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Elk Hunting the New Millennium by: Ralph Ramos

Excessive Calling Techniques Part I

During my fifteen years of elk hunting with the bow, I have learned to be persistent, creative and by all means, not be afraid to try something out of the ordinary. While hunting bugling deep-throated bulls coupled with high-pitched wapiti, my research for new technique is never ending. Personal set-ups on these vocal creatures is probably no different than other traditional elk hunters. Approaching a bulls bugle most hunters, check wind, move in, set up, cow call, and bugle sparingly in hopes for these vocal beasts to walk within range for a clean shot at success. Popular traditional approach, does it work? Sure, taken for granted two out of every ten setups like this scenario will produce a bull for the average elk hunter. Realistically hunters are lucky encountering ten elk opportunities during one hunt. Currently, eight out of ten opportunities are what most hunters seek in better odds of calling in bulls. Is it happening? Assured, with today’s sophisticated hunting world and the new millennium well on its way.  Trophy elk hunting has coerced upon us new techniques and strategies for use in order to have consistent success.

Why Excessive Cow Talk

Excessive cow talk coupled with young non-intimidating bugles is preferred for conversation with these vocal beasts. Yes, I will repeat “excessive cow talking!” This technique is most effective when working a bull to your favor during the rut. Let me remind you of what the male hormone, “testosterone” does to a male when a beautiful lady catches his attention. Well, what about a few ladies, hey, a few more sweet-talking!  Now that I have your attention, most average males will normally buy into the sweet voice of females. Well, that is if they have caught his attention. Bull elk behave the same way bugling when attentive to the sounds of cow talk.  Experience in the field, has proven elk are greedy lovers in search of many cows for his harem. They allow themselves to be enticed with sweet talk or as described with excessive cow calling, causing male curiosity as a form of challenge.  When excessive cow calling described in this article is used properly, prepare yourself, the odds of success will be in your favor.

Types of Calls used for Excessive Calling

Wait a minute, excessive calling; this guy doesn’t know what he is talking about. I will admit that most traditional veteran elk hunters don’t agree with my philosophy of calling. But hey this article is intended to talk about new bow hunting techniques for the new millennium. Let’s share my learned experience in the field-calling elk.  Preferring to hunt with minimal of eight types of elk hunting calls is best for excessive calling. Diaphragm mouth calls, open reed hyper lip calls, bite & blow calls, compact bugle tubes, varied bugle tube mouth pieces, and of course the large bugle tube with the resonator sound chamber, are a must for creating excessive elk calling.

Locate, followed with plenty of Cow Talk

Preferring to locate bulls with either loud cow talk or human bugles bellowing in canyons, are what makes bulls bugle giving up location during the first step.  Immediately when bull responds, check wind direction, look for the path of least resistance for the bull, and move in quickly for the setup.  Begin cow calling excessively on various calls, hoping to entice the bull within bow range. Imitate varied tones of cow talk, start with diaphragm cow calling, shuffling the bugle tube open end, in and out in front of your mouth rapidly. This shuffle produces the volume of near and far sounds of mingling cows in the herd, simulating a heard of cows feeding with calves.  Try to vocalize one loud cow in heat imitating an estrous cow elk sound, with the hyper open reed cow call. During this type of set up, do not make the cow in heat whine more than two times in a six-minute period. Possibly once every three to four minutes. Many hunters over call with this hyper heat call. Real cows in estrous don’t whine over and over again. Live elk converse excessively when feeding throughout the herd, with normally a single cow in heat whining every once in a while during the rut.  Apply modern type of calls mentioned earlier impersonating excited cow and calf herd-talk. Create the many sounds of multiple feeding cows and calves. With more variance of cow sounds you produce, the better your chance of calling in the bull. Don’t hold back, blow on the calls; don’t worry if you’re calling too much! Work the bull with all the different calls you’ve purchased. Once you start the excessive bursts of cow talk, don’t stop until the bull comes in. Starting with a diaphragm call in your mouth, shuffling the bugle tube in and out in front of your mouth, swapping to an open reed call and no bugle tube, don’t hesitate keep calling.  Continuously blow on different calls, never letting up, produce excessive calling, every call sounds different, imitating a different cow. Loud calls, soft calls, all calls work! Place these calls right in front of you as your kneeling on the ground. These calls need to be accessible to your reach with no down time once you begin calling for the setup. Keep working the bull!

Normally Bulls Hangs Up! Now What?

Experience on set ups, most bulls, whether a herd bull or satellite will hang up between 100 to 125 yards from the caller. Don’t get discouraged, that is what you want to happen, or lets just say it normally happens! At this point hung up bulls don’t see any cows to go to, therefore they will not come any closer. Hung up bulls will bugle over and over again, expecting the cows going to them in the natural setting.  Although bulls can’t see the cows he hears, frantically they will continue to bellow out bugles, hoping for cows to walk in. By now you have convinced the bull to think there are several cows, calves, and at least one cow in heat according to your calling.  The caller on the other hand, is trying to reciprocate the scenario of bulls going to the cows. Once the bull hangs up, bugle at him simulating a younger bull whose keeping the females from going to the live bull bugling. Imitate a younger rag bull sounding non-intimidating with no chuckles on the end of your bugle, keeping it short, sweet, and simple. You will find most bulls that are hung up, responding with the utmost aggression. Hung up bulls will produce a screaming growling half bugle as they begin to come in for the final encounter. Meanwhile, when he bugles you bugle, include cow talk in between your calls never letting up. Excessive called bulls will come in looking for a battle, hoping to steal the herd of cows you have imitated. Once the bull commits to your calling he will walk in moaning and salivating as he approaches your calls. Optimistic, with all hunting factors in consideration, wind, movement, noise, and, most of all luck allows for a close clean shot at a harvest.

My passion about elk hunting leaves me with continuous search for creative technique in favor of speaking the elk language. I find excessive calling as the superb method for hunting elk in rut.  I learned to appreciate the sounds of modern elk calls and their effectiveness they offer, through hands on practice in the field.  Although selective harvesting of native wapiti is not the only goal for new technique, studying habits, learning the language, and being with nature is what intrigues me most!

X-Zone Your Elk for Success Part II

By: Ralph Ramos

The bull continued blasting off deep-throated bugles fiercely; consistently challenging every bull in the area, giving his loud presence as he was enticed by other elk calls in the vicinity.  Surely, he will come in to our calls, this bull bugles after every chirp, bugle, or whine we imitate.  He is hot, interested, and slobbering in search for some action.  With out a doubt he is coming in, hurry-up, setup, call, get ready.  Instantly things change, darn it, to put it lightly! The hot interested bull hangs up again, only coming in part of the way, holding tight bugling out at a short distance inside the timber.  Soon elk bellows of success begin to faint bringing silence amongst with the bull walking away.   I didn’t even get to see him, replies the hunter.  Constantly, this happens time and time again, during a bow elk hunt.  Yet, most of the time bulls are skeptical to come in all the way allowing a bow hunter a shooting opportunity, minimally giving us a chance to see a bull’s physical presence.  Luckily, few bow hunters see movement trough the brush, yet grateful for the excitement of bugling action they just encountered.  Man that was awesome, oh well, let’s try again!

Traditional approach sometimes works.

Trying again is the right attitude, although trying with the proper setup is how to harvest an elk, instead of a wasted opportunity.  Looking for calling success, partner up and back off your hunter!  When hunting elk with a partner, your odds of success are in your favor if stand setup is done properly.  Most bow hunting partners locate vocal game at a distance, check wind, move in for the stand, and begin a calling session.  During this conservative calling setup, bow hunter’s position in front for a shot at game, while the caller moves back thirty to fifty yards behind a shooter calling.  This method has proven some success and is very traditional for a team to set up using close distance from each other. Successfully as the caller, what has worked more consistently with excessive calling while bow hunting, is to back off my shooter at least a minimum of 100 to 150 yards spreading the shooter from a caller’s distance.  I call this setup technique the X-ZONE. 

What is the X-ZONE all about?

Although, my excessive cow calling technique in communicating with elk is first in importance. The X-ZONE setup, is the second most important part to my approach at calling in elk consistently.  What is the X-Zone all about?  Well, in order to call in modern call shy elk with most current hunting calls, callers need to be mobile.  Real elk don’t play hide-n-seek calling at each other, much less staying put not moving; these real creatures are continuously moving physically within a herd.  Many different elk sounds come from elk herds producing a wide variety of communications.  These vocal animals tend to spread themselves out in the natural environment, as they graze. The X-ZONE, allows the hunter / caller team effort to act out the natural setting of elk in a heard, bringing normal movement and constant communication.

Why the X-ZONE?

Study the illustration below and picture in your mind real elk behavior.  Naturally, a bull elk will bugle over and over at real cow talk expecting the ladies to go to him.  On the contrary we are trying to reciprocate this process, with the bull going to the cows.  When a traditional archery elk caller sets up only 30 to 50 yards behind his shooter, correlating with no physical body movement.  Most bulls will hang up bugling frantically from a distance from 100 to 150 yards from the caller, not allowing you a shot.  This traditional approach is what normally causes a bull to hang up, because of no movement or because he doesn’t see any cows.  When a calling team sets up for the X-Zone, the caller needs to be a minimal 100 to 150 yards from the shooter.  This allows a caller to be mobile in the background being unseen with the natural tree cover, only producing normal walking and calling noises from within the X-ZONE.  As the live bull moves side to side in front of the shooter the caller needs to move in the opposite direction he hears the bugle.  The caller should listen for bugles, moving to the right background of the shooter, only if he hears the bull bugling from the left front of the shooter.  If the bull bugles from the right front of the shooter, the caller moves to the left background of the shooter.  The caller should move either left or right behind the shooter opposite from the bull, possibly 30 to 60 yards at a time depending on how far that bull moved.  The caller should remember where your shooter position is at all times.  Keep in mind the ultimate goal is to commit the bull to walk inside the X-ZONE, giving your shooter a close 10 to 20 yard shot as the bull walks by.  This can only happen if the caller is consistently calling, listening where the location of the bull bugles are coming from, and moving accordingly enticing the bull into the X-ZONE.  

Depth of caller from the shooter in the X-Zone

Depth or distance from the shooter is important!  I like to move in toward the bull, being at least within 250 to 300 yards, setting up the shooter initially.  My preference is to be above or on the same level of the bull, during the starting setup.  Once I set up the shooter, immediately I begin to back off and start calling.  When the caller feels the bull approaching his calls, he should continue to move away from the shooter allowing a greater distance from the caller and the bugling bull.  After all, when the bull begins to feel that you are walking away from him, he is more apt to keep coming, trying to catch up with your calls.  Although, if he begins to slow down in his approach, wait for him or move in towards him and your shooter, be patient listen to the bull, he will tell you what to do with his bugles.  Getting the feel for bugles and the depth they are coming from takes practice, although the more setups you encounter, the better you will become using this technique.

Keep calling while you setup the X-ZONE!

Keep in mind that during the X-ZONE setup, the noise and imitation of excessive elk talk continues coming from your calls.  The more cow calls the better chance of that bull coming in for the shooter.  Entice him, sound like a herd of female cows with calves. This allows your quarry to focus on the caller’s noise behind the shooter, presenting him an opportunity for a harvest. 

Tradition still works!

Experience has taught me that old traditional calling setup works.  Occasionally, I use it depending on the situation with elk.  Although, tweaking this handed down approach, I have modernized the technique.  I have learned that it is more consistent calling in bulls using the X-Zone, correlating with excessive cow talk, than the common old conservative method.  Elk hunting is an on going mental and physical challenge.  Fifteen years of tromping the woods in the fall, has helped me see the changes elk calling has brought upon us.  Today, elk calling still works, persistence, timing, and new technique is a must.  I believe in calling as well as using this X-Zone technique.  I can’t wait till this fall, as the bugles will keep bellowing with excitement and anticipation.  Again, good luck, partner up, and back off for success!

Put it all together, Decoy for success Part III

By: Ralph Ramos

Welcome to my third and last elk-hunting article for this hunting season. Leading in priority, my excessive cow calling technique in communicating with elk has made me a successful believer at calling in elk. X-Zone setup, is the second most significant part to my approach when bow hunting bulls. Third but not least, decoying is what I call icing on the cake when working a hard to call shy bull! Put these three strategies together, and I feel you have the most effective approach for bow hunting elk. I hope you will find this decoying article to be interesting and informative. Most importantly, I wish you the best of luck applying my most successful secrets to elk calling.

Live elk behavior!
In order to modern call shy elk with these hunting techniques, callers need to be mobile, realistic and visible with a decoy. Real elk don't play "hide-n-seek" calling at each other, And they certainly don't remain stationary like traditional elk callers' hiding, not moving in the field. These creatures are continually moving, mingling vocally within a herd, and watching out for one another. Many different elk sounds come from elk herds producing a wide variety of language tones. These vocal animals tend to spread themselves out in natural environments as they graze together. The X-Zone combined with excessive cow talk, allows a hunter / caller team effort to act out elk communication in a herd. These three techniques combine physical movement and constant communication to mimic the natural behavior of elk.

Why decoying?
A bull elk responds bugles over and over when he hears cow talk, expecting the ladies to come to him. On the contrary, we reverse this process by trying to get the bull to go to the cows. Traditional archery elk callers set up only 30 to 50 yards behind a shooter. Most bulls will hang up bugling frantically from a distance between 100 to 150 yards from the caller. This distance normally does not allow bow hunters a shot. Without movement by the caller and the elk's failure to see any cows, this traditional approach causes bulls to hang up. Decoy set-up allows bulls to visibly be enticed to quickly come in all the way into the X-Zone.

Field test makes me a believer!
When a calling team sets up for the X-Zone setup using excessive calling, decoying motivates elk, convincing them to move in quickly. Three years ago, I began experimenting with elk decoys while guiding hunters in open pinyon-juniper habitat. Pre-scouting for an early elk-hunting season allowed me to pattern a group of bachelor bulls in open country.  I have found elk will use the same riparian wet zones daily during early elk hunting seasons if not disturbed by human activity. Although, exit patterns to and from the same meadow or wet zone can get somewhat tricky. Therefore, decoying helps convince bulls to come in for the encounter based on what they hear and see. As I heard the first morning bugle, we quickly set up the Montana Elk Decoy down wind from the approaching bugle. Immediately as the bull responded turning to see where the excessive calling was coming from, he spotted the life size cow elk decoy. The bull bugled aggressively turning towards us as if he was yelling at the decoy to wait up for him. He jumped over a five-strand barbed wire fence and proceeded to come in toward the decoy immediately at a fast walk. My hunter was set up approximately 15 to 20 yards in front of the decoy. This allowed him to take a close 12-yard shot as the bull walked past him. That bull was extremely focused on the decoy coupled with excessive calling he heard in the background. After my hunter stuck the bull with a double lung pass through, that bull continued to head toward our decoy allowing a second shot as he stood next to the decoy. It seemed that the bull elk felt comfortable and relaxed by the presence of the decoy when he expired. After this awesome decoying experience, I promised myself that I would use decoys for all my calling set-ups, when guiding hunters. After all, aren't these close bugling encounters what we look forward to when bow hunting elk?

Decoy setup is important!
Study my illustration below for positioning your decoy using the X-Zone. You will find that a decoy position can be anywhere inside the X-Zone behind a shooter. Location of your decoy depends on where you select the initial calling setup. I believe a decoy should be set up behind a shooter in an open area where bulls have the best chance at seeing your decoy immediately. You might even stand it up in front of a tree where it can be prominent.

The shooter should be in front and to a side down wind from the bull's path where the elk will most likely travel to your decoy. I recommend the shooter to decoy distance separation, be no further than twenty yards in front and ten to fifteen yards on the side down wind from your decoy. Keep in mind that once an elk sees the decoy he will walk in straight toward your decoy. The bow hunter should be positioned ready for a close shot at the bull as he walks by.

Drawbacks to everything!
The drawback to decoying is sacrificing extra effort a hunter needs to make when carrying decoys into the field. I have come to realize carrying a decoy is as important as toting your bow during your hunt. If you don't call a bull within bow range using a decoy, the bow will not do you any good. Therefore, I always partner up for all my elk calling adventures, working as a team. The hunter will only carry his shooting equipment, range finder and mouth calls; keeping weight carried to a minimum in order to stay as mobile as possible. Normally the caller / guide carries our team's daypack, water, snacks, decoy, numerous hunting calls, and any other heavy items. I have found that Montana Elk Decoys (406) 748-3092, are the most lightweight, compact, user-friendly decoys on the market. I personally have toted around Montana's original hand painted, cloth style decoy. However, I am looking forward to using their newly updated cow elk photo fabric system this fall. State regulations regarding decoying vary, so you should always find out what laws apply prior to your hunting adventure. Elk hunting is an ongoing mental and physical challenge. Fifteen years of studying elk behavior while bow hunting has helped me see the changes we've had to make in elk calling. Today, elk calling still works through persistence, timing, effort, and new technique. I strongly believe in excessive calling and the X-Zone setup, coupled with decoying for hunting elk. These three creative strategies used together are a must for hunting elk in this millennium. I can't wait until this fall, as elk bugles will keep us filled with excitement and anticipation. Again, good luck decoying, partner up calling, and back off for success!

Note:  Please look below on the next page for the X-Zone illustration, needed for this article.   

Thanks, Ralph

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