What sound would you make in this situation?

[Toby]

You have left camp way before first light, worked your way near a known honey hole,and are hunting solo. You are not so much interested in calling a bull to you, rather you just want to know where one is so you can sneak in on him. What call are you going to use to get a bull to respond back, giving up his location? Assume elk are in earshot of all of your sounds?

[JPD350]

If you do not want to call one in ??? then do not call, especially if you are getting close to your honey hole. The thing to do would be call from a long way off and listen in the direction of the honey hole, the only problem with any calling is you could pull the bull in your direction and you will bump into him on your way to your spot.

If you are not a good caller then just slip into the hole and toss out 1 or 2 cow calls and stay quite for an hour.

[Toby]

I'm not opposed to calling them in, but I will be hunting solo this year and want to try some other techniques.

[Swede]

I would go with a common location bugle. Depending on how hot the calling is at the time, they could answer several different bugles or a cow call.

[WapitiTalk1]

If you've already moved in pretty close to where you know there may be elk, perhaps just sit tight and listen. Many times, they'll make their presence known without a peep from a hunter's horn. From that point, you can plan a stalk, or, intercept course to try and get close for a shot opportunity. If they're not sounding off unsolicited, try setting up and do some cold calling which can consist of just a few mild cow sounds (as ZPD mentioned). You can step it up after a bit to cow/herd talk with some brush raking sprinkled, and even a more aggressive sequence if you feel the urge. Regardless of which sounds you start/end with, patience is the key while doing this. I am not the poster child for patience, that's for sure, but sitting tight for 30-45 minutes is recommended for cold calling setups. It seems that almost every year, I diffuse a cold calling setup too soon that results in busting a silent bull that came in to visit.

[Toby]

Good thoughts. Phantom, I need to think more along the suggestions you made. Patience has never been my strong suit either, but it makes sense that if I am near a good honey hole they will probably sound off themselves.

[zpd307]

i just want to add something..... you do not always hear them when in their honey hole. i was in elk and didnt know it until two bulls decided to fight about a hundred yards away. no cow calls, nothing.....

[Toby]

Zpd, good point. I often wonder about how many elk I walk past without knowing they are there.

[Gselkhunter]

Thrash a tree and give a grunt or 3. If no response then give a single pitch bugle 3-4 seconds in length, no growl to start, no grunt to finish just taper off the note. If that doesn't work make a phone call.

[Drawnandpinned]

A nice easy the tone non aggressive locator bugle

[Trophyhill]

An estrus whine and if he responds it's go time

[Screaming_btf]

If this is my honey hole that I am confident has a high percentage chance of ELK being in or near I am going to sneak in and be quiet, sit and listen. Maybe 5-10 before I can start to see I would go with some cow calling and see if I get a response. If not wait a few then a nice 2 tone location bugle and go from their. With no response I would probably wait a while or move if I don't here anything around me or answering my calls.

[Wapiti]

I hunt a lot of call shy bulls as there are quads or road hunters every where but what I do mostly is walk the ridges using the game trails. Once you are getting close to your honey hole always sit and wait for 15-20 minutes and just listen. This does multiple things first it lets you calm down from your walk in even if you were walking slow, you cool down and you may just hear a bull or multiple bulls bugling.

But the number one reason I wait is because I walk in at dark and for those that do not know here is a little secret about elk................Believe it or not an elks eye sight is poor for the first half hour as the sun is coming up !! Elk will bugle in the dark before first light but there is usually a lull for about 20-30 minutes at sunrise.

So sit and wait for a half hour and a lot of times you will hear a bugle or grunt and you'll know where they are automatically.

As for sound I am always an out of the box bow hunter and shy away from what most people do !! My go to call I always use first when close to my honey hole is a quiet chuckle that can only be heard by an elk that is close 100-150 yards. Elk have way better hearing than you and I so they are always listening for elk sounds !!

The other reason for my chuckling is I don't want to location bugle as all the other hunter that are within earshot will hear me and think ELK over there !!

By doing this if you get a response I can tell you it is always an elk and never another hunter !!! People do not do that they always bugle !! Think outside the box and you'll have way more answer's !

I hope this helps you out.

Trav