What You Should Know About Elks’ Communication
Elks are extremely vocal that you will be amazed by the noise they produce. The hunting season matches the rut period, mostly in early September till the late November, however, it depends on the region. A cow in estrus produces mews and whines when it searches for a bull, and the tone is different by the length and the pitch. If you want to lure a bull you should use the cow in heat call as the bulls are rather competitive with one another if there is a cow around.
Bull Elk
Bull used to bugle during the rut period. Bugling helps them to show own dominant position among other elks in the attempt to attract the cow. Learning how to bugle can help a hunter to lure an elk. Bulls use raking when they want to mark the territory. Chuckling is used by the bulls to show the dominance.
Cow Elk
Chirping is produced by the cows being in the herd. This is quite common noise so there is nothing to worry about. The most uncertain sound which is produced by elks is mewing as it can mean an alert or a search for a bull. When the elk barks it means there is a danger. To let know the bull that there is a cow in heat it is better to learn estrus scream.
Types Of Calls
Reeds
This type of call is handheld equipment that you should blow in. The air goes through the reed that has an appropriate shape; as a result you produce the sound of the elk. The tones depend on the call’s design. Some of the calls can produce various sounds if you change the pressure using the lips and the breath. There are such reeds that make hunter to use more pressure by squeezing the call. It is not difficult to learn using the reed. However, the bad thing about the mouth reed is that after a prolonged use it is fouled with the saliva that makes the reed stop working.
Manual
This call works when you squeeze it to make the air go through the reed. It is easy to use this type of the call and it is rather durable in work. However, this call requires holding it all the time.
Bugle
This call was made to produce bugling like a bull elk does. It is a mix of diaphragm call and the tube. Thanks to the tube it is possible to make a sound of reverberation while the diaphragm reed allows making real-like elk’s bugling. The pressure on the latex can be changed to make more authentic sounds.
How To Choose And Use Elk Call If You Are A Beginner
First of all, it is important to look for an elk call that would be difficult for you to learn how to use it. There are various calls by Primos as this brand produces manual and palate plate calls which are pretty easy to master. Do not prefer buying a kit of different calls. It is better to choose a single compact call that allows a choice of producing a range of sounds and tones. The most typical mistake of the beginners relates to the purchasing mouth reed call. You should know that there are 1/2 and 5/8 reeds. The first one fits a narrow palate while the second one is for wider one palate. If you get the wrong size of the reed you definitely risk producing a bad sound.
Tips For Using Elk Call
Knowing simple facts about the communication of the elk any hunter is close enough to succeed. Choosing the right call is another step to make everything right but these tips will help to avoid typical mistakes and to hunt an elk.
Prepare For Hunting
Every hunter knows forehead where to hunt better. You should not come to the spot and start the action. The first thing you have to do is to watch elks. You should observe their behavior, style of the communication to determine what sound would be better to produce.
Practice Your Skills
You may choose a great spot and have an excellent gear but if you don’t know how to make your call work properly there’s no sense for anything of that. There are many videos on the Internet where hunters provide tutorials and share with own experience. Learn how to make different sounds and tones.
Keep The Call Safe
It is recommended to use a strap for your call. It always happens fast and you need to take the gun but not to lose the call.
Co-Hunting
It is not only boring to hunt by yourself but sometimes it is pretty difficult. Hunting with someone can ease the whole process as you can shoot while your friend produces the sounds.
Conclusion
There are plenty of elk calls on the market that gives authentic sounds to attract the animals. All the above described calls can provide you with a good sound if you practice and learn more about elks’ communication.