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Cold calling elk..how long to call?

Just for conversation, how long do guys call for before moving on to another spot? I'm not talking about bugling where you are trying to locate a bull or have had a bull bugle previously and you are moving in to locate. Talking about a cold calling situation where you setup a calling stand and throw out a few cow calls in hopes of having a bull come in. I ask because last year, opening weekend, I had thrown out a few cow calls and waited probably 15 minutes with no signs of incoming elk. Just threw my pack back on and started down the ridge when all the sudden there was a bull coming in 60-70 yards away. Obviously he saw me first and spooked. did I "give up" too soon? Would you say sitting for 15-20 minutes is adequate in most cases or do guys sit down and call for an hour before moving? In my opinion, cold calling and setting up is one of the most effective early season tactics when the bulls aren't as vocal. It just seems to play into their curiosity and even though they may not be interested in some love yet, they just cant help but walk over to take a look. OR, do guys here just hunt silent and typically only call when they know elk are close?

No right or wrong answer. Do what you like. I often call from one spot for 15 and move on. Sometimes longer. Depends on how much ground you feel you want to cover that day, too. Varies also with how familiar you are with the area and elk movement too. Sometimes don't call. Just sneak around. Elk often come in silent and you get busted. I also like to make believe I sense the elk's mood that day and call or not call accordingly. And I got hearing aids this winter so now I may hear sounds I haven't been hearing out there! Maybe not coming in silent as much as I thought!! The joys of becoming..... Experienced!

However long I call, it’s about 30 seconds too short. Because when I finally give up and stand up there’s an elk standing there looking at me.

And you must be talking about white tails, because the squirrels in Colorado don’t sound like a deer. They sound like a siren warning every animal within a mile of danger

If you’re doing it right, sometimes those squirrels let you know where the elk are...

I think UCS has it about right for call time!

About five more minutes than what you did a lot of the time!

At least 30-40 minutes. I find a good ambush area with a funnel and shoot lanes near known bedding areas or what might look like good bedding or travel areas. I then move up at least 60 plus yards up wind, and cow/ calf call with (sometime) a small bull call thrown in as the last resort, I do this for 5 - 10 minutes, and then drop back to my original ambush area 60 or more yards down wind, and set up. I might even do some antler rubbing, with a stick. If a bull comes in they usually will try to come in cross or down wind. Being 60 yards plus, down wind from where they believe the cow sounds came from, brings them still upwind from me, and with in bow range. I hunt solo a lot. .

I have had them show up in as little as three minutes and as long as 45 minutes. The three minute bull let out a short squeal immediately and I barely made it to cover before his antlers showed above the alders. A nice 6X6. He went straight to where I had been standing and started sniffing. The wind shifted from me to him and he beat it without hesitation.

I was hunting ml with a cow tag. :(

Bull I killed last year came in silent to a calling sequence. It was 15-20 minutes in. I was calling another bull across the meadow that was taking his sweet ass time comin in when I heard a branch break.

I usually try and stay 40-45 min. Although as stated above seems to usually be 30 seconds short hahaha. On my sons hunt last year 3 bulls on different sets came in silent . Big guys ! One took 1.5 minutes the third about 49 min. All of them busted us as soon as we moved. He did shoulder an absolute giant who came in screaming. Later was killed on a rifle hunt.

sadly I almost cannot do a cold call sit for 30 minutes. Dont care how effective/right it is I just gotta find an active elk to hunt. talking about true cold calling where I have no idea if an elk is nearby already or not.

This lil fella came in quiet. Let him walk.

I would say 20-30 minutes minimum. No maximum other than when It gets dark.

" I also like to make believe I sense the elk's mood that day and call or not call accordingly"

lol at that one Chuck (Whocares)

30 minutes and sometimes thats not long enough. More and more common for public land bills to tiptoe in quietly, stopping and starting every couple yards, then locking in on the spot about 40 yards out.

Yup, they're almost as smart as turkeys. :)

TBM? ;-)

20 min tops for me. I then slip up 300 yds and set up again and do another 20 mins. Ill do this every morning until I run outta thermals

I like to cover more ground to get more encounters

Depends on the area I hunt. I will stay all day if I know there are elk in area. Other 45 min to an hour. And at least 20 min after last sound you make. Last bull I shot cam in an hour after my last call. Mostly there is no single answer.

My buddy and I use a method I think Curt Wells talked about .To start I give my partner a single mew when I'm ready and he answers with a mew.We call for 45 min to 1 hour.when i think it's time to go i give a another single mew and wait for his answer,if it doesn't come we wait another 15 min and try again.Sometimes he hears or see's something I don't and vice a versu.It works for us.

IMO - anything longer than 30-40 mins and you're not calling elk that are in the the 'vicinity'. Youre calling elk that wander INTO your vicinity.

Ive kept a watch on my bow riser for years. I look at the time when the calling session starts and when elk arrive.

Its been my experience that they arrive in 3 min intervals... within the first 3 mins, or 6 mins, or 9 mins, 12mins and 15mins.

Anything longer than 15 mins, its crap shoot when they come in. Sometimes its 30mins or up to an hour. So I take my game to them and move. I get more encounters that way

Its worked for me that way for many years

I agree if have a good feeling elk are near.....til dark if necessary. If you're in a place where you can reach out a long way, as I try to do, your not calling elk just passing thru, your calling them in from long distance. And that may take a while ;)

Here's where I learned a valuable lesson. I was once hunting a big bull in a basin on the west side of the Divide. At one point he picked his head up and looker uphill, then left his cows and started walking silently.

I shadowed him over the Divide and all the way down the other side clear down almost to the willows In the bottom of the opposite drainage. As we got closer I could hear faint bulging below. He would walk, stop, listen, walk a little more. He never made a sound and paid no attention to my periodic calls from the side.

Almost 40 minutes later he was right in on the other bull, saw what he wanted to see, turned around and silently walked all the way back to the bedding timber his cows had entered on the other side off the Divide.

I mainly use a hyper hot and do it with feelings for about 5 mins. Then, I wait for about a half hour and if nothing comes in I do it again. Sometimes they come charging in and other times they walk and stop real slowly. I like to call about an hour before sunset. My son likes to hunt the areas in the morning and I do the evenings. If I am hunting a waterhole during the noon hour times I don't call at all.

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