Choice Of Elk Calls--Does It Matter?

[Elknut1]

  What do you guys use for the most part? I assume most are using mouth diaphragms for both bull & cow sounds? So what brand calls are you using including grunt tubes? I'm not of the school that one call works so much better than all the rest that everyone should use the one I do. You can call elk with darned near any call out there & have done so for years, although I do have my personal favorites. It's the user behind the call more so than the call of use. Yes, even the hoochie mama has its place! (grin) I don't use one but know many who do! It's best used as an additional sound in a cow calling sequence instead of a go to call in my opinion.

  I use a mouth diaphragm for most calling I do, it's the mini master domed call by Rockie Jacobsen, this call fits me well, I also enjoy the use of the Scream N Tormentor he has as well. I enjoy his calls to the point that I carry them & have recommended them for those not happy with what they have. I believe I've used about every call out there in the last 25+ years & there are many very good ones, it's all in the one that fits you best & you have great confidence in. For a bugle I use the Monarch Bugle, It will give off the biggest bull sounds around, this is very important to me as many of our calling sequences require big bull sounds, yet the grunt tube is still capable of giving great raggie or spike sounds as well.

  One of my motto's is, "bugle big for big bulls"  timing of sound is key here, this does not apply for all elk encounters no more than cow calls do! I do carry a couple of external cow calls as well for selective sounds & mixing it up some, I like being prepared for any situation.

  So what is it that most use here! I'd be interested to know! Thanks!

  ElkNut1

[WDFW-SUX]

Big fan of Rocky's calls I like the brown and Red reeds and the Yellow some times. i have several of his tubes and like them all.

I had good response from the hoochie momma this year when the reeds were not getting it done.  I usually rotate the calls I'm using just to keep em guessing and also depending on which one seems to sound the best to me.

Each reed seems to have its own personality so when I get a good one I take good care of it too.

Don't like the berry calls and the Primos ones are just copies of Rockys.

[M_ray]

This year on my scouting and on my peaches hunt I came up with what I think has been my best combo yet at least for me ... For a mouth reed I used Rocky's brown reed then around my neck I had a Primo's cow girl and a Berry sleezy cow. for a bugle I used the Berry bugle or took off the mouth peice and used the same Rocky's brown reed.

The thing I liked about the Primos cow girl (which by the way not a big fan of thier mouth reeds) is when you are in tight with the herd it can be a very quite delicate call or another words it doesn't take much air to work it. The Berry sleezy cow is a louder call which turned out to be a good locator call since the sound travels so far. The most authentic sounds for me are the Rocky's calls.

Another thing I have seen over the years is it seems to work better if you stay away from the latest big call craze, it seems soo many get out there and start honking on them all over that the elk seem to become immune to them it's like thats all they hear for two months and they become shy, so use something different than everybody else no matter what it is and you will have better luck!

[huntnphool]

The best call I have ever used is this one, its a bit heavy to pack around but your hands are free, no need to search through various reeds, self sufficient and is great for packing animals out of deep canyons, sure does eat a lot though.

[ICEMAN]

The best call I have ever used is this one, its a bit heavy to pack around but your hands are free, no need to search through various reeds, self sufficient and is great for packing animals out of deep canyons, sure does eat a lot though.

So what you are saying is that you blow on that with your mouth?  (Sorry..., couldn't resists...  )

[huntnphool]

Nope, just download instructions by bribing with a quarter pounder/cheese, set up in the desired location and hope hes back to the truck by dark.

[M_ray]

He looks more like a bird dogger than an elk call ... maybe a flusher not a pointer! 

[huntnphool]

Well anyone that will hike with me anymore cant be all bad. I drag people a long way and he never complains. That tiny dark spot off his right elbow in the clearing is our truck, we were halfway there at this spot in the pic. I wish elk didnt climb so damn high sometimes.

Sorry for the highjack Elknut, I have tried so many calls only to have them stack up and gather dust in the garage. I just cant seem to get them to work like some of you guys can, I prefer to have my brother do it while I sneak in on the bulls, he hasn't figured it out yet so don't tell him

[boneaddict]

I am currently using one of bearmanrics predator calls.  Blown right, its a regular cow elk.  No one else out there hs one with the same tone. 

[Elknut1]

  Huntnphool--(grin) No problem!!!


  Interesting thoughts & replies there! Being unique in sound delivery can be very important. I've found that if you take 10 hunters with the same mouth call you will get a good 7 different tones, not all use & sound the same as the other. This is different with external cow calls & bugles though, most can only be blown/used one way, unless you're imaginative. (grin) But basically have the same ear tone. This is why mouth reeds are best suited for calling elk when need be. Most are unique in their delivery style & tones.
  We hunt areas that are every bit as crowded as most do here & yet we still use the same basic calls & sounds, I feel the key here is using the right sound at the right time. The call is irrelevant, getting elk to "React" to ones calling is what throws them off their game, when hunters are not aggressive enough under most encounters you give bulls/cows enough time to get curious & come sneaking in down wind to check things out, "Setup" is so important at this time. One must have a setup where it forces the oncoming elk to come in from in front or from your right or left & not behind you where the wind should be going. 
  Getting bulls to "react" is like this! Let's say you hear your wife & kids screaming for help & you hear a mans rough voice as well yet you can't see them, they're 60yds away from you. Are you going to say Honey/Kids  is everything OK over there? (in a soft voice) Or are you going to do everything in your power to get over to aid them as fast as you can possibly screaming or yelling a bit yourself?  Liken this to an elk encounter. This is one of the best ways to get bulls to "React" to a situation! Having hands free with a mouth reed can ready you for action if needed too!

  Personally we rely much heavier on our bugles than with our cow calls, we use them of course but the bugle is what fills most our freezers! Again it's knowing how to use the various bull sounds that is key here, not a bunch of classic bugle calling. That in itself is "different" than what everyone else is doing.
  Cow calls work, no doubt, but you will get more hung-up bulls with cow calls than any other sounds, when that happens you'd better get aggressive! (grin) Anytime a bull responds to a cow call 2 things happen, he's letting her know where he is & he's trying to call her to him, in most cases the bull wants her to come to him, especially if it's a herd bull, he doesn't want to separate himself from the herd to far away to hook up one cow! But you can get him to "React" this is real life public land hunting not draw units or primos videos, you'd better know "How To Work A Bull" in public land hunts!!

  boneaddict--what type of a bugle system are you using?

  ElkNut1

[boneaddict]

One of the original abe and sons with the latex mouth piece.  I tend to use the heavier latex for the deeper sound.  Its not as pure as the lighter latex, but it makes me sound more like a hoarse, chucklin herd bull.  It tends to sound less flute like.

[Bearhunter]

Rockys got my vote, I do pack a hoochie mama for when im pinned down and want to call from behind the back.  Rockys Monarch bugle tube in great with some added duct tape and a little modification.  Heres a bull that came screaming in this year while using the yellow reed with the monarch tube.  Hard to beat...

[nwhunter]

I also am a Rockie call fan. We used his whos yrr daddy cow call this year with great results. It is a lot like primos hyper lip but a lot easier to call with, at least for me. It also has a tone button that lets you make different tones while calling. I struggle with mouth diaghrams for some reason and can't get a consistent sound much to my dismay. nwhunter

[loveipabeer]

I've had an Abe & Sons for over 10 years and love it, I like the thinner latex though, I also use as many cow calls as I can possibly carry including the Hoochie Mamma.

Personally I don't think the call matters all that much, some of the worst bugles come from elk. I think its more important to know what the elk is/are telling you and respond accordingly.

 

[Elknut1]

  I'm really surprised how many here use Rockies calls, they are good that's for sure!

  Abe & Sons bugle is a very good sounding bugle as well, very close to the monarch, a notch below but a great one! (grin)

  I've got a friend who's a very good caller & he uses a sawed down baseball bat, (plastic) then puts the primos blue snap on reed over that, in addition to that he puts the red imperial plate mouth reed in his mouth for the grunts or chuckles. He screams with the external reed & does the rest with the mouth reed, he sounds dang good too. Says he does it that way because he just can't get the volume he's looking for out of the mouth reed!

  Nwhunter, I've used the Whose Yrr Daddy off & on the last 2 years now, it's a good call, I like the fact that it has a shapeable rubber end on it to tone the sounds if need be.

  At the up-coming Seminar I'll be using all these calls & more for demo purposes, you can come up with some pretty unique sounds with the various selection these days!

  ElkNut1