Using lost calf calls

[Lonnie]

I am a bow hunter. I don't do much rifle hunting. My father in law wants to hunt a cow elk this year in the late season Idaho. I was thinking about just using a lost calf sound to pull a cow in for him to shoot. What do you guys think. Has anyone tried this and made it work. I have watched videos on line where guys did this and cows came a running. Thanks

[Swede]

Lonnie, I have not tried it, but from some experience I can say with certainty, that many things work better on those hunting videos than in the real world. The more and the bigger the bulls killed the more certain you can be they are hunting some ranch, where if you rang a dinner bell the elk would come just as quick.

Remember you have to be close enough to the elk for them to hear it in order for any call to work. If I was rifle hunting, I would locate them first then go from there.

[Lonnie]

Swede. My father in law is 80 and this would be his last hunting trip. I had to pull teeth to get him to go. Those last hunting memories with family that can not be replaced. I will be glad to spend some time with him. OK Back to the elk. I have found a lot of logging roads in my area that are closed. You can only go on foot. Nice flat roads for the old father in law. My thought was to see the cows, get as close as we could, then move my father in law in down wind and start doing lost calf calls. It sounds good. But I have never tried it. My goal is to have the best game plan to get the old guy one last elk. And share the great memories with a guy who has become a dad to me.

[msd1228]

I've used lost calf calls with great success. Tends to bring to whole herd over, in my experience. Have used lost calf calls to bring the cows close which, in turn, brings the bull in close when the bull is otherwise unresponsive. Last time I used this tactic I found myself smack in the middle of a group of 30 cows ranging anywhere from 3 yards to 40 yards away from me.

[Lonnie]

Thanks msd1228. It funny when I think of elk being like humans. If a baby in a park cries and no one is a round every one comes running to help the baby. Last time my wife herd a baby cry she came home and said lets have another. LOL I told her I had to go hunting. LOL I have watched a lot of videos where the calf call has brought the cows in. And the bull right behind them wondering where are all his girls going.

[Swede]

Lonnie: Your father in law is rifle hunting in December. If you see elk, I suppose you could get out of sight and lost calf calls could work. You said you could see them and the area is relatively flat. Why can't your father in law just shoot one? How far away are the elk you are expecting to see? Why not just stay out of sight and move closer silently if they are too far away?
I have no significant experience in calling in December. I would not expect calls that worked in September to always have the same affect in December. I have a feeling you have an answer looking for the right question. Calling is a tool. Use the tools in your toolbox where they fit. Of coarse I could have misunderstood your intentions. I hope this helps.

[Lonnie]

Swede. The country I will be taking my father in law is timber country thick brush. And yes I think I have the answer to pull a cow in in the late rifle season until Murphy's Law plays in. But I could not pass the opportunity to ask the seasoned veterans like you guys to see If im making the right move. You guys that keep the WapitiTalk going and the good comments are what keeps me learning and coming back. Thanks

[Swede]

Lonnie, I am glad you understand what I was trying to say. My fear is that newer hunters read about this or that tactic and plan to use it before they are in a position to make the best application. At some point in our hunting life, we see a situation and grab for the tool that generally best fits the occasion. It takes time, and even when we get there, we will try one that does not do well all the time. At that point we are satisfied that we made a reasoned choice and move on. We gave it our best shot.
Unfortunately elk hunting is not like working on our truck.

[msd1228]

I meant to get this clip up a week or so ago, but you guys know how it goes when work flares up.

Lonnie, this is just a quick snippet of the type of sequence I use when doing a lost calf; its very frantic and loud, and doesn't necessarily have the "sweetest" of tones. Notice how hard I'm pushing on the back end of the mew - sometimes so hard that the reed breaks over or vibrates excessively. If you've ever heard a fawn, calf, or the like caught in a fence, for example, you know how hard they bawl and how raspy and forced the end of the tone is, so breaking the reed over or making it vibrate excessively is not going to sound out of place for a distress cry. This sound isn't going to win any awards on the stage, but it gets a hell of a reaction when used in the right circumstances in the woods. To make the sound, I use a mouth formation as if I was saying the word "yow", with extra emphasis on the "OW" portion of the word. The "yow" mouth formation also forces your tongue to rapidly drop off the reed at the end, which is how you get that abrupt finish to each mew.

It's not a sound that works every time, but it's worked enough times that its become a permanent fixture in my calling tool box.



RJ, I couldn't get the video to embed, so if you are able to or know how to edit this message to do so, please feel free.

[Roosiebull]

it certainly can work, like everything else, it may not work every time, but it is worth being prepared for. not sure what state you are hunting, but if you plan on doing lots of lost calf calling, it may be a good idea to buy a cougar tag if you don't have one...or if you can buy one where you are hunting. if you have no desire to shoot one, disregard that suggestion.

I have called in lots of cows with calf calls, I don't cow call a huge amount for that reason, keep cows close enough for long enough, I will usually get busted.

one night I had a group of elk in this swamp, there was a 5 point I was hoping to shoot in the bunch, I was on one side, the bull was on the other (about 125yds away) and the cows were from 50 yds to 100 yds in front of me. it was getting dark, I knew I wasn't going to bugle him across to me, so I tried excited calf calls, I was up on a little ledge, straight 7 or 8 foot bank below me, I had to stay up there because the cut grass was too tall, if I was even with the elk, there was no chance on getting a shot.

after a little calf calling 2 cows ran full speed over too me, my heart went into my throat, for some reason I thought the bull was going to be on their heels, but that wasn't the case, those 2 cows were just coming into the calf calls, but coming really out of character fast. they got right below me, like 5 ft from me and started going crazy mewing non stop, one was trying to scale that hill for quite a while, I had to just hunker down and hope she didn't make it

I have never seen cows so worked up, they were really trying to get to me, frantically. I wonder what I said?

I have had lots of cows charge into cow calls and calf calls, of course calf come in as well, my brother had to try to shoe off a calf he called in one day, would leave him alone, came up to him and was sniffing him, he tried to shoe it off, but it had a crush on him. if you are hunting elk that have not been chased around a bunch in the last week, I think cow calling and calf calling would work well. I have never tried to call a cow on purpose, but have called in a bunch on accident.

hope to hear about this hunt, I wish you guys luck.

[Grousewit]

"It worked" when i hit play from the lazyboy the cat came from the kitchen across the dining room and into the living room in stalk mode!!!

[Sask hunter]

I'll have to give it a try. I would be happy to call a cow in this fall

[JAK]

What is an easy to use lost calf call. I have a late season cow tag and wouldn't mind having a call option for bringing a cow closer

[Grousewit]

Rocky Mtn. Temptress. Purchased mine from Elknut store above.

[JAK]

Thanks! I'll give it a try.