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Calling To Elk At Night!

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Calling To Elk At Night!

Postby ElkNut1 » 06 05, 2012 •  [Post 1]

Calling elk after nightfall can be very productive. Many hunters
whether in a base camp or if they bivouac in several miles
have mentioned in the past how elk were so vocal at night they
couldn’t sleep. That’s a good problem to have! If nothing is vocal
when you’re there go ahead and bugle in an attempt to stir the
pot. Many times bulls will respond to another bull but not sound
off on their own. Picking your spots and the right times to call at
night will vary according to the areas you hunt. There’s nothing
automatic about hearing bulls or cows at night and it’s just an
option to consider when locating elk.
We do our best not to call near other camps in consideration
of other hunters but we do call from roads, whether dirt or paved.
We do this not expecting to hear elk right near the road, but in an
attempt to hear elk wherever they may be within earshot. Sound
at night carries a long way when there are no winds or inclement
weather brewing. It’s very common to hear elk in excess of a mile
away and sometimes they will be close to the road.
Some of the best times to call are around full moon phases
in Sept.-Oct. Elk seem to feed at this time, go through rutting
adventures freely, and are more than willing to cooperate vocally
anytime after dark and until daylight.
ElkNut1
ElkNut/Paul
 
Posts: 4673
Joined: 05 11, 2012
Location: Idaho

Re: Calling To Elk At Night!

Postby ElkNut1 » 06 05, 2012 •  [Post 2]

We generally call between 10:00pm-midnight. In addition to
this we like being in the woods or off roads where we feel elk
may be within earshot 1-2 hours before first light. In early morning
like this if we receive a response then we can work towards
them while it’s still dark if the terrain allows. Therefore we end up
near them at first light.
We generally use far reaching location bugles with no grunts
or chuckles on the end. We will also use cow sounds but not
persistently. We do not want the elk coming our way too early
with these sounds but simply want their location. Having the elk
come in can happen when calling at night, but that’s the chance
you take.
Places to call from are important. We look for areas where
sound carries well and likely feeding/watering areas they use
at night. Many of these areas can be found on the Internet sites,
Google Earth or Usatopo. We look for basins, parks or long draws
to call into, whether they’re below or above the roads. We also
drive many areas during daylight hours to find areas we will
come back and call at night.
The time of night is determined by what we’re interested in.
We’ve found by locating elk at these hours that the elk are still in
the vicinity come daylight, making them very hunt-able. It is best
to have many areas in mind in hopes that a few pan out. Be persistent,
just because you don’t hear anything one evening doesn’t
mean this applies to all evenings. Keep at it and try calling in
different areas.
ElkNut1
ElkNut/Paul
 
Posts: 4673
Joined: 05 11, 2012
Location: Idaho

Re: Calling To Elk At Night!

Postby ElkNut1 » 06 05, 2012 •  [Post 3]

How much one would call depends on response or lack
thereof. If I call and receive a response I leave it at that and do
not continue calling. If you’re too persistent the bull may come
over your way and that is not what you want at night. If I call and
get no response I will call again, generally three times within a
minute but no more. I will wait up to 20 minutes per area. The
choice of call used depends on the area and the individual, just
don’t overdo it. As I say, some elk answer very quick, some are
delayed several minutes and others give no response at all. Keep
moving from area to area until you’re satisfied! We locate bulls
every year with this method.
ElkNut1
ElkNut/Paul
 
Posts: 4673
Joined: 05 11, 2012
Location: Idaho

Re: Calling To Elk At Night!

Postby ElkNut1 » 06 20, 2012 •  [Post 4]

Here is the type of area we look for during daylight hours then come back after dark or 1-1/2 hour before daylight to call into with Location Bugles or Lip Bawl type bugles!
Look for areas where your calling carries a good distance!

ElkNut1
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ElkNut1
ElkNut/Paul
 
Posts: 4673
Joined: 05 11, 2012
Location: Idaho

Re: Calling To Elk At Night!

Postby ElkNut1 » 06 20, 2012 •  [Post 5]

Here's another area to consider!

ElkNut1
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ElkNut1
ElkNut/Paul
 
Posts: 4673
Joined: 05 11, 2012
Location: Idaho

Re: Calling To Elk At Night!

Postby ElkNut1 » 06 20, 2012 •  [Post 6]

Another type area to consider! Look how the landscape drops down through the trees, there's a big long running draw down there where sound carries very well!

ElkNut1
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ElkNut1
ElkNut/Paul
 
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Joined: 05 11, 2012
Location: Idaho


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