Stories of calling in your first elk success or not?

[MtnBum]

As season is already here for some and soon approaching for others I figured it’d be a good time to start a thread like this. Do you remember the first time an elk responded to you? Did you find success in calling it in? Did you close the deal? What did you learn from it?

 

[Lark Bunting]

Started hunting 5 years ago and got my first bull elk last year on Sept 2. Backpacked in 2 miles and set up camp. Hiked another mile to the top of the ridge and while posing for some photos with my son we heard bulls bugling waaaaay down in the valley behind us. We called for a bit and had a bull come into 100ish yards then left. My son was mind-blown as this was his first experience hearing them in the wild that close up.

We hiked to another spot 1/2 away, transition area. My buddy said to cow call in the meadow...nothing for 10-15 minutes. I bungled once and had 3 bulls screaming back. We picked one and went toward it, bugling away. We'd move when he responded. 10 yards into the dark timber my bull appeared, 21 yards, quartering to me slightly. I dropped to my knee to clear a pine branch and shot, complete pass through. Elk died within 4 seconds of the shot.

Lessons learned:
Moon was 86% visible and the elk didn't care.
Elk were bugling from the safety of a really steep area.
Early season bugling is really fun and effective in some situations.
Shoot elk closer to the truck.

We return to the same spot on Thursday.

 

[MtnBum]

What an awesome story, I’m sure that hunt will stick with your son for the rest of his life! You can’t beat coming out with sore legs, big smiles, and a truck full of meat.. not to mention the victory of calling one in!

 

[Ross]

Like it was yesterday and I am still in my twenties 1986 using Larry Jones blow hard bugle as I called it....he came in during a typical north Idaho downpore and materialized out of the fog and disappeared just as quick I was hooked even deeper on this activity.....a time of self taught and hard knocks with heavy gear and simplicity

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

First call in I bugled a bull down a ridgeline first hour of opening morning. He wouldn't come into cow calls, but when i cut him off with a bugle he hauled butt down to me. I didn't range him and put an arrow over his back at 40 yards.

First harvest was the year prior and I just walked up into a herd of elk while I cow called pretending to be a elk. Waited a while while cows passed within 5 yards of me. Then shot the herd bull at 30 yards when he walked into the clearing.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

First elk I ever called in was a 4 by 5 bull. I was coming off the mountain still several miles from camp. I had covered a lot of ground that day and it was getting pretty dark in the timber. I was going from bench to bench bugling. I stopped on the lip of this one bench and called. As soon as I did, I heard a limb break. I was wandering what it was when I heard it again. But, it was much closer and closing.

I had my bow in a primos bow sling. I started that thing off my shoulder when the bull came up over the edge. He walked to within 7 yards before stopping to stare at me. There I was holding that bow, looking at him. Nothing between us but air. I was trying to look at him through the side of my eyes. Afraid to look dead on into his eyes that close. I started to shake which I am sure he saw.


He finally turned and bolted but I blew a cow mew at him and stopped him around 25 yards. He walked back and forth there for a bit giving me a chance to get the bow out of the sling, nock and arrow, and shoot him at 25 yards.



God Bless men

 

[5MilesBack]

The first bull that ever came bugling to me was during the rifle season. I was just hiking up the slope near the edge of the timber when he bugled off to my left and below me a bit. 20 seconds later this 5x5 shows up broadside directly below me. I think he thought I was a cow or other elk walking up the slope.

But the first one(s) I called in was around 7:00 one evening, and I had four different bulls all responding. All four were coming, but by the time they all showed up it was so dark in that timber I couldn't get a shot and ended up backing out. I ended up shooting a bull I think 4 days after that, about 1/4 mile away from that original spot.

 

[MtnBum]

First call in I bugled a bull down a ridgeline first hour of opening morning. He wouldn't come into cow calls, but when i cut him off with a bugle he hauled butt down to me. I didn't range him and put an arrow over his back at 40 yards.

Sounds like an absolute rush. Glad to hear you were able to seal the deal the next year! Congrats and thanks for sharing! Good luck to you this season.

 

[oldgoat]

I learned to not just stand out in the open and let off a call, fortunately I wasn't run over by the herd as the young bull ran his whole harem to me. Didn't shoot one. And I was using the squeeze bulb call from Carlton's Calls and in an OTC unit.

 

[MtnBum]

There’s so much to be learned from watching their behavior and seeing how they respond to your calls. Some great stories keep them coming guys!

 

[Thunder head]

If your returning to the same spot. Did you really learn the shoot closer to the truck lesson?

I drew a N.M. tag. It was my fourth elk hunt and I promised myself I would shoot the first thing I could. A young man stopped by my camp the night before I was to start. He was a local and had shot an elk on the first hunt. He showed me some spots on the map where they had been hearing bugles. I went to one of those spots and started hiking in. It was 30 minutes after daylight and I hadn't herd a peep. I came upon a mud puddle in the logging road that had been wallowed in. I look down the hill and see a rub. I headed down that way and there was elk sign everywhere. I still hadnt heard a peep. I decided to let out a locator bugle. A bull answered me on the far ridge. I walked down the side of the ridge I was on to a spot I could see the other ridge. I figured I would get a better fix on where he was at. I let out another locator. The bull answered me again. While cursing at how far away he was a bull answered him very close to me. I moved down the hill to get more down wind. A made a couple of mews. Two elk came in cutting crosswind. I snuck a few more yards trying to get to a spot where I could shoot the direction they were traveling. I stepped into a shooting lane the same time as the bull. He was gone. I took one more step and the second one blew out.

Now the original bull and two others on the same ridge as me were bugling back and forth. I hurried several hundred yards towards the two bulls on my side. I was sneaking in on one of them when a different bull just walked right in front of me. I arrowed him at 8 steps.

 

[BradNSW]

Mid morning, let out a few cow calls.

Heard brush breaking up the hill to my left.

Drew back as the big 6x7 charged down the hill and stopped behind a bush 35yds away, with only his head sticking out (nose high in the air).

He turned his head, looked at me for 10 seconds, then bolted back up the hill.

Tag soup.....but great encounter!

 

[JWP58]

First time: I was calling to 4 different bulls for about an hour off and on. Eventually they went silent at about 9am. I had a raghorn chasing a cow come through at about 90yds, he booked it at my attempt at a "hey I'm a youngster looking to fight" bugle. About 5min later movement caught my attention off to my right as I was dickin around ranging trees....in walked a decent little 6x6 to 45yds without a peep. No twig snap, antler hitting a branch....nothing. We saw each other at the same time and I think both thought "wtf?". He barked and bolted. I stopped him at about 90yds with a bugle, but I just got a better look at his antlers and he was gone. Cool learning experience.

 

[Montanaelk31]

I had shot a few bulls with my rifle and I thought I would try archery tackle, as I shot millions of wt deer in the Midwest with my bow. So, labor day weekend, I walked back a mile or so an area where I knew held elk when weather was hot, it was about 345pm. I set out miss September in a wet meadow, and every once in a while a few cow calls. At about 645, heard 2 bulls in different directions wake up and lazily bugle. Then low and behold, a nice 5 point came walking through the meadow and completely ignored Miss September. He disappeared in the timber on the opposite side of the meadow. I followed him right down the trail where he went. Squeezed the ol Hoochie Mama twice. Here he came. 25 yards, broadside. I'm at full draw and settling my pins. I don't know why I didn't shoot that elk. I was just in awe. After a minute he disappeared into the timber and I had my first (and last call in with a hoochie) call in. I haven't picked up my rifle for elk since.

 

[MtnBum]

It was last season for me within the last 30mins of the last day of rifle season. At the time I had a rocky mtn elk call diaphragm in. Being that it was late November I knew if I had any luck it would be with a cow call. I called probably every 70 yds as I was walking down an old skid road with really not too high of expectations. After no more than 400yds (and 15mins of calling) out of the corner of my eye 2 spikes rounded the top of this ridge to my right. Being that it’s browtine only I waited hoping a legal bull would step out but that wasn’t the case. The following week I set a goal to get into archery and within a month I got my bow, took bow hunter safety, and started practicing calling and shooting. In just 3 weeks I will be going on a 10 day hunt with my brother hoping to fill the tags we drew and make memories to last!

 

[Beendare]

Do you remember the first time an elk responded to you?.....

My first was over 30 years ago....a LOT has changed since then. Any semblance of an elk bugle back then brought in curious bulls. Not a lot of bowhunters back in those days either......good times.

IMO, Its a big advantage to have an understanding of elk behavior BEFORE you start calling as it will increase your success rate drastically.

With the excellent Chris Roe program out there...or Elknut, Cory Jacobsen stuff....its easy for a guy to gain 5-10 yrs experience with one of those programs.

 

[Trial153]

1996 i played hooky from some classes in my fall semester and I stumbled in the dumbest raghorn in eastern Montana. Stumbled is the key word, my calling wasn’t a factor ..at least I don’t think it was. He stood still long enough for me launch a 2216 and Hoyt top cut or bow bullet ..can’t remember which one.
I was alone and clueless. The quartering and pack out resembled a horror film. I wasn’t down the road a mile after that debacle am I was thinking about doing it again .....

 

[wapitibob]

First one I called in I used my voice and called him to 2 feet. And no, I didn't shoot him. As my mentor said when I called him, "you have to have your bow drawn back to shoot". First lesson learned.

 

[elkguide]

As I sat down for lunch on an open hillside, I casually blew through a "SIPPY CUP" straw and made a squealy three note whistle. I then watched to my amazement, a small 5 point walk out and stare at me and my sandwich, at 30 yards.

 

[Trial153]

As I sat down for lunch on an open hillside, I casually blew through a "SIPPY CUP" straw and made a squealy three note whistle. I then watched to my amazement, a small 5 point walk out and stare at me and my sandwich, at 30 yards.

Lanny, was that your first go round wearing diapers or your lastest?