Voice chuckles, grunts and whines are my go-to calls for mature bulls nowadays in an area where everybody runs around bugling their heads off with commercial bugles and diaphragms, starting a week before the season even opens. I only "bugle" in the dark as a locating tool. If you want to talk over the phone I can try to help with the voice part. PM me and I'll give you my cell number.
p.s. Chuckles send one message & Grunts send another.
ElkNut1
I assumed an aggressive bugle would be enough, but it's nice to hear what works for the non professional killers out there.
Anyone have any chuckle/grunt tips not covered by the "pros" videos.
Thanks Will, can't say I know what a bull moan sounds like. I'll have to look that one up.
I'm generally calling for myself or someone else so if I'm calling for myself and know exactly where he's at, I like to call at 40-70 yards and then quickly tip toe forward 20-40 yards because they usually try to get just close enough to see through the trees which doesn't give you a shot. I've been caught on the move though.
At <100 yards, I've had as much luck mimicking a herd with a spike/raghorn bull in it as I have using challenges. Pressured bulls are used to getting challenges and will round up the herd and bail oftentimes. Also, I've seen the cows up and go at challenges; and the bull follows. Especially when you're not the best caller. A herd with a small bull creates annoyance/curiosity for a herd bull, especially when they're close. I go to the challenge if that doesn't work unless he's already fired up from satellites. If he has a hot cow and there's 3 satellites that he's been fending off all night, a close challenge forces him to come fight.
IMO, if a drainage has 4 different bulls bugling every 30 seconds or less, I think it's due to a hot cow. The herd bull is telling the satellites that he's already fought off to scram and the horny but ass-whipped satellites stand at a safe distance begging the cow to follow them. This is best case scenario for killing an elk IMO. A herd bull that is only putting out occasional locators to call cows to him is not as vulnerable to challenges as he is to herd talk, if you're a novice caller like I am.
But in my experience, usually what you're dealing with when elk hunting is not the drainage with the hot cow. It's the lonely bull or the bull with herd that's doing locators to attract more cows. My #1 goal in that scenario is to not scare the elk away (besides killing one, of course).
I've rambled on for a while, but back on topic, I've only had chuckles help once and that was when I knew elk were near and I wasn't getting a response with a locator and I did just a few chuckles without a bugle and I got a response.
If no hot cows in the group with the herd bull then I generally will not Challenge Bugle him, in most cases it does nothing as he's not in an aggressive/defensive state of mind. I generally will get him to respond to my cow calls at those times then go right at him as he calls me to him. Noise means nothing as I slip into bow range cow calling my way to him, he knows it's the cow coming that he's asked to come.
If herd bull has at least one hot cow you'll know because he's bugling defensively to other satellite bulls in the area or to a Locator Bugle you may have given a ways back. This is a great time to get inside that 100 yard realm & call the hot cow from him, a Lip Bawl Bugle does just that! It's sorta a two fold Bugle, it warns the herd bull to stay back yet it's demanding the hot cow come his way to check him out as a possible breeder. This trick kills herd bulls when used on the rutting ones! Do this when bulls are not rutting even though they have cows & your odds for a close encounter drop dramatically. Timing is everything!
Link, keep up the practice, you'll eventually be in total control of your reed & that will instill confidence! Make sure to be using a good reed, they will fatigue after much use. Too, use a 1/2" wide reed for best results for a narrow palate, you will most likely struggle with a 5/8" one! Good luck & put in the time, you will get plenty good!
ElkNut1
