Your Land,Your Elk

In case you forgot, you co-own 600-plus million acres of public land—and somewhere out there is your elk. To help you narrow down the search, we drilled six experts for their secrets on finding and killing bulls in the backcountry. Because while there’s nothing wrong with hunting private ground, there’s absolutely nothing like getting it done on public land.

- Will Brantley and Dave Hurteau

SKILLS

MIX UP YOUR BUGLE

Q Most hunters can’t resist making the long, screaming bugles that sound good to their own ears, says world-champion elk caller Chad Schearer of Shoot Straight (shoot straight tv.com). But on pressured public land, you have to sound different. “Just shortening your bugle will separate you from the crowd and double your success,” Schearer says. Just as important: You don’t have to make a full bugle to rile a herd bull. Here are three abbreviated calls Schearer uses to sound more like the real thing—and less like everyone else. 

The Half Bugle “This is a call that real bulls use to say, I’m over here,” Schearer says. “It’s a courtesy bugle, and a way for bulls to keep track of one another.” To make it, you simply cut your bugle short half to two-thirds of the way through. “It’s a great locator call, and one that bulls almost never hear from other hunters.” 

The Squeal “When a bull is really worked up, he’ll often skip the full bugle and just squeal.” Here, Schearer increases tongue and air pressure on a mouth call while putting his lips loosely together to get the highest pitch possible. He ends it with a simple low note.“This is perfect for pissing off a hot herd bull.”