practicing calls while scouting?

matuka · Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 5:54 pm Post subject: practicing calls while scouting?

Between now and opening day I plan on getting into the woods. I still want to work on my calls. Is it a bad idea to practice in the woods while scouting? I practice in the car and in the house when nobody is home and they sound pretty good...but I always feel way more "elky" when I call in the woods. I don't want to ruin a spot but I really want to be able to call while I'm scouting. Would a bull possibly respond while I'm practicing my bugles and other bull noises in the woods? I'm sure cows could respond to cow sounds.

ribo451 · Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 9:54 pm Post subject:

I never do it because I am paranoid about educating elk but if you never spook them I don't see why it would be a problem. My Dad likes to call when we scout and if he sees elk he heads toward them practicing his calling. Irritates the hell out of me.

Elknut1 · Moderator Joined: 21 May 2005 Posts: 1784 Location: Idaho

Inside of 30 days before opener, no way should you be calling & educating the very elk you plan on hunting! Now if you want to go call where your buddy hunts to mess with him, well that's a different story! (grin) Just kidding of course!!!!

ElkNut1

Magic · Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 10:46 am Post subject:

All too many times, elk (and other game) are moved out in the name of "scouting". If you are in close enough for game to see, hear, or smell you...then you are not scouting. You are simple ruining a good hunting spot.

Scout next year's hunt while you hunt this year.

saddlesore · Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 1:57 pm Post subject:

Dittto on the last three post. Also ,keep out of the bedrooms etc. Scouting is not hiking around where elk live. If you do so and they catch your wind or smell what you left behind, they go live elsewhere.

matuka · Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 11:46 pm Post subject:

so you guys don't venture into the woods from today until hunting season? I'd like to get my elk legs a little before the season. For me doing the elk country is the only way to get your elk legs. I'm usually good to go by week two.

As far as educating the elk by calling I'm kinda in a catch 22. I practice at home and the elk I downed was 400yds from my back door. I'm sure they hear me practicing sitting on the porch.

Magic · Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 8:43 am Post subject:

That's not what I said.

saddlesore · Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 9:06 am Post subject:

Sure you can venture into the woods, just be careful where you go as was advised.

You have to remember, first rule of elk hunting. "ELK DON"T LIKE PEOPLE". Anything you do to let elk know you are around will move them.

When you are " Practicing " your calling and a bull comes up ( or Cow) and readily discerns that your call is associated with a human, you just taught it a lesson it won't forget.

matuka · Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 10:09 am Post subject:

gotchya.....................maybe I'll drive to the tops of some of those logging roads that look down into basins on all sides and glass some clear cuts at a distance.....perhaps I can get on a mountain that looks back down at my area and give it a shot.

Magic · Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 10:38 am Post subject:

With those spanky new binoculars.

ribo451 · Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 8:00 pm Post subject:

I know my areas well enough to know where the elk will be (more or less) during hunting season.

I use the time up till hunting season starts scouting new areas that I have never been to or want to know more about. If I happen to bump an elk there I at least know elk are there and will file that knowledge away for later. But I don't scout my honey holes before the season. I jumped an elk herd one year while checking my trail camera in a wallow that I like to hunt and I never saw an elk there or new elk sign all archery season.

mongopino915 · Spike Joined: 27 Feb 2010 Posts: 25 Location: Colorado

For me, the only way to really understand and know the terrains is to actually venture into them. I tried my best to be quiet and not bust elk out but who knows.

Did practiced elk calling in the wood during scouting one time and had elk came in only to storm off. That was the first and last time.

Archery elk on OTC pulbic land is hard enough as is and there should no reasons to further educate the elk.