Legal to call elk to photograph?
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: Lark Bunting
25-Sep-17
This is probably a dumb question but worth asking. Is it legal to call in elk to photograph? I read some good advice to do some post season scouting and would love to bring the camera out into the field to do some photography. I don't think it's considered harassing wildlife and I wouldn't mean to disrupt hunters either. I guess I could take advantage of the break between CO's archery season and first rifle.
From: Quinn @work
25-Sep-17
Yes it's legal.
But I did once find out that you can't call an elk in Rocky Mountain National Park. Ranger just asked me to stop and said it was against the rules. Man, I had them bulls fired up. LOL.
From: Dyjack
25-Sep-17
I know in NM it's legal as long as you're not knowingly interfering with someone's legal hunt. I call to elk all the time.
From: GF
25-Sep-17
JMO, it would be poor form and probably a lot more dangerous than necessary to be out taking pics during a rifle season, unless you were calling for a friend with a rifle tag, of course.
And it's worth remembering that the state gives those animals a little time off for a reason.
I don't know if calling them would cross a line into harassment; sure might, because the calling is a deliberate attempt to influence their behavior and you're not doing it as part of a legal Hunting act. But it can't be illegal to be in the woods with a camera. Just tread lightly. Think how you'd feel if you were a rifle season hunter and somebody was tromping around, riling up the Elk in your chosen area, and behave accordingly.
From: Timbrhuntr
25-Sep-17
When used to archery moose hunt the week before the end of bow and opening of rifle a ton of rifle hunters would show up early set their camps and then wander around calling to scout for the next week they didn't give a hoot that I was out there trying to fill my bow tag !!!!
From: Pete In Fairbanks
25-Sep-17
Most assuredly NOT LEGAL in national parks. Irrationally intolerant and retentive NPS rangers consider it "altering the animal's natural behavior" and will happily write you a citation for doing so.
I have also "heard" that it is an awesome exercise in fun-ness!
Pete
From: IdyllwildArcher
25-Sep-17
Personally, I think it's not that great of an idea due to educating the elk even more than they already are.
From: Glunt@work
25-Sep-17
Life is short. If you end up educating a bull, anything he learns will be gone along with him in a few years.
The first week of October is an awesome time to be in the woods.
From: LINK
25-Sep-17
I say go for it.
From: Bake
25-Sep-17
I'm with Idyll. . . I used to spend two weeks before turkey season calling to and educating every turkey on the farms I could hunt. I found that it made them much harder to call in later, and eventually gave it up and improved my success.
From: BigOzzie
25-Sep-17
Agree with Bake and Idyll to a point if you are going to do it get out and do it. I took a break as I was climbing a mountainside one early a.m. and listened to a truck stop and bugle at the gate of the three roads below me, You listened to the truck pull up and stop, doors slam, and two bugles, no answer, and slam they were off again, to the next gated road took them about 7 minutes and slam bugle bugle slam they were off again. happened three times and then they raced off the the next area I assume. All they accomplished was annoying me and causing elk to clam up for the next week.
yes it is legal and would be fun to do but get out and do it, don't do the drive by bugle thing. grrrr, guess I needed to vent a little sorry.
oz
From: Fulldraw1972
25-Sep-17
Two nights after I shot my bull I went to a ridge to take pics and practice my bugling. I ended up calling in a bull to 60 or 70 yards. Unfortunately Ike was no where to be found. I think he was whispering to a grizzly.
From: wyobullshooter
25-Sep-17
Another one that prefers not to educate elk anymore than I have to. They get enough of that from the hordes running through the woods for a month tooting mews and bugles every 15 sec.
I also enjoy getting back in the woods after I've tagged out, but I leave my diaphragms at home.
From: HDE
25-Sep-17
When a bull is cranked up and in a rutting frenzy, I doubt they remember much...
From: Matt
25-Sep-17
"Personally, I think it's not that great of an idea due to educating the elk even more than they already are. "
Agreed
From: Yellowjacket
25-Sep-17
I say go for it. The week between Colorado archery and rifle season is a great time.
From: Surfbow
26-Sep-17
I did it up in RMNP a few years back, trying to show some out-of-state friends some elk. Holy moly did the bulls respond!
From: Lark Bunting
26-Sep-17
I can't help but grin at the mixed comments.
From: LINK
26-Sep-17
Doing it before season would be ignorant. I really doubt that calling a little to a bull after season will educate him for next season. Don't harp on the same bull day after day but get out and have fun so long as you're not messing with someone else's hunt. I just spent a week in a CO otc unit loaded with hunters. I never saw one hunter more than 600 yards from the truck and never saw a hunter carrying a bugle much less heard them use it. Bulls were responding for me and I concluded pressure and scent educate them more than calling. I called in a good 6x to 60 yards before he saw my buddy sitting in direct sun light, arrrgggg. The bull left but continued to exchange bugles for some time as I followed him.
From: EmbryOklahoma
26-Sep-17
I like to honk my truck horn and make them bugle.
From: Dyjack
26-Sep-17
I like calling to calfs to "educate" them early. Haha just kidding. I just like hearing the cows and calfs talk to each other. Eeeooo
From: goelk
27-Oct-17
WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WhATS BB THOUGHS
From: jims
27-Oct-17
Calling bulls without a weapon would certainly be good practice and also a great way to see what bulls may be available in any particular unit. I've been tempted to do it in RMNP. I'm pretty sure if you get off the beaten path you wouldn't get caught but not sure about the legality in a national park. You may get Ranger's attention if doing it along roads and highly visible areas.
From: stick n string
27-Oct-17
I like to eat bugles while reading you guys' elk threads
From: cnelk
27-Oct-17
Its only illegal if you use the 'Roundup Bugle'
From: Rayzor
30-Oct-17
LOL Stick and String. Haven't had or thought of those in years. Used to love those things.
From: Matt
30-Oct-17
"Personally, I think it's not that great of an idea due to educating the elk even more than they already are."
I tend to agree, the hunting equivalent of peeing in the pool.
From: BTM
31-Oct-17
Another vote for not educating them. As to whether the elk will forget everything by next fall, I've never seen data on that. Wonder how you'd prove it one way or another.
