Cold Calling Silent Bull - what would you do next

[Screaming_btf]

I have run into this more than a few times and I would like some input on how to make the best of the situation.
Scenario:
Cold calling with Cow sounds and you get a Bull that sneaks in silent. You are aware of him when he lets out a few pretty soft groan type sounds, you can't see him but you can hear him moving around and then stopping. If you wait he will make a few more similar sounds, not chuckles not a bugle. He is within 50-60 yards maybe even closer.. perhaps at this point you can start to see him. The Wind is in your favor and the terrain is very dense.
I have tried just sitting and waiting, throwing out a bugle, and or a few cow calls from the same spot I was at and this only worked one time when he finally came out as I think he got bored and then just started grazing. More often than not I fail big time here. What do you guys do or what would you try?

[Trophyhill]

Forgive me Elknut <grin>

I've called in my share of bulls with the cold calling set up and failed miserably. I stopped doing it a couple years ago and started calling and moving or calling and stalking with much better results although I will say that several cows have fallen victim to cold calling setups

[Pop-r]

On cold calling setups as Trophyhill stated you MUST call & move!! If only a minor distance. Elk can pinpoint you to amazing accuracy from several hundred yards & will. Trying to move in the direction you "expect" their approach while keeping the wind is of upmost importance when cold calling...... I thought Trophyhill was gonna say he quit failing at it when he started calling & moving (that's about my thinkin on it) ... Lol I LOVE COLD CALLING! Not as much fun as bugling bulls in but it seems to actually work on smaller type bulls & cows early on pretty darn good.

[Trophyhill]

On cold calling setups as Trophyhill stated you MUST call & move!! If only a minor distance. Elk can pinpoint you to amazing accuracy from several hundred yards & will. Trying to move in the direction you "expect" their approach while keeping the wind is of upmost importance when cold calling...... I thought Trophyhill was gonna say he quit failing at it when he started calling & moving (that's about my thinkin on it) ... Lol I LOVE COLD CALLING! Not as much fun as bugling bulls in but it seems to actually work on smaller type bulls & cows early on pretty darn good.

i've stumbled onto a few select sounds that work well for me if made at the right times and right locations. the "technique" (if you will) means theres a good chance you will meet while moving toward each other. i should say that i've hunted alone mostly too. i have come to the conclusion that cold calling probably works best when working as a team as opposed to being a lone hunter. don't get me wrong, i've been "oh so close" in cold calling set ups to having shots at some very big bulls but the same result. no shot opportunity. i've learned that if i am doing the same thing over and over only to fail, well then maybe i'm just not good at it and or maybe i should try something else. i think the failures have helped the versatility.

[Pop-r]

In another frame of mind those big bull's or lesser bull's & cow's are successes as much as failure's! Just to get them to come!

[Swede]

I consider any elk I eat a success. Cold calling where I hunt takes patience. As stated earlier move off of the spot you called from. I prefer small bull sounds. I am not trying to intimidate anything. Just arouse curiosity. I don't often use any cow talk. Usually I try to sound like one bull and may throw in some raking and stomping before I move to a predetermined nearby location to wait.

[otcWill]

Without going into great detail, my diagnoses of your problem here is poor settup. Settup in the place where the bull will come in order to look for elk. 50-60 yards is VERY close! Don't be afraid to belly crawl just cuz you've never seen it on a primos video. It works!

If I were pinned down I'd probably roll a rock in the direction that I want him to head. Good luck!

[ElkNut1]

Trophyhill, not sure what you mean? On Cold Calling Setups there are times to call & stay put right there this is especially so in dense or thick ground cover. Other times because of more open or semi open country you are best suited to call then move up or to the side & up depending on wind direction in that Cold Calling Setup. Terrain will dictate what's best for the lone hunter.

As Octwill mentions when elk start to slip in or you feel they are nearby toss a rock or two that you have at the ready in case the situation arises but no need to call at them once they are that close & give away your present position. Patience & Setup are key here, have your setup for best results be one that forces incoming elk to come within your bowrange before they can visually see the source of the calling area. I've called in 100's of elk over the years with Cold Calling Setups, be prepared to adjust & adapt as the encounter unravels, nothing written in stone here. Advertising Setups & Breeding Sequences can also be considered Cold Calling Setups.

Bryan, when waiting elk out that are close as they are in search mode for the elk they heard & brought them that close & staying quiet is your decision be prepared to wait them out for a solid hour, 10-20 minutes just isn't enough at times with lethargic elk.

ElkNut1

[Swede]

Trophyhill, not sure what you mean? On Cold Calling Setups there are times to call & stay put right there this is especially so in dense or thick ground cover. Other times because of more open or semi open country you are best suited to call then move up or to the side & up depending on wind direction in that Cold Calling Setup. Terrain will dictate what's best for the lone hunter.

I hunt semiarid fairly open country and have been pinned down by bulls several times, when I did not, or could not move from my calling spot. I pick the location I call from, so I have the best advantage over any incoming elk. That said, I am not sure why a caller would not have a preplanned go to spot nearby to wait at after they call. It just seems to me you will not have the bull focusing right on where you are, and you will have a better chance to draw your bow without being detected. Elknut1: Help my out there buddy. You lost me on your correction of Trophyhill. When would it be better to stay right where you called from, if you can move off a few yards? It would seem 4 or 5 yards would help even in dense vegetation if you are solo hunting.

[elkoholic]

I may be stuppid, but when refering to "cold calling", what exactly is it in compared to other types of calling?

[Swede]

Cold calling is bugling or cow calling when you have heard no elk calls. The hunter is trying to make contact or bring in a silent elk.

[elkoholic]

Cold calling is bugling or cow calling when you have heard no elk calls. The hunter is trying to make contact or bring in a silent elk.

Thanks swede, that was my assumption. But i try to never assume....

[WapitiTalk1]

Cold calling is bugling or cow calling when you have heard no elk calls. The hunter is trying to make contact or bring in a silent elk.

This ^^^. From my foxhole, this method is used/deployed most effectively in the earlier part of the season, or, during times when the elk seem to have lost their voices for a day or two later on in the season.

[elkmtngear]

In that scenario, you have some good things going on. You've got the wind, you've got his interest, and he's very close!

If you're calling with a decoy, and he's within visual range, you could try backing out slowly (or moving laterally) with the decoy out front to get his attention, mixed with some excited mews. He heard your calls...he wants to see an elk.

Move to an area where he can see just enough to get him to come in, and if you can plant the decoy and crawl to an ambush area (or stand up behind a tree), you might be able to get him to advance into a shooting lane.

If you're feeling super aggressive, you could do the "horny cow", and run straight at him with the decoy...it's a gamble, but it might actually work!

[Trophyhill]

Without going into great detail, my diagnoses of your problem here is poor settup. Settup in the place where the bull will come in order to look for elk. 50-60 yards is VERY close! Don't be afraid to belly crawl just cuz you've never seen it on a primos video. It works!

If I were pinned down I'd probably roll a rock in the direction that I want him to head. Good luck!

I cannot in good conscience argue this I have been my own worst enemy on cold calling setups. I've tried to pick spots to call from that I thought were damn good locations only to have bulls come in and stop behind something or hang up in a spot just out of range. And I've been busted as I attempt to move up a little from the position I was calling from. There is no doubt that cold calling works. As I said before, I've killed cows like this but have failed miserably with the bulls. I wouldn't tell anyone not to use a cold calling technique

[ElkNut1]

Swede, good question there! By the way I was not correcting Trophyhill I was asking him what he meant by his apology to me?


As with any setup ones location choice is important, with good setup areas where terrain is heavier & not so open you most likely will not have to move as a lone hunter. Yes there are times where this is needed but just on specific spots, in most cases staying put is very effective. Why? Because in various calling setups your calling will cease & then the waiting game becomes the norm on the hunters part allowing sufficient time for the action to develop. Just because elk can pinpoint a calling spot doesn't mean that the elk they heard is still in the exact spot especially when 5 to 45 minutes may have passed since it was the last sound they heard. They are now in search mode for the elk they had heard earlier. I have called in countless bulls & cows alike to these setups, patience is important here to remain calm & unseen, elk that come to 50-60 yds will come closer as they search these elk out, no need to get nervous & jump the gun feeling it's now or never & get spotted trying to draw or re-postion! Your time to draw or stop the elk for the shot will happen.

ElkNut1

[Trophyhill]

Swede, good question there! By the way I was not correcting Trophyhill I was asking him what he meant by his apology to me



ElkNut1

No reason other than I didn't want anyone to misconstrue what I was getting at and that I know you're a big proponent of cold calling situations

[brun]

It's too late to move now. When I cold call I like to call from a very dense place and then immediately move a few yards to a better vantage point. Then I wait and watch. If he comes he should be looking at the spot from where you called and hopefully you will get an opportunity. For me the key is not to stay where I called from. If you have a decoy leave it where you called from.

[Toby]

So, what calls and how long do you call on an average cold call situation?

[ElkNut1]

I'm a big proponent to any method that fits the situation for that day! (grin) Cold Calling with mostly cow calls is low on my list. It produces cows & spikes first generally, I'm generally trying to avoid them these days. But for hunters looking for any elk cold calling is hard to beat & I will suggest it to them 1st off!

swede, yes we have hunters all the time that say & do the things you mention & all without asking them for direction, it's like they get nervous & fear we will ask them. Maybe close to what you have experienced?

Toby, we have no set time for sounds during cold calling setups since they come in various forms. I will say that breeding & advertising sequences can last up to 30 minutes. I'm sure others do things differently so it's good to hear the different ideas.

ElkNut1

[nippip]

Gang, if I'm looking for only cows or spikes how would you call? For example early-season bow what might the call sequence sound like versus a mid season bow hunt for Cows or spikes?

[Screaming_btf]

thanks for all the great info so far!