Can a first timer from the East learn to call elk?

[SemperHunter]

I've gotten some calls and been practicing but I'm not expecting to hear much bugling as I'll be hunting Idaho for rifle season in late October. Would that assumption be correct that there won't be much calling?

 

[Swede]

I have heard bulls bugle in late October, but it is rare.

 

[DmrbigEshotT]

Cow calls are your friend.

Bugles are overrated (but not useless...) in most pressured OTC units, in my opinion. Can't speak for their effectiveness in less pressured draw units....at least not yet

 

[HunterJoeMI]

Elk don't seem to mind that I am from MI - Called in several, but I have some years of trial and error in my past. Pics of my son and daughter from 2019 DIY public land - both called in.

 

[MSBowHunter]

Absolutely! I'm from Mississippi, and I downloaded the ElkNut app and began practicing my calling every evening from last January up until my hunt in September. While in Montana, I called in bulls every single day.

 

[MSBowHunter]

Elk don't seem to mind that I am from MI - Called in several, but I have some years of trial and error in my past. Pics of my son and daughter from 2019 DIY public land - both called in.

That's awesome! What state?

 

[elkocd]

I'd recommend learning to hunt elk rather than concentrating on calling. Calling is one small tool to use in elk hunting. I know it's glamorized by the youtube Doug Fluties, but if your goal is actually killing bulls you better have more than one tool in your belt. I do call, but it's usually just for locating and or to get a bull to move a little for a shot. If you just go running around the woods blowing calls all day your kill percentage is going to be much lower.

Here is a bull I killed in MT this year in less than 24hrs of hunting. I never heard a bugle or used a call.

I can assure you the experience of killing good bulls every year will far out weigh the "experience" of hearing bulls by calling at them.

 

[elkocd]

Here are a couple more from the last couple years that I killed from "hunting elk" rather than calling.

There are a bunch of absolute elk killers out there, but one that you can watch and learn a TON from is Nate Simmons. watch all his western hunter episodes on elk and you'll see someone who REALLY knows how to hunt elk. Look at someone like Dan Evans... dude has more GIANT bulls than probably anyone and don't think many if any were from calling them in.

 

[jyoung1901]

Yes! I did last year using Elk101, this year im also going to get the Elknut app to improve my cow calling as well as some of the non bugle noises (chuckles, moans, etc). Pick up a variety of calls, everyone has different preferences for latex stiffness and such. I like Rocky mountain several rocky mountain calls I have. My hunting partner likes the Maverick call by phelps i believe.

 

[ridgefire]

Calling in bulls with a bugle is my favorite way to hunt elk. We hunt a otc unit in Idaho and my go to call about 75% of the time is a bugle and I call in multiple bulls a season, sometimes multiple in a day. I think alot of people are passing up opportunities by not utilizing their bugle. Buy a grunt tube and a few different diaphrams and find one that works for you and then start practicing until you are confident in your calls. The Bully Bull grunt tube and a Raging Bull diaphragm are my go to for bugling. Tons of material out there to cut down the learning curve.

 

[ridgefire]

Im typically shooting the first legal bull besides a spike that comes in though. Mature herd bulls are a totally different game in my experiences. I think your best chance at them is to have someone calling from a distance to keep him bugling and try to sneak in for a shot.

 

[HunterJoeMI]

That's awesome! What state?

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