Calling Early Season

[trophyhill]

I know a lot of guys like the \"cold\" calling early season. So that\'s a no brainer. A lot of times elk come in silent to this tactic.

What I\'m interested in are vocal responses early season. The one call I\'ve had great luck getting responses to early season the last couple years is the Carlton\'s Long Ranger open reed call. Typically I like to use this in areas where the sound travels a long way. And it has produced results. A couple very loud pleading cow sounds seems to work for me when elk are within earshot of this call. I\'ve had cows n calves come running in and a mixed bag with bulls. Sometimes all I\'ll get from a bull is the quick, short lazy bugle and that\'s it but that\'s ok because he just told me where he\'s bedding. Other times very loud bugles calling for me to go kill him.

How bout you? Any hidden secrets you\'d like to share?

 

[cnelk]

I use stomping and thrashing too.

 

[Zpd307]

I am really interested in this as we are heading out on sept 7th. the earliest we have left so far.

 

[americanbwana]

Don\'t know if it\'s a tactic. But.

It was my first time out archery hunting. My buddy and I had spent a significant amount of time learning to call. Opening weekend, we work along this ridge first thing in the morning. We hear a bugle not to far away.

I whip out my not so trusty primos tube and attempt to respond. It was terrible. Anyway after a few attempts I was able to get something out which was responded to.

My buddy moved down the hill, with me up above moving about trying to keep the bull interested.

Anyway, I was not paying attention, tripped and landed on an old tree. Between the branches crashing, and me cussing myself, that bull actually moved closer. Little did I know I had \'stumbled\' on racking.

Tactic learned. Breaking branches and sounding like an elk can draw critters closer.

Another thing I learned was to make sure it isn\'t a person before giving up and moving on.

I\'ll continue the story on another post. I don\'t want to hijack this one.

AB

 

[Bullnuts]

Raking is becoming one of my favorite techniques in the early season. Use a medium sized limb that you can get your hands around and hit the trees as hard as you can. Break limbs and make a butt load of noise. Do that, combined with some whining through your tube, and keep your eyes open! Me and the boys have called in several big bulls over the past few years with this technique and it works great during the early season.

 

[WW]

Don\'t know if it\'s a tactic. But.

It was my first time out archery hunting. My buddy and I had spent a significant amount of time learning to call. Opening weekend, we work along this ridge first thing in the morning. We hear a bugle not to far away.

I whip out my not so trusty primos tube and attempt to respond. It was terrible. Anyway after a few attempts I was able to get something out which was responded to.

My buddy moved down the hill, with me up above moving about trying to keep the bull interested.

Anyway, I was not paying attention, tripped and landed on an old tree. Between the branches crashing, and me cussing myself, that bull actually moved closer. Little did I know I had \'stumbled\' on racking.

Tactic learned. Breaking branches and sounding like an elk can draw critters closer.

Another thing I learned was to make sure it isn\'t a person before giving up and moving on.

I\'ll continue the story on another post. I don\'t want to hijack this one.

AB

So tell me AB, Do you thing it was the breaking branches or your cussing that brought that elk in closer? :lol: :lol: Sorry, I couldn\'t let the chance slip by. :wtf:

 

[americanbwana]

Yes. That elk had to get close to take a photo to post on the \'humans are over rated\' topic.

It\'s the other elk mentors forum.

 

[Swede]

I like cow calls, raking plus making a short bugle; splashing, raking and a short bugle making a long series (2-3 minutes); or whiney small bull bugles. Location bugles will get you a response sometimes, but more often the elk come in silent. Sometimes the bull will chuckle or otherwise call you in when you cow talk.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Agree with Swede. Last year, first part of September, I got a bull to respond twice by giving a location bugles. My brother-in-law and I decided to break the setup and chase after the bull because his second bugle seemed farther away.

We experienced our first mistake . :clap: No more than 5 steps into our march, I looked to my downhill right and noticed a small rag horn on a trot straight at use. Oops! :lol:

Second mistake was that the vocal bull really hadn\'t moved and when I locate bugled loudly from his last known location he was only 50 yard away. He let out a growly moan and off he went with his cows. Oops!

 

[WW]

Agree with Swede. Last year, first part of September, I got a bull to respond twice by giving a location bugles. My brother-in-law and I decided to break the setup and chase after the bull because his second bugle seemed farther away.

We experienced our first mistake . :clap: No more than 5 steps into our march, I looked to my downhill right and noticed a small rag horn on a trot straight at use. Oops! :lol:

Second mistake was that the vocal bull really hadn\'t moved and when I locate bugled loudly from his last known location he was only 50 yard away. He let out a growly moan and off he went with his cows. Oops!

Those are two great examples of what can happen John. Thanks for the input.

When using the silent calling technique, you need to give it at least an hour to develop before moving on to another setup. I\'ve heard many guys say that they stuck it out for 45 minutes or so. And when they got up to move , they busted an elk that had come sneaking in silent and they had no idea it was there. This method will work on all elk. You\'ll probably call in as many or more cows as you will bulls. Lone spikes are exceptionally vulnerable. They are always looking for Mama.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Absolutely spot on Bill! Guys/Gals.....wait.....wait....wait during cold call setups. Trust Bill and I when we say that elk come in quietly, from any direction, at any time during a cold call setup. I personally have a dozen stories that if I had just waited a little longer things would have turned out differently. If your in an elky spot, don\'t be in a rush! Give it time!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can I get an amen brother! :upthumb: