Calling etiquette

[George Hamrick]

Second time hunting elk, so I could be completely off base here, so forgive me if that is the case. I have turkey hunted out east quite a bit on public land, and I’ve always had the impression that if someone else is calling to a bird when I get to it, it’s their bird to call to. Is elk not the same way? Had a bull coming and had worked him for 30 minute or so. Had him within 125 yards, and a guy comes right in front of me about 50 yards and starts calling. Is this normal?

 

[Ross]

Maybe your a really good caller and he thought you were a bull....proper etiquette would be to leave you with the bull and walk on staying out of your way....that Being said all is fair game in public land hunting as through the decades i can recall double digits call sequences blown by hunters not playing the wind blowing my fun and opportunity and meeting with them after the fact.....several thought they were sneaking in two bulls going at it but were silly enough to not play the wind....good luck

 

[George Hamrick]

Maybe your a really good caller and he thought you were a bull....proper etiquette would be to leave you with the bull and walk on staying out of your way....that Being said all is fair game in public land hunting as through the decades i can recall double digits call sequences blown by hunters not playing the wind blowing my fun and opportunity and meeting with them after the fact.....several thought they were sneaking in two bulls going at it but were silly enough to not play the wind....good luck

I appreciate it. I thought maybe that was what it was at first, but he walked 50 yards in front of me like I wasn’t going to call the bull in for him lol. He then circled upwind of the bull and spooked him. Not my happiest of moments that’s for sure.

 

[NMframed]

Like Ross said, proper etiquette would be to try and avoid screwing up another hunters set up when he’s working a bull.

Now days I think there are getting to be as many people that don’t give a shit about etiquette or what other people are doing, as there are good decent people that try to have respect for one another. This seems to be the case in all aspects of life not just public land hunting. People are selfish and have no respect for one another. It is irritating but not much you can do about it, so best just to be the bigger person and leave the situation and go try again over the next ridge.

Just keep a positive attitude and hunt hard and eventually success will come your way.

 

[Gear-Reviewer]

It’s not right to do what he did. Just like walking in behind someone and hunting the area they were in first. It’s Selfish and disrespectful. Of course there’s times where there’s tons of area to hunt and multiple directions to go where someone beat you to a spot, so it’s situational but you get what I’m saying I’m sure.

 

[George Hamrick]

It’s not right to do what he did. Just like walking in behind someone and hunting the area they were in first. It’s Selfish and disrespectful. Of course there’s times where there’s tons of area to hunt and multiple directions to go where someone beat you to a spot, so it’s situational but you get what I’m saying I’m sure.

Yes I understand it’s all part of the public aspect. I think what annoyed me the most is that there were 4 or 5 other bulls bugling that the other guy could’ve went after. Oh well I guess. Still fun to be the first bull I’ve really worked, just wish it would’ve ended differently. At least if I had screwed it up I wouldn’t be as upset lol.

 

[big44a4]

Maybe your a really good caller and he thought you were a bull....proper etiquette would be to leave you with the bull and walk on staying out of your way....that Being said all is fair game in public land hunting as through the decades i can recall double digits call sequences blown by hunters not playing the wind blowing my fun and opportunity and meeting with them after the fact.....several thought they were sneaking in two bulls going at it but were silly enough to not play the wind....good luck

Yup 0-3 on encounters I had during my hunt last week. 2 were because a muzzle loader guy doing just that. The same guy. Also beat him up the mountain to the spot I was going both days.


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[trophyhill]

im hunting a very heavily pressured OTC unit right now that has been overrun since the surrounding units went to LE. i can tell you hands down, there is no etiquette of any kind whatsoever being practiced. there are literally multiple hunters in every canyon. it's been like this since day 1.

there is so much pressure, i haven't heard a single bugle the whole month. never seen anything like it

 

[Wrench]

I had a couple guys from Sedro Wooley come in on a bull that I'd been working for an hour. I couldn't close the deal due to the wind and terrain so we were in this song and dance moving in big circles on the mountain.

These guys thought it was a couple bulls going rounds so how could I be mad? I was disappointed when I heard that hoochie momma and ran in to find out if it was them messing with me the whole time....nope, they stepped on the bull, he barked and moved out.

I was hunting, they were hunting.....part of the game. Better to be kind and hope for some backpack space on your neighbors back than to be possessive of what isn't yours to begin with.

 

[Scooter90254]

If you're talking OTC Colorado then half of the battle is getting the bull to you before the hunters get to him. The long slow play isn't going to work when there's 20 guys in ear shot of the bugling.

 

[Sanchez]

I went back to Unit 23 in Idaho which I had hunted regularly about 15 to 30 years ago. Back then it was great hunting with not to many people.

I was the first to a blocked road about an hour before daylight and hiked in a couple miles.

As it was getting light I could hear faint bugling i assumed was other hunters and then distant yelling, I kept hiking in further and had an OK hunt -saw elk but no shot.

As I am walking out I blow my bugle and immediately hear a gun shot a short distance thru the woods. Later, I talk to folks at a nearby camp and they tell me there is a feud between the buglers and tree stand hunters over hunting the basin. The tree stand hunters think the buglers scare the elk so they do not want them in the basin. The buglers have always hunted this basin and it is USFS land so they do not want to be excluded by tree stand hunters.

I don't know- what is the etiquette for bugling where people have tree stands? For me the solution was to leave the area never to return.

 

[AaronMColeman]

If you're talking OTC Colorado then half of the battle is getting the bull to you before the hunters get to him. The long slow play isn't going to work when there's 20 guys in ear shot of the bugling.

It's really that bad? Ugh, what a mess. I've been out a good bit the last week and haven't seen another hunter yet. Come rifle season more guys will start showing up.