Ecaller + decoy for Elk this year?

[W_Ellison2011]

might want to call the WDFW and clarify before you do this. My brothers father in law is a fisheries biologist and I was asking him about electronic calls the other day. He says it doesn't say anything in the regs about it but he said last he heard from is game warden buddies they are illegal period. Thats even for coyotes.

[bobcat]

If it were illegal it would say so in the pamphlet. It has always seemed odd to me that they made electronic calls illegal for deer, but not elk.

But, that's the law. I've read it myself. Lots of people use electronic calls for coyotes and I'm sure all game wardens are aware of that. So I find it hard to believe that a game warden would say that it wasn't even legal for coyotes. Maybe he just misunderstood what was said.

[bobcat]

If it were illegal it would say so in the pamphlet. It has always seemed odd to me that they made electronic calls illegal for deer, but not elk.

But, that's the law. I've read it myself. Lots of people use electronic calls for coyotes and I'm sure all game wardens are aware of that.

So I find it hard to believe that a game warden would say that it wasn't even legal for coyotes. Maybe he just misunderstood what was said.

[billythekidrock]

might want to call the WDFW and clarify before you do this. My brothers father in law is a fisheries biologist and I was asking him about electronic calls the other day. He says it doesn't say anything in the regs about it but he said last he heard from is game warden buddies they are illegal period. Thats even for coyotes.

The bold portion explains it all.

[_TONY_]

Personally, I'd like to see some restrictions on electric calls in terms of elk.... Before you know it, every new hunter will be strolling through the woods with their boom boxes blasting elk tracks down every ridge...

For me, elk calling is a skill and a life long accomplishment, not a downloaded mp3

Just my     

[xXLojackXx]

Also, those calls sound like elk, but you can't possibly get that chest pounding grunt out of a speaker. That goes a long way in selling yourself as a 600lb bull.

[pianoman9701]

I have to chime in here. We recently went coyote hunting with a FoxPro type caller and in the only two setups that we did we called in cow elk both times using the fawn in distress call for a coyote. It was amazing. Don't know if I would make it a practice but it definitely works.!

There's a big difference between calling coyotes and calling elk. I wouldn't be inclined to use an electronic call just because you're having to set it up and control it, and hope elk come to it. You may be able to bring in a loner cow and calf from a distance, but I think it'd be doubtful that you'll bring in a bull or any numbers of elk together. It would depend on a lot of luck coming your way. Increasing your success is going to be predicated on locating and getting close enough to be a threat. Once you do that, things happen pretty fast and you're going to be more tied up with your bow and unable to work a caller remote.

I like the decoy for lone hunting (or otherwise), but the e-calling setup isn't conducive to moving on the elk and leaving your hands free to shoot. Use a mouth reed, even if only to make cow and calf sounds.

[billythekidrock]

Personally, I'd like to see some restrictions on electric calls in terms of elk.... Before you know it, every new hunter will be strolling through the woods with their boom boxes blasting elk tracks down every ridge...

For me, elk calling is a skill and a life long accomplishment, not a downloaded mp3

Just my     

More restrictions = more loss of opportunity down the road.
Take away the one use you DON'T approve of very well could lead to the elimination of the use you DO approve of.

[Stein]

A quick search is all it takes.

Can I use electronic decoys or electronic calls to hunt game species during open seasons?

It depends. You cannot hunt waterfowl, wild turkeys, or deer with the use or aid of battery-powered or other electronic devices as decoys. You cannot hunt waterfowl, wild turkeys, or deer with the use or aid of electronic calls.
You can use electronic decoys or electronic calls to hunt other game species.

[bur04024]

Do you think WDFW considers Elk just a large member of the deer family? Even though they use their names when referring to each species, I wouldn't want to hope a warden was having a "good" day as opposed to a "bad" one. 

[pianoman9701]

I certainly don't support restrictions on practices I don't take part in. All hunters should be supporting each other in legal hunting methods. We stick together as a group. If you don't like the use of electronic calls, don't use them.

[headshot5]

   I'm with Piano.   

[seth30]

I used one a few years ago and called in 3 different guys.  Not sure why they were coming to a cow elk in a spike only GMU?  If you want to shoot pumpkins then use the E caller

[jasnt]

I could see using the ecall in a situation where you have the call behind you or to the side just as if you had a calling partner.

I would use Audacity to create long loops of cow calls so I didn't have to fidget with the remote so much. Use the presets for specific elk sounds, let the long loop run, but turn the volume down when not needed.

Audacity tutorials http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,61908.0.html

I do this for setting up my cougar calling sequences.

You could probably use the ecall for cow talk back behind you ( just a loop of cows chatting and do all the bull talk yourself to seem like your the bull keeping in between  his cows and the real bull

[lamrith]

I used one a few years ago and called in 3 different guys.  Not sure why they were coming to a cow elk in a spike only GMU?  If you want to shoot pumpkins then use the E caller

Elk being herd animals, I would move in when I heard a cow in hopes of finding a herd and something legal in or around the herd...