Calling Elk from a Tree Stand - Video

C

cnelk

New member
Mar 23, 2017
5,542
In the first week of the 2014 season, I called in several different elk while sitting in my tree stand at different locations.
Here is a short vid I took one evening. I gambled just a bit when taking it, not knowing if there was a bull coming or not...

Enjoy


[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXWB6-l_nX4[/youtube]
 
MAN! That is an awesome video!!!!!!!


What spooked them?



I do have a few questions. What kind of camera were you using?
Also, how high were you in the tree?

When I shot mine, I was 24 feet in the tree. Normally I am anywhere from 20-25 feet.
It seemed like you were a bit lower? Or it\'s just the way it looks in the video?
 
Dan
The wind was really swirling that evening.
I walked up to my stand where the first cow caught the wind.

I was using my iPhone

My platform was 12 above the ground, as are all my stands
 
When you watch the video, take a look and determine what elk at what time would be the best to shoot...
 
\"cnelk\" said:
Dan
The wind was really swirling that evening.
I walked up to my stand where the first cow caught the wind.

I was using my iPhone

My platform was 12 above the ground, as are all my stands
Click to expand...


I am really impressed with how well that turned out on an iphone.
Those were some really nice cows too!

Thank you for sharing! :upthumb:
 
At 1:09 there is a nice shot at a cow on the top right part of the screen.


Originally I was going to say take the lead cow, but there are 4 sets of eyes that could have spooked them
At 1:09 most heads were down, some had passed, and I pretty much see a perfect shot.


That is my opinion.


I do have to ask. If you put the video at 1:00, and press play, it sounds like a phone started vibrating. Was that your phone? Or a noise the elk made?
 
You mentioned calling from the stand. What sequence did you give before turning on the camera?

To me those cows looked like they were traveling and not the usual head up looking for the source of the sound. Not dismissing your opinion just trying to understand the situation and learn from it.

I think the cow in the front out of video shot either winded or spotted you. Both cow/calf in the shot trained their attention on her before bolting.

jf
 
JF
I made one calling sequence of 3-4 mews just a couple minutes before they showed up.
I knew the elk were in the area as the night before Matt, and my son bumped into them
 
\"cnelk\" said:
Ha ha!
That was my other phone telling me I had a text! :)
Click to expand...
You are a brave man!

One of my main rules of hunting is NO PHONES! Imagine having the biggest bull of your life walk in and a text scare it away :cry:

95% of the areas that I hunt don\'t have service either :lol:
 
\"Pretty frickin\' cool\" ... I\'ll say.

Swede ... what\'s up? :eh: Just kidding, of course. I like to stir the pot a bit.

Brad ... describe your calling routine that brought these ladies (and one guy) in.
 
Nice vid, cnelk. I like that kind of action. Couple of questions for you.
#1: what\'s the attraction in that area? Just a travel corridor or something else?
#2: are you using a hang on stand or ladder stand? If ladder, do the elk have to get use to the presence of the ladder?
#3: 12feet high. Any issues with down drafts or fickle winds blowing the op?

Thanks and congrats on a successful first week. You are giving all the new elk hunters a somewhat distorted reality, though, with all your easy success.
 
#1: what\'s the attraction in that area? Just a travel corridor or something else?
As I have mentioned before, all of my stands are in locations that have no particular trail, wallow or water. They arent far from bedding areas.
They are just \'elky\' - I look for a nice mix of aspen and pines


#2: are you using a hang on stand or ladder stand? If ladder, do the elk have to get use to the presence of the ladder?
I use hang on stands with ladder sticks, sometimes just tree limbs


#3: 12feet high. Any issues with down drafts or fickle winds blowing the op?
Most of the bigger trees in my areas are dead from beetle kill. I dont like going too much higher to risk the extra weight toppling the tree.
Also, If was higher, the shots from the stand would be more of an angle, and the shots out from the stand would be more limted.
The stand in the video has shooting lanes out to 40yds in a couple places. most are 30-35yds

Distorted reality really means the many people make elk hunting harder than it really is

Deertick
I just mewed 3-4 times real soft.
Nothing unique, you witnessed how I call when then spike came in when we both in the tree stands
 
Thanks cnelk. I\'m thinking of using a tree stand for the first time and trying to shorten the learning curve.

\"Distorted reality really means the many people make elk hunting harder than it really is\"

To kill an elk you must first find the elk. That is the hard part for most hunters...unless, of course, you are cnelk and Co.
 
Nice job getting that video, Brad.

As I said before, I\'ve been doing this for years, and I\'ve witnessed what you have on video many times.

Elk are gregarious...and if they happen to be passing within earshot, many times they will come to investigate some soft cow calling.

I\'ve also arrowed two bulls (from treestands) that both were giving me the \"come over here\" bugle...by hitting them with a spike squeal.

Damn, I just gave away my secret weapon :lol:
 
\"cnelk\" said:
As I have mentioned before, all of my stands are in locations that have no particular trail, wallow or water. They arent far from bedding areas.
They are just \'elky\' - I look for a nice mix of aspen and pines

Distorted reality really means the many people make elk hunting harder than it really is
Click to expand...

Brad, would you mind expanding on these two things a little bit? How far from bedding areas are you putting those stands? And is \'elky\' simply a nice mix of aspen and pines? Or is there more to it i.e. flatter shelf, game trails within x distance, etc?

Also, what do you mean when you say people make elk hunting harder than it really is? I haven\'t ever heard someone say that about elk hunting, so just curious what you mean. I have a bunch of years worth of experience elk hunting, but I don\'t know if I would ever put it that way :lol: As Frank said, finding the elk is the toughest part for most hunters and you sure do seem to make it easier than anyone I know of.
 
Derek

I have complied lots of data over the years in my areas.
When I encounter an elk, I think to myself \'Now why was that elk right here?\'
I look at the terrain and see what attracts elk to the spot.
Most times its flat. Most times there is a mix of aspens/pines.
The wind is predictable
There may be another factor such as a nearby clearcut or other form of funneling type of means.

I try to get into the elk woods as much as I can, early seasons and late seasons. But even if you cant do this, just marking up a map of EVERY ELK ENCOUNTER you have will give you a good start of patterning them.

My stands are approx 200-300yds from bedding areas.

We did a test this past week. My son was .26 miles away and we heard him softly cow call. He sounded like he was 150yards away.
Boy were we fooled!

In area the video above was taken, I was first there last year opening weekend. A small herd of elk took me and my son right to that spot.
I went in there this summer and hung a stand.

I would recommend everyone to quietly follow some elk while hunting. Sometimes, they will take you right to the end of the rainbow
 
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