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CALLING IN MY FIRST HERD BULL by Transition wild

You should enjoy reading this article written by Adam of Transition Wild. Adam is Vice President of sales at Quiet Kat bikes as well and when he moved to the mountains a few years ago I met him through the Quiet Kat guys. He bought a few of our Elk Reels and went out and killed a 330 class OTC Colorado Bull with them. He has been a huge supporter of what we do ever since.

Calling In My First Herd Bull

Sneaking in on a 5×5 Bull Elk-Reelality TV: Reel Classroom

Sept 7th 2018

Call builder and my filiming buddy Clay Griffith and myself crested the hill above these basins and heard a multitude of bull elk bugling.

Acting like a herd dropping down to bed from the ridge above. We used a K series Elk Reel for cow calls and our Extendabull ATM bugle in the unextended position to bugle and cow call. It was all to easy to put on a clinic on how to sound like a small herd with a bull elk trailing. Every Bull elk in a mile radius lit up like it was the middle of the rut.  It was definitely a fantastic morning of Elk hunting soul soothing therapy.

We had called in a small 5×5 bull elk and a 260ish 6 point already at first light. Im hunting one of the better units this year so we left them bugling. We dropped off the ridge on the shady side to chase this unseen Bull. He was claiming king to the end of the point and that was where we has seen several mature bulls.

Moving in on him I was using a small herd of cows with satellite bull trailing as my calling technique. This time of year I have seen and called in small herds of cows trailing a 5×5 bull elk many times. I was hoping he was a  300″ plus bull ready to start a harem with an easy run off of a rag horn. When we finally got into bow range and saw he was not that old his tentative nature made sense.

It always in my opinion pays to close distance to any bull you get to respond. If they aren’t going to move and are standing in cover they are very approachable. You can use your Elk Reel to basically walk right up to them as thats what they want cow elk to do. Just stay mostly out of sight and definitely downwind!

This encounter is a great example of how to use accurate elk sounds to sneak right up to your quarry. Being confident in your elk calls consistency tone and volume control is a must in this situation! Hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did! Stay tuned more to come! -Drew

P.S We are running a special on call combos get a great deal on Elk Reel and a Bullistic Missile elk bugle combo calls pick one up today!

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Elk Bugle how to: Calling tips and secrets for pressured bulls

Bugling for Bull Elk with an Elk Bugle Call by Drew Rouse

The very fact that Bull elk bugle is one of the best parts about hunting them in the rut. They can and will sneak in silently. However when they march in screaming their heads off, after you’ve seduced and lured them in close with elk calls. It’s the kind of experience that is hard to beat. Those high pitched Screams will pierce more than the mountain air. To me calling elk is the pinnacle of sport. Using their high pitched guttural screams to reel them in close is highly effective if done right. This article will out line a few outside the box techniques and highlights some of the sounds you should have in your repertoire.

Elk Sounds

Locator bugle-Using an Elk Bugle call to locate bulls

I love to try to get a bull to talk by bugling a loud clear note. It may be a great spot to start as far as a tactic. I started always adding loud cow talk to my locator strategy. We’ve seen time and again bulls answer extremely accurate sounding loud cow talk so its always worth a shot to try this first. That being said seeing as this is a bugling article Ill skip that for now. Lets assume a high pitched bugle is your first and only note you’ll play when locating or attempting to locate a responsive bull.  Our new Scream diaphragms and ATM and OTC bugles excel at this accurate ringing tone. The single reeds are easy to play and have an excellent range of volume.

You can add a little growl or lip bawl into this note but the general idea is to make a loud clear long note as long as your breath can go. One that will reach as fas as possible. I do not recommend chuckling while locating because you may drown out any distant response. Hit that high note and let it ring and pierce as long as you can then be quiet and listen. Covering ground and staying determined will help as will putting your self on the playing field. Bugling off the top of the rim or from the bottom of a climb is not as effective. Dropping onto a slope or putting yourself in the general area elk ought to be seems to make them respond better.

One of the best ways to locate is just before sunup. Doing this kind of stuff in the predawn darkness can have negative consequences.  But that being said it can be a deadly technique to locate a talkative bull before they figure hunters ought to be calling. I highly recommend trying to not road hunt and call and educate the elk. We all share these woods and those elk might be the ones your on tomorrow over the ridge. If that lead cow says I heard that coming from a dirt bike that just shut off yesterday or after truck doors shut off the two track near my bedding area it might be pointless.

The go to move- Bulls calling Cows Bugle

Maybe Im dating myself here but I think the above scene in Rocky 3 when Mr T Aka Clubber Lang tries to bait Rocky Balboa. He started trying to instigate a fight by calling him names. This fails however. He then switches tactics and when Clubber invites Rocky’s wife over to his apartment however the fight is on. This kind of reaction is why I feel a bull sneaking in and sweet talking another bulls ladies is such a great sound. A higher pitched screaming piercing sound in a 3-4 second note is what I use in this situation.

I like to use it when you’ve already had contact with your quarry and are interacting with him vocally. Or he and perhaps even all his cows are talking and you’ve snuck in. We all know if some guy starts blatantly hitting on your woman like this in front of you it may elicit a response on a whole other level. Ripping a bull calling cows bugle is one of the most effective sounds you can use to draw in the herd bull. Most of the elk Ive shot came in doing this vocalization themselves if they were lone bulls looking for cows and coming in to a herd scenario calling sequence or cow sounds.

Using a challenge bugle

Getting in between a bull and his cows or cow and ripping the baddest bugle note you can can be very effective. I like to use this while running at a bull in heavy cover trying to make him run me over.  We all know how much fun ripping huge bugle notes with growls and chuckles is so if this is your style of hunting stick with it. Hopefully the bull you encounter will be one that wants to fight some of them are just wired that way! If not go back to the bull calling cows note.

Techniques

Volume variation is your friend when using your Elk bugle call

Bulls will bugle half heartedly a lot more than you think. Especially on hard hit public land that sees a lot of archery hunters. They learn if they bugle in daylight that hunters just come running. It seems the only thing that will make them forget it is a hot cow. If they aren’t on a hot cow they have in my experience in Colorado OTC units stayed extremely tight lipped.

To imitate these bulls I don’t think anyone makes a call that works more consistently and easily to add some more sounds to your cow calling then our new Bullistic missile bugles or Scream Diaphragms. Both harness the 3 dimensional air and voice inflection capturing power from our reed setup. It is borrowed from the original elk reel design and we spent years tweaking and patenting every aspect of it. The Non latex reeds have a natural elky sound that drives real elk nuts. Using the Scream diaphragm, OTC RPG or Extendabull Anti Tank Missile. You can make that bull calling cows sound that we love so much, that a bull approaching cows will make to call them to him.

A whiny growly note. A few Half hearted chuckles. Glunking with the bottom of your tube against the palm of your hand. It all will help you in pressured areas. Glass the elk up and watch where they go to bed. Then plan a mid day sneak into their bedroom. If a bull thinks another bull has scent trailed them into his honeymoon suite he may be a lot more eager to get up and come into bow range.

Blind calling strategies for using an Elk bugle

I love mixing it up when blind calling elk. Also like to try to paint a picture of two smaller bulls mixing it up. To the point where I have even carried around 5×5 sheds to rattle with. You’re basically trying to call in satellite bulls blind calling. Although I’ve blind called in whole herds trailing the mountain king more than a few times. A mature bull in the first few days of September will probably still be roaming alone or with another bull perhaps still. Making a mature bull think a few smaller bulls may have the first hot cow is a winner.

What I like to do is try to imitate one whiny squeeler of a juvenile bull and then another bull chuckling in a slightly different tone. That is one nice thing about both our bugles the mouth pieces are available in single and double reeds. Adding this to some cow calling sequences gives the idea of a happy herd of elk. Juvenile satelitte bulls and mature elk are equally attracted to such scenarios. Add beating up a tree with an antler or big stick and its just a killer technique.

The two juvenile bulls is my go to for blind calling and I highly recommend it. The last OTC Colorado 6×6 I killed came into just the particular sound. After pretending to be a herd moving up the mountain to the ridge top. The bugles were the icing on the cake that he couldn’t resist.

Whether the Elk have been pressured or not plays a huge part in my strategy for using an Elk Bugle call. Do I need a devious strategy for using my Elk bugle? There is a huge difference in behavior between pressured over the counter elk and un-pressured bulls. I believe that on opening weekend every elk that is in a heavily hunted spot sees or smells a hunter. If you are hunting public land in an easy to get a tag unit they definitely have been. Archery and muzzleloader Elk hunting is as popular as ever and public land gets absolutely hammered.

Or even before the hunting season the elk get pushed around. With the advent of Instagram it seems now a days everyone and their brother is out putting up cams and taking pictures of animals with a digi-scope. When I got into archery hunting it seemed this was level of dedicated scouting was the rarity instead of the norm. But just our very presence in elk country draws warning attention to the approaching Elk seasons. We set off their alarms at the same time every year. I think the older cows can predict when to head off the top of the mountain where they have spent the summer.

The elk you are hunting are prepared for you

Public land over the counter Elk have a well rehearsed playbook of moves to avoid you. They will drop into a deep dark hole most people won’t want to pack them out of. Or maybe pressured bulls and cows spend their daylight hours on a extremely steep timbered hillsides using small benches and flat spots above trees to bed. They will move onto private property or in some cases into the limited entry unit next store. Elk will start bedding deep in the oak brush where you will have trouble approaching them stealthily. Basically they will do everything and anything to even keep you from finding them. One of their favorite moves is to turn the volume down.

They still need to vocalize to stay in contact with each other. This is the main reason elk calves, cows and bulls vocalize in the first place. Imagine moving through a thick forest with slight terrain undulations created by erosion of eons of snowmelts and thunderstorms. To keep from getting separated the elk will whisper mews and chirps to each other. Even the bulls make whines and cow like vocalizations and they definitely like bugling at ultra low volume.

They reduce their volume to avoid you. How many times do they need to wind a hunter after calling or see one to become a tune to this relation? Elk where they do not need to reduce their volume to avoid hunters talk much louder all season long. This I have seen time in and time out. Elk on the ranch you drive past to get to public are screaming and the cows are whining loudly. When you get to public? They have shut up before dawn.

Think outside the box to learn how to use an Elk bugle call more effectively

When you have animals well aware that they are being hunted. They are well versed in how to behave to avoid you. This is where being a good elk caller and using calls that play accurate variable tones can pay serious dividends. When I got into making elk calls it was because I was unsatisfied with any of the calls I had used. The original goal when I started inventing my own Elk calls was to make a bugle mouth piece and then design a tube to amplify the sound. Elk bugles I had always used were not all that reliable. Traditional diaphragms fall apart and you need a whole pocketful to get through season or sound more multiple. Everything I ever used was hard to use at low volume. My outside the box calls led me to thinking about outside the box techniques. Ive seen ever contraption and idea on how to muffle a diaphragm to sound further away. Reel game calls natural volume variability meant I could now do things I could never do the way I wanted before.

 

The low volume issue was particularly troubling. I have observed many times bulls making low volume bugling sounds that don’t sound to most people what elk bugling should sound like. People and especially those influenced by the marketing hype of traditional hunting call manufactures. Whether they’ve seen it on TV or youtube or on social media its usually some “professional” elk caller teaching you a decades long rehearsed bit  about how to chuckle or how to bugle. The result is a lot of hunters could get the idea that elk only sound like people on an elk calling stage.

There is nothing wrong with watching instructional videos on how to use elk calls. However when practicing I recommend listening exclusively to elk. I think a lot of  hunters must be convinced elk sound exactly what someone teaching elk calling with a diaphragm call sounds like. Or that elk only bugle at full blast. They don’t spend enough time listening to actual elk. People just don’t get to experience what elk actually sound like unless they seek out this information actively. I can not stress this enough if you really want to put more bulls on the ground. Love them. Listen to them. Make it a part of your daily or weekly routine. It will pay off in more tags punched or bigger bulls on the ground.

I think that they vary their volume to depending on many things, how old they are, how many times they have been bumped or missed after bugling loudly. Maybe they aren’t actively breeding any of their cows because they just aren’t in estrous that day. Is it really hot? How long since its rained. So many things can vary how fired up bulls will be. Half hearted whiny bugles. Half a set of half volume chuckles. Moans, whines, cow like chirps, growls, glunking and more bulls make a lot more sounds then you’d ever imagine when you first start learning about imitating them.

What can go wrong with bugling at Bulls already committed

Bugling like the king of the mountain with your Elk bugle while blind calling can be a bad plan. This is depending on the age structure of the bulls where you are hunting. There simply may not be one big enough to charge in to steal a herd bulls cows. If a bull is coming in silent there is only one way to interpret his mood. Skittish. We witnessed a bull last year that was a broke up 260-280 6×6 missing multiple points on his rack and his whale tail on his left side. He turned around after I ripped two massive full note bugles 50 yards short of the caller and slowly walked off like he just didn’t want to get beat up again. He had obviously been fighting hard and perhaps had just had his butt whipped early in the predawn that morning. I could see the caller and not the bull and he was already committed to come in to cow sounds. I was testing bugle mouth pieces on that hunt and probably that whole season was just way to liberal with it. However since I had no idea a committed shooter was walking up my shooters lane. I ripped a few loud full notes for the heck of it. It ended up backfiring in the worst way.

It is just a theory but I do believe that so many variables exist in bugling for elk with an Elk bugle call that lots of strategies work. But I do like to stick to the trying to sound less intimidating than the bull I want to shoot.  One reason to think that Bull Calling cows sound is so effective. Some of our team guys swear by it and use it 90 percent of the time. Being realistic about whats in your unit or area is something you should take into account when sounding off. Its fun as heck but a lot of thought should go into every note you rip through your tube.

As always think outside the box to call in more bull elk

I can’t stress it enough when calling elk, be different and be multiple. Anything creative that you can come up with to add realism will help. Bugle a funky sound you’ve heard bulls make and never hunters and you will get more responses. Run 100 yards in between challenge bugles. Splash a wallow with a log and scream your head off at the highest possible pitch. We hope our calling tips and secrets for pressured bulls provided some useful information for the next time you go hunting.

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Reelality TV episode 4-The Eastern Turkey-public land Kansas birds!

Chasing the elusive Eastern Turkey!

Drew Rouse and Clayton Griffith head to Eastern Kansas to chase birds on public and private land. We decided on a whim last year to skip hunting Rio’s in western Kansas and go east.This is the first morning hunting and the boys decided to try a spot a fellow hunter said calls and a decoy spread wouldn’t work in… The Eastern Turkey is notorious for its cunning. So when two Eastern Turkey jakes walked in it was way to tempting! Everyone said we would struggle since we had limited experience hunting this wary birds.

The eastern Turkey is a much different creature than its western counter parts. Both can get educated however the Eastern turkey will not cover as much ground as a rule of habit. While western Birds, Rios and Merriam’s and the various hybridizations, regularly cover lots of ground. We put our Turkey Reel calls to the test on these high pressure birds. It was a fun hunt!

http://45d.b2c.myftpupload.com/shop/turkey-calls/reel-game-calls-turkey-reel/

The boys went on a roll! Reality TV Day 2 episode 5… subscribe on youtube!

This means that Eastern Birds will take longer to come in. You need to setup closer to where they roost or know where they like to be during the mid day hours. I feel like scouting is key for both species. Knowing where they are is a given to hunting anything. But I also feel that out west you can stake out a cruising corridor and know that usually birds will be moving through at some point.

The more information about an Eastern Turkeys habits the more we feel you are in the running to kill him. Thats why when these Jake’s walked in on a first morning sit in a strange place at least one of them was in big trouble!

The Buck Reel: Why this Doe Bleat is a Game-Changer

Written By Pat Kolbe of Oshkosh Wisconsin

Like many people that receive a new product claiming to work, I was skeptical. I received my new prototype ‘Buck Reel’ from Reel Game Calls owner Drew Rouse last October while hunting together in the bluff country of southwestern Wisconsin. I wasn’t convinced this new Buck Reel could make a difference in my hunting success. See I had reason to be skeptical. At this point I had utilized a typical ‘can’ doe bleat call for the better part of the last decade. Over the course of hundreds of hunts, and endless empty encounters after flipping the can over again and again — I had little faith a different doe bleat would provide success. Until it did.

SO EASY TO USE

It didn’t take me long to fall in love with this new revolutionary deer call. Right away I found the call super easy to use. I was able to manipulate both the volume and tone of the Buck Reel simply by increasing or decreasing my air flow or by squeezing down lightly on the call with one hand. Unlike the troubling inconsistency with trying to keep a can call bleat short and concise, I was easily able to make short bleats emulating a true doe estrus bleat. Needless to say I quickly became excited to take this call out into the Wisconsin hardwoods.

REELING IN A WISCONSIN GIANT

Over the next two weeks I was amazed at the effectiveness of the Buck Reel. I was able to call at least a half dozen bucks into shooting range while blind calling (calling without having a buck in sight) during the first three-day weekend I worked the call. The morning of November 12th ensured that a Buck Reel will forever remain in my pocket every time I hit the whitetail woods. After an eventful morning had me watching bucks run and chase does in the woods across a field, I decided to switch treestands at 8:30am. After methodical step-by-step walk to my new treestand set-up I approached the base of the tree. Before I could start my ascent I was shocked to have a 10-point buck scramble up the bluff from a hollow below with his nose to the ground. Dejected as he sprinted wildly up to the ridge top, I pulled out my Buck Reel from my pocket and attempted three Estrus Bleats in hopes of bringing him back down to my location. What happened next was even better! Seconds later a small 4-point buck came crashing up the same hollow,
followed by a massive 12-point beast we had nicknamed ‘Splitter 2’ for his matching split G2s on both sides of his rack. After Splitter 2 bullied and chased off the small buck, he spun around and head straight back towards my tree. Not seeing the doe he was after he started back down the hollow, but presented me with a 35 yard quartering away
shot. I had just ‘reeled’ in the biggest buck I had ever laid eyes on in the wild. It was pure jubilation later that day when I recovered the animal less than sixty yards from where I had made the shot.

WHY IT’S A GAME-CHANGER

Why is this doe bleat call a game-changer? I’ve already mentioned this call is super easy to operate. Besides being able to manipulate tone and duration of the call – I believe their are two other overlooked factors that make this call stand above all other doe bleats. I cannot underestimate the importance of being able to control the volume of doe bleat sounds. A can call provides one finite volume. I can make a Buck Reel bleat loud if I need to grab the attention of a distant buck – however, even more important to me is I can feel extremely confident in finessing a soft, subtle bleat if that buck is in close proximity. This can mean the difference in a buck skirting me at 50-60 yards or closing the distance to within bow range.

The second game-changing factor this call has is its size. This call easily and comfortably fits in my pants pocket, or in the chest pocket of my jacket or vest. It is in my hands instantly if I need it, whether I am up in the tree or walking to my stand. The problem with many can calls is the awkward size – never comfortable in a pocket – and doing you
no good stuffed in your backpack when you want that call now.  The Buck Reel is always in my pocket – ready to call in another buck this season – and it should be in your pocket
this season too. Get the call that can make a difference in your hunting season!

New educational section! Learn about Elk Calling!

First of all our new section is under construction. We have some of the first articles up! The first few articles were written by Reel game call inventor Drew Rouse. We started our lessons with Elk Calling. However we love Deer and Turkey hunting too. In addition future articles will cover all aspects of calling game.

Class is in session!

We will be giving you the insight and knowledge that went into making our Elk Calls. Here at Reel Game calls we take hunting as serious as humanly possible. We live and breathe in Elk country.

2016 Colorado Bull Elk
Public Land OTC Colorado 6×6

 

This new section will start with information about Elk Calling. How to use calls to shoot more Elk! What makes Elk calling work? Furthermore why do we think that the Elk calls of the past. Elk calls that were available previously available fall far short of Reel technology.

As a result of using advanced technology. We added synthetic materials, 3D computer modeling, CNC machining and 3D printing our to achieve our design. Their is no doubt it is light years ahead.

First hand knowledge

Years literally in the making this page will focus on what we have learned purely on first hand experience. While the boys from Reel didn’t grow up in Elk Country. Rather they weren’t blessed with knowledge passed down over the generations. Consequently this benefited our development as Elk hunters.

We got to start with a fresh canvas and no real assumptions or myths were bought into. In addition everything we write is based on learning by making mistakes.  We have learned everything we know the hard way. Our Elk calling techniques our fact based in a real world Elk laboratory.

We have hunted all 30 days of Archery in Colorado many times.  As much as our legs would stand! For the past decade plus… We will convey through this knowledge things that will make you a more effective Elk hunter. We want you to rev the fun meter to the max this fall!

The link below is on how to make calf elk sounds. Calf elk sounds are one of the most effective tools in an Elk hunters arsenal. Hence a hunter should integrate calf sounds in their Elk calling. Because It will add untold amounts of realism to their setups.

Our calls make the most realistic calf elk sounds. They make calling elk easy and repeatable. Its so simple to use our calls. The size transforming reed is activated by the hinging action of the call. It does all of the hard work. Hence you are transformed into a composer playing a symphony of Elk talk! Take your Elk calling to another level and check out our other article on how to make elk calf sounds!

 

https://reelgamecalls.com/make-elk-calf-sounds/

Happy customer email from 4/5/17 “Ernie we met in Madison”

A buddy of mine asked if I wanted to go to the show in Madison last week. I looked up the exhibitor list specifically looking for elk calls and western hunting, Was shocked to not see anyone…other than you. Never heard of you before. A quick google search directed me to some youtube videos. The only reason I went to the show was to find you guys and get a call for my dad who still finds other calls difficult to use. I ended up buying one for myself and one for my buddy. Now I have to get a few more because I tend to lose at least one call a year, and to get one for my dad because I kinda stole the one I bought for him originally. Oh and now my friends dad is getting a few because he likes it too. Been going out West from the Chicago area 8 years now and someone finally made a good sounding elk call that is easy to use. Can’t understate how good it really sounds, I’m a stickler for it. Congrats on the ingenuity. You deserve all the success that comes your way. I’m sure I’ll sell a few more for ya. Kinda sells itself. Was good seeing you at the show. Now just gotta wait for the New Mexico draw to see if I can use it.

Vail Daily article about Reel Game Calls

Vail Valley locals changing the game call game

The Vail Daily, which is the local daily news periodical in the Vail valley, wrote this article about our hunting call company in last saturdays paper. Check it out for yourself and see what the buzz about our products is about! We have been making some waves in the hunting community lately and we are excited to be building on our initial product debut of the Elk Reel, the most innovative Elk Call ever produced. We are branching out w the latest release of the Turkey Reel, which is a two reed V-cut version of the original design and the Buck Reel a wider version with a slower vibrating reed that accurately imitates all species of north american deer doe and fawn vocalizations. Our hunting call business is going to be releasing some more embodiments of our patented design in the near future. Both Elk and Turkey calls! Stay tuned…

 

 

 

 

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