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.

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

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.

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.

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

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....

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.

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

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

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.