Now that early elk season is over for us...

[huntingbaldguy]

I have an idea what i'm doing for antlerless late season.  If that doesn't work out then i have a few others.  We've seen cows every year in rifle, sometimes just 30 or 40 yards away, but i'm curious, has anyone had luck calling in cows with lost calf/cow calls in the late season?  Or even bugling them in, or any kind of calling?  I've read mews and lost cow calls can work but we tried it some to locate herds last year in rifle season and we never got responses.  It's entirely possible we were doing it wrong i guess but i'm just curious if there's something i can do in that regard to increase our odds come late archery elk.  We are going to try and put 2 cows down and i need all the help i can get.

[steeliedrew]

I called in a cow with a calf last year's early season with about ten minutes of cow chatter. They had come in silent. I didn't know they were there and I moved to stretch a bit and they busted.  I think the key is to make sure your setup is good and expect them to come in silent and probably come in behind you! Haha. On Sunday I did a real whiny estrus calling sequence for a solid half hour before I had one sneak up to 10 yards behind me. It came through Jack firs like a ninja and only broke the tiniest little stick when it was at 10 yards. Startled, I whirled around just to see the body of an elk crashing through the Jack firs. Didn't see if it was a bull or a cow but pretty sure it was a bull that had come in silent.  I know I'll be doing some calling setups this winter. I think lost calf could do the trick but watch out for cats!

[gonehuntin68]

Lots of high pitched cow calls. Sound like a calf. Calfs call a lot.