Couple more things: I agree with proficiency in calling ... especially ability change your call to suit the animal. I've found elk change their call as they get in tighter to you
..Agreed ,two years ago one morning all three of us stumbled into elk mostly cows about 40 yards on a timbered ridge (north slope) front man who was closest to them radioed (whispered) get on your cow call and start callin like youve never called before,we hunkered down started chirping, i could see them above us we got them to answer back i could see we had them confused they had there noses high ^^ quarting a bit and backing up a little trying find out where those "cows" were coming from, well one of us must of moved or they must of got a wiff of us and they moved across the top of us and they moved out of the area..Gone,,that was a trip.