Sharp Shooter

What is the best call for calling in a Bull?

ELKINMTCWB

You looking for a brand?

or are you looking for what sound?

cow calls
In my opinion the best one is the one the elk hear the least in your hunting spot.I will never buy a call they sell in town order one from the net .This will give you a better chance to get one most elk have not heard.

bugles
This allso depends on your spot.If there is a ton of big bulls than go for a mature bull bugle. If most elk in your spot are young go more for a bull squeal.


Now if you meen what kind of call GO mouth diaphram calls you can do cow ,calf and bulls.they never freez up or fill with spit. BRand dose not make a big diff.My best cow call is a crow call made by carlton.
Not many guys will try any thing new.I say try every thing you can every elk is difrant.

cherokee_outfitters

Hands down a diaphram call. Some people take to them natural some take alot more practice. I do use some cow calls made by sceery but mostly the diaphram works best for me. Best thing to do is practice awhile then go outside with a tape recorder about ten feet away and see if you basically sound like an elk. Okay now that I've said that elk don't aways sound perfect. They wail, grunt,chuckle, and yes sometimes sound like a hunter who don't even know how to use a call.

My main thing for using a call boils down to the situation. I always try to get ahead of the bull in the direction the herd is moving, slipping in among them and then letting rip the biggest growl and chuckles I can let go. I immediately start cow calling and then when he tries to answer I shut him up with more talk. He will come in upset and right to you. Always remember unless its short, loud, and quick bugle(which means round up those cows and go) imitate the calls he's making. Don't try and be so quite thrash around and break stuff as long as he's not in view.

Every year is a new learning experience, enjoy what you see and learn.

handloader1

I have had real good results with Abe & Son's Grunt tube. Good luck.

Sharp Shooter

I want to know a brand, model, and if the ones you put in your mouth are better or the the ones you blow in are better. What about the ones you push?

Thanks

elknut1

The best thing you can do for yourself as a newer elk hunter is master the mouth diapgragm. Get yourself a hollow grunt tube, a single reed & a double reed mouth call. Start your practicing with the single reed, go with cow calling first, it's the easiest to learn. After you can do those at will, graduate to bull sounds. Once you feel comftorable with all sounds now do them again with the double reed, it's a little stiffer latex, but your tongue will adjust to it in no time. ----After reaching that goal, then you can concern yourself with the right sounds to use at the right time. One step at a time, you'll do fine!!

Primos has a good selection of palate plates, they work fine!

The external bugles limit you greatly with the sounds that can be achieved with them, they're not worth your time or effort, they're mostly for bugling only and you'll want to be more versatile in your calling with as few calls as necessary.-----ElkNut1

Bob H in NH

One nice thing about the external bugles is that on many, such as the power bugle, the mouth piece comes off and you have yourself the bugle tube to use with a diaphram. Gives you an added sound to the bugles. Saw this in action last year, an outfitter got a bull going for me, the bull would occassionally go quiet and would then start up again when the guide blew the power bugle (higher pitched), once the bull was answering again, he would answer to the diaphram call. I was 40 yards from teh guide and I could tell a big difference in the calls. Mostly the pitch.

--Bob (who is FAR from an elk expert, but loves chasin em)

bwhntrrrr

It all depends on where you are hunting, I live in Central Montana, and most of the bulls that are on Public Land are really call-shy. If you are hunting on Public Land take into concideration that some of the bulls out there have been called at several times, and more than not, have been spooked by the hunter, scent, movement, ect.. If you use a bugle, use it sparingly, just squeals and "moaning"sounds (the one the youngest bulls make), then add a couple of cow calls in after, if there is a bigger bull in the area he will come in and try to take the cows from the smaller bull. My choice for bugles is the E.L.K. Power Bugle of any diaphrams from Primos. As for cow calls, again Primos for diaphram and the "Hoochie Momma" hand thumb-push call.

Alsatian

"Here bull! Here bully bull bull!!! Come here boy, comon! that 'a boy! Here bull!"

Incredulous? Well, but have you ever tried this approach? Just joking.

Seriously though, Elknut1, do you know where I can obtain Mastering the Art of Elk Calling, a video produced by Primos? This has been recommended to me as a good place to start learning about Elk calling.

elknut1

I've never seen the video personally, but have heard of it before. Check out --www.primos.com I'm sure it can be found there with a little scanning! Good Luck!
ElkNut1