Bugles vs Cow Calls

[cnelk]

Bugles vs. cow calls

First off, I am not trying to promote any one product or technique. I know some very good elk hunters that only use bugles, others only use cow calls and some use both.

Me? I use both. I hunt a popular Colorado OTC area, heavily hunted. Been hunting it for 25+ years. And I can say that our success has been ?quite good? over the years using both. There is a time and place to use each and other times to use both.

Curious as to ?why? you choose to call the way you do. Is it because of the time of season you hunt? Is it because of hunting pressure? Because the elk respond better? Or is it because you ?like? to call that way?

Let?s hear your ?why?

 

[Swede]

Whether cow call or bugle, I try to attract elk with my calls. Once in awhile I just try to locate them with a short bugle. My calls are designed not to intimidate other elk, or to be the sounds they associate with other human callers. The area I hunt is over called with mostly loud bugles. To go out and sound like all of the other hunters blaring away, just sends the elk off to where I am not allowed to go.
Cow calls, and short two note bugles usually work best for me.

 

[iccyman001]

Bugles vs. cow calls

First off, I am not trying to promote any one product or technique. I know some very good elk hunters that only use bugles, others only use cow calls and some use both.

Me? I use both. I hunt a popular Colorado OTC area, heavily hunted. Been hunting it for 25+ years. And I can say that our success has been ?quite good? over the years using both. There is a time and place to use each and other times to use both.

Curious as to ?why? you choose to call the way you do. Is it because of the time of season you hunt? Is it because of hunting pressure? Because the elk respond better? Or is it because you ?like? to call that way?

Let?s hear your ?why?

I also use both, Brad.

Bugles:

Where I hunt I use location bugles in the morning if I am not in a spot where I know they are already coming in.
In the early season I found they were with cows, but bulls were still firing off bugles.

So if my area wasn\'t paying off, I would let one rip and listen. Then chase the response.


I also used a bugle a few times to get a bull who was quiet to speak again.
I had two instances where I had two bulls hang up, but after a racking sequence and a loud bugle, they started talking again.

I will tell you, that challenge bugles were not effective at the time period that I was there.




Cow calls:

I also use cow calls when the situation was right.
I attempted a cold call sequence once or twice, with no luck. That wasnt to say that it\'s not effective, but I am leaning more towards there were no bulls around.

I did use cow calls once I had bulls located to an area (generally after they responded to my locations)
Never too much, but some sexy cow talking, lost calf calls, and a cow leaving the herd sequence paid off really well out there.

I also had a few conversations with some cows while I was out there, that was fun.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Most of the time I........

Early season: Cow and none threatening bull sounds for any bull.

Later season: For herd bulls I will use bull sounds and for satellites I mostly use cow sounds but will throw in bulls sounds depending on the sequence.

My 2-cents!

 

[Swede]

Later season: For herd bulls I will use bull sounds and for satellites I mostly use cow sounds but will throw in bulls sounds depending on the sequence

Good point there. This past season a hunter near the ranch, close to where I hunt, challenged a bull that had come off the ranch with his cows. The hunter got up close and personal with the bull. That was the right call for the situation. I just don\'t see that scenario very often. Of coarse I am in a stand most of the time, and stay quiet.