Effectiveness of Calling for Elk

[treillw]

How effective is calling for elk? I've been listening to a lot of stuff online about getting in close and challenging the bull and it making them steamroll you a lot of the time. Is that largely just call marketing?

I was talking to a very well respected hunting buddy and he said that he has tried that around six times and it just makes the bull turn and run away.

What are your experiences? How much do you call?

 

[idahohikker]

This made me laugh a little bit. Obviously it can be very effective. Look at Corey, Randy, and Paul slaying good elk like crazy. It helps to be good. No it doesn't always work but that's elk hunting.

 

[md126]

Calling works WAY better on unpressured elk, simple as that.

You can still find undisturbed elk in pressured OTC areas, but it’s more difficult.

 

[Btaylor]

Calling is a hoax but calls are part of your uniform for hunting elk, same goes for ducks, geese, deer and turkeys.

 

[Ross]

Calling works but like everything it does not work every time. The more encounters you can create the greater the possibility of success. Realism and laying tracks to find bulls who want to play goes a long ways. Check out the books by Dwight Schuh and Larry Jones back and mike lapinski in the eighties even then they noted these things. Have confidence sound realistic rake walk a lot and you can find bulls that want to play in otc units. Good luck

 

[dangerousD]

10% of the time it works every time. Haha. I ate tag soup this year on my public land OTC Hunt so don’t take my input too seriously but I had some luck calling this year and messed up some opportunities also. Likely due to inappropriate calling or “saying the wrong thing” for the current situation or temperament of the elk.

Each year in the field you will learn more and more about elk demeanor and understand more and more about their behavior.

What I’ve found in my short tenure of elk hunting is that 9 times out of 10 on pressured public land, a bull with cows is not likely to respond to your calling unless you’re in close (usually under 100 yards depending how how dispersed his herd might be) and he thinks you’re stealing his cows. Unless he just likes to fight, he has no incentive to engage.

One of the guys I was sharing camp with was sharing his story at camp one evening. He was cold calling with some cow calls and a bugle late morning to try and get something to bugle back from their bed. He did his calling sequence with no response. **I don’t know how good his calling was** He then walked 100 yards further and busted a herd bull with half a dozen cows out of their bed. They never made a peep when he was calling. And why would they? It wasn’t worth the risk to that bull to advertise himself unless he was convinced of a threat.

One scenario I had this year was coming over the top of a ridge at 11:00 AM in some sparse black timber where it was really hot without much shade. Tons of deadfall and somewhat remote area that was hard to access due to deadfall. My buddy and I were tired of climbing over deadfall in the heat of the day and just crashing our way thru on our way back to the truck when we heard a weak bugle a mere 100 yards in front of us. Sounded like a typical vacuum cleaner hose Primos bugle tube and we both said there’s no way there are elk bedded up in this hot area midday. We fully expected another hunter to appear. But we played it safe and gave some soft cow calls and waited for a human walk out. Nothing was happening so we worked our way closer only to then catch a glimpse of a nice herd bull up and nervously moving around at 30-40 yards! We about shit! Wind was good at that point but could swirl at any moment as it had been unpredictable up on top. These elk were in the only dense/shady spot in the area.

We didn’t know how long we had before they got leery or got our wind and bolted so we ramped up the intensity of cow calling. We couldn’t see where the bull went or if he had cows. I gave him a nervous grunt (bark) to see if he would show himself because we were sure he was on edge. In hindsight I probably should have saved that for last resort. We then began cow calling in a distressed manner like a bull was stealing a cow and then gave him a couple screams as if we were a bull trying to call his cows. He screamed back in the same manner but sounded like he was now 75 yards away. Game over or game on? Didn’t know. Maybe he got our wind. We didn’t know. My buddy dropped back and I crept up. His herd exploded and cows were all around us. We played with them for probably 20 mins and the cows kept coming back towards us but the bull would not come in. We then moved our position closer to the bull and busted the remaining cows out. The bull was getting further away and we tried chasing him down the canyon as he went away screaming calling his cows but he eventually went silent. We bumped into a cow but never spotted him again.

It was fun but didn’t pan out. I likely messed that scenario up and everyone else may have played it differently. Regardless. Calling works. Except when it doesn’t.

 

[Versydus]

Completely agree that calling is just part of the game, but it's a very important part to imo to have a good grasp on.

Being totally new to archery hunting elk the best advice I got was to buy the elknut app and study. Huge help with how to play potential scenarios and gives an idea into what elk possibly are saying especially coming from reformed gun Hunter. I hunt pressure elk here in central Idaho and have seen bulls in our wheat fields light up bugling and the works. Once they get in the timber it's all silent until you get into their comfort zone then it's been game on. No luck getting any of the little bulls to respond vocally but had several come in silent to our calling only to wind us. Ended up getting in a bull with a few cows and got him to respond to my bugles with raking trees/brush. Got into the brush with him and I bugling back an forth @ 20-30 yards and worked it for 10-15 mins until I got the courage to get aggressive and closed the distance to 10 yards, super thick brush. Bull got really pissed and came in a opening and got swacked at 12 yards quartering towards me. Went 100 yards. Amazing experience, already planning for next year.

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[TheHardWay]

In my experience, it really depends on how fired up the elk are. If the elk aren't talking, and you are calling often, they'll turn and go the other way. Add to that, seems like elk will get call shy from every Tom, Dick, and Harry out there hitting their call. Earlier in the season is more effective than later when they are wise to the game. My tactic is to try and locate a bull from afar with a bugle, get a location on him, and silently try to move in close. Don't over do it. If he's fired up and willing to play, some soft cow calls or a bugle that sounds like a small bull can seal the deal to bring him into your lap.

 

[5MilesBack]

This year I went up early 2nd week, set up my base camp, scouted just a bit, and came home. The area I was in there was only one other camp there at that time, and they were just there early scouting for ML season. I came back Sunday afternoon to find several new camps all around me, with 10 new camps just in the spur road area I was camped. I talked to many of those guys and every single one of them said they hadn't heard or seen an elk yet........and apparently that continued all week for them.

Sunday evening I went up the draw everyone was hunting and got a bull to respond. I got within 50 yards of several cows, two raghorns, and a spike.......but the herd bull stayed covered up. No dice. But the next morning went 1/4 mile out of camp and bugled and got an immediate response. Same herd bull with his cows and satellites. I glassed him from 330 yards and he was a good 6x6. I chased him most the morning through the timber and had him at 30-40 yards several times and couldn't get an open shot.

I chased him multiple days and every time couldn't get an open shot through the thick timber. Then finally a week ago Tuesday evening I found him and challenged him. He bugled further away......probably 150 yards. So I challenged him again and started running in on him. As I came around a large pine, there he was on a run.......screaming as he ran, and only a few yards away at that point. He darted up the slope and into the timber when he saw me.

So after many encounters of him not running in.........suddenly on this occasion he decided it was time.........exactly when I was running in as well. Yes, it does work........but no, you don't always get a shot.

BTW, I'm a bugler. I hunt like I'm just another bull on the mountain, and usually a bull with an attitude. Doesn't matter whether it's OTC or limited units, I always hunt the same, and I always get into bulls. I will say that it may not be the best technique for actually shooting elk while solo, but it sure is fun. And at my age, I've killed a lot of elk.......I prefer to enjoy myself out there more so than ensuring I shoot something.

 

[idahohikker]

Well said. The trick is that even when they're talking it and willing to play it can be hard to get everything to line up. I think glassing is a good compliment to bugling when possible. I think elk in most places actively bugle but there may be a few spots where the elk have kind of evolved away from it and maybe are doing that more at night or not at all.

OP, keep with it I think while exploring the other options of killing one as well.

 

[jaredgreen]

Calling can be very effective, but like every other hunting method, it takes skill, knowledge, experience, and persistence to become proficient.

It works even in high pressure areas, but pressure makes it tougher. Being a good caller and hunter will help. Being persistent, and covering A LOT of country is essential. From time to time, my tag finds a bull that required everything I’ve learned about hunting and calling elk. Most often, it requires covering enough ground until I run into the right bull, in the right circumstances, and he comes in with minimal persuasion. Again, this is high pressure otc! This isn’t every bull, most bulls, or even a lot of bulls. But if you are into elk, and you keep swinging, one will connect. Then all you have to do is keep your poop in a group to make the shot!

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[jaredgreen]

BTW, in my experience, the bulls that come charging right in have responded to cow calls. This makes perfect sense. Bulls responding to another bull is a more drawn out dance that has naturally developed to prevent injury. The bulls posture and display, trying to intimidate the other until there is no other way to settle it but fight. This is a thrilling way to hunt elk, and my favorite type of encounter!

But this isn’t an issue to a bull responding to cow sounds. If he is looking for cows, for any number of reasons, and he hears cow sounds, he wants to go get her.

Because of this, when I’m trolling, I always start with cow sounds. If he bugles to that, I don’t use any bull sounds. Many times, those initial sounds I made are all that was required. He’s coming. Remember this when you are moving towards him to set up. He may already be moving to you.

If I don’t get a bugle from a few cow sounds, I bugle. Many bulls won’t bugle to cow calls, but hammer a bugle. Now you have to open your whole bag of tricks and use everything you’ve learned about calling elk. In my experience, he’s not just going to come running to a bugle or two, although there are always exceptions.


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[Brendan]

I've gotten bulls to come charging right in to both bugles and cow calls... All depends on the situation, that elk's mood, and knowing when to use a particular call. And for the record, I've never hunted anything but public land, general units.

In my experience, the people who blanket say "It doesn't work", don't really know what they're doing...

 

[jaredgreen]

I've gotten bulls to come charging right in to both bugles and cow calls... All depends on the situation, that elk's mood, and knowing when to use a particular call. And for the record, I've never hunted anything but public land, general units.

In my experience, the people who blanket say "It doesn't work", don't really know what they're doing...

Of course! Any experienced elk caller has. Like I said, there are always exceptions. Over a lot of years of trial and error, I see a trend that this behavior (immediately coming all the way to the calls with no delay) is MUCH MORE COMMON, when bulls are responding to cow sounds than with bull sounds. So...I like putting the odds in my favor by starting with cow sounds when running and gunning to locate. If the bull does come running in to bull sounds, those initial cow sounds aren’t going to do anything to change his mind. But if you start with bull sounds, it might, or at least, cause the bull to engage in the back and forth sizing each other up behavior we all love so much. Nothing wrong with that. But I wonder how many people have bugling contests with bulls that never quite materialize into a shot, that would have strolled right in with a couple cow calls if the hunter would have offered those sounds first. I’d be willing to bet it’s more than a few.


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