Definitely need to learn more.

[Bow4me]

Well it's tag soup for 2014.
This was my first year to attempt to hunt during the rut and I think I was a little early. I put in for ML but didn't draw so I decided to go archery during the same week.
I packed in about 9 miles and set up camp at about 11000 feet. The first evening me and my son went up above treeline to listen. We actually stumbled across a good herd with a huge herd bull chasing cows and a couple of good satellite bulls. And this is where I'm lacking knowledge. My only calling experience is with Arkansas turkeys and I'm not sure when to bugle and when to cow call. I got a satellite bull in to about 80 yards and I think the wind swirled he trotted off but I just don't know how to get the bulls attention. This went on all week even though the bugling steadily declined. I'm guessing the heat slowed things down but I heard bugling every day just couldn't get a bull to work for me. I'd like to think it was because the rut wasn't in full swing yet but I know a lot of it was me. For instance the last morning in I hit the bugle and got a response across a draw in the dark timber. So here I go across and up to what I think is just below his level. I hit a couple of cow calls with no response and I walk from right to the left at the same level towards an opening I had seen from the other side of the draw. As soon as I get to the opening I spotted him about 175 yards above me. He is moving right to left also so I hit him with a cow call and he stopped a couple of times but no bugle or change in direction. After he cleared the opening I crossed and cow called again and after no response and a short wait I hit him with a bugle and still no response. Now I'm standing there not knowing what to do. So I decided to continue in the same direction and after a short period of time he bugle on his on farther to the left. This game went on for a hour or so until he finally shut up. No matter what I did I couldn't get him to dance so here's my questions. What is your favorite final commitment call? Was it my calling or the rut not kicked in yet? Thanks in advance for the advice and sorry for the rambling.

[Bow4me]

No advice?

[Rangerz]

Might suggest Elknut1's playbook. Lot of good advice in there. If the Bull already had his cows, you could try getting in close and giving cow calls to simulate a lost one or some cow calls and a small sounding bugle to sound like a threat.

At least you know where they live now!

[Bow4me]

After the first day the bulls and cows were separate and that's what really gave me problems. Not knowing how to work a lone bull. Thanks for the post and I'm definitely going to pick up the play book and be more prepared for next year.

[zpd307]

I am not a big caller. all 3 years that I have hunted elk, we hardly heard bugles and the cows didn't call. I have only heard one group of cows talking. so I find myself walking around listening for elk sounds or getting visuals.
If I were you and you have a visual on an elk get in as close as you can first.
We had a bull this year, still out in the open sage feeding up the mtn about 500 yards away. we caught up to him as he was feeding in a corner on the edge of the timber and he was only 50 yards away when he walked in. I blew the opportunity trying to get up another 10 yards to get better wind.... I stepped on a couple of sage braches and he came back out to investigate who it was. if I only had been looking ahead instead of where I was stepping, I would have seen him....

[Rizzy]

Get the playbook and a video or two. I have the playbook and it worked good as a reference while hunting. I just wish I would have done more homework in the calling department and memorized the sequences more prior to the season. I a few too many hang-ups for my liking. One thing I learned is that if you do to much cow calling, a cow will come in instead of the bull. I had the lead cow come in on two different occasions while doing my level 2/3 threat inside of 100 yards.

[zpd307]

ron, i agree. i haven't really focused on my calling since i hadn't gotten into a lot of elk before. plus, the elk have never been vocal. i got into a lot of elk this year and tried every which way to seal the deal which included calling.... my calling did not help seal the deal. i need to learn what to say and be able to say it for next year.....

[Bow4me]

Gary that's what I'm going to work on. I've only killed a couple of elk and it has been more luck than skill. But I'm going to change that. I had a blast this season chasing bugling bulls.