what is the must have elk call when archery hunting?
#31
See I've heard and talked to the best in the world...(I have friends that call competively. I don't feel the need to name drop)...and most I know carry several diaphrams and other calls in the field and even switch during contests to sound like more than one elk due tonal restrictions. Sure you can change octives, pitch, and volume but even by changing the shape of your mouth, using your hands to deflect, changing locations of the call in your mouth (this is why I don't like the Primos dome) and even using your voice behind it you still sound pretty much like one elk. Especially when cow calling granted one elk making lots of different sounds.
I think that mastering a diaphram is important but saying that one call with do it all might be limiting you more than you think. Don't let your ego get in the way.
In the end I think we'll just have to agree to disagree. In short some feel one diaphram will be all you ever need and others feel that several calls bring better success by using different calls in different situations.
Last edited by rather_be_huntin; 07-12-2010 at 10:12 AM.
#32
thanks for all of the info! The reason I asked for the ONE call is to really see what everybodys favorites are. We all have that one go to gun, or call, or bullet, the one we rely on becuase we have all of the confidence in the world when we hold or use this item. I have several, favorite gun, favorite tree stand and so on. I knew before writing this post I would use several, just not sure which several. I have a pretty good idea now. thanks agian
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
#33
Go ask your friends that are "the best in the word" what elk call would they use if they could only have one. Their answer will be their favorite diaphram.(whichever one that is) Which would answer the OP's question of "what is the must have elk call when archery hunting?"
#34
Go ask your friends that are "the best in the word" what elk call would they use if they could only have one. Their answer will be their favorite diaphram.(whichever one that is) Which would answer the OP's question of "what is the must have elk call when archery hunting?"
Last edited by rather_be_huntin; 07-12-2010 at 12:55 PM.
#35
Hey CL...again I agree with this statement 100%. This isn't how I was answering the original question though. I was basically saying "why limit yourself to one call?" That's all I was trying to say my friend and things seemed to get off track from there.
#36
Last year we had some confusion and I ended up leaving my backpack on the ATV, that was very far from where I was hunting. I had an either sex tag. I had a cow a 50 yards and a little later a bull at 75 yards. I didn't have my mouth calls in and could not stop them for a good shot. I'm confident that if I had my call in my mouth instead of in my backpack, that day would have ended differently.
Last edited by Colorado Luckydog; 07-12-2010 at 02:25 PM.
#37
I also wanted to add that I hunt with the same guys every year. None of them know how to blow a diaphram. They all carry a hoochie mamma. They still kill elk but not at 15 yards and not called in.
#38
I just feel very strongly about the subject and really wanted to make how I felt very clear. I speak from experience only and I know how my elk hunting changed for the better once I started using diaphrams. I hunted for several years with Hoochie Mama's, Carlton Squeeze calls, and a host of others. I never called in chit.
Let's take for example the sqeeze calls you mentioned. Remember how I said they are effective if used correctly? If one walks around and squeezes a call all day it probably won't do much good even once elk are located. But imagine the excitement you can generate for a big bull if you have one in each hand and a diaphram call. Imagine using all three calls at the same time! You now sound like a herd rather than one animal. Believe me it will light a mountain up if used at the right time. It takes practice but by shifting the calls in different directions and sometimes covering your mouth, using different inflections and doing all 3 at a different kadence you can sound like many elk talking at the same time and sound very real.
How about a glunk when in tight timber to get a bull to committ to those last few steps? Let's face it nobody out there is doing that and can make you sound real to a bull.
Another example would be an external reed call. That call makes a sound (again when used correctly) that no diaphram can make. It's the real rapsy sound at the end of hot cow call. You can do it with a diaphram but trust me its just not the same. You get the right how cow call going with an external reed and the results can be awesome. External reeds are also much louder and can carry very far. This bull below I called in from over 1500 yards at 2pm on a 70 degree day when there was absolutely nothing happening. Sure we can say it was a fluke but I've repeated this many times since and I actually called in two elk from two different directions that day at the same time. The other was a cow. This bull was taken on a heavily hunted general unit and we never heard an elk make a sound at all up to that point. The hunt was in early October. Admittedly I was dinking around while eating lunch practicing some calls for an upcoming competition when this bull responded from nearly a mile away and came running. I thought it was another hunter messing with me at first. We were shocked to see him running uphill towards us out in the open then to see a cow doing the same thing coming from another direction I realized I had stumbled onto something and I have continued to work on this call along with many others since that time.
Last edited by rather_be_huntin; 07-12-2010 at 02:58 PM.
#39
My last 3 bulls were all killed within 15 yards. I have used a mouth call to stop my last 7 elk. It has stopped them on a dime every single time and allowed me to get a good shot off. Once you see a product work like that, over and over, it's hard to want to use anything else.