bullet hole murphy

I was going to hunt elk this year so what calls would you use?

handloader1

I use Abe & Sons www.kolpin.com , Sceery, and received a Primos Hooche Mama for Christmas. Good luck.

game4lunch

Here in the Rockies most of my buddies call the Sceery call the "Scary", cause it scares the elk away.
My personal favorites are the Primos Hyper Lip Single with the tone converter. It's a cow call that is the best I've heard and used. You'll not only call in elk, but a lot of hunters too, so be careful!

For a bullbugle, you can't go wrong with the E.L.K., Inc. Power bugle. Buy extra bands in both colors.

Both of these are very easy to use (still have to practice though), and reproduce the most accurate elk sounds out there.

But no matter what you use, you need to study the elk language and "talk" like they do. Calling wrong, or too much, or not enough, or at the wrong time, will be more harmful than if you went into the woods with no calls at all!

wyomingtrapper

Seems like they respond to one call one, year, and another the next.... Most calls are fairly proven. I use a hyperhot cow call, with decent response, but overall do the best with a single reed diaphram call. Practice with one and you can do any number of variations of cow talk, bugle, grunt, squeel, etc.... Any decent hose works good for grunting/bugling and in the off season you can talk turkey and call predators with it as well.

Get a couple of different calls and practice with them, then on those days when the elk are especially fickle, you may find one that gets a response. Definately include a diaphram call in the group.

sean665

I've got a Carlton bugle that sounds pretty good, also got a Primos hoochie mama for Christmas, hopefullyI'll draw amuzzlelader tag this year to try it out

ultimag

Primos Hyper lip is extremely effective I through my bugle away years ago, and just say no to the Hoochie MaMa and Sceery

trouthunter

Just say YES to the Hoochie MaMa! I'm sorry ultimag, butI have personally found the hoochie to be a very effective elk call, especially for a first time elk hunter. It is about the easiest cow talk to use if you are a beginner.

As you get advanced, and actually hear cow elk talk, then go out and try some of the reed or diapram mouth calls and pick the one you sound the best at.

To cow talk I still use the hoochie, but use a mouth diaphram fairly effectively.I never could get a reed call to sound right, so I don't use them.

One call I like is the Primos "blue diaphram" pack bugle. It is compact, and can be used (with practice) as a cow talk, small spike bugle, and larger bull bugle all in one. It also doesn't "screem" like a big bull bugle. Those big bugles can oftentimes turn elk away from you. If you sound like a huge bull looking to fight, the other bulls, especially a herd bull, will round up the cows and head away from you to avoid a fight.

Good Luck with your hunt!!

skeeter 7MM

Hootchie mama is one dimensional but has been useful in my elk hunting. I don't sit and squeeze it solo but rather us it in combination with a diaphram or reed call in the lost cow setting (on my hootchie it sounds the best to my ear). My most used diaphrams are the ivory and imperial palate by primos. Reed calls; primos hyper single, carlton fighting cow andprimos lead cow/calf are what I use mostly.

For a reed type bugle the Elk Inc Power Bugle with white bands is pretty good and not that hard to use. I like it better than the primos blue reeded buglespersonally, which all seem to yoddle to my ear.

That said the best is a diaphram with tube.Just likethe ability toswitch between cow/calf talk to bull calls without switching.Like above I prefer the Primos ivory and imperial diaphrams for bull sounds as well.

huntinglife

Hoochie Mama hands down is one of the best calls on the market! I carry two of them with me at all times and will use them in tandem and facing different directions.. and at different tonalities. I also really like the Mac Daddy elk call but you have to really wail on it to make the proper pitches. DO NOT be afraid to blow the heck out of this thing. My all time favorite elk bugle is the pack bugle because you can really sound like a juvenile bull and that can really piss off your larger herd bulls. The better you sound like a big bull the more often you will push bulls out of a drainage. If you are going to purchase the Mac Daddy, get the one with the CD from Wayne Carlton. He practically invented elk calls and the CD has some really great instructional lessons and it will help you practice.

Good Luck.. Spend 95 % of your time cow calling and rarely bugle until you get a ton of practice.

Texas Hog Hunter

I like the Hoochie Mama as well. It's very easy to use and very functional.