Talking Elk

We are just a few weeks away from the elk rut, and if you haven't already, now is a good time to bring out the calls and start getting tuned in. As you may know, there are many different types of calls, everything from bugles, mouth reeds, and hand calls like the hoochie mama. Even the sounds of scraping a tree with a stick or the snapping of brush, can all be forms of communication. To start off let's talk about the types of cow calls and what they mean. For instance, if you do a cow call and it is to fast it can come across as a bark which is a warning call and can send the heard away from you. The key is to do cow calls nice and slow and sometimes you can send the call noise in different directions or muffle it to sound like a group of calves and cows. For instance, try placing a hand call under your arm pit or behind you. The chirp is short in duration like this........The mew is more relaxed when elk are calm and feeding. ........................... Then there is the estrus call that is a little bit longer in wave length signaling a cows urgency, when in heat. ........................ Remember if you find yourself in the middle of the herd, that last call. The estrus call can be the ticket to your success. And for the wives out there, next time you here these strange noises coming from the garage, now you'll know what he's up to.