Where to call from?

[Nice Racks]

So, it's early Sept and the first week of this years elk season. I know there are a few bulls in the area, but haven't been able to narrow the location down to where they should be in the morning, or maybe it's just a shot in the dark scenario. I finally decide to throw out a bugle right at or shortly after dawn. My questions are:

1. Is it better to be on top of a hill, down in the valley, or does it really matter?

2. If it does matter, is there a difference where I should call from as the day progresses?

3. Or, is it better to wait patiently and respond to an actual elk bugle? 

4. Would I use the same strategy for the second week too?

My apologies if this 4 part question annoyed anyone, I'm just a beginner wanting to learn and, I want my first elk to be a 350 bull.     

[WapitiTalk1]

OK, here's a few rambling late evening thoughts.  For our less than ideal early archery elk season in WA (significantly before the peak of the rut), it's very important to pattern the elk.. that is, have a pretty decent understanding of where they feed, bed, and travel to and from in the area you hunt.  As far as where to locate bugle from, it's not an easy question to answer if you have not patterned the critters.  I like to locate bugle after dark, up until as late as midnight any time of the season, in any state.  This gives you a starting point in the morning.  Elk are usually more comfortable sounding off after the hours of darkness.  In WA, once you have a decent idea of where they feed and bed, I like to employ cold calling methods at points along their travel routes.  This time of year, you can just as easily pull in a lovesick satellite bull during a cold calling setup as often, or even more likely, than soliciting a response from Bullwinkle as he moves his cows to bed. The early stages of the rut are oftentimes pretty quiet but make no mistake, bulls are gravitating towards the cows and will respond to calling... just sometimes not verbally but physically coming in to "check it out".  Just remember when cold calling, be very patient and be prepared to hold your position and keep your ears and eyes open for up to 20 minutes, even longer.  Silent approaches by wapiti during cold calling are pretty common during early SEP.     

[Big6bull]

When you do call, be rdy for a shot and have something at your back to beak u up some, can't tell you how many times I've thrown up a Hail Mary bugle or cow call to have an elk pop out in range out of thin air... Gotta be ready to take advantage of every encounter

[deerhunter_98520]

Get out a few hours before sunup and get up high and bugle into every valley....don't just bugle once wait a minute and leave either....use locator bugles and if one tone doesn't work wait 10 min and try a different tone..and by tone I mean try spike bugles, deep throaty bugles, even maybe a few soft chuckles or grunts at the end....I was told to do this a few years ago and thought it might be to much bugling but boy was I wrong....I had so many more replies doing this...the first time I did this I pulled up on this big valley shut my truck off and waited 15 min before making a sound and listened  for any elk then threw out a bugle no answer....every 5-10 min after that I tried a different toned bugle for the next 40 min and about the 7th-8th bugle I got a response and then it would answer every time I bugled or cow called .....sometimes you just have to have that right tone to get that certain bull to answer

[kentrek]

As said already...get up high an bugle down into valleys, the elk gota be able to hear you in order to respond...you also need to find the sweet spot for your bugle tone, that will be different from area to area all pending on age classes of animals & rut intensity....in the first few days I tend to spend more time locating the cows (Cow calling) an Listening to the what the bulls have to say...they might be shy at first but things will pick up once the herd bulls kick the rags away an thats when the bugle will be your friend

But kill elk how ever you can, just gota go with what ever is working 

[RadSav]

Our archery elk seasons in Oregon always started in August.  And we had great bugling.  But sometimes during hot weather you really needed to give them a jump start.  We used a lot of cow calling followed by a couple hyper estrus calls then a good solid bugle.  Very much the same technique Horne talks about in his instructional CD.  Not surprising since he is an early Oregon hunter too.

I do not worry so much about being high on the ridge as long as you can hear and the wind is in your favor.  Wind being a HUGE factor in hunting elk and muledeer.

Add a little more bugling as evening gets closer.  As it starts to cool down the bulls start picking up their intensity for night time action.  As more and more cows start coming into estrus you will start to see herd bulls pushing cows through poor breeding areas.  That will be letting you know it's time to start cutting back on the estrus calls and concentrate more on bugling.  It also means you will want to start applying more pressure to the herd bulls.  Instead of just waiting for them to come to you, as you have been doing, go to them.  Get close and let them know you plan on stealing some cows.  After a while he will get tired of pushing his cows away from you and he'll get mad.  You will be able to tell when that happens   When it does...get ready!

Most of Washington's general season elk bugling sucks!  Too many guys in the woods, too many folks practicing calling before the season, and too many guys Rambo hunting.  But if you find the right spot and find the right tone you can still enjoy some good excitement.

Good luck and keep the wind in your face

[scottcrb]

Good information guys. Love reading and learning new stuff.

[Nice Racks]

WOW. Great info everyone, and I really appreciate it! I'm kinda shy about asking such basic questions, but when you get responses like these I can't help it. Now...Where are your "honey holes" at? 

[Nice Racks]

Any preferences as to whether to stay up late or get up early to listen for bugles?

[Ccortez]

Any preferences as to whether to stay up late or get up early to listen for bugles?

In the early season when it is hot I had more responses in the early mornings compared to night time

[kentrek]

Any preferences as to whether to stay up late or get up early to listen for bugles?

Both if your not finding elk


Might sound dumb but you don't want to be "finding" elk during season....you want to be "hunting" elk....

Preseason scouting is key if you don't have a honey hole yet

[buglebrush]

Sadly the seasons are so pathetically short in this state that we miss the best time of year for Hearing Bugles.   

I know it is just beating an old subject to death, but I am just getting more and more depressed with hunting in Washington.

[Nice Racks]

Any preferences as to whether to stay up late or get up early to listen for bugles?

Both if your not finding elk


Might sound dumb but you don't want to be "finding" elk during season....you want to be "hunting" elk....

Preseason scouting is key if you don't have a honey hole yet

That doesn't sound dumb at all and agree 100%. I just can't scout it as well as I would like to, because it's almost 2 hours away. This will be my 3rd year in the area and learning as I go.   

[WapitiTalk1]

Sadly the seasons are so pathetically short in this state that we miss the best time of year for Hearing Bugles.     I know it is just beating an old subject to death, but I am just getting more and more depressed with hunting in Washington.

Agree 110%.  This is why I don't put my big hunting money into WA although I live here.  I buy an OTC tag for ID (sometimes MT) every year and spend the bulk of my hunting time off, and money, in a state where they give me the rut to hunt in.  Sorry Nice Racks, just venting a bit with buglebrush. 

[kentrek]

Sadly the seasons are so pathetically short in this state that we miss the best time of year for Hearing Bugles.     I know it is just beating an old subject to death, but I am just getting more and more depressed with hunting in Washington.

Agree 110%.  This is why I don't put my big hunting money into WA although I live here.  I buy an OTC tag for ID (sometimes MT) every year and spend the bulk of my hunting time off, and money, in a state where they give me the rut to hunt in.  Sorry Nice Racks, just venting a bit with buglebrush.

Off topic but I disagree...my wa hunt is my favorite hunt of the year...almost to the point I dont wana put in for special permits

Back to the op, sounds like you've got a spot picked so you know theres elk there...fig out the rotation of places to locate elk and kill a pig