Suddenly, I heard elk moving just down the ridge. I reached for my cow call, which was still buried in my pack. Nearby was a half-inch branch, and wanting to sound like an elk near the waterhole, I snapped it loudly. In seconds, I heard a stick snap that seemed closer. I snapped again, and the elk moved noisily up the hill. Then silence, and I realized that my wind blew directly toward the elk. I had rattled in numerous deer in my hunting career, but this was the first time I “snapped” one in, almost.
Natural Noise
If you are a whitetail deer hunter, intentionally making noise while hunting seems taboo, yet elk are noisy creatures, and if you try calling them in total silence, they quickly sense that something isn’t right. I hunted with Chad Schearer in Montana, who had bugled a bull across half a mile of open terrain and switched to cow calling as the bull entered dark timber. Instead of just chirping, he walked around noisily, snapping an occasional stick. The ruse was so realistic, I could barely resist turning around to see if the bull had sneaked in behind me.
Another time, four of us sidehilled a dry slope, rolling rocks and making so much noise I expected every creature in the forest to flee. After a march of about 15 minutes, we arrived at a small water hole we had planned to hunt. We settled against a tree on either side of the water, and within two minutes, two bulls showed up to drink. Undoubtedly, they thought a herd of elk had been moving toward the water and came in without hesitation.
Seven Devils Adventure
At the end of a long day, four of us walked back to our horses for the hour-long ride back to camp in the Seven Devils Wilderness area of Idaho. Moving quickly in fading light, a bull suddenly bugled 100 yards ahead of us. In seconds, it bugled again and was closer. I immediately circled to the downwind side, kneeled, and came to full draw. Lucky for the elk, the bull approached from the upwind side, and my buddy couldn’t make the shot. Why would a bull elk approach an abundance of noise deep in the mountains? Darwin Vander Esh was the guide, and we concluded the bull thought we were a herd of elk since we were walking steadily with indiscernible foot steps like a herd of animals.
Movement Matters
“First, find the elk,” is the cardinal rule for success. No matter how well you cow call or bugle, you are wasting your time if elk aren’t in the area. It’s common to find elk on the move, and the only way to get close is to get ahead of them while watching the wind. If you sneak through the mountains as if hunting whitetail deer, you will likely be left behind. A walking elk can move amazingly fast, and success favors the bold who move quickly, despite making moderate noise. Cow calls and wimpy bugles add realism to the cherade. If you have a buddy, set up closer to the last bugle and have them call while walking in circles and snapping twigs or small branches. Raking a tree with a heavy branch simulating an enraged bull can work if you are not good with a bugle. Elk are noisy creatures, and unlike in whitetail country, the noisier and more realistic you sound, the better your chances for success.