Ever been Fooled by another Hunter answering your Elk Call

[The scout]

I have called in a few guys. Haven’t been called in yet though. The first year I did archery I carried a hoochie mama and was using at one point to get my buddy’s attention because I had just shot a bull, and ended up getting a big herd bull fired up and he ended up shooting it. So they can work even though they don’t sound realistic.

[Old Mule]

Id rather look foolish than be foolish, I was hunting in the thick reprod with Himalayan blackberries hanging all over it and some fool kept bugling He was horrible and I kept wishing he would shut up before he scared all the Elk out of the country, well he kept getting closer and the next thing I know out steps a nice six point. I don't take anything for granted anymore if I hear a bugle I always assume it's a bull until I prove otherwise. 

[idaho guy]

I have called in a few guys. Haven’t been called in yet though. The first year I did archery I carried a hoochie mama and was using at one point to get my buddy’s attention because I had just shot a bull, and ended up getting a big herd bull fired up and he ended up shooting it. So they can work even though they don’t sound realistic.

The hoochie does sound realistic its just sounds the same all the time. If you can find an elk that has not heard it 100 times a day since a week before season they work good especailly as part of a calling sequence. I call you Washington guys in all the time when you come to Idaho but not usually with a hoochie!

[Pathfinder101]

I have called in a few guys. Haven’t been called in yet though. The first year I did archery I carried a hoochie mama and was using at one point to get my buddy’s attention because I had just shot a bull, and ended up getting a big herd bull fired up and he ended up shooting it. So they can work even though they don’t sound realistic.

The hoochie does sound realistic its just sounds the same all the time. If you can find an elk that has not heard it 100 times a day since a week before season they work good especailly as part of a calling sequence. I call you Washington guys in all the time when you come to Idaho but not usually with a hoochie!

Exactly.  The problem with the HM is not that it doesn't sound like a cow elk, the problem is that you can't vary the tone.  It sounds exactly the same no matter who pushes it.  And it's so easy to use that tons of guys carry one (and a lot of them overuse it). The elk get educated to the tone and know only a dude with a weapon makes that noise.  If you found elk that weren't educated, it would be a great tool.  But I know using it in the Blue Mountains during archery season you'd be lucky to find a spike that still thinks its an elk.

 

[AL WORRELLS KID]

The problem with the HM is not that it doesn't sound like a cow elk, the problem is that you can't vary the tone.  It sounds exactly the same no matter who pushes it.  And it's so easy to use that tons of guys carry one (and a lot of them overuse it).The elk get educated to the tone and know only a dude with a weapon makes that noise.  If you found elk that weren't educated, it would be a great tool.

Pathfinder101, I have great results calling in the Cows with my HM Call.
 Problem will be, if and when I finally call in a Big Bull! 

[Pathfinder101]

The problem with the HM is not that it doesn't sound like a cow elk, the problem is that you can't vary the tone.  It sounds exactly the same no matter who pushes it.  And it's so easy to use that tons of guys carry one (and a lot of them overuse it).The elk get educated to the tone and know only a dude with a weapon makes that noise.  If you found elk that weren't educated, it would be a great tool.

Pathfinder101, I have great results calling in the Cows with my HM Call.
 Problem will be, if and when I finally call in a Big Bull! 

 

[Tbob]

I've called in a wdfw employee with some chuckles.  I also called in a father and son team twice within 2 hrs. The first time was funny, we laughed about it. The second time they came in to my bugeling using hoochie mommas. Me and my friend just snuck away.

in my experience, tooting on a hoochie mamma is like pulling a fire alarm at a high school... best way to clear your side of the mountain...

My buddy of mine  called in a monster 7x7 using only his Hoochie momma.. ya just never know!

[scoutdog346]

One time i was calling back amd forth to what i thought was a bull but it was a person.  Once i saw him i had a small 3x3 standing in the skid road 50yards away.  Was not able to get the shot off...felt very dumb.

[willapawapiti]

In a Hancock gated road system, GATED I say, hear a deep throated bugle one ridge away.  My buddy and I put the sneak on, pop out on the road, find a stashed mini-bike along the road and a guy with an electronic caller on the landing playing the same bugle sequence over and over again through his speaker.  All day long we could hear this guy bombing around the unit on his mini-bike, behind the gates  .  Run bike, electronic call, run bike, electronic call, over and over and over. Called him in to WDFW Enforcement but don't know if he was ever caught.   

[Pathfinder101]

In a Hancock gated road system, GATED I say, hear a deep throated bugle one ridge away.  My buddy and I put the sneak on, pop out on the road, find a stashed mini-bike along the road and a guy with an electronic caller on the landing playing the same bugle sequence over and over again through his speaker.  All day long we could hear this guy bombing around the unit on his mini-bike, behind the gates  .  Run bike, electronic call, run bike, electronic call, over and over and over. Called him in to WDFW Enforcement but don't know if he was ever caught.   

Would have been easier for WDFW to catch him with the air let out of his tires...

[4fletch]

Have to throw this in about funky calls but back in the 70's Larry Jones one of the Pioneer s of elk calls produced a bugle that sounded like a duck call sounded like feces but
It 1 called in lots of elk

[mikelonsford]

We had a few experiences of listening to really bad calls and then waiting to see the poor guy who was so bad and have it turn out to be elk.  Also had what we thought was a hunter come up behind us and use the Hoochie Mama, then we waited and it was a cow trying to chase us down, squeezing her call as she came.

After those incidents we decided to consider every elk sound an elk until we saw a person and knew it wasn’t.  Then we started getting into Mexican standoff’s with lots of hunters.  And we did call a Lot in.  Enough that we quit hunting Lewis River as much as we had.  It was several times a day and we were hiked back up in the wilderness.  There was a lot of wasted time.  So then we decided to play the scenarios like we do elk.  Have the shooter stay up and have the caller head back.  Draw the other party, elk or hunter, forward and that definitely helped speed up the game.  It started only taking a few minutes to pull hunters in.  Like I said there were too many though.  So we found some other areas with fewer hunters.

[greenhead_killer]

not for elk, but a few years ago my wife and i were turkey hunting. we were naturally brushed in great under a tree and had a decoy out. i started calling. about 25 mins later, 10-15 mins of calling, we heard all this crashing/ruckus type noise. i thought a bear was coming in! i grabbed my sidearm just in case. we were both scanning the surrounding area when we found the culprit. a guy with his bow in hand(!) thought he was stalking turkeys, turned out to be us. i had to whistle half a dozen times to get his attention! he sadly turned around and walked away. i dont know how this guys thought he would have sneaked up on any sort of critter with how much noise he was making!! might as well have been driving a harley through the woods! was pretty funny seeing the look of defeat. i guess im a better caller than i thought!