Phelps/Hunt-Wa Elk Hunting Q&A

[chester]

Jason, ditching the rifle this year and going to an earlier season . Hunting my usual areas. Should I try and learn to call or stick with what works in rifle season? I know the Bulls should still be running with the cows around the time of the hunt. At least they were last year clear up to modern deer.


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[JPhelps]

Jason,

I will be hunting the west side this year.  With this year being so dry, do you think that will have an effect on the bugling?  I have heard the bugling/rut is dependent on the available daylight.  Just wondering if the rep rod areas will still hold elk with it being dry and hot.  Your thoughts?  Thanks.

So far from what I've seen in western Washington the elk haven't changed their patterns much. I would expect them to be in normal routines through hunting season.

[JPhelps]

Jason,  I drew a observatory archery bull tag.  Got an area I get into that is remote as it can be with that tag. It's opening morning on the 12th and you have a large chunk of land to yourself that you know holds several quality bulls.  What's your plan of attack.  Do you start a calling sequence first or would you tip toe down elk trails calling every so often looking for a response?  Let's say you get a response but your hunting by yourself.  How do you get that elk to come in close enough without having a caller setup behind you aways?  Ordered a bugle and a cow call from you and I'm feeling pretty good with them.  As far as cow calling goes is it best to pack a few different ones to sound like different elk or just stick with the one I feel best with?  Thanks.

I always try to locate elk with optics first or let them sound off on their own. But if nothing is located I quickly switch to location bugles trying to turn up a bull.

I've always had luck calling elk directly into my location without the use of a caller.  One thing I may do is call and then move 10 to 15 yards forward if possible.

I am a big proponent of using the cow call you are most confident in regardless of brand.

[fishnfur]

Hi Jason,
   I'm relatively new to archery elk hunting and need a bit of guidance.  I've got some timberland in 506/willipa hills that butts up to private commercial timberland property that is currently closed to public access (I believe - at least it is still posted as such).  There are occasionally quite a few elk moving through my property during fall and winter.  Mostly I'm looking for deer, but more recently keeping tabs on the elk as well.  I've tried to leave the area alone except to change cards in my cams, so the elk should still pretty relaxed and undisturbed.

I got several good videos from 3 different locations yesterday as a small harem and a 5 point bull came through my property.  The bull made three good rubs on medium sized alder trees in a old logging landing area that seems to get rubbed out every year.  This area is above fairly steep terrain that bottoms out in wetter areas with a small creek.  I grabbed my cam cards today and did just a little scouting.  The elk seemed to be quiet.  I heard no elk talk or bugling at all during a two-hour outing.  I did a few cow calls and a two bugles from different locations and got no response, but I'm pretty sure I had an animal moving below me in one location after the first bugle.  I backed out without glassing for confirmation.

It looks like it will be pretty warm for the opener this weekend, which I assume also factors into where the animals will bed and feed.  Come this weekend, depending on where the elk are, I may need to try to draw a bull out of the closed timberlands and on to my property in order to get a shot.

So my questions are: 
 -  does the recent rubbing activity give any indication of where the animals are in the rutting process?  Do the elk use rubs similar to deer - marking territory?  Do you think this bull and his harem will remain close to the area he rubbed yesterday? 

-  Should I expect with the warmer weather forecasted for the weekend, that the elk will drop down close to the flat lands and small creek? 
 
- How would you proceed if you were unable to locate elk on this personal property and wanted to attempt to pull a bull in from surrounding benches and minor drainages in the closed portions of the adjacent forest?

Many thanks!

[huntingbaldguy]

Hey Jason, pretty happy with my purchases from you so far, but one thing i wanted to ask you about is the elk commander reed.  I practiced with it for probably 4 months prior to elk season, almost every day, and about a week before the opener it stopped making decent sound.  It looks like the latex stretched on it.  Does this just happen with that much use or is mine defective or what?  Kind of bad timing on it going out that close to the elk opener, good thing i had a backup!

Also, your website is down.

[djnoodle]

Hi Jason,

This was my first year archery hunting for elk. None of the elk that I found would come to a call. Not cow calls nor bugles. I would understand that if it were only me calling (as I am still not that great at calling,) but I have spoken with several people who have called in elk for many years, and it seemed like nobody could call a bull in this year.

I also heard from the same experienced hunters that I spoke to that this year the rut is 'all screwed up' in SW Washington. I did hear from one guy who was still bugling some bulls in, and he was really far in the back country, away from all roads and people.

What is your take on the rut this year and how has it affected the calling? Is the rut really that different this year and that is affecting the elk's response to calls, or is it due to pressure and overcalling and are all of us hunters to blame for them not coming in to calls?

Any answer you can give me will help me learn a little bit more, thanks.

[Russ McDonald]

So a little question Jason.  I was hunting yesterday with my buddy.  He was setup a 100 yards down from me at about 6:30pm I heard something behind me but it was pretty thick and couldn't see.  At 7 pm the sun had set behind the ridge I was watching and out of the blue to my left a big bark. I was like holy crap that was close but if was really close to my buddy.  Finally caught site of the cow.  She was big probably the herd cow, but kept barking.  So I figured it had spotted my buddy.  I got on my cow call.  Thank you Jason!!  I got her to turn back a couple times.  Also did some bugles but she really had my buddy zeroed in.  She came within 75 yards of him but he didn't feel comfortable with the shot.  She walked off and kept barking walked off about 100 plus yards a watched us.  No other followers.  Found out she came in behind us down wind, what I heard behind me at 6:30, and came up and around my buddy.  So my question.  If a cow is barking will bugling and cow calling work?  It seemed to a bit but my buddy was in between her and me. 

[Rainier10]

So a little question Jason.  I was hunting yesterday with my buddy.  He was setup a 100 yards down from me at about 6:30pm I heard something behind me but it was pretty thick and couldn't see.  At 7 pm the sun had set behind the ridge I was watching and out of the blue to my left a big bark. I was like holy crap that was close but if was really close to my buddy.  Finally caught site of the cow.  She was big probably the herd cow, but kept barking.  So I figured it had spotted my buddy.  I got on my cow call.  Thank you Jason!!  I got her to turn back a couple times.  Also did some bugles but she really had my buddy zeroed in.  She came within 75 yards of him but he didn't feel comfortable with the shot.  She walked off and kept barking walked off about 100 plus yards a watched us.  No other followers.  Found out she came in behind us down wind, what I heard behind me at 6:30, and came up and around my buddy.  So my question.  If a cow is barking will bugling and cow calling work?  It seemed to a bit but my buddy was in between her and me.

If you have a reed call you can try a questionable bark back at her.  It sounds like an alert or alarm bark but it is a little softer and more sublte, not so sharp at the end. Kind of like a question.  If you give that type of bark sometimes they will come a little closer to see what you are barking about.  Just make sure it is more subtle when you do it, almost an under your breath bark.

Just my 

[D-Rock425]

Most of the time if a cow barks its game over.  They may not always run off but chances of calling that cow in are slim.  I maybe wrong on this but bulging to get a cow to come to you doesn't work much.

[kentrek]

Most of the time if a cow barks its game over.  They may not always run off but chances of calling that cow in are slim.  I maybe wrong on this but bulging to get a cow to come to you doesn't work much.

I actually bugled in a lone cow this year(rare), if I get barked at i usually bark aswell...then move in fast

They only know they smelled a human...they dont know that I'm the human tho

Also...if your hunting an area with lots of hunters...you can bark at them if you think it's a person...usually they do a cruddy bark back or something stupid...it's kinda funny..

[scottcrb]

That's interesting info . Buddy had a spike bark at him this year bUT was able to call him back and get a shot. Only elk we had in camp all season .

[Nice Racks]

Jason,

            Hope all is well with you.  Two archery seasons ago I got lucky and killed a bull opening morning using one of your signature locator reeds.  I only did one bugle and he came in on a string and I shot him at 26 yards.  This past season I hunted hard for the first week and finally got a response back from a bull that sounded to be only around 200 yards off to my 1:00 position.  After we bugled back and forth a few times, I heard another bull chuckle about 250-300 yards away to my 5:00 position.  I really didn't know what to do.  I figured the bull that was chuckling was probably the better bull, but I decided to move up on the first bull which was closer and much easier to get to.  Well that move didn't work out.  I actually think he seen me right before I caught a glimpse of him going through the trees.  From what you read, did I basically do the right move, or what could I have done to maybe have a little better chance at him.  One thing I didn't mention was it was late morning and the thermals were probably going up towards the first bull, where as the bull that chuckled was below me and I could have stayed above him having the thermals in my favor. 

Thanks for your time Jason,
Respectfully,
Tim Anderson

[JPhelps]

Jason,

            Hope all is well with you.  Two archery seasons ago I got lucky and killed a bull opening morning using one of your signature locator reeds.  I only did one bugle and he came in on a string and I shot him at 26 yards.  This past season I hunted hard for the first week and finally got a response back from a bull that sounded to be only around 200 yards off to my 1:00 position.  After we bugled back and forth a few times, I heard another bull chuckle about 250-300 yards away to my 5:00 position.  I really didn't know what to do.  I figured the bull that was chuckling was probably the better bull, but I decided to move up on the first bull which was closer and much easier to get to.  Well that move didn't work out.  I actually think he seen me right before I caught a glimpse of him going through the trees.  From what you read, did I basically do the right move, or what could I have done to maybe have a little better chance at him.  One thing I didn't mention was it was late morning and the thermals were probably going up towards the first bull, where as the bull that chuckled was below me and I could have stayed above him having the thermals in my favor. 

Thanks for your time Jason,
Respectfully,
Tim Anderson

I would have went after the bull that allowed the wind to be better. If I read that right it sounds like the wind may not have been good for the closer bull. Were you able to circle the close bull to keep the wind right?

[AlbinoRhino]

Hey Jason,

Just got some of your products and already a big fan. I've been working with reeds for a little over a year now and in that year I've gotten a passable bugle and chuckle but having a real hard time with my cow calls, estrus different tones etc.. I imagine that normally this is backwards for most people.. I just got your boss and dragon slayer recently.. Any hints for myself to make better cow calls or estrus? I've watched videos but for some reason can't hit the same notes.

Thanks again!

[JPhelps]

Hey Jason,

Just got some of your products and already a big fan. I've been working with reeds for a little over a year now and in that year I've gotten a passable bugle and chuckle but having a real hard time with my cow calls, estrus different tones etc.. I imagine that normally this is backwards for most people.. I just got your boss and dragon slayer recently.. Any hints for myself to make better cow calls or estrus? I've watched videos but for some reason can't hit the same notes.

Thanks again!

Yep you are all screwed up    it most likely has to do with the diaphragms. Have you tried an elk commander, signature cow or pleading hotty?

Send me a personal message and I'll send one your way to try.