Common Elk Calling Mistakes

[JohnFitzgerald]

Narrowing down the Common Mistakes thread, what are some common elk calling mistakes? I'll start.

1) Thinking every bugle you hear from elk are warning bugles.

2) Not waiting long enough during a cold call setup.

[Swede]

Expecting the elk to come to you when you call. Expecting him to answer and assuming because you did not receive an answer, there are no elk coming or nearby.

[>>>---WW---->]

Over calling!

[cnelk]

Forget your calls....

[JJ Overkill]

wrong response to an answer, or my personal best, calling from an area where elk expect to see another elk

[Elkonthebrain]

I'm still pretty new to elk hunting but I'll still give it a shot. Not being aggressive enough when the bull is hung up?

[cnelk]

Elkonthebrain
If the bull is hung up, a couple things could have happened.

1 - he cant see the elk that brought him this close [you]

2 - the terrain is too open [directly related to #1]

3 - you didnt use ElkMtnGear slip system decoy

A plug

[elkoholic]

Being too aggressive or not aggressive enough.

[twinkieman]

1.Wrong call at the wrong time
2.Not setting up close enough, in the first place, and trying to call the bull too far
3.Over calling

[Trophyhill]

my most common mistake is not reading the situation correctly. I've been combating this the last couple years by moving in as quickly as I can and getting as close as I can before I call again after getting a response and it's been working.

[Bullnuts]

1. Not making other elk sounds - breaking sticks and rolling rocks are sounds elk expect to hear - silence is not golden in calling situations.
2. Not setting my hunters up far enough away on the downwind side to catch those bulls that circle. I've had way too many bulls circle me over the past couple of years - come in silent and leave like a freight train when they wind us. 50 yards downwind is a good starting point.
3. Not using binoculars to scan before moving. Three years in a row I've gotten up from a cold calling sequence to jump bulls that were standing there looking at me from the other sides of trees. Binoculars help you see into and through trees where using the naked eye makes it tough to see the contrast in colors or pick out the elk in the thick stuff.

[ElkNut1]

All great points for all of us!

One that really hits home for me is what Trophyhill brings up, I'm not sure if he knows how right he really is? (grin) Reading a situation is so crucial in elk hunting, there are countless ones & it takes years of experience before many will be faced with them. Yet when we start to see the light you will find you can call in 80% of the bulls you come across, vocal or not vocal, vocal ones are easier. That's how important reading a situation is! Many mistakes take place each year because of not knowing how to read one correctly!

For example take a bull that has cows, we all call him a herd bull, how do work that bull effectively? Many will say you have to be aggressive with him by cow calling then bugle & or rake a tree when he answers, some may say sneak in on him & don't allow him to know you are around, others say cow call him, still others say challenge him with a bugle. Some may say Call & Stalk with a caller & shooter! Who's right & who's wrong? The answer can be that all are correct! (grin) How's that? You must know how to read the timing of the rut for this group no matter what the date says on the calendar! We must be willing to adapt & adjust our thinking & technique of use to the mindset of the herd & herd bull. If cows are showing signs of estrus this bull can be very protective of intruder bulls, you'll know by his persistent bugling! Other times you will find a bull with cows & he could care less about another bull walking right in amongst him & his cows. This herd bull must be treated differently for best results! You are better off to draw on his curiosity than approach him as you would an aggressive rut crazed bull with cows with challenging bugles of your own. -- So a common mistake here is to treat all herd bulls alike, we will do more harm than good if we do!

ElkNut1

[Lefty]

Always "know" your distance ( maybe use a range finder)
Have a backup plan,. maybe a different drainage, camp, unit etc

[WapitiTalk1]

Do not assume a crappy sounding bugle (or other non typical sounding elk noise) is a hunter. Elk make some very, very strange sounds (moans, pants, chirps, wheezes, and yep... pretty poor sounding bugles). Later in the rut, some bulls bugle themselves out to the point of sounding like a Brahma bull that is only capable of braying at you. It's kind of like a football coach who has hollered the entire game and lost his voice. Do not assume a perfect sounding bugle is an elk merely based on the sound quality. Ask me how I know this . There are many more factors involved to determine if a response (or unsolicited elk noise) is a hunter or an elk.

As others have said, making the correct elk noise at the right time is very important. Although you may be able to make great sounding, hard hitting grunts, remember that these are very aggressive warning sounds that will in most situations, push Mr. Bull away. Keep your grunting in your bugling competition tool bag for the most part. Work on the five basic elk sounds Elknut talks about; they are really, the key to success.

Many good points made on this thread referencing elk calling mistakes. In addition to what I’ve written above, I’ll add:

Trust in your calling/elk noises. You do not have to sound perfect but you do need to always be prepared to use the correct sounds at the right time.
Stay with what is working until it stops working. I’ll explain. You’ve heard an unsolicited bugle across a small draw on an alder side hill. Before you make the trek to go visit this guy, you throw out some whiny cow sounds to see if Mr. Bull is interested in having company. He immediately responds with some chuckles preceded by a pretty two note bugle. You decided to let the bull call you in. Using the wind, available cover, and some sweet cow sounds along the way….. you move towards the bull. There is no need to change what is working until it stops working.. Let big stinky call you in, thinking you’re a way faring cow looking for a date. A nasty bull scream while you’re moving changes what the bull perceives is happening and he may be on the train out of town before you get close enough.

I like this thread…BUMP… what are some other elk calling mistakes?

[Still Hunter]

I've probably made the biggest mistake of all over the years.

Not calling at all.

[JohnFitzgerald]

Not calling isn't a mistake, it's a style of hunting.

Incorrect calling or wrong sounds are mistakes.

My 2-cents.

[Trophyhill]

All great points for all of us!

One that really hits home for me is what Trophyhill brings up, I'm not sure if he knows how right he really is? (grin) Reading a situation is so crucial in elk hunting

ElkNut1

I bring it up because It's the single most reason I've went to camp and back home with a "if only I'da done this" memory! I'm talking big bulls here and you don't forget these missed opportunities. and as you know and said it many times, "not all elk encounters are created equal" and even though we may have learned from the last encounter, the next one will most certainly be a 180 and a totally different set of circumstances and if read wrong, the second memory at camp and believe me when I say these missed opportunities can add up quickly when you are in to elk consistently.

I'm thankful that you've put a lot of great information out there and a lot of information shared by others as well to help shorten the learning curve. there are so many encounters that are similar and easy to misinterpret and I think that's where first hand experience and countless encounters starts to pay dividends at some point.

[Screaming_btf]

For me using a location bugle getting an answer, then moving up a bit and doing another location bugle... and misjudging how far away the ELK are gets me busted all the time.