Elk calling has many facets to it: different manufacturers, different sounds produced for generating the same call, when to use which call, when to call, where to call, how to set up for calling, etc.. And, often, in the end, the results (especially with archery hunters) will be determined by one’s deodorant and which way the wind shifts……. Here are some of the thoughts Fred Roy (my hunting partner) and I have when we are out looking for wapiti.
Sound quality:
Let me say this with full assurance and experience—————–DO NOT CARE HOW ONE SOUNDS WITH A COW OR BUGLE CALL. A lot of people think they will scare away animals because they don’t sound like the 100 videos they have watched. Given 25 opportunities in a season by a good and a bad caller, each will typically call in and/or scare just as many animals as the other. DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT, AND HAVE FUN DOING IT. One will typically get more and more confident in a hurry when out in the field calling.
Locating:
Locating elk is important if one does not know where the elk are, or where they have moved to. Locate calling is usually done from high ridges, roads and near open areas (all so the sound carries a good distance). Roads are a good way to cover a ton of area. However, a lot of people do this, and Fred and I wonder how much the elk are conditioned not to respond to calls that “come from over there by the road….” If one is calling from the road, give each location five to ten minutes for calling AFTER one’s ears have adjusted to the vehicle being turned off. Start with a softer bugle and move to a very loud call if there are no responses. And, throwing in a few cow calls are always important. Elk have HUGE ears, and can hear a soft cow call from a very long way off.
Another thing: Calling at night might help one locate elk in new areas. The elk are not as call shy, and are very active in the rut all night long. Try it out.
Once a bull has responded, one needs to wait 5-10 minutes before calling again (see the notes below for the reasoning). With a response from the bull again, one will be able to determine two things: a better direction of the animal and whether he is moving toward one’s location or not. If the bull has not moved, develop a strategy with the wind and terrain, and move forward ready to deploy the desired set-up. If he is coming one’s way, get set up in a hurry.
Fred and I feel with the popularity of videos and easy elk calls being made, elk have heard a lot of calls. This can and has made bulls very call shy where there are a lot of hunters. With this, we have come around to feeling the best way to get close is to go in silent once a bull has been located. If one hears a bull, and knows the bull is not coming at him, then get in within 100 yards as quickly as possible. And, making a lot of noise doing it is NOT a big deal. A lot of times, the more noise the better as the bull hears this, and assumes it is a bull coming to swipe his cows.
Once one is within 100 yards, one can do one of two things. One is to continue to sneak in (watch for cow eyes everywhere) and try to get a shot. The bull with a herd will normally be cruising all around trying to keep his cows together. There is a good chance he will eventually swing around close enough for a shot.
The second option is to let loose with a very, very soft cow call. This hopefully will make the bull think he has a cow out a little too far from him, and he will come to “get her.” This is a great chance to catch him oblivious to a hunter with a surprise waiting for him.
Set-ups:
Set-ups are important when calling. Once elk are located and there is a need for a set-up, there are a few simple things to keep in mind when picking a spot:
- A lot of experts want to set up in front of a tree that will break up the body’s outline. This is good, but be sure to make sure when one goes to full draw that the bow and the body don’t come into noisy contact with the stuff one is hiding in. It is easy to back into a tree, but just one brush with a live branch or breaking a dead one will ruin one’s day.
- If one knows the direction the animal will likely come from, don’t set up where there is a big obstacle out in front that the animal’s body can be hidden behind. One doesn’t want the animal to come in, and be able to look over a four foot diameter tree that is lying on the forest floor (which it is guaranteed to do). It will be very frustrating not to have a shot.
- A lot of time, a big bull will not come downhill. He wants the advantage, and feels that in being uphill. If at all possible, try to set up at least sidehill to a monster.
- Once set up in one’s spot, get the range finder out to get some distances marked. The animals are very alert coming in looking at everything. The less movement (like ranging the animal) the better.
- Two things that Fred and I are not very good at——
o Being caught in the open can easily happen when one is out calling elk just to locate them. If one is going to call (even if it is the tenth time one has called in the last hour without any response), at least have a plan of what to do if the forest explodes. Getting completely set up each time is the best way to be prepared, but hard to do when the forest seems to be vacant………
o If one has set up for calling (not just trying to locate animals), it is best to give it 20-40 minutes. This is especially true early in the rut and when animals are still quiet. This is a long time, and often hard to be patient enough to catch a silent bull coming in.
- If one has a hunting partner doing the calling, get him 50-100 yards behind the shooter, in a position that generates the best chance of bringing the bull past the shooter.
- The caller should look for opportunities to sound like an elk. Moving positions, rolling rocks, snapping branches, raking a tree are all good things to try if a bull is hanging up out of sight.
- It is best, but often hard to have the calling in sight of the shooter. It is nice to have this in case the shooter can pass info back to the caller via hand signals from what he witnesses up front. Some bulls like bugles, some like cow calls, some like raking. And, a lot of time, a bull will NOT like these things. The bugle may sound too “big” and the bull doesn’t want to fight, or the bull has been fighting all night and is tired, or he has enough cows, or……….. Hand signals can help in some cases.
- Use lots of calls for variety if one is not getting much response by the bull.
- One wants to show “power” to the bull. Do this by:
o NOT answering his call. Always wait some time (could be 5-10 minutes at first and work down to 15-30 seconds at the end) after the bull bugles before replying.
o Try and mimic him in sound, style, loudness, etc..
o Once in a while, bulge over the top of his bugle. This can tick him off.
More information:
A lot of the methods Fred and I have come to use have been based off of the audio and video teaching of Larry D. Jones. If one wants to know more, looking for these older tapes is highly recommended. Another source that gives a lot of insight into the sounds/calls that come from elk is called Elk Nuts. I think this is very valuable as well.
A challenge:
At the beginning, I mentioned the wind. We all have experiences where we feel the wind has messed up a hunt. I would like to suggest one to focus a lot this season with the thought in mind of who controls the wind. We all know God does, but do we accept this when hunting? Or do we just think of it as “bad luck?” God is sovereign, and provides ALL we need. He calmed the seas for the disciples (John 6), and He controls the wind when we are sneaking up on that huge buck or bull! It is a topic I love to think about every season. I often talk to Him when the wind is terrible (at my back) saying “Lord, You can shift the wind (and my scent with it), or put plugs in their noses, or just give me the joy of being in Your creation while You have me hunt a little longer!”