A sincere greenhorn, on another forum said, he and two other greenhorns are heading West to archery hunt elk this September. He wants to know if they should have a two caller setup with one shooter, or have one caller and two shooters. This fellow is obviously paying a lot of money and wants a great hunt. He is optimistic, but wants a little advise. He is getting some suggestions. I honestly could not come up with anything without coming across like a cold bucket of water, poured on you at an evening pool party. I assume they don\'t have the resources to hire a guide. We are Elk Mentors, if this guy posted here, what would you say?
How Would You Advise?
- Thread starter Swede
- Start date
I would advise he (them) to all learn to call. Get the basics down. Not just one guy, or 2, all 3.
Then I would tell them to set up in a triangle formation about 50-60 yds apart and all 3 call softly, rake a tree or two. They can all be shooters and callers in this setup.
We do it all the time with great success.
Or you could invite them over to this site and they can ask for themselves...
Then I would tell them to set up in a triangle formation about 50-60 yds apart and all 3 call softly, rake a tree or two. They can all be shooters and callers in this setup.
We do it all the time with great success.
Or you could invite them over to this site and they can ask for themselves...
I think your setup and calling advise is as good as it gets. I considered dropping that thought into the bucket of suggestions he will get, but I am too much of a pessimist. I do think there are some experienced hunters here that would start them off on the right footing.
Enlighten here Brad, How would a triangular setup work with a steady wind current? Wouldn\'t that actually be the same as 3 callers and 2 shooters? Seems like some extreme caution would have to be used in some shooting situations!
Some of these hunting videos look like they have half a dozen guys on a hunt!!
Some of these hunting videos look like they have half a dozen guys on a hunt!!
Think of the triangle point being toward the rear. That guy calls and the other two up front answer. Wait a min or two and do it again. There is a trick tho and that is if one of the forward guys do not answer that means they see an elk. He becomes the shooter and the other two are strictly callers.
It can also work where anyone that sees an elk does not respond and the other two become callers.
If you are unsure where the elk are coming from anyone and everyone can be callers or shooters
It can also work where anyone that sees an elk does not respond and the other two become callers.
If you are unsure where the elk are coming from anyone and everyone can be callers or shooters
Buglemaster
New member
- Aug 25, 2017
- 334
We also set up much like Brad with good success. You are also able to cover a larger area if you get a customer interested. I nearly always seem to be the guy setting on the point & seem to get just as many, if not more opportunity than the other 2. You absolutely have to play the wind, but that is a given in any scenario when on a hunt. Another tactic we use is to spread out 50- 100 yds apart in thick stuff & still hunt with sporadic cow calling between the 3 of us. I believe those cow calls will help settle down elk that have heard you coming. Any time I\'m moving thru dark timber, I\'ll use cow talk just as a settling or calming effect on the critters with hair. It\'s pretty easy to over do it & every year we seem to hear a hunter do just that. If you ever have the opportunity to observe elk moving undisturbed through timber, you will se what I\'m trying to say. They can be noisy in their travel & will communicate with the herd but it is pretty abnormal to hear real frequent calls. It\'s nearly always a dead giveaway when they hear a hoochie mama sound off about every 30 seconds :roll:
I really have to suggest if you\'re moving through dark timber that you don\'t call at all. Even if you fool the elk into thinking you\'re another elk. You\'ve alerted them, and told them where you are. All eyes will be staring in your direction . When they don\'t see another elk they\'ll be even more alert.
It\'s impossible to sneak up on an elk that\'s alert, and staring in your direction. You need to think of hunting like a cat.
It\'s impossible to sneak up on an elk that\'s alert, and staring in your direction. You need to think of hunting like a cat.
I\'d agree with Still Hunter ...
I\'ve seen (and done) the \"walk through the woods, chirping now and then\"-style of hunting ... it seems popular ... but I really doubt its efficacy.
In just about any style of hunting that involves calls, the impulse to use the call overwhelms judgement more often than not.
I\'ve seen (and done) the \"walk through the woods, chirping now and then\"-style of hunting ... it seems popular ... but I really doubt its efficacy.
In just about any style of hunting that involves calls, the impulse to use the call overwhelms judgement more often than not.
Hunters are confused with all the calls. The first thing they think of is what call do I use? If you\'re going to walk through the timber sounding like an elk. I suppose a call may help. It\'s still going to alert the elk you\'re there. Something you should always try and avoid.
Slow down, and be quiet. If you snap a twig by accident. just freeze for 10 minutes. The elk will relax, and just think it was a small animal. When you call the elk will be looking for elk. When they don\'t see one they\'ll get nervous.
When you finally get into position for a shot. The elk should be relaxed, and not looking for anything.
When a cat is stalking prey, and it makes a noise. (rarely) What does it do? It freezes. It sure wouldn\'t give away it\'s position by making more noise.
Could I sneak up on you if I called out to you?
Slow down, and be quiet. If you snap a twig by accident. just freeze for 10 minutes. The elk will relax, and just think it was a small animal. When you call the elk will be looking for elk. When they don\'t see one they\'ll get nervous.
When you finally get into position for a shot. The elk should be relaxed, and not looking for anything.
When a cat is stalking prey, and it makes a noise. (rarely) What does it do? It freezes. It sure wouldn\'t give away it\'s position by making more noise.
Could I sneak up on you if I called out to you?
I would tell them to learn the calls, study study study, do as much scouting on Google Earth etc, all the general advice. But the BEST advice I would give him and his friends is to consider their first trip as a down payment on the best purchase of their lives. Take in everything while they are there. Learn as much as they can and hunt hard for their allotted time. HAVE FUN! And then apply everything they learned that year to the next year and use each year as a building block. Baby steps, just enjoy the hunt and learn what they can. Just like a good investment, given time their \"elk profits\" so to speak will add up to a sum worth much more than the individual parts.
Glacier Country
New member
- Nov 13, 2013
- 177
I would advise all 3 to learn how to call. Everyone of them should be able to blow a bite call at least, And hopefully blow at least some sort of a location bugle.
I am an elk caller, so I know I will call in my elk . I do not however just go making elk sounds sneaking through the timber. When I call I have a definite game plan. I hear about guys keeping there elk calls in there mouth all day. I don\'t really do that...but, I have a call in my mouth a lot, mostly when I think I am into the elk or in an area, that has tons of fresh sign. Most of the time though, when I get elk I put myself in the seat where I feel I have a decent advantage. Kinda like a card player, I might not play every hand,I guess. Most of the time the scenario goes like this.... I do a location bugle , he answers, I get the wind then close the distance and, then create whatever scenario in the bulls mind that I think will work best on this bull to put the odds in my favor. Sometimes that is a cow call, but for me a lot of the time it is a bugle. Not just any bugle either. I will use Tone, Intensity and Pitch to make the bull react how I want him to. That might mean I use a cow call or a small bull bugle, or it might mean that I rip a Knarly bugle that tells the bull I want to sleep with his girlfriends. I just make whatever call I feel will make the bull React in a way that is favorable to me getting a shot at him.
Sometimes, if he is a Lover I will just try to call in the cows so that the bull will follow, so I can hopefully get a shot. This can admittedly get tricky because it is harder when the whole herd comes right on top of you than when it is just the bull.
I am an elk caller, so I know I will call in my elk . I do not however just go making elk sounds sneaking through the timber. When I call I have a definite game plan. I hear about guys keeping there elk calls in there mouth all day. I don\'t really do that...but, I have a call in my mouth a lot, mostly when I think I am into the elk or in an area, that has tons of fresh sign. Most of the time though, when I get elk I put myself in the seat where I feel I have a decent advantage. Kinda like a card player, I might not play every hand,I guess. Most of the time the scenario goes like this.... I do a location bugle , he answers, I get the wind then close the distance and, then create whatever scenario in the bulls mind that I think will work best on this bull to put the odds in my favor. Sometimes that is a cow call, but for me a lot of the time it is a bugle. Not just any bugle either. I will use Tone, Intensity and Pitch to make the bull react how I want him to. That might mean I use a cow call or a small bull bugle, or it might mean that I rip a Knarly bugle that tells the bull I want to sleep with his girlfriends. I just make whatever call I feel will make the bull React in a way that is favorable to me getting a shot at him.
Sometimes, if he is a Lover I will just try to call in the cows so that the bull will follow, so I can hopefully get a shot. This can admittedly get tricky because it is harder when the whole herd comes right on top of you than when it is just the bull.
