Advanced Elk Calling Tactics

[Swede]

I think the tactic works when the elk are bedded, or on lone bulls. Any time in the season should be good. It has worked close in to elk. I don\'t think I have ever brought one in from very far away. I did not call constantly, but very frequently for about 10-15 minutes. I did not try to keep track of the time as I was manipulating the diaphragm on one occasion and just demonstrating to a newbie on another. The calls were deliberately not very loud.
The calls would not pass muster with JF or Glacier Country Troy. In fact the quality on one occasion was lousy. I don\'t remember, but it may have been a Thunder Bugle I used for the demonstration to the newbie. I knew we were getting close to where we should be into elk and I let him talk me into demonstrating how it sounded. I said no, then said I would go ahead and keep the volume down. For the two times I am writing about, I was not trying to call in anything, and did not expect to.
In addition I think Brad\'s trick and some others discussed here would be great to try on some quiet afternoon. You are not going to blow the elk out of the country. All you are doing is piquing their interest and curiosity. Beware the bulls come in silently. You will need to stay alert and ready.

 

[AndyJ]

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.

It definitely can for many reasons, but so can every other trick or tactic. It isn\'t even close to 100%, but it has worked when nothing else has.

I have been fortunate to find some surprisingly relaxed elk herds during the hunting season and I try to spend as much time watching them as possible. It\'s amazing to me that even under constant hunting pressure, as soon as elk think they\'re safe they act relatively at ease pretty quickly.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

I have been fortunate to find some surprisingly relaxed elk herds during the hunting season and I try to spend as much time watching them as possible. It\'s amazing to me that even under constant hunting pressure, as soon as elk think they\'re safe they act relatively at ease pretty quickly.

That is a sweet gig! I\'ve been around those relaxed herds before season starts. The cows can be very vocal but the calfs just wont stop yapping! I can only image what they are saying...\"Mom, mom, mom, hey mom, MOM, MOM, HEY MOM\".

 

[otcWill]

I don\'t have too many \"Advanced\" tactics. Mainly I\'ve become a master of background noise. I set up in places where I can roll rocks a ways. I thrash trees and run around like a lunatic breaking everything in sight. One thing that has worked for me in the early to mid season is trying to sound like two bulls fighting. Anybody who has heard the real thing knows you can\'t make too much noise! I\'ll take two small antlers with me, lay one on the ground and pound the living crap out of it. This mixed with thrashing trees, stomping and some grunts and stick breaking has brought some early season bulls to investigate more than a couple times.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

I don\'t have too many \"Advanced\" tactics. Mainly I\'ve become a master of background noise. I set up in places where I can roll rocks a ways. I thrash trees and run around like a lunatic breaking everything in sight. One thing that has worked for me in the early to mid season is trying to sound like two bulls fighting. Anybody who has heard the real thing knows you can\'t make too much noise! I\'ll take two small antlers with me, lay one on the ground and pound the living crap out of it. This mixed with thrashing trees, stomping and some grunts and stick breaking has brought some early season bulls to investigate more than a couple times.

How come you lay on the ground? Why don\'t you use it late season?

 

[bowhunter]

I don\'t have too many \"Advanced\" tactics. Mainly I\'ve become a master of background noise. I set up in places where I can roll rocks a ways. I thrash trees and run around like a lunatic breaking everything in sight. One thing that has worked for me in the early to mid season is trying to sound like two bulls fighting. Anybody who has heard the real thing knows you can\'t make too much noise! I\'ll take two small antlers with me, lay one on the ground and pound the living crap out of it. This mixed with thrashing trees, stomping and some grunts and stick breaking has brought some early season bulls to investigate more than a couple times.

How come you lay on the ground? Why don\'t you use it late season?

Maybe Will is trying to simulate a wounded elk. I have seen turkeys attack one after you arrow it. I would guess he doesn\'t do it late season because laying in the snow would be cold..

 

[cohunter14]

I don\'t have too many \"Advanced\" tactics. Mainly I\'ve become a master of background noise. I set up in places where I can roll rocks a ways. I thrash trees and run around like a lunatic breaking everything in sight. One thing that has worked for me in the early to mid season is trying to sound like two bulls fighting. Anybody who has heard the real thing knows you can\'t make too much noise! I\'ll take two small antlers with me, lay one on the ground and pound the living crap out of it. This mixed with thrashing trees, stomping and some grunts and stick breaking has brought some early season bulls to investigate more than a couple times.

How come you lay on the ground? Why don\'t you use it late season?

I think he is saying he\'ll lay one antler on the ground and pound the crap out of it with another antler in his hands.

 

[otcWill]

Laying on the ground? I never said I lay on the ground, just lay an antler down and smash it with another. I\'ve tried it at all times during the bowseason and have had the best results early to mid september. I like to lay one antler on the ground so I can really haul off on it.

 

[elkmtngear]

Anybody ever charge straight at a bull you were playing \"cat and mouse\" with?

I\'ve never had the cojones to try it, but I can think of situations where a bull was extremely vocal but slowly moving away, where it might have worked.

I\'m talking about running straight at them while using estrous cow calls.

Shielding with a decoy would be an option here... :think:

Having a shooter on your tail, ready to draw would be optimum! Decoy/Caller guy could just drop, and the shooter could touch it off.

 

[AndyJ]

Anybody ever charge straight at a bull you were playing \"cat and mouse\" with?

I did it just this year as a matter of fact. I was getting very frustrated with a big bull that acted like he wanted to fight but would not come any closer. We were in heavy deadfall and it was difficult to see more than 40 yards. After an hour of back and forth challenge bugles with no decrease in distance, I ran after him. I would run at him while bugling the nastiest bugle I could and he would run away a little and fire a bugle back. This went on for another hour. We stayed within 30 yards of each other the whole time and finally I got a shot. The crappy ending to that story is I never found him. I don\'t know what happened. I thought it was a 30 yard chip shot. My arrow must have gotten deflected. The only positive is that I am pretty sure it was a non fatal hit.

 

[elkmtngear]

Anybody ever charge straight at a bull you were playing \"cat and mouse\" with?

I did it just this year as a matter of fact. I was getting very frustrated with a big bull that acted like he wanted to fight but would not come any closer. We were in heavy deadfall and it was difficult to see more than 40 yards. After an hour of back and forth challenge bugles with no decrease in distance, I ran after him. I would run at him while bugling the nastiest bugle I could and he would run away a little and fire a bugle back. This went on for another hour. We stayed within 30 yards of each other the whole time and finally I got a shot. The crappy ending to that story is I never found him. I don\'t know what happened. I thought it was a 30 yard chip shot. My arrow must have gotten deflected. The only positive is that I am pretty sure it was a non fatal hit.

Great Story, Andy! I\'ve heard other accounts of this aggressive tactic leading to a quick shot. This is exactly the type of encounter I\'ve run into where I thought it might work!

Good to know it actually works sometimes (given the right situation)...but very sorry you didn\'t recover that bull.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Anybody ever charge straight at a bull you were playing \"cat and mouse\" with?

I\'ve never had the cojones to try it, but I can think of situations where a bull was extremely vocal but slowly moving away, where it might have worked.

I\'m talking about running straight at them while using estrous cow calls.

Shielding with a decoy would be an option here... :think:

Having a shooter on your tail, ready to draw would be optimum! Decoy/Caller guy could just drop, and the shooter could touch it off.

I try to only use the \"run in\" tactic on herd bulls. By doing this I\'m trying to force the bull to react and protect his harem. So Jeff, what\'s the chances of a head on bull SLIP ?

 

[Deertick]

Anybody ever charge straight at a bull you were playing \"cat and mouse\" with?

Toward the end of my hunt in 2013 ... a bull with 6 cows and I were trading insults ... but too many eyes to get much closer, and I couldn\'t interest him in raking, cow calls, or bull insults, so ... I ran at him, crashing deadfall and branches and bugling ... it was a blast.

It really ticked him off. The cows scattered, some seeing me, some not knowing what to do! The bull was trying to round up his girls, and he was also looking for me, but as he got interested in finding me, the girls got nervous and moved off, slowly but surely. He looked things over and went with the gals.

I sat for a bit and did some lost cow calls. I got a few answers, but apparently he knew how many cows he had before me met, and he could count.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Anybody ever charge straight at a bull you were playing \"cat and mouse\" with?

Toward the end of my hunt in 2013 ... a bull with 6 cows and I were trading insults ... but too many eyes to get much closer, and I couldn\'t interest him in raking, cow calls, or bull insults, so ... I ran at him, crashing deadfall and branches and bugling ... it was a blast.

It really ticked him off. The cows scattered, some seeing me, some not knowing what to do! The bull was trying to round up his girls, and he was also looking for me, but as he got interested in finding me, the girls got nervous and moved off, slowly but surely. He looked things over and went with the gals.

I sat for a bit and did some lost cow calls. I got a few answers, but apparently he knew how many cows he had before me met, and he could count.

Just curious, did you bugle after you busted the herd? Chuckles or short screams? Any cow distress sounds?

 

[Deertick]

Chuckles and whiny cow calls ... and some bugles ... I was probably more worked-up than the bull!

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

How scattered was the herd?

 

[elkmtngear]

So Jeff, what\'s the chances of a head on bull SLIP ?

John, I get enough liability remarks about the cow decoys...sounds like a good way to get skewered (especially in Oregon) :haha:

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

So Jeff, what\'s the chances of a head on bull SLIP ?

John, I get enough liability remarks about the cow decoys...sounds like a good way to get skewered (especially in Oregon) :haha:

How about a head on bull and bullet proof SLIP? :upthumb:

 

[Deertick]

How scattered was the herd?

Not enough ... Maybe 75 yrds total

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

How scattered was the herd?

Not enough ... Maybe 75 yes total

That\'s a downfall to that tactic. If you don\'t bust them up enough, you pretty much just ruined your chance.