Elk Calls

I use only 2. For a bugle I use the ELK power bugle. For cow calls the Woodwise Hyperhot cow. Squeeze calls I have used both the carltons squeeze call and primos. The primos froze up one morning and cost me a bull. Needless to say the carlton was still working so it is in my back up pack.

The Woodwise Hyperhot is an open reed call and totally kicks butt, but make sure the little black plastic piece is in the end. The ELK Power Bugle is very easy to use and make great sounds. I taught my wife how to use both it in about a 1/2 hour on our way to hunt. I hour in to the hunt there was a 6x6 standing looking at me at 90 yards.

When will you be hunting? If it is after the first week of October forget he bugle and stick with a cow call. Use the cow call to stop teh animal for the shot.
 
I am not big on bugling but I still carry an ELK Power Bugle. I use it mostly to locate. My go to cow calls are the Primos Hyper Lip Single and the Carlton Fighting Cow Call. I also carry a Primos Cow Girl (like it alot) Primos Hyper Lip Double, a Primos Hot Lips (I only use it on occasion) and a Primos Hootchie Mama. I only use the Hootchie Mama when I am moving so I sound like Elk moving from one location to the other and rarely use it to actually call. I have never had one freeze up like Elks but I did have one where the plunger went bad. This year I am going to try the new Primos call which is the "I maka da bull crazy" short range. It also comes in a louder long range version. All that said, I have called more bulls with the Hyper Lip Single and Carlton Fighting Cow call than any other calls. Both easy to master a wide range of sounds and both are absolutely lethal.
 
I will be using the primos hyper lip single, love the way this call sounds and its very user friendly.
WyoSongDog I been thinking of getting that new call by primos "I maka da bull crazy" do you like it and would you recomend it?
 
Yes Carlton Fighting Cow is a good call also. It does not have to be an expensive call at all. I hate in the mouth rreed calls cause they always fall apart on me.

Get a good open reeed call and it is all you need.
 
The jury is still out on that one NMJL. It sounds okay and should work fine. The Elk will probably be the best judge of that. Its so hard to gauge the real acoustics and sound characteristics blowing a call in a store or in your house. I just have never used a Primos call that was junk and didnt have some use or merit. I will let you know come September how it does. I figured for the $10.00 bucks or so that I spent on it, it would be worth a try anyway. I do like the Cowgirl though, if you have never tried that one. It has a bit of a different tone but has proven itself effective. The Hyper Lip Single is still my number one deadliest cow call though.
 
Quote:
Question for all of you who hunt or have hunted Elk. If you were hunting for Elk what calls would you recomend as must have?

Thanks



Depends on the time of the year. If the elk are rutting - then a cow call - but I also carry a decoy. The bulls will not play hide and seek - if you cow call - then they expect a cow to be around and not hiding. But I bow hunt so I get a bit closer than with rifle. A bull you can see further with a rifle so the cow decoy probably isn't necessary. I also only bugle to locate bulls and then pursue them and use the cow call to try and bring them in.

Always check your wind. The bull will circle down wind and if you stink - you're hosed.
 
Thank all of you very much for all of your responses! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowingsmilie.gif You guys are helping me learn a whole lot. Have any of you ever used the Primos Hoochie Mamma? What are your opinions on it? While browsing there website looking for the Hyper Lip Single. The little blurb about it said that it was foolproof. The way my luck sometimes goes, it would be great to have something foolproof.
 
hoochie works well as the others mentioned my favorites are the sleazy cow call but get several of them i break more than one every year. i like that little cow calf call that's green and has two open reeds one longer than the other can't remember the name. i have a custom call from here in the custom call makers forum that sounds great.
I'm a call a holic and have tried most all of them i still like e.l.k.s old folding bugle with the rubber bands man i can't think of names today. i carry lots of calls and try to use lots of them so I'm not calling the same bull with the same sound just like coyotes.
i hunted 21 day last September
 
WyoSongDog i have the Cowgirl call and it sounds good. I will also be hunting elk this sept. I guess one more call ("I maka da bull crazy" )wont hurt the colletion so i will give it a try
 
I carry a mixed back when I am out...

The Hootchie Mama, 4 different reeds (spike/medium and 2 big bulls) as well as the new hot lips....

Elk can be very finicky, sometimes just changing it up a little is all it takes to make them come barrelling in.


Staying with the same call day after day, I find, tends to get the elk on edge and not as co-operative....
 
Learning to use a diaphram call can really help your elk hunting. If you can already blow a turkey diaphram, it will be stupid easy to learn. If not it will take you a little while to learn, but it is so worth it. The Primos Hyper plate and the Imperial plate are the only calls I use anymore. Totaly hands free and you can make any sound and even more than any squeeze call or reed call. Two years ago I had a 6x6 at about 15 yards with my rifle down. He started to walk into the timber and I hit the Hyper plate with a small cow call and he stopped and turn to me about the time I had my crosshairs on him. The 300RUM dropped him DRT and I was a happy camper. Even if you don't learn in time for this year, you should make it a goal for next year. I know a lot elk hunters that use squeeze calls because that can't blow a diaphram. I don't know one elk hunter that can blow a diaphram and still uses a squeeze call. Good Luck!
 
LUCKYDOG thank you for the inifo. I don't like to toot my own horn. But I can make a turkey diaphram sing. The first foxes I ever called in I used a little single reed quaker boy turkey diaphram blowing across it real huridly making it sound like a cottontail distress. Mainly because I couldn't find any predator calls at my local stores and I hadn't yet discovered PM. I'd never thought of that. Thank you very much for your post /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif.
 
Fighting cow calls rock, the macdaddy elk bugle is the best sounding bugle on the market and you will kill elk with them.
 
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