Vocal Elk in December

[go4itlab]

OK here's one for the old salts, I hunted the NE corner for late archery. I've hunted this area for quite of few years. I've heard cows doing a little bit of calling. Nothing like this year, we hunt an area that is a wintering area for them and this year they were extremely vocal and even had a large TOAD of a bull bugling. It was like this every day and we called in numerous small sets of cows and calves(4-12 in a group) and at one point had the bull coming in but one of the guys I hunted with got on the other side and spooked him. I have a couple theories. 1) 2-3' of snow that had crusted over very noisy and they were just communicating hey I'm an elk too moving in between food, water, and bedding. 2) We saw a lot of calves and maybe there was a few cows that came into estrus late. Any other ideas?

[high country]

I have been hearing a bull bugle every morning at daybreak for the last week. they bugle all year, just not as fired up as in the rut.

[Elknut1]

 Yes, it's very common for elk to be talking up a storm especially in the larger groups! Elk do not stop being elk outside of Sept/Oct. Elk talk year around just like you & I. It's both for communication & direction of movement, too other nursery groups can blend together & when this happens they can be extremely loud & playful . During breeding times they just become more aggressive as hormones & testosterone levels slowly escalate in both genders, outside of that they are still elk!

  You will find that elk will talk up a storm, yet they know one anothers voice or sound. You can easily test this by observing these groups any time of year, slip down towards them where you can get inside 125yds & watch & listen to them. You will hear countless mews & chirps yet none of them pay strict attention to the individual chatter. Now you give one or two cow sounds & that's it, you would think they would not pay you any notice as they themselves are being so vocal but the opposite is true, you will be surprised how many heads turn your way & stare in your direction even though you are hidden! Why? Because they know each sound by one another & now recognize your sound as an outsider. Just an interest thought! (grin)

  It's common for the bulls to talk/bugle as well at all times of the year. In many cases the bulls move off from these larger herds but some do not & some are slower that others in doing so, they do not have calendars! (grin) You can see these bulls still sparring & squealing around as they wind down from the rut & still feel their oats & just being elk! Bulls can still be rubbing or thrashing trees as well, it's not uncommon at all. In many situations bulls will rub a tree that's been previously rubbed by themselves or another bull, they are attracted to these trees or just the area itself because bulls will leave their scent there from a gland that emits their signature or presence that is above their eyes & below their antler base. This scent can be recognizable for weeks & even months to them thus attracting them to the area.  It's very common for other bulls to check out the various scents on these trees in a given area. In many areas you can see the effects of these on small ridge lines or in fairly large meadows where elk will come down & feed in. Here you will see lots of rubs as they rub different sized trees & the heights vary considerably when there are many bulls around. One bull can rub a lot of trees but 3-4 bulls can rub a lot more. Bulls can use these same areas year after year when not pressured! So yes, it's common to hear all the chatter you were hearing!

  ElkNut1

[Buckrub]

Great answer Elknut..... but quit training my competition...LOL

Never ceases to amaze me is that some hunters just can't get a response to a call while others no problem?

Is it confidence or education? 

[high country]

there are lots of things that effect the elk vocal responses. find an area where there is a lot of hunter or as my buds to the east tell me, wolf pressure, and they tend to pipe up. I can usually get a little volly fro a bull just before light on any given time of the year. I have also seen guys rip out a perfect bugle and get nothing, then I can give a halfass one with just a mouth reed and cupped hand and get imediate responses. my guess is many bulls know the sound of a scerry or primos call snd get tuned into it being trouble......just a personal hunch since every hunter with a gun has a scerry cow call.....lol

[boneaddict]

Is it confidence or education? 

Key is know what to say and when to say it.    Think of it in human terms, you don't stand up at the christmas program in the middle and drop the F bomb.

[Buckrub]

Is it confidence or education? 

Key is know what to say and when to say it.    Think of it in human terms, you don't stand up at the christmas program in the middle and drop the F bomb.

F bomb? like a fart in church.....would that be a F bomb...LOL

[boneaddict]

Did that once in the middle of an elk herd once too.  Damn near got ran over. 

In other words you don't walk into a movie theatre and yell fire, a bank and yell stick up, an airport and yell Hi Jack.

[Buckrub]

Did that once in the middle of an elk herd once too.  Damn near got ran over. 

In other words you don't walk into a movie theatre and yell fire, a bank and yell stick up, an airport and yell Hi Jack.

Must not have been silent enuff or deadly enuff 

[colockumelk]

Yeah I'm having the same problem down here in Alabama.  I cant get a single elk to respond to me.  Wonder what I'm doing wrong.      

[Elknut1]

Buckrub, for us getting responses is "thinking outside the box" when a classic bugle is doing the job then we will stay with it! It's for location purposes only, we do not move towards them & continue to call at bulls once located! Outside peak rutting times we will really mix it up with other elk sounds that require response from other elk! There are several great choices to get elk to sound off when they are some what lethargic or extremely call shy!

  Key in most cases is to only use sounds in these areas that attract them but is generally only heard within their ranks! What gets elk to be call shy is "predictable" calling & then if they are not killed when they have come into the classic bugle or & cow calls after being fooled countless times they become extremely wary & start slipping silently in with the wind in their favor to make sure it's real elk they are hearing! One great sound than can turn the odds table into your favor is the "estrus buzz" this sound is tough to master but well worth the effort because no one uses it, elk hear it & they immediately tag it as a real elk looking for the group! There's others but this one is right near the top!!

  ElkNut1

[Buckrub]

@elknut

Good advice but I've heard hundreds of times per year that "westside" elk don't talk and a bugle is a waste of time.... I smile and go about my business of calling in hunters and the occasional bull.

For one to have the confidence in elk talk or locating I feel education and experience is of utmost importance.

I'm not going to train my competition locally... I'll leave that to you.

I'll leave with one comment.... locating elk with a bugle is much more than a bugled response with call shy bulls. "snap crackle pop" 

[Buckrub]

And btw.. elknut,

Keep up the good work on youtube.... I don't have a facebook account.

I do watch your videos... I listen to everybody and never stop learning even though I'm getting old and set in my ways  

[Elknut1]

Ha Ha!! I like your honesty!!! I hear ya about educating hunters in ones personal areas, but we all have to learn somehow! These days our time is so valuable that we can't apply as much of it towards the outdoors that's needed so being able to cut a few years off the learning curve can help many out now!

  Besides most hunters take it in but still forget it or don't apply it when needed because of the intimidation factor, so what do they do? They cow call 90% of the time, when it applies, great! When it doesn't they just lost a golden opportunity due to a hang-up or elk moving off! Anyway thanks for your comments you seem like a great guy!

  ElkNut1