Bugling idiots
 

Yesterday afternoon I pulled into a little elk spot close to home that I have had good sucess in the past. As i drove to my area I passed a mini-van and thought "great, somebody else is in here". I got my gear and walked behind a gate to the back side of a ridge and slowly worked up it lightly cow calling as I went. I positioned myself on the ridge as the elk seem to come from all directions over this spot in the ridge. After waiting about a half hour I began cow calling to which a bull about 400 yards up the ridge to my south began doing some bugling and seemed to be coming my way. Then, directly between myself and the bull, down about 400 yards came another bugle. I t was the worst bugling I have ever heard. Somebody was using a terminator bugle and rolling out "classic" bugles every 10 seconds. They were yelling into the bugle and you could clearly here the "whistle" at the end of the bugle. They even started and stopped several times because they screwed the bugle up, it was horrible. Usually I would be totally pissed off but after 5 minutes of the constant bugling I just started laughing. Before long I had tears streaming down my face I was hystirical. Every time that idiot ripped out a bugle I busted out laughing. Needless to say, the real bull heard enough and was long gone. I grabbed my gear as I had enough time to work a small drainage and got out of there. I dropped off the ridge and bumped right into a herd coming up the slope where I was, I made to attempt to cow call them to stop because the wind was heading right toward them.[:@] Oh well, can't win them all.

RE: Bugling idiots
 

Muley,
I have called in so many hunters this year just using a cow call.I hardly bugle at all,if a bull is close he will hear my cow calls and more'n likely answer or come in.I was working some elk yesterday and had a nice bull coming in,he came well into bow range but offered no shot(straight on)but there were these to guys coming in from the top of me bugling on a terminator,and I was afraid they would spook all the elk so I tried to force something and that bull saw me move and he was GONE in a flash.I cow called back to him and he stopped some where in the trees and bugled back at me.I waited several minutes and tried calling him,but to no avail.So I stood up and geuss what,I had a small 5x4 sneak in to my right I didn't see and BAM he was gone.
So lesson learned for a rookie bow hunter,patience,paitence patience.
I might go after them again today,try this afternoon.
BBJ

RE: Bugling idiots
 

I had something similar to that happen to me a few years ago. This one guy decided to bugle and bugle and bugle....every 15 - 20 seconds for a half hour. I was laughing too, becasue I couldn't believe he had that much air in him. I would have thought that he would've got light headed or something. I didn't see an elk that night.

RE: Bugling idiots
 

Hunting on crowded public land, I leave the bugle at home and only use a small Sceery cow call that I can operate with no hands. I let it hang out of the left side of my mouth (like a cigarette) while I take aim right handed. I only use it to stop elk (momentarily), then I shoot.

IMHO, on busy public ground, unless you are really, really,exceptional with anelk call (even a cow call)--- which I am not, there is no better way to scare elk right out of the country than to tune up an elk call.

You will attract other hunters though (just what you need).

For me, when it comes to elk calling, less is more.

RE: Bugling idiots
 

I have seen people moose calling like that too, it makes me mad.

RE: Bugling idiots
 

That's too funny! The story about made me laugh!!! However, hunt elk long enough and it happens to us all! Those weekend wariors tend to really suck at calling....

RE: Bugling idiots
 

Muley69, that is too funny. It made me think of a time duck hunting and these hunters were set up fairly close to me and they were by far the worst callers i have ever heard, they sounded horrible and they had no clue as to the right time to call or anything. I normally would also have been mad but it just struck me as funny. Everytime they called ( which was often ), it would cause me to laugh.

RE: Bugling idiots
 

One thing everyone needs to remember is everyone startes out some where

RE: Bugling idiots
 

kmg.....was that you doing all that bugling:D you make a very good point! we all have to learn some how and usually it is the hard way.

RE: Bugling idiots
 

My self I am not a bugle blower, I like my carlton cow call, But there are worse things to be than a bad caller, like an anti hunter, There are hundreds of different styles of calling techniches, I say each to his/her own and lits get oout enjoy nature and have a good time.
Next time a hunt gets messed up, that a kid hunting and teach them your way.

RE: Bugling idiots
 

That's why I wouldn't bother bugling for em on public land unless it was in a limited draw, low pressure area. I don't know how many bugles and other elk calls have been sold too "weekenders" that hightailed it too Colorado over the last 30 years, but I doubt a convoy of semis could haul them. The best thing for the "public lander" to do is keep is flappers shut and possibly even learn about an escape route or two. The same goes for turkey hunters on similar areas. The animals hear the calls, they may or may not take flight in the opposite direction but they for sure are going to become silent and cagey.

I'll never understand why the majority of eastern hunters who go out west will watch Primos and other tapes and expect their hunts to go like they do on the tube :(. Do they not understand the difference between limited lands in AZ/NM vs 'Johnny come alls' in other states?

Walk much, look long and shoot far is the best methodsfor such pressured animals! (lol that or wade impossibly thick brush and take em at arms length.)
RA

RE: Bugling idiots
 

"Those weekend wariors tend to really suck at calling.... "

I've heard a few weekend warriors that were good too though. Some of the nicest sounding bugles I've heard were hunters and some of the gosh awful worst sounding ones turned out to be elk.

RE: Bugling idiots
 

Ditto what Wyoming said, and just about everyone else for that matter. I love the posts about hunters practicing bugeling to tapes while driving to work.

RE: Bugling idiots
 

Oh I have surely had more then one weekender get my blood boiling... And I agree that every one does have to start somewhere... I guess I was just fortunate... My dad beat Wayne Carlton in the first ever RMEF Bugleing Contest Back in 83'. Which is really cool because he taught me to Bugle with just my throat. But the younger hunters of tomorrow do need someone to Learn from. That's why Hunting is just so darn cool. The Memories in the Field!
Good Calling Boys.

RE: Bugling idiots
 

Coming from a rookie just back from his first ever archery elk hunt, I can now attest to some of the lousy bugles given by some real Elk. I left one a CD so he could learn.

My hunt was almost over in the first 90 minutes. Some hunter was giving the worst bugles back to us. It sounded like a little girl screaming. Ihear this hunter coming up the ravine, busting branches and brushing bushes. He was noisy, too! I was very careful not to draw on him. Next thing I know, this hunter has grown a 5x5 rack! All I saw was rack, head and shoulders as 25 yds, but this Elkstood there fortwo minutes, sounding off his little girl scream three times. I finally decided its now or never, drew and he busted me.

Two days later my son tried bugling, muffed it big, like he was passing gas, and got an immediate answer! We got about 60 yds from that one.

I also learned early in the hunt that cow calling was much more effective. Saw lots of Elk and learned a lot, but nothing to show for it this year. It was enough fun that I don't even care about not having to gut and quarter. You got me hooked.

RE: Bugling idiots
 

The best bull that I guided on after several years in Idaho's Selway Bitteroots had the worst bugle you could imagine. My hunter got all bug eyed and looked like he wanted the hell out of the woods. Sounded like what I'd vision a sick gorrila to sound like.

Here's to all the "weekend warriors" out there. You have as much right to the woods as anyone else and if you get out there enough, it will come together for you.

RE: Bugling idiots
 

First off, one of my rules of thumb is to never assume it's another hunter. However, there are times when there is no doubt its another hunter and this was one of those times. I am not bashing the weekend warriors, in fact, as I stated in my orginal post its an area close to home that was a convient spot to get out to, I wasn't really surprised somebody else was in there. Had I hiked in, I probably would have been much more upset. I found the incident to be funny, very funny. Some have taken it the wrong way. I am not bashing people who are just starting out hunting elk either, if they sound like idiots, they sound like idiots. I just posted because I found humor in the whole situation, and frankly I still do.

RE: Bugling idiots
 

I've been following this thread from its inception. I've refrained from commenting because I didn't want to sound like an idiot. I am a rookie at elk hunting I suppose. I've hunted them for 4 years, hardly enough to know it all. This season was the first time I've actually tried calling on my own. I got lucky on a nice 6 x 6 bull. I will say this though, in my experience bulls rarely sound as good as the tapes. I bought elknuts videos and practiced up so I gave it a whirl. Funny thing is I taught my guide a couple of the things I learned on the video. He thought it was terrific and intended to use it on the following hunts. I guess what I'm saying is give it a try. whats the worst that can happen?

RE: Bugling idiots
 

That was exactly my reaction as I was reading through your post. Though I have no personal experience with the subject matter I can relate it to some of things I have heard turkey or deer hunting. There are some real "pros" out there. ;)