Quiet elk, not even cow chatter

[ShootOkHuntWorse]

I just posted a similar thread.
I haven’t been able to get bugle, a chirp, or bring in elk silently. I’m hunting idaho panhandle and I think I would have better odds of seeing flying pigs at this point.

Same. It’s very quiet here. Even in the elk it’s not a peep.

 

[Deadfall]

Work has me held up a bit.

I did make it out Saturday afternoon for montana opener. Left truck at 5 pm trucked up mountain for a bit found some likely travel routes and set down. Even had a nap for a hour.

This is country I've never hunted before. I've spent a lot of time pouring over maps for this area.

Anyway seen a real nice bull with 2 cows. Not the age class I'm looking for still awesome.

Called em in. I made exactly 2 elks sounds and rubbed a bush. Had another bull sound off that I never seen.

At truck after dark had 3 guys come by that traveled 10 or 12 miles and never seen a elk.

My point is. Yes it's good to cover country. However it's more important how you cover it.

It's better to hang tight and putter around in a square mile or 2, then 15 miles on a line.

The sounds we make in the woods matter. 2 feet make different noise then 4.

I know this goes against all the youtube stuff. Yes there is a time for run and gun. However most often, silence is your friend.

On another note, elk will behave just like whitetail and you go horn tooting right on by them. They just hunker down, let hunters move off and go back to doing elk stuff.

Know what and why you are saying what you saying. Also when to say it, and when to just chill and read a book enjoying God's grace.

 

[Marble]

Last year I made a big loop to work a stand of timber, cow calling here and there. Got to my spot, called a few more times, ate a snack and took a nap. Hour later I got up and went to go set up for my calling sequence. I moved 50 yards down the hill and the wind shifted...a bull busted out of his bed less than 100 yards from me, probably closer to 60...I don't know if he moved in because of the calls, then bedded, or was there the entire time. Point being, sometimes you walk right on by them and neither of you know the other was there.

When not hearing animals, I look for fresh sign, I'm up early on a glassing vantage looking for movement early and late from a far and I cover the transition areas to see where they are moving from bedding to feeding. Of course I am calling too.

It's like anything else you are searching for. Start in a larger circle and keep making it smaller until you have the info you need.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[wapitibob]

I make things happen.
Guys waiting to hear a bugle before they start calling might be waiting a long time.

 

[Bigcat_hunter]

I hunt a high pressure unit and elk are pretty much silent. I started here about five years ago. Over the last five years I would call a lot. No bugles, just sound like a herd of cows and calves. The bulls always came in silent but they came in. It’s not working this year. I may have educated them.

 

[ShootOkHuntWorse]

Finally heard some sounds in the panhandle. I was Bugling from good spot when wolves opened up with one big attitude filled howl. Dad and I said hell yea wolf hunt is on. Grabbed my rabbit sqeak that is always in my hunting pants and starting hitting it. Bugle ripped off from wayyy down the canyon. We set up and we’re able to get him to about 100 yards in 15 or so minutes. Wind started swirling and I smelled him when he probably smelled us. Oh well. At least one was talking. Not 300 yards from where the wolves had howled at me and a dead elk calf was there from weeks ago.

 

[AZmark]

The rut is full on here in E-AZ and loud

Here's lookin out my backdoor. Last week.

 

[roosiebull]

Where I hunt, I wouldn't expect there to be a ton of bugling when it starts. But I would at least expect to hear some cow chatter.

I hunted this area for about 7 days last year, with more than a few days of scouting last year. This year, I've scouted several days and have hunted there a total of 4 days so far. In all those days, I haven't heard any cow talk at all. Even when they've busted me, they don't throw out an alarm bark or anything.

Considering this, would you do any cow calling to bring them in for a shot? I was out with my wife over the weekend and called a couple of times, with no results. There may not have been any within earshot, but it got me thinking about whether or not I should be cow calling when the cows seem to be so quiet themselves.

Are you trying to or willing to shoot a cow, if so, I wouldn’t give up cow calling, but do so in moderation.

for what it’s worth, it’s been a good season so far for me, been around a lot of elk a lot of times and the only mewing I have heard all season was from a bull’s mouth, on 2 occasions, one being this morning after screwing the pooch on a big giant bull… apparently all of the chaos leading up to that got that younger bull excited and he came walking by mewing every breath, just like a cow, but sounds slightly different if you have heard bulls chirping

I pretty much don’t cow call… once in awhile, but for the reason I don’t want cows running in messing up a scenario… it’s happened enough times I don’t like cow calling.. the calves can be the worst.. they come full send all the way, that can mess up a good scenario

 

[BearBait]

Totally a guess, but I was thinking it might have been caused by the late summer possibly causing a late rut.