This is my first year using the HOOCHIE! I love it. It sounds so real that I have called up 2 bulls (couldn't get a shot at the first one and the second was a spike but came to 5 feet of me), 3 cows ( one came in to 7 yards), and 2 hunters ( both thought I was a real cow elk calling.

I call in sessions. Each session lasts about 2-3 min. I will wait about 15-20 min in-between sessions. The pace of my calling varies. Sometimes fast, other times slow. I like to change the tone of my call soI will do a short squeeze when the call is set on the estrus call setting. This will give you the mew sound. Then do the long squeeze and get the estrus sound. Mix it up! I even throw in a diaghram call from time to time to sound like more than one cow.

The only draw back to calling by yourself is that the elk have you pinpointed. So they will do one of two things. One, they will come straight into you, not giving you a shot until they are right on top of you and are turning to run. They won't neccessarily spook but they know somethings not right when the don't see any elk. Second, is that they will work down wind of you. They know where you are at, so they will simply walk around until they smell you. That is what happened with my first bull.

Also, if you don't get any response, (i.e. calling back, smelling elk, hearing something moving around you, etc.), after the first 15-20 min. then most likely nothing is in your area. If you plan on hunting in the same spot for a while, wait 15-20 min and call again.

Hope this helps you out.

BM