The USPS came with a late Christmas present yesterday...

[bald9eagle]

Got my calls in from Paul yesterday. The wife is not amused. That thing is loud in close quarters....lol. Being a turkey hunter I found it easy to sound elkish on my first few tries. I know I've got a little ways to go to get all the subtleties down.

Lesson #1..,,do you call in bulls by acting like the new dude intruding or do you seduce him by sounding like a cow in high heels and fishnets?

[WapitiTalk1]

Congrats on your new elk horn buddy. Yes, they are loud and whether you're making bull or cow sounds, you may find yourself ourside or in the garage for your practice sessions if you're not carefull, lol. Practicing in your rig on the way to/from work is a great way to get your noises on. Also, you can muffle the sound a bit if you stick the end of the tube into a pillow... in a far, far corner bedroom in your house

OK, what sounds to make? It depends on the situation and time of year. Here's a post I did a while back to a similar question:

"Learn to make the basic elk sounds that will serve you well in the elk woods. You don't have to be perfect, but you must be able to clearly make these sounds in various situations. In the tips section, Elknut1 offers that five basic sounds will serve a new, or for that matter, any hunter well. They are 1. cow/calf mews and chirps; 2. estrus buzz; 3. nervous grunts; 4. bull screams/challenge; and 5. location bugle. These are kind of the bread and butter of elk calling/vocalization for hunters. There are certainly other sounds that one should learn to understand, and, to make as your elk sound proficiency increases but knowing and being proficient in these five will serve you well. I would also offer that understanding what you hear and what you're saying back is paramount! Here's one scenario where this philosophy can either make for a close encounter, possibly a successful kill, or leave you scratching your head. You locate a bull by using some sweet cow sounds and said bull responds you to with a bugle with chuckles. What is he asking for? If you understand what chuckles mean when given in response to your cow calls, you'll know how to respond. If bullwinkle is asking/demanding you to come to him, give him what he wants! Throwing back any type of bull sound can ruin this situation in "most" cases.