Elk Hunting Forum - Treestand calling
- Thread starter Deertick
- Start date
As I mentioned in another post, we call from tree stands, but not with the excitement of on the ground, cold calling setups.
Here is a spike I called in from my tree stand while rifle hunting in October
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Since they arent legal in Colorado, he gets a PASS
But I know spikes are legal in other states
Here is a spike I called in from my tree stand while rifle hunting in October
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Since they arent legal in Colorado, he gets a PASS
But I know spikes are legal in other states
americanbwana
New member
- Sep 3, 2017
- 396
\"Deertick\" said:
I was under the impression that calling from a tree stand was a bad idea. Hmm, something new learned today.
Bob Frapples
Member
- Mar 10, 2014
- 367
I\'m interested to hear what and how often the tree hangers define \"too much\" or \"too often\". We as humanoids have a tendency for impatience, when turkey hunting I know I\'m the worlds worse about it. Almost all the turkeys I\'ve gotten have come in silently, the more I read, these elk tend to do the same especially early season.
Since I\'m a flat lander and this years going to be my first elk trip, I suspect I\'ll spend a considerable time with my butt handed to me sitting out of sight off trails with the wind in my favor. I\'d like to know how long you guys wait between calling sequences minimum, especially when all is quiet.
Since I\'m a flat lander and this years going to be my first elk trip, I suspect I\'ll spend a considerable time with my butt handed to me sitting out of sight off trails with the wind in my favor. I\'d like to know how long you guys wait between calling sequences minimum, especially when all is quiet.
I don\'t know how I missed seeing this thread before. It is probably due to the poor eyesight I have told you about. anyway here is my take on this subject.
I too have called in elk to my tree stand location. It can work at times. I have also scared off elk that I believe were headed my way. Cow sounds work and so do short, one note bugles. That said, I prefer to stay quiet and just wait. I am sitting in a good spot and there is good reason for the elk to come my way. I do not want to give them a reason to not come to where I am waiting. Some elk are okay with other elk company, while others are too spooky.
I have had elk back away and leave the area after I called. I also watched a bull that was coming in to the spring where I waited. He would not come until the deer hanging around the spring were gone. As soon as they left he walked right in. I have had elk see my elk decoy at a spring. Some are curious, some are apprehensive, and others see it and turn away. All of these elk were coming into water. Some stopped while others backed away when they determined elk were there.
Still I will call once in a great while. No good reason and it will be one short call in a 30 day season.
I too have called in elk to my tree stand location. It can work at times. I have also scared off elk that I believe were headed my way. Cow sounds work and so do short, one note bugles. That said, I prefer to stay quiet and just wait. I am sitting in a good spot and there is good reason for the elk to come my way. I do not want to give them a reason to not come to where I am waiting. Some elk are okay with other elk company, while others are too spooky.
I have had elk back away and leave the area after I called. I also watched a bull that was coming in to the spring where I waited. He would not come until the deer hanging around the spring were gone. As soon as they left he walked right in. I have had elk see my elk decoy at a spring. Some are curious, some are apprehensive, and others see it and turn away. All of these elk were coming into water. Some stopped while others backed away when they determined elk were there.
Still I will call once in a great while. No good reason and it will be one short call in a 30 day season.
Swede
They are not in \'random\' spots.
I have found areas where the elk pass thru, because of hunting pressure, rut activity, and terrain.
The wind is very predictable too. Maybe thats why the elk like it too?
There was one time I got up in my stand about 6pm, sat down and immediately saw a flash of tan thru the timber about 60yds away.
I looked thru my binos and sure enough it WAS an elk!
I knocked an arrow and gave a mew.
The elk turned and came right in to me.
It was a spike. Not legal. Off he went
About an hour later, 2 cows and a bull came drifting by, but no shot presented.
They are not in \'random\' spots.
I have found areas where the elk pass thru, because of hunting pressure, rut activity, and terrain.
The wind is very predictable too. Maybe thats why the elk like it too?
There was one time I got up in my stand about 6pm, sat down and immediately saw a flash of tan thru the timber about 60yds away.
I looked thru my binos and sure enough it WAS an elk!
I knocked an arrow and gave a mew.
The elk turned and came right in to me.
It was a spike. Not legal. Off he went
About an hour later, 2 cows and a bull came drifting by, but no shot presented.
elkmtngear
New member
- Aug 9, 2017
- 1,152
My treestand \"formula\" is soft cow mews every 15 minutes or so, in hopes that an elk that might otherwise pass by would come in to \"investigate\" . I have done this both on ambush trails, and over wallows.
On three different occasions, when a bull came within a hundred yards or so and bugled at me (come over here, sweetie)...I responded with a spike squeal and had them come in aggressively looking for me.
This guy was one of them, I watched him with a single cow for about 45 minutes...completely ignoring my occasional cow mews. When he started to walk away and bugled, I hit him with the spike squeal. He immediately came in on a dead run from 150 yards, stopped right in front of the stand, stomped his front foot, and gave out a whiny little \"huff\"! When he turned back toward his precious cow...I double lunged him! :upthumb:
Here\'s another bull I took that came in just as aggressively in answer to just my cow calls (made the hair on the back of my neck stand up when he ripped a bugle about 100 yards behind me...then he came straight in on a dead run looking for me)! :shock:
On three different occasions, when a bull came within a hundred yards or so and bugled at me (come over here, sweetie)...I responded with a spike squeal and had them come in aggressively looking for me.
This guy was one of them, I watched him with a single cow for about 45 minutes...completely ignoring my occasional cow mews. When he started to walk away and bugled, I hit him with the spike squeal. He immediately came in on a dead run from 150 yards, stopped right in front of the stand, stomped his front foot, and gave out a whiny little \"huff\"! When he turned back toward his precious cow...I double lunged him! :upthumb:
Here\'s another bull I took that came in just as aggressively in answer to just my cow calls (made the hair on the back of my neck stand up when he ripped a bugle about 100 yards behind me...then he came straight in on a dead run looking for me)! :shock:
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,326
Great info and awesome pics! Always nice to show the trophies that go along with the info 
elkmtngear
New member
- Aug 9, 2017
- 1,152
\"cohunter14\" said:Great info and awesome pics! Always nice to show the trophies that go along with the info
Thanks, Derek!
I killed another bull from a treestand that came into a wallow. I watched him come in right after I cow called, and rake a tree at about 100 yds. When he came in, he had his nose up in the wind, cautious. Gave me a nice 25 yd broadside shot. I don\'t have a picture of that bull
I also killed a nice cow from that same stand, using the same occasional soft cow call formula, about a year before that. I was able to pick her out from a group of about a dozen cows, spikes, and calves...right under the stand.
All these were taken in a Wilderness area in Colorado (Public land)
