to call or not to call......

[the weasel]

Hey folks,
so I'm an Oregon hunter and it seems every year there are more & more people..... (I know... you must hunt where I'm at....?!). But my question is with all these call happy people and call shy elk what do / would you do? In years past I've pretty much quit calling (cow call or bugle) because when you do 99.9% of the time the woods come alive............. and not with the Wapiti. I know we're all different and hunt in different locations but I would think I'm not the only one with these thoughts. So this year I'm going to try and get a little deeper and do some calling... can't possibly hurt right? worst case is I call in people and walk a lot and get in shape....

thanks for your thoughts.

[WapitiTalk1]

John, I've heard well over 100 bugles in a day, for numerous days in a row in the areas I hunt (all elk). These are OTC, public land areas in ID, MT, and perhaps even WA this year will start lighting up again now that they are giving us a bit more of the rut. I certainly don't profess to know anything about the area you hunt but I would offer (and agree with your game plan) to get away from where you know the bulk of the hunting activity is. Sometimes, this isn't farther than a few miles (or less) away from main trail systems. A lot of hunters do not venture too far from roads/trails during their morning hunts. Many hunters will work a trail system and bugle down into major draws "but" fail to get off said trails, work over a ridge, across a sidehill, deeper down into a draw, etc., and check out those spots that the trails don't run through or close to. Oftentimes, hunters have names for those spots... honey holes. They are in fact, just areas that the elk know are not commonly frequented by hunter traffic and are not constantly hit with multiple location bugles oddly coming from the same spots, day after day, year after year. When I do hunt in a somwhat pressured area, I "normally" don't make loud elk calls to locate unless it's after dark or before daylight, when I know it's more than likely just me, my partner, and the elk in an area. Otherwise, I merely move, listen, and watch. Once I hear an elk in an area (or see elk from a distance), I'm on the move to get as close as possible before saying a peep. On most occasions, a vocal bull will sound off again while I'm moving towards him..they can't help themselves (they may be locating, moving a herd, hollering before they approach a wallow/waterhole, or tending a herd while bedded). Once in close, I'll determine what I think may work best to either bring him in, or, tick him off enough to have him dislodge from his cows. The Elknut "threat" levels are killer methods once in close. In close to a herd with possible satellites, oftentimes some very soft mewing will bring one of the little guys into your lap. Not sure if this helps or not, but it's sure fun to talk about RJ

[Luckyman]

Helps me a ton!! Thanks for sharing, phantom! Glad you love talking about it about, way better than going to the movies, reading these threads!!

[chipick]

Hi there weasel good to hear from a fellow Oregon hunter, with the same problems as me. My hunting partner and I have been scouting early and, learning where the elk are most likely to be come opening day. When we do find them we go in silent and setup with estrus cow calls and chukels, and then kick it up with some threat senerios if needed. But for the most we never call if we don't see any elk, unless we get kinda bored in the afternoon.

[otcWill]

My first reaction to that is: Don't be afraid to leave that spot. Have you killed some good bulls there? Do you get into elk everyday? Do you kill one every year? If these questions can all be answered with no, then you either aren't working hard enough or, more likely, it isn't a very good spot. Sometimes the right decision (give up on your area) is the hardest one to make. Good luck!

[the weasel]

Thanks guys for all the thoughts. I have not harvested an elk here YET...... I missed a spike a long time ago here and have had people in our party harvest elk. Also a friend hunts here for rifle and has harvested 2 bulls. I have seen elk here and will continue to work this area until it is over ran with hunters.

I think this is a big reason why I'm still ELKLESS... because every other year I seem to bounce around looking instead of camping out and learning my spot better.

2 months to go!! Can't wait!!

[bigmart]

I have been hunting north east Oregon for 8 years, I have hunted the hell holes and deep into the wilderness. without going into a long story, we hunt an area that has a fair amount of hunters and a decent elk population,
We have learned a lot about our area over the years, The thing I realized was the camp across the street always shot 3 or 4 elk every year sometimes 5 elk, and all branched antler bulls. We have been successful by learning from them,
The most important lesson is get to know your immediate area well, behind your camp, across the street, down the road. The elk were all around us and still are today, I have taken several bulls and a 7x6 last year 1/4 mile from camp.
I hope this helps, Its not how deep or how far you go. Good luck this year.

[Swede]

John, I too live and hunt Oregon. I have experienced what you are going through. It has caused me to change my hunting and calling style a lot. I have listened to, and then watched an excellent caller running off herds of elk by calling. I was sitting in my tree stand when this happened. I was so convinced the caller was a bull, that I was standing waiting for him, when these two men stepped out of the brush less than 100 yards away. Two herds of elk had passed by my stand, a few minutes earlier, just out of range. I talked to the caller and he had no clue the elk were even around. The elk were leaving. I am convinced his happens on a regular basis, because the elk have been hunted so hard. After the first week, the area I have been hunting is totally void of elk for the remainder of the season.
This situation is not unique to where I hunt. Several others I know, that bow hunt Oregon, have experienced the same thing. Twenty years ago it was totally different, but starting to change. My suggestion is to not throw away your grunt tube or diaphragms, but to change your tactics. Don't go the run and gun route. Do short one to two second, two note calls, and wait longer between calls. Don't pressure the elk, but make them curious. Do more raking and more waiting. Use some cow calls on occasion.
The most critical thing, is for you to learn what works for where you are hunting. If you would like to talk, send me a PM and I will give you my phone number. Your hunting area sounds so much like mine, that I wonder if we are hunting the same place.

[the weasel]

Once again thanks all for the thoughts. getting excited....... spent 2 hrs. last night on computer looking at topo sites and figuring out springs and benches/saddles I want to check out.
actually had the computer going with the hunting channel on the T.V. and an issue of Extreme Elk going all at once.......