I Suck at elk calling!

[PA 5-0]

As mentioned above, elk make all kinds of noises. Your calling doesn't have to be perfect. I have had more close encounters with the challenge bugle than cow calls. That said and haters aside, I've had a ton of close encounters involving a Hoochie Mama. I always use it as a second call to mimick a couple cows yapping. On that note, more than once, I've thought another hunter was rolling in on me with a Hoochie Mama and turrets, only to view a lost cow or calf walking in. The two sounds were identical.

Reed calls like the Primos Hyper Single are very easy to use. If your not a turkey hunter, mouth calls can take time to master. Learn how to blow a good challenge bugle and u may just get run over this Sept. My favorite is the Power Bugle. Best of luck.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've been curious, like many of us, just how good you have to be in order for calling to be successful.

The closer you get to them (especially an older herd bull) the better you had better be.

 

[Ross]

practice and more practice..experiment with different companies reeds and find one that fits your palate. You don't have to be perfect from afar but as noted when in close you better be somewhat realistic...better to always to be too short on the duration of than too long..use short screams, rake, stomp around and rake some more...good luck

 

[usmc99]

Thanks for all the replies fellas. I'll keep after it for sure. If all else fails I'll try a silent stalk and see if I can get close enough.

 

[jmharrington]

Check out the new elk reel cow call. Just got mine today......easy to use and sound great!


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[COlineman78]

I used Primos Hyperlip Single last year with some success. A few weeks ago I ordered a Phelps EZ-Estrus and it is by far the easiest cow call I have ever used. It's almost as easy as a duck call to get a descent tone out of. I highly recommend ordering one. Black Ovis has them in stock and they will ship quickly.

 

[ridgefire]

Why the bashing of the hoochie momma? I have called in many elk using multiple calls including the hoochie momma. My go to call is the raging bull diaphragm and the bully bull grunt tube but I typically have the squeeze call on my waist belt.

 

[ridgefire]

I would also suggest trying the mello yellow diaphragm. Almost convinced that if you can breathe you can use this reed with a little bit of practice.

 

[Schnagelbagel]

I bought the elknut chuckler xtr to play with and was making good bugles in less than 5 minutes. I can use a reed but just like try stuff. My mouth get really dry out west and have had trouble in the past. For cows get the bugling bull "temptress" same deal 5 minutes and calling great!!! My dad has the hyper lip and i heard him in a draw last year and could tell it was him big time. I think elknuts bite and blow sounds way better. Just my pennies!!!

 

[SteepNdeep]

+1 for hyper lip single. Simple to use, cheap, and makes pretty good cow sounds. Hoochie Mama is the worst call ever designed.

+2 Im with these guys..

 

[George]

I could never get a diaphragm to work for me turkey hunting. I bought a white primos a couple of days ago and finally figured it out. I always was blowing with the thing in the front of my pallet. I tried the primos in the back of my pallet and now it works.

My first elk hunt ever was on Sunday, I came around the nose of a ridge, crossed a creek, and was numb nuttin around up on the hill trying to figure some stuff out when I heard a bugle up on the top of the ridge that I just went around. I blew on my bullet bugle and made what I refer to as my stepped on a rabbit call. I got an immediate response. My subsequent calls were even sorrier but one or both of the bulls responded every time and came down the ridge. They hung up and bedded about 90 yards down in front of me. I thought that I scared them off but bumped up both of them an hour later when I started heading home to let my dog out.

One thing that I learned, a bull can be closer than you think when you hear them bugle.

I pulled the blue reed off of the bullet and am now blowing thru it with the diaphragm. I still need lots of practice but I can pick it up and blow and think that I sound pretty good.

On Sunday it was probably 100% humidity and when I tried the primos cow girl that I bought it was wet and wouldn't make any sound.

I also bought a hoochie but I think that it is going back.

G

 

[DEHusker]

Great thread! Lots of good info here. Part of the reason I think there are so many options for game calls is that there are lots of different ability levels and skill levels out there with hunters. I'll tell you this - in my experience I have seen and heard a lot of different real elk make great sounds and real elk make horrible sounds. Same for hunters. I REALLY REALLY sucked at calling my first year out but I kept at it and read every single thing I could get my hands on. I also listened to and bought all the Elknut and Rocky Mountain stuff and practiced as much as I could. However, what REALLY HELPED ME THE MOST was finding somebody who knew what they were doing to "help" me get better. I owe a ton to a guy who I just happened to run into while at the trailhead my first year. He showed me how to call, what calls to use, how to use them. We hunted together a few days that year and he called in a nice bull for me (that winded me at the last minute) and I learned a lot from him. I still had to learn a lot about what they elk were saying, the timing of the calls, etc but he really got me started down the right path. Now I would say that I'm a decent caller but still have a lot to learn. I think it's fun to be in the woods and make all kinds of sounds knowing that even if I'm not perfect, I can call stuff in. I was fortunate enough to call in 3 different bulls last year and countless others that winded me or saw me before I saw them. KEEP AT IT because once you have it down, it adds a HUGE dimension to your hunting. It's super fun. It turns a passive hunt waiting for an elk to appear to an active hunt where you are truly interacting with the animals.

See if you can find somebody to help you call and it'll make all the difference in the world. Good luck. Have fun. Be safe.

 

[wncbrewer]

I think diaphragm calls are as individual as boots. Ones that work for me won't work for everyone. For instance my hunting partner has great luck with the phelps dragon slayer and I can't blow that reed to save my life. Conversely, I really like the full rut from bugling bull and he hates it. My advice is to buy a bunch of mouthcalls, they're pretty cheap, and see which ones work the best and are easiest to run. I usually find one out of three that I like. It gets much easier once you break through that initial frustration.


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[Bar]

Baby Hoochie works great calling in bears.

 

[id450]

I took notes on the calls I had and what I could or could not do with them. What came easy and what was a real struggle to even makes noise or not have a stroke while blowing through them. I then called Jason phelps. Phelps game calls. He was able to get me into a few of his calls and suggested a few others. It was all a sizing issue for my mouth and tongue.


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[usmc99]

Well I think I've finally got the matriarch making some pretty decent sounds. Just need to get a little more consistent with it. 5 days and counting can't wait to get out there!