestimate how much real cows mew in a herd. I was pinned down in the middle of a herd a couple years ago and I had two cows to my right that literally did not stop mewing for more than a minute or two for over five hours. While I sat there listening, three bulls that I didn\'t realize were around went from a faint whisper of a bugle that sounded like a mile away to walking right into these cows to see what was going on. So now if I am in an area that gets heavily traveled by elk I will cow mew 30-45 minutes almost non-stop. That\'s it! Sounds easy, sounds kind of dumb, but I can\'t tell you how many times I have basically created the excitement. I have had bulls come out of nowhere and go from not making a peep to screaming their heads off. They just can\'t seem to resist seeing what is going on. This is a great technique for calling in cows as well. It works way better when you have a two man caller/ shooter setup.

 

[AndyJ]

Actually John, I think my move is the same principle as your move.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

ActYou know what...I\'m here to help and most guys won\'t do it anyways. I think most guys underestimate how much real cows mew in a herd. I was pinned down in the middle of a herd a couple years ago and I had two cows to my right that literally did not stop mewing for more than a minute or two for over five hours. While I sat there listening, three bulls that I didn\'t realize were around went from a faint whisper of a bugle that sounded like a mile away to walking right into these cows to see what was going on. So now if I am in an area that gets heavily traveled by elk I will cow mew 30-45 minutes almost non-stop. That\'s it! Sounds easy, sounds kind of dumb, but I can\'t tell you how many times I have basically created the excitement. I have had bulls come out of nowhere and go from not making a peep to screaming their heads off. They just can\'t seem to resist seeing what is going on. This is a great technique for calling in cows as well. It works way better when you have a two man caller/ shooter setup.

I\'ve done almost the same with calf sounds and lots of ground noise but not 30-45 minutes. Interesting that calling that long works for you! Would you say the area you hunt is cow call heavy(meaning a lot of hunters use them)?

 

[AndyJ]

Would you say the area you hunt is cow call heavy(meaning a lot of hunters use them)?

Probably not anymore than any other area. I think this works because the elk aren\'t used to hearing a hunter call this much. Cows come in cautious, but bulls usually seem pretty relaxed.

 

[Jaquomo]

Elk herd talk and bugling are part of the equation. Setting a scene during the sequence and \"acting it out\" creates the illusion. Non-vocal elk sounds are what really sells the setup, especially in areas where people call a lot or later in the season after they\'ve been fooled already.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

One afternoon I was having trouble with an old diaphragm that should have been replace. Like many people I go cheap on the most important items, so I can afford a new range finder or whatever. Well as I was trying to get that old diaphragm to work, I made some awful sounds. Sitting there with my back to a bushy fir tree, I bent the diaphragm one way then another. Finally it was working for me, sorta. I got up, took a couple of steps, and stood there face to face with a nice bull. Those awful sounds, I was squawking out, for about 15 minutes had lured him in.

Early or late season?

\"Hey Billy, go see what that god awful noise is.\" :lol:

 

[Swede]

John, I believe it was about September 16. It was well into the afternoon, about 4:00 PM.

 

[cnelk]

AndyJ
Do you do this most anytime of day? Or is there a better time to do it?

It\'s funny, because I do almost the exact same thing

 

[Deertick]

Who\'s got that much time?

Just kidding ... I\'m intrigued ... I love it when people think outside the box.

My guess is that it\'s a great \"transition time\" tactic ... (Note: not really \"transition area\" but transition time of the day -- late morning) ... but I suspect it\'d also work good for mid-day raghorns.

I\'ll say that as I\'ve learned more about cow-calling, each year I learn that I\'m underestimating how much noise (calls and non-call sounds) they make. In fact, I\'d say my current \"paradigm\" is that you can\'t overestimate how much noise they make, or that it\'s difficult to do so.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

AndyJ
Do you do this most anytime of day? Or is there a better time to do it?

It\'s funny, because I do almost the exact same thing

And to add to CNEK\'s question, what do you guys mean by constant? One cow call every 10 seconds?

Jaquomo - That\'s exactly my definition of \"Outside The Box\" tactics. Some say it\'s overthinking, I say it\'s finding the unfamiliar tactic that sells. Other than the standard raking, breaking, splashing, thumping, and stomping is there any other no vocal noise you use?

 

[cnelk]

And to add to CNEK\'s question, what do you guys mean my constant? One cow call every 10 seconds?

Non-stop with 3-4 different calls. A few second break every couple min
Very effective with another guy or two

 

[Tdiesel]

well I once called in a bull middle of the day im sure its just basically a raking sequence but the deal was that I had already lost two or three arrows that year shooting grouse so i didn\'t want to loose another, I lined up the grouse on a branch with a tree trunk about four feet behind me thinking the arrow would slow enough shooting a judo point that I would get my bird and arrow back. I ended up with a sceward grouse fifteen feet in the air on my arrow so I started picking up sticks and throwing them at my arrow hoping to get something back well a few minutes later you guessed it I\'m standing there like a caveman with a club when a bull comes around the corner to see what was up :wave: . the actual sequence im sure had some grunts and loud thuds(ocassional swear word) and branches rattling, that was a few year ago before ever incorporating raking or hearing about others using it.

 

[Tdiesel]

and Jaqmo+1
in all calling my family always tries to make a scenario and play it out . I got more experience calling coyotes that way and if you have any real old call shy dogs it can make all the difference in the world. Can\'t help but think it would be the same for elk.

 

[AndyJ]

AndyJ
Do you do this most anytime of day? Or is there a better time to do it?

This has worked best for me right around 2ish if the wind is good. Basically right around when the elk get up from sleeping all day and are just casually cruising around the timber.

And to add to CNEK\'s question, what do you guys mean by constant? One cow call every 10 seconds?

Yep, just like Cnelk, nonstop but not frantic. It isn\'t a lost call or a distress call. Just think of it as a chatty cow.

 

[AndyJ]

My guess is that it\'s a great \"transition time\" tactic ... (Note: not really \"transition area\" but transition time of the day -- late morning) ... but I suspect it\'d also work good for mid-day raghorns.

John, I bet that would be a good time. I think afternoon works a little better because, in my experience, once the elk are headed to bed, they can be hard to persuade otherwise. But in the afternoon/ evening they are up, rested and bored or restless and are a little more willing to go check things out.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

AndyJ
Do you do this most anytime of day? Or is there a better time to do it?

This has worked best for me right around 2ish if the wind is good. Basically right around when the elk get up from sleeping all day and are just casually cruising around the timber.

And to add to CNEK\'s question, what do you guys mean by constant? One cow call every 10 seconds?

Yep, just like Cnelk, nonstop but not frantic. It isn\'t a lost call or a distress call. Just think of it as a chatty cow.

I could also see this tactic backfiring as well. I\'ve seen relaxed herds get chatty but never during hunting season. A cow constantly mewing for 30-45 minutes could be portrayed as unnatural.