How far can you hear bugles?

[bwlacy]

Being very inexperienced and only having elk hunted a couple of times. I'm curious how far can you hear elk bugling. I'm sure the terrain has some to do with it. But can you hear them from a mile, less, more?

 

[Maverick940]

Depends on topography and vegetation and atmospheric conditions and weather, and which way you're facing and which way a bull is facing. Anywhere from about 100 yards (or less) to a couple miles (or more).

 

[11boo]

Lots of variables. But when I’m in the thick stuff, it’s about 100-400 yds.

 

[Ross]

As noted topography vegetation and the individual bull will play a role in how far a bugle carries some days I hear them way over a mile if clear and cold...one reason to be up higher before daybreak to hear where they may be sounding off versus down low.

 

[sneaky]

12 years in Marine artillery means I can't hear half of what my buddies hear lol

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[JP100]

how long is a piece of string? haha

 

[Native Okie]

Interesting topic.

 

[Scoony]

how long is a piece of string? haha

Twice as long as half of it?

 

[TexasCub]

Here’s another question, how far can you call a bull in from in the pre-rut?

 

[spaniel]

In typical mountain country you can hear them a very long ways. Line-of-sight across open terrain with no barriers in between, I've easily heard them a mile.

A decade ago on my first elk hunt we cow called and got a bull bugling from almost half a mile away...so he heard that cow call. Couldn't quite get him that day. Came back the next, bugled from the same spot. VERY faintly in the wind, I heard a response. I told my partner I heard him from over the mountain (at least 1200 yards if not more, with a ridgetop between us), and he told me I was nuts. I said let's walk forward a bit more, wait 5 minutes, and bugle again. We did, and this time he was loud and clear at ~800 yds, having come over the ridge top towards our call. We were pinned down and I was afraid to move without spooking him, so I told my buddy to keep calling and eventually my rangefinder could get a read and I nailed him at 638 yards.

 

[ElkNut1]

In more open country a mile+ is not out of the question on those nice cool crisp quiet mornings & evenings. Being on top of vantage points will help considerably. Anytime you call near rivers or streams your ability to hear even a few hundred yards can be reduced dramatically. When in dark timber with mountains big & small all around you it's a fair estimate to say you can hear 400 yards & in as long as your ears are better than mine! Ha Ha! When in timber with loud swirling winds it seems 200 yards would be tops you could hear a normal bugle.

Here's two photos, the open basin one you can hear a bugle anywhere in their from the cameras location. 2nd photo-- The timbered photo on that vantage point you could hear a bugle almost anywhere you can see. If in that timber your hearing a bulls bugle would be the ones cut down to a few hundred yards!

ElkNut/Paul