Calling straight outta the tent

[Mikeha33]

Do any of you guys give a location bugle as soon as you're ready to trek out of camp? I plan on doing some bugling at night, to help locate animals to pursue at first light, but with the stories of guys having animals in camp sometimes, I wonder if it would be advantageous to let one rip or not before we take long hike? It makes sense that elk could be in close proximity, and that one might not eve know if he didn't try. Do you write that into your hunt plans? Call from camp before you start moving? If so, and one responded, how far away from camp would you set up and wait for the sun to shine? We are in the middle of elk country, especially us backpack and bivy hunters, so they could be 300 yards away. It seems like it could be a missed opportunity, and where elk are at 1:00 am, they may not be in the same spot 4 hours later.

[Swede]

There are several things to keep in mind when you start calling. One of the most important is be in a location that gives you an advantage over the elk you are calling. It is a good idea to have cover or terrain so that the elk is close enough to be shot, before they can look right where you called from. If they see where you are before they are close enough to shoot, then they will hang up and soon turn back. They know they should see the elk that called. Is your camp set up in such a place? Another thing to keep in mind is not to educate the elk. Will they associate your camp with human activity? Maybe not if you just arrived. Is the wind in your favor where you camp? Personally I would prefer to start calling away from camp, but we have all had them come near camp and have called to them from the tent. I have never got one that way though. It was just fun to hear them.

[Trophyhill]

I've bugled from camp at night and got responses. Typically the elk won't be far from where you hear them the night before. Great way to locate elk. Be careful not to call them in though

[ElkNut1]

Mike, absolutely! If I'm bivy hunting I know I'm not near other hunters or camps so I'm not stepping on toes or calling where other hunters can be affected by my calling. Fact is, I'm there for one reason, find elk then kill elk! I'm not concerned with reading a book telling me when I should or shouldn't call, calling finds elk quicker than anything before daylight or right at daylight especially from Sept 10 to the end of the month. As Trophyhill mentions, where you locate elk at night & this generally refers to anytime of the night the elk you hear then will be very close to that same area come morning! -- If you are hearing bulls during the night & early morning before light then make your way towards them with wind in your favor with no calling! Get as close as possible without being detected then work your magic! You may resort to something as simple as giving 2-3 soft cow calls just loud enough for them to hear then wait 15-30 seconds & start raking a tree/brush & rolling a few rocks around moderately, this simple method can bring nearby bulls right to you!

If no calling is heard during the night it doesn't mean elk aren't around! A good sharp Advertising Bugle to stir things up could be the ticket to light things up & get a direction as you leave camp. This can actually "shock bugle" bulls into bugling right back at you whether they're rutting or not, point is you just got a direction & a location to start your morning hunt. Do not keep calling once a response is heard, your desire was to locate bulls not call them to you & you did just that! Good Luck!

ElkNut1