Elk Strategy Help - Lots of Sign/No Calling, What's Your Approach?

[Jfkbeast2]

And make sure you're actually hearing them when they do bugle - I've hunted with newer elk hunters that caught maybe 1 in 5 bugles that I heard. Some people have a hard time filtering for those real faint ones, or they have a hard time being quiet and still enough. This obviously applies for responses to location bugles, but also just while you're out for the rest of the day. There's nothing worse than stopping suddenly because you might hear a faint bugle... but your buddy's following too closely, not paying attention, and is cracking too much brush for you to hear anything.

Is there a way to be sure? I just got back from my first elk hunt after seeing not a single elk and I swear I was hearing them but convinced myself I was just losing my mind because I wanted to see one so bad lol. I made a post on entire experience but forgot to mention this

 

[Read1t48]

This guy is a wealth of knowledge.

My season this year was the same and I hunt thick stuff… think N Idaho or PNW coastal brush. If they aren’t bugling they are almost impossible to find. My strategy…

Get close to elk by hunting fresh sign, find their bedding area, and go through a sequence… breeding, slow play, etc.
They will come in quiet. Be ready.

 

[hibernation]

Is there a way to be sure? I just got back from my first elk hunt after seeing not a single elk and I swear I was hearing them but convinced myself I was just losing my mind because I wanted to see one so bad lol. I made a post on entire experience but forgot to mention this

Other than having someone with you to be like "there, did you hear that one?".... not really, sorry man. Just make sure that if you're set up somewhere to chill midday, you're set up to make a minimum of noise on your own. I usually wear a fleece when I stop for awhile instead of a puffy, just so I'm not driving myself nuts with that light rustling. It's not enough to disturb animals, but it can be enough that you miss one of those faint bugles that's a half-mile out through thick timber.

Imaginary bugles are totally a thing though, I hear them constantly after day two or so.