[#1DEER 1-I]

I was wondering can you call a spike elk in I didn't think so, but someone told me you could. I am hoping to bag one tomorrow, but I thought that big bulls scared them away would either of calls attract them, a cow or bull call. I didn't think they would come what do you know about this?

 

[sagebrush]

I'm sure they want the same thing, like any other bull on mtn.

 

[campfire]

I am just thinking out loud or rather on the computor. But I think it is a rather complex question. First of all, not all yearling bulls are sexually mature. You can usually pick out the ones that are because they rub their antlers. The ones that are still in velvet are probably not. I agree with sagebrush that the ones that are mature would like nothing more than to make it with some cows in estrus but then there are the bigger bulls to contend with. Now I doubt that calling a spike with a mature bugle would do any good as they would usually be intimidated by the bigger bulls and not interested in challanging them for cows. But a cow call might be another thing all together. It might attract the mature yearlings looking for some action and might also attract the immature yearlings still following Momma. My 2 cents.

 

[Camrat85]

Could have been a fluke...but I called in three spikes last year. They came down the mountain side with the herd bull and the cows but I was able to cow call them to within 70dys. The herd bull was smarter and stayed behind good cover and started circling to get down wind of me. It was my first elk hunt so I took one of the spikes and called it good. 8)

 

[wyoming2utah]

I have called in many bulls...both spikes and large bulls. I have found some big bulls to rush right in without a care in the world and I have found spikes come in as cautious as a beginning skater on the ice for the first time. I think how an animal responds to a call varies from caller to call to animal!

To answer the original question, though, spikes will come to calls.

 

[Finnegan]

Of course you can call spikes. Why not? It's a mistake to think that calling is all about the rut.

 

[bow hunter]

on the archery hunt we call in spikes I had a couple spikes this year very close, we were using cow calls.