Green elk hunter

[MichelD]

Even though I've been hunting since 1968 and have been on three Roosevelt elk hunts, I don't know anything about Rocky Mountain elk.



With no LEH this year I'm tempted to try a region 7 elk hunt.

Do you veteran elk hunters find bull bugling or cow calling is more effective?

I've been deer hunting in the Princeton area and heard elk bugles all over the place but I think that was other hunters.

[Ferenc]

No veteran .... But a bugle can bring them in like a frieght train ... Let them sound off for their location ... Then make your plan and get in close.. Straight in if the wind is in your favour with a cow call... Lots = lost cow : )

[todbartell]

Use a location bugle to try and get a bull to sound off to give away his location, then work in silently to that general area with the wind in your favor. Once there I would suggest a few cow calls and hold tight. If he's still close by he can come right in, either silent or vocally.

[MichelD]

Use a location bugle to try and get a bull to sound off to give away his location, then work in silently to that general area with the wind in your favor. Once there I would suggest a few cow calls and hold tight. If he's still close by he can come right in, either silent or vocally.

Thanks Tod.

[goatdancer]

And here I thought we had another variety of elk in BC...............

[Ourea]

Areas that r easy access, get a lot of vehicle and boot traffic, can be the worst areas to rely on "calling" for elk.

Personal experience......the less pressure an area gets the more the odds go up in using calling to pull in an aggressive elk and kill him.
I feel that most elk hunters are call crazy.

If elk are around and not pressured they will be doing their thing and vocalizing without a hunter calling to them.

Most elk that come in on a string, in pressured areas, are suicide bulls.....2 or 3 yr olds.
It happens but are low odds experiences.

Elk and pressure go to together like oil and water.

[todbartell]

get a KM off a road or trail and odds of success will climb quickly

[MichelD]

I guess not owning a quad is a benefit then.

[Ry151]

I guess not owning a quad is a benefit then.
Sure is after you have one down

[J_T]

Use bugling in the dark as dawn approaches, listen for calling at dusk. Spend your day hiking hard, looking for 'fresh' sign. While you hike, use very muted/quiet cow calls, or lost calf calls, but only seldom (IE if you make some noise going through something). If you find fresh sign, they are likely close and bedded. Sit and wait, until near dusk, watch the wind, as it will turn, as dusk approaches start with the cow call.

[todbartell]

become proficient with calls. On the hunt is not the time to be learning how to use them. I think most guys struggle with the calling aspect of hunting elk, either in delivery or in saying the right thing at the right time.

[MichelD]

Now the big question is where to go.

[todbartell]

somewhere steep and with poor access would be a great place to start looking :mrgreen:

[hparrott]

Use a location bugle to try and get a bull to sound off to give away his location, then work in silently to that general area with the wind in your favor. Once there I would suggest a few cow calls and hold tight. If he's still close by he can come right in, either silent or vocally.

Can you elaborate on "location bugle." I've been working hard on the cow calls. I'm green too.....

[Bugle M In]

Even some of us "seasoned elk hunters" are feeling a little "green" these days as well.
Hunting Pressure and now Predators, seem to be making many areas where Elk, who were once very vocal and responded to
calls in the past, have now become silent....extremely silent.
Keep your eyes open, if you know there is fresh sign around, than you know they are there, even if you don't hear them, and
I am finding more elk coming in silently than ever before.
One thing, don't bugle if you see a bull with a harem, because he will round up the cows, and head for the trees.
But, if your right in one them, between him and the cows, than bugle if you want, and watch out you don't get run over.
If you hear a couple of bulls bugling at each other, try to get in between them, and than cow call, no need to be another bull.
Locating Calls are usually just a long high whistle, no need to bugle a bunch of notes and grunts.
If you do get a bull bugling, and he sounds "mature", than adding chuckling to the calls can really get his cage rattled.
Biggest mistake many seasoned hunters make, is they make themselves sound "too big".
If I get a bulls attention, and it seems he is coming towards me, I will just stick to cow calls at that point...no need to
challenge him at that point, just sweet talk him.
Oh, one thing, a bull will know "Exactly" where you are calling from, even if he hadn't heard you for 15 minutes,
if you haven't moved......it's unreal how they know that.
Reason we use Bugling, is that the sound reaches out there a long ways compared to a cow call, but once you have their
attention and their coming closer, cow calls is what is only needed....generally.
Bugling can sometimes helps to get them motivated, to finally make their way toward you.
And if they just hang up, bugling back at you from the timber, but never seem to come closer over time, there is a strong chance
he has cows, and won't be coming in, so that's when you have to decide if you want to go in after him, or wait it out, get into
a closer position without calling, and see if he comes out before dark, or get into the same area the next morning before first
light and see if he is out there grazing, and again, I wouldn't call first in this type of situation.

As for where to go....that is a question many of us are asking these days, as it has become harder to find them, especially if your
not able to scout before the season.
Heck, my last year trip was a one week scouting trip, and all I had to show where a picture of 2 lil raghorns.
Seems like the people having the most consistent success these past couple of years are the guys who know people with
private land/ranch land.
There are some really good videos these days on "youtube" or google on elk calling.
I started with a larry d jones/wayne carlton video many years ago, and the rest just comes with practice and experience,
but I assure you, nothing more exciting than bugling it out with another bull.

[hunter1947]

MichelD I find that both cow and bugling work well when the time is right what I do is when I find a well used area that elk are using I set up in a place where I can see a distance then I let 5 or 6 cow call off then wait for 10 min if nothing I move on for about 20 min and do the same set up again now and then I will let out a locating bugle every 20 min when walking just to hear if I get a return call.

If I hear a bull that calls back to me when I set up and do my cow calling I won't give out a bugle because I don't know if I am dealing with a herd bull or a satellite bull to many times I bugled back to the bull that was answering my cow calls to find he rounded up his cows and pegged it out of the areas into no man's land..

So the best thing to do is stay set up and wait it out to see if that bull will come in looking for your call it just might be the big boy of the herd..

I do call with my bugle now and then and if I get a return call I will give a call right back to him ,,I copy him with his calling if he is a hot bull and is calling back to you keep giving a call right back to him if he is getting further out you are probably dealing with a herd bull so the best thing to do then is stop calling and head towards him and just listen for any more calls if he is calling keep after him without doing any calling you might get in close enough to his window where he feels you're a threat to him.

He might then come into your call when you give him a bugle,,I try to get in within a 100 yards if in thick country,,,I could go on for hours about how to hunt elk what I have said will help you out somewhat,,,good luck this year on your elk hunt.:smile:. (Some good feedback on how to elk hunt on your thread)

[J_T]

^^ Good advice Wayne. I'd say thats pretty much my approach too. I use more than one cow call. Some are quiet, some are louder. I think I pretty much always push toward the bull. Force him to turn and come in.

[todbartell]

Can you elaborate on "location bugle."

location or contact bugle will be a shrill, high note bugle that is non threatening and will often get bulls to answer. No growls, chuckles, grunts, groans etc. Just hit the high note and hold it there for 3-5 seconds and listen