Bow hunters over calling

Elk97

WKR
Joined
Feb 14, 2019
Messages
767
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NW WA & SW MT
My son and I were told by another hunter that we were calling too much and as a result he said the elk in the area had gone quiet. Which was strange because we were hearing (my son was hearing, I can't hear worth a darn) multiple bulls every day and never set up to just blind call, we were always working on one that was responding. I think, at least in this case, it was that the other hunter didn't call and just didn't want us in the area (even though we'd been there for days before he showed up). I'm no expert but I haven't seen any indication that my calling adversely affects the bulls responding even over the course of a week or so in one general area. Now if you were sitting and just repeatedly location calling that's a different situation and most bulls are probably going to move along after getting downwind of you, so yeah, it would get pretty quiet.
 
Joined
Jun 17, 2016
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ID
After hunting super hard for elk every day last month I'm really bummed out with how call shy the bulls are getting.
I managed to call one 5 point bull in for my buddy (which he shot) and that was it!
I'm in an area where I used to call bulls in almost every time I go out.

Sadly I saw way way more guys in the woods this year in places that I never have, and one thing I noticed is how everyone is over calling.
If you're new to bow hunting please take this advice, STOP bugling and cow calling at herd bulls that are all cowed up.
They know somethings up when you call over and over again, and you won't bring them away from their cows
YOU'RE educating all of them!

Anyone else noticing this in the woods?
Adapt and sort it out. You're not going to change the masses.
 
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
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Tijeras NM
P.s. keep in mind that world champion callers are being judged by humans not animals

There is an exception to the rule. When a bull comes up against this world champion “overcaller”, he may end up in the ice chests. The same could probably be said about Kaboth and Turner as well as other great callers who don’t compete. Elknut1 being a prime example

 

Deadfall

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Joined
Oct 18, 2019
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Montana
There is an exception to the rule. When a bull comes up against this world champion “overcaller”, he may end up in the ice chests. The same could probably be said about Kaboth and Turner as well as other great callers who don’t compete. Elknut1 being a prime example

Lol...that video doesn't offer much in way of supporting evidence for calling...

Personally it makes no difference to me how folks use their horns. Don't think there is such a thing as overcalling. Do believe there is such a thing as good and bad timing which is the information not being shared. There's also i believe a difference in mature elk and raghorns.
There are exceptional callers around no arguing that.

Having been around some of those fancy TV types in the field I have personal first hand experience of the ridiculous stuff they do. Wont see that on the YouTube though. In all honesty I used to want too be a part of that stuff. That is until I had the opportunity to participate in some. Now I just try to help the new guys. Try giving out information on here that I've spent a lifetime accumulating. I help guys all year around. From getting in shape to gear setup, weaponry, then spend time in field with them as well. How to scout so on and so forth. All for free.
Lot of good folks out there doing same thing on different stages in different forms.

Also lot of guys out there just trying to sell stuff. I try to help sift through it. This isn't something I do a few weeks out of year. Its not just with elk either.
Getting new hunters in field is great, where are their ethics coming from. A new hunter whether 30 or 15 doesn't know what they dont know. Be like giving someone a saw and hammer then saying go build your house.

Everyone has to make their own minds though.
 

ndbuck09

WKR
Joined
Feb 16, 2015
Messages
607
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Boise, ID
Don't have the time to read through all of this but I can say with 100% certainty that if you call unnaturally in the presence of pressured elk, like here in Idaho, you will not call them in. Unnaturally is both overcalling and also having a crappy bugle. People love to throw out that they've heard terrible bugles from bulls but when you can't get resonance from your bugle, you sound plasticy and fake and the elk know it. There's a difference between a weird sounding sound generated by an elk diaphragm, lungs and their windpipes and a crappy/weird sounding bugle made by much smaller lungs of a human and a plastic tube. In otc areas like most of Idaho, they know the difference and you compound it by blowing through that plastic tube every minute. My buddy didn't call in any bulls this year and he wonders why, but the reason is that in the face of an elk, he now can't let it go 30 seconds without a sound. All our encounters started hot and then ended with no elk committing and them going silent. Tell me that's not from overcalling when we know how to set up and work a 2 person setup.

Yes we had some strong disagreements out there this year lol.
 
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