Distance you can hear bugle?

[bald9eagle]

How far out can you typically hear a bugle? Let's say that you are above the treeline sitting on top of a drainage. Are we saying maybe half a mile out?

I guess the real question is how far do you move in between calling setups? Do you guys sit and glass or run and gun looking for elk herds?

[Timber]

Not sure but one time in MT I was looking across a big drainage with binos after hearing a bugle and spotted a 5x5(roughly) on the other side. This bull happened to be less than 100 yards from my truck that was parked at a forest service road gate(Had to throw that in)ha ha. This bull would answer me every time I called so I would bugle and pull my binos up to my eyes to watch him bugle back and he would be done with his bugle for a bit before the sound reached me. I am not good with distances but he was a long ways across there. I think we all know it depends on terrain also. You have me wondering now and I am going to see if I can google earth this to measure distance somehow.....lol

[RAMMONT]

Sounds travel about 375 yards per second that's a fixed scientific fact. Terrain doesn't effect how long it takes for sound to reach you, only how loud the sound is. This fact is why they teach that the distance to an explosion or lightning strike can be approximated by counting the time it takes for the sound to reach you and then dividing by 5 (the speed of sound is approx 1/5 of mile or 1129 feet per second).

So if you see an elk bugle and you don't hear it for 3 seconds after you see his mouth move then he'll be about 1125 yards out.

[Timber]

I knew there was a formula but I would rather look at maps... That is good to know though Ram thanks! I was referring to terrain as how far you can actually hear a bugle.

[Ryan Conkle]

I typically run and gun, although their is definitely a time to stay put and do some calling, I usually cover a lot of ground in effort to find a bull that is "workable" that day.

[bald9eagle]

I'm a run and gun turkey hunter. I will cover some ground. I guess I need to stop over thinking things and just hunt. I'm confident that the tactics I know and trust for turkeys will work here.

I'm getting pretty fired up. 8 days till we leave out.

[Navesgane]

I took a few friends out the other night to call some elk- they had never heard a bugle before. I got a reply from one across a canyon what I'm guessing was a mile away. We had to keep totally quiet to hear it reply which it did several times. I'm not sure how far you can hear an elk bugle but they can hear you farther.

[Ryan Conkle]

I am a run and gun turkey hunter as well bald9eagle and that level of aggressiveness has transitioned well for me over to the elk woods'.

[TurkeyBowMaster]

About a mile...more if conditions are perfect. My limited experience says judging them is exactly the same as turkeys, but they don't sound off as regular so expect closing to take twice as long, possible more if terrain is rough. Nothing will prepare you for elk like turkeys. If you regularly kill turkey with a bow then elk will die too.

[bald9eagle]

Haha...don't be all crazy. I probably could kill a turkey with a bow but why take that chance?

[WapitiTalk1]

How far out can you typically hear a bugle? Let's say that you are above the treeline sitting on top of a drainage. Are we saying maybe half a mile out?

I guess the real question is how far do you move in between calling setups? Do you guys sit and glass or run and gun looking for elk herds?

When it's bone quiet, you can hear them a loooong ways out, perhaps as far as a mile across a canyon. Those high notes really carry when it's dead quiet outside. I try to stay with calling setups at least 10-15 minutes if I figure elk are within earshot, up to 30 minutes sometimes. How far to move kind of depends on the area/terrain/weather hunted. If moving 200 yards takes you up/over a finger ridge into an area where elk may have not heard you from your last setup, and, you're still figuring the area may hold elk... set up again and go through your sequence. In more open basins, the distance between calling setups may increase quite a bit, but, if weather has moved in (particularly rain), it seems to affect how far sound carries set up a bit more often.

[TurkeyBowMaster]

Not uncommon to o hear turkey over a mile. In ideal conditions 2 miles is possible.

[BRazz]

So many variables... I suppose it's possible to hear a bugle a mile away, but I'd say it rarely happens. All it takes is one ridge between you and the elk, or a little bit of moisture or wind, or an elk to be bugling from in the trees instead of a ridgetop... changes everything.

I'd say most of the time less than a half-mile where I hunt. Lots of trees and lots of topography.

[Texasbdog]

I hunted last year and my loss of hearing was a big issue. My buddies could hear what I was missing, not only could I not communicate well with them, I missed several bugles. I told myself last year before I left I would correct that. I bought a walkers game ear and have been walking the woods and am amazed at what I have been missing. I can't wait to be able to hear better this year. I learned many lessons last year, looking forward to second rifle season in Co.