Tips for hunters. Hunting for elk using a decoy Download the voice of a moose during the rut mp3

Hunting is a hobby worthy of a real man, requiring endurance, knowledge and skills. A worthy trophy would be a strong and powerful animal, such as an elk. Its weight is almost 500 kg, the length of the carcass is 3 m, and its luxurious spreading horns (especially beautiful during the rut) are a worthy decoration for every hunter.

The mating time of these animals (or the rut) begins in September - early October. At this time, males make calling sounds intended for rivals or moose cows. If the weather is hot at the beginning of autumn, then the rutting time will be postponed to a later date.

You should not be afraid of the noise made during hunting during the rutting period - when the male hears it, he will mistake you for a rival and come out to meet you. When hunting during the rut, keep your gun ready, as bucks are much more aggressive during this period than usual.

A male looking for a female is extremely dangerous: the cry of an elk resembles the roar of a bear, and he himself is truly scary. The voice of an elk, accompanied by the crackling of branches and dead wood, with the help of which it imitates a fight with an opponent, can be heard at a distance of 500-700 meters. However, if it rains or the weather is inclement, it is difficult to hear the moose's voice. In those regions where there are a lot of these animals, and they often meet with humans (during the rutting period they are not at all afraid of humans), they can be taken from the approach. However, in those regions where they are not so common, moose decoys are used for hunting.

The roar of an elk can only be heard during the rut; the rest of the time the only sounds of the elk are quiet snorts if the animal is frightened. The roar of different individuals is very different: strong mature animals shout “oo-a” or “oo-oh”, young ones - “o-uh”.

Hunting time depends on the target. If you are interested in elk for trophy purposes, then it is better to start hunting in the first 10 days of the rut, at which time bulls with beautiful trophy antlers come when called. At other times, this luxurious trophy will be pretty damaged by incessant fights with rivals.

To begin with, it is necessary to determine the location of the rut with maximum accuracy. To do this, you need to listen to the cry of the moose, look for the presence of broken branches, fairly shabby bushes, and also check whether there is fresh moose droppings.
The most favorable time for hunting elk during the rut is early morning, at which time the animal roars longer, which means it will be easier to track and shoot. This also makes it easier to find a wounded animal. It is better to hunt in dry and clear weather, when there is no rain. When you hear the cry of a moose nearby, you can start to attract it with screams and break branches. Just don’t overdo it, otherwise the animal may understand that it is being deceived and not come out.
It is better to go on such a hunt together: one beckons, the other shoots. Experienced hunters are able to determine by the roar the age of the animal and its suitability as prey, and, based on this, make a decision about whether it is worth continuing the hunt or whether it makes sense to change the place and look for other game.

Elk decoys

Experienced or simply talented hunters can do without a decoy at all, imitating the roar of an elk, how he yells during the rut, simply by cupping his palms into a mouthpiece. If it doesn’t work out, then it’s better to buy a decoy or make it yourself.

How to make a decoy for an elk from scrap materials with your own hands

Decoy from a jar

You will need a tin can (coffee can, for example), a 60 cm piece of clothesline, a piece of leather or electrical tape to cover the entire surface of the can.

We make a hole in the bottom of the jar (more precisely, in its center), and insert a rope with a knot at the end into it. The sound will be similar to a moose cry if the jar is wrapped in leather or duct tape and some moss is placed inside.

How to use this decoy jar? Wet the rope with water, then hold it between your index finger and thumb, and then move it along the rope from top to bottom. Hold the jar by the base without touching the walls. With this decoy you can accurately imitate the sounds of a moose.

Another do-it-yourself decoy - a speaker made of birch bark or a tin can

Remove birch bark about 2 mm thick from the tree without knots, cut it in a helical manner. Then straighten the resulting tape and cut a strip from it with a width of 100 to 170 mm. From the same tree, remove another piece of birch bark 120 mm wide and cut three narrow rectangular holes on it, and three triangular ones on the other side so that they fit into the rectangular ones. Then the triangles are straightened inside the rolled birch bark, forming a lock on the birch bark tube. The decoy is rolled up with a white layer inward. It will be the cuff of the speaker. The birch bark is rolled into a tube, a cuff is put on it; if desired, the cuffs can be attached with electrical tape for greater strength. When you imitate an animal screaming, the volume can be adjusted by squeezing or stretching the tube.

Electronic moose decoy

The most convenient option for a novice hunter. This is a device with an already recorded elk roar during the rut, and usually there are several sounds made by an elk at once. This is the cry of an elk, with which he challenges his opponent to fight, and the roar of a moose looking for a partner, and the sounds that a young calf makes, etc. Any moose call is activated when you press a button, the device is battery operated, extremely convenient and portable. Moreover, there is even a button to control the volume of the roar sound.

When choosing a decoy, you should listen to it first: many hunters note that the cry of an elk on an electronic decoy may not correspond to the sounds made by the animal when the rutting period begins.

Brief summary of the article:

When the rutting season begins, the buck is extremely dangerous, so it is recommended to be ready to shoot.
There are many varieties of decoys, and experienced hunters can do without them altogether.

This type of hunting has several names in the hunting lexicon: “to roar”, “to wobble”, “to moan”. Hunting is carried out during the rut, which, depending on the region, ranges from mid-August to October. To get beautiful whole elk antlers as a trophy, hunting should begin in the first days of the rut. The optimal time is 20 days before the peak of this period. For the European part of Russia this is September 15–25. The best time of day is early morning in clear weather.

The place where moose are “chasing” can be determined by broken branches and small trees, tracks, characteristic smell, droppings and the animal’s voice. In this area, the bull feels like the owner of both the territory and the female who is with him. Making sounds from time to time, he warns possible competitors that he will not allow a stranger to invade his domain. The sounds made by the male and the cracking of branches in good weather can be heard at 500–600 m.

Hunting for roar is now more often of a trophy nature. Branched, developed antlers appear in elk at the age of 6–10 years. Experienced hunters can tell the age of an animal by its voice. An elk of average age and size is unlikely to risk engaging in a fight with an opponent if the competitor’s roar indicates the respectability of his age. If the jacker's task is to lure the bull away from the female, you should be patient. The male is reluctant to leave the moose, preferring to roll call with the applicant at a distance. The latter is much easier to take out under fire.

In normal times, male moose rarely make sounds. He can only snort quietly when he is frightened. The sound that a bull makes during the rut is completely different from the roar of a deer. It's something between a sigh of relief and a groan. Its most accurate definition was given by our ancestors - “moan”.

Note. During the rutting period, the mooing of strong, accomplished bulls is similar to the sound “u-a” (“oo-o”). It roars dully. The roar of young males sounds like “oh-uh”, its intonation is vibrating and rattling.

Females also sometimes make sounds during the rut. A sharp sound, similar to a neigh, means that the bull has covered the female. During the day, hearing a male “moan” is very rare. It is most active in vocalizing during the dawn hours or towards sunset.

Some males do not have girlfriends at the beginning of the rut and move around a lot while searching. They also vocalize, trying to find out if there is a free female or “family” male nearby to try to win the moose cow from him. Such loners boldly follow the sound made by the vabel operator. The hunter’s task is to imitate the “moan” of the opponent, awaken aggressiveness in the bull and force him to come out to a clear place under the shot.

How to attract a male with the sound of a decoy

When luring a bull, they not only give a voice, but also accompany the “moan” by tapping a stick on a tree and cracking dry branches. The sound is framed with an appropriate background, creating the impression of the presence of an excited bull.

It is better, of course, to lure out a bull spotted during pre-hunting reconnaissance. But if the search is carried out in an unexplored area, you need to try to determine its approximate age from the voice of the responding male. When an adult bull with a loud, powerful voice “moans”, it is more likely that he will accept the challenge of an opponent who seems weaker by his voice. The young owner of the female will try to quietly leave the territory and quietly take the female away if he detects by his voice the presence of a more experienced bull.

Hunters enhance the power of the sound of a decoy using a birch bark horn about 40 cm long. Experienced hunters can imitate the roar of an elk using improvised means: a gun barrel, a bottle without a bottom, etc. Hunting virtuosos make imitating sounds using their palms, but doing this not being professional can only harm the hunt.

Advice. When hunting, you should not make sounds often. Pay attention to signs of elk. If you can’t hear the male’s reaction to the “moan,” imitate the sound made by the bull when covering the female (neighing). An elk that has lost its vigilance may come close enough to shoot.

Sometimes the dominant male tolerates the presence of younger bulls in the vicinity, but keeps them at a safe distance. In this case, the sound of the decoy may result in a smaller elk, inferior in strength to the owner. Based on the overlapping voices, you need to determine the number of individuals and then select an object for the trophy. In the presence of competitors, the main male often cannot be lured away from the female. And if the target of the hunt is a large specimen, you will have to change your location and look for another candidate for the hunted object.

Despite the variety of developments when hunting elk with a decoy, there are two tactical options for the hunter: waiting for the male to respond to the sound and approaching, or moving towards him while simultaneously luring him. The second option is used if the animal does not move.

The lack of reaction to sounds imitated by the hunter can be explained by the fact that the disturbed elk left the area. Also, you may not be able to wait for an answer when the female is accompanied by a medium-sized, middle-aged male. Having a low dominance rank, he is afraid of rivals.

The sound of the decoy travels only a few hundred meters even in good weather. Therefore, without obtaining a trophy, you should quietly move to another area. Thus, go around the area that you or your huntsman found promising, and count on luck.

Decoy from improvised means

A homemade decoy can be made from an ordinary tin can and a half-meter cord or rope as thick as a pencil. A knot is tied on the cord, and a hole is punched in the center of the bottom of the jar. The cord is threaded through the hole so that the knot is inside the can. After pre-wetting the cord, pull it through the hole. The “tool” will make a sound more or less similar to the roar of an elk. To prevent the sound from having a metallic tint, the jar is wrapped with electrical tape. With practice, you will get the hang of how hard you need to squeeze the can and pull the cord to get the most natural sound.

The diameter of the hole in the jar should be slightly less than the thickness of the uncompressed rope and have the appearance of a truncated cone. A smaller can will produce a lower sound. An important condition is to hold the can by the edge at the base, the sound will be imitated louder.

Branded decoys imitate the voice of both males and females. The sound can be heard over a long distance. Some decoys can also make the sound of antlers rubbing against a tree trunk. To do this, scratch the bark with the wide side of the simulator. In this way, moose are attracted to mark and control the territory.

Elk hunting using electronic decoys is prohibited in Russia everywhere and at any time of the year.

Weapons for hunting with decoy

Both smooth-bore and rifled weapons are suitable for moose hunting. A reliable 12-gauge double-barreled shotgun, used in the years when there was little choice when purchasing weapons, is still relevant today. You should not use a barrel caliber smaller than 16 gauge.

In conditions of hunting in the forest with limited visibility at a distance of up to 50 meters, the destructive power of a 12-gauge bullet hitting a vulnerable spot will allow you not to search for a wounded animal after the shot. Without a good tracking dog and in the absence of snow cover, it will be difficult to find him. During the rut, animals become stronger against the wound, the body's reserves are mobilized for procreation. The killing areas of an elk are the heart, neck, lungs and spine. A reliable shot is in the area of the shoulder blade, in the middle of the front of the body.

It makes sense to use rifled weapons when hunting on the edges, among rare trees without undergrowth, in wide clearings, that is, where a shot from a long distance is required. In such places, the elk moves at low speed, stopping and listening. Under certain conditions, the use of optics is also justified. For a rifled weapon for elk, the required bullet caliber is at least 7.62 (according to the domestic designation system). In any case, the weapon must be sighted and familiar to the hunter.

In areas where males have a lot of competition, shooting bulls during the rutting period will not lead to a decrease in the next year's offspring. Despite its apparent simplicity, this type of hunting is effective only in places with a sufficiently high density of elk, but in terms of emotionality and the lasting impressions it surpasses a roundup.

Hunting elk, weighing up to 600 kg, is possible only if you have experience and certain knowledge. Only with the right approach is there a chance to lure and shoot the animal. A good hunter knows different tactics, for example, using a bait, a decoy.

It must be remembered that moose have a rutting period when their behavior changes. If an elk is hunted by roar, the animal approaches the sound made by the elk, after which the hunter can fire a shot.

When does the elk rut begin?

For most wild ungulates, the rut occurs in the second half of the year. The first to enter this state are the roe deer (late July-late August), the last are the musk deer (November-December). Moose and deer are subject to the rut in September; it ends by mid-October, but the very first signs may appear at the end of August.

In Russia, the exact time of the rut may vary depending on the location. In regions with a harsh northern climate, this period starts 2 weeks later; in southern regions it can begin 2 weeks earlier. In the middle zone, the rut usually occurs in September, but may be delayed due to warm weather.

Behavior of moose during the rut

Hunting during the rut - while roaring or groaning - is quite dangerous for the hunter. Adult animals begin to look for a mate even before physiological signs appear. Having found a female moose, they exist together until the end of the heat. After the female “pushes away” the male, he may begin to look for another female moose, but not always. Occasionally, elk “harems” are identified, where several females are with one male.

Signs of rutting in an animal:

The elk gives voice, roars, emitting a cross between exhalation and mooing, which is why this sound is called a groan;
the roar of an elk can be heard from a distance of less than a kilometer, it is drowned out by the sounds of wind and water;
Animals are more active in the early morning (at dawn), at sunset, and are silent during the day;
During the rutting season, the horns are clean of wool, smooth, and bone.

The elk becomes 100% ready for the rut after the arrival of the females, when it smells the secretion of the gonads. The animal senses it from the urine that remains on the grass, and follows the tracks to find the female. It is during the search that the animal is dangerous to humans - it beats the ground with its hooves, breaks branches and young trees.

If the male is ready for mating, his appearance is different - the neck is thick, the eyes are red, and everything seems to be swollen in size. The elk’s body secretes a specific “aroma”, for which the gonads are also responsible.

Important! Why do hunters prefer to look for animals during this period? It is during the rut that hearing and smell for other odors are dulled, so you can track the elk and get closer.

Features of moose hunting

On the Internet you can watch a free video of exactly how hunting for an ungulate takes place. There are rules and specifics for searching for it, because the habitats of moose in the rut are different in other periods of the animal’s life.

Hunting dates

According to the law, moose hunting for adult males is permitted from 09/01–09/30; during this time it is strictly prohibited to kill females and moose calves. All groups of animals can be hunted 01.10-15.01, and in January only young animals up to a year are killed. In some regions, the duration of the hunt is limited to 90 days. If we are talking about trophy hunting, which is carried out for beautiful antlers, it is usually carried out 01.09-30.09.

Hunting time

How to properly prepare for a hunt? First you need to purchase a license, otherwise hunting will be considered poaching. The ideal time to search for an animal is early morning or evening - then moose are active in relation to females. In the wind or rain, attempts will be unsuccessful - the animal will hear and smell the hunter.

Hunting places

Every year, the places where the animals “get to know each other” remain the same; they constantly return to the same areas. There is no point in choosing open areas; the moose will not come here. Signs of a moose current:

trampled clearings with “bald” areas;
sour smell floating around;
broken branches, trees;
antler marks on trees;
dug holes.

In harsh areas, animals prefer to roar along the outskirts of moss swamps, in dense forest young growth, along overgrown hayfields, floodplains of rivers and streams. In mountainous areas, moose gather in intermountain valleys, floodplains, and along the banks. In sparsely populated areas, animals prefer river shallows and islands covered with pebbles.

Hunting tactics

There are many options for hunting - driven, on salt licks, with dogs, with approach. They all give results, but hunting with a roar decoy is considered the most effective. Thus, many hunters unsuccessfully go on driven hunts for years without finding the animal.

Important! Roar hunting allows only one hunter, although it is better to go with a huntsman or in a group.

Weapons, position, equipment

Elk is a powerful animal that can kill a person. Sometimes life depends on the correct choice of a hunter. The gun should not be new, only one that has been shot will be convenient at the right time. Since the shot distance is short, you should take a smooth-bore weapon of 12-16 calibers. You can also take a 12-gauge rifled shotgun, although this option is also suitable for a longer shot. Rifled shotguns with good optics are the best choice for trophy hunting. For shooting at dusk, a night sight is useful.

The cartridges must also be reliable - from 308Win and more, 7.62 * 51, 9.3 * 62 are suitable, bullet weight - from 18 g. You can even take “elephant cartridges”, if the hunt is for a trophy, the result will be 100% m, but the meat will remain spoiled. In any case, the cartridges must have high destructive power. This is due to the safety for the hunter and the difficulty of finding a wounded animal during the snow-free period. By the time of the rut, animals become more resilient to wounds, which confirms the need for good ammunition.

When choosing a position, pay attention to the fact that the elk does not like to go out into open places. The animal prefers to move more often, so it is better to intercept it on the paths. When hunting is carried out in a group, they build a chain perpendicular to the movement of the animal, which is likely to stumble upon the hunter.

Slaughter places

The best killing spots are the area of the shoulder blade, the chest in the heart area. Usually, if there is a bullet of a serious caliber, the animal falls immediately. You can also shoot in the neck, lungs, spine, but you must be prepared to finish off the animal, which can still travel some distance due to excess adrenaline.

Hunting with decoy and bait

You can lure an elk on a waboo - this is. The meaning of the application is this: moose claim territory by possessing a female, and the sounds of a rival force them to rush in to contest the place. Usually fights occur at night, calming down by dawn, and in the morning the elk are not too careful. When the hunter begins to lure (reel in), the animal rushes towards the opponent. Only a foreign smell can scare him away.

In addition to waba, wind decoys are used. They resemble horns into which they blow. More expensive models even come with a training disc. Some decoys make the sound of a cow moose, others - a buck. The price varies from 500 to 3000 rubles depending on the sound quality.

The hunting process will be like this:

A hunter with a huntsman, a group of hunters approach the chosen place.
The lure operator begins to call the animal, periodically changing position.
Hearing the moan of the elk, the beckoning one goes behind the shooter (if it is one person, he prepares the gun and takes a position).
They stop beckoning, waiting for the animal.
After the elk is spotted, they immediately take aim at it, without making unnecessary sounds.
They fire a shot.

Interesting: if wabs and decoy are not available, some hunters scrape along the tree trunk, attracting the animal. Often this also works, and the elk comes to the call.

For a successful hunt, it is very important to take into account all factors: the timing of the rut and the behavioral characteristics of elk, choosing the right place and hunting tactics. It is necessary to study all the nuances and prepare in advance for a responsible task.

Video

The roar of an elk, or rather its groan or moo, is also accompanied by the crackling of dry branches and dead wood, with the help of which it imitates a fight with an opponent.

These groans and crunching of branches in calm, calm weather can be heard 500-600 meters away. In heavy rain or windy weather, it is difficult to hear the moans of moose.

In western and central Russia, where animals often have to encounter people, moose are often hunted stealthily or from the approach, because the animals are not very afraid of people and can come quite close during the rutting season.

In places where animals rarely meet humans, hunting with a decoy is common, with the help of which the animal is lured by imitating elk sounds.

Moose hunting with decoy

Typically, moose only make sounds during the rut. At other times, elk make virtually no sounds. Rarely, when very frightened, moose briefly snort.

The roar of strong individuals is a short “oo-a” or “oo-o”. The roar of smaller and weaker individuals sounds like “oh”. These sounds are vibrating, rattling, and old moose are deaf. During the rutting period, female moose emit weak and light calls. When a moose covers a female, it makes a sharp sound reminiscent of a neigh.

To start hunting elk with a decoy, you need to determine the exact location of the rut. To do this, listen to the calls of moose, note the presence of potholes, broken branches, damaged bushes and fresh moose droppings.

When hunting elk with a decoy, the male's cry is produced by voice, the sounds are extracted from the depths of the larynx. To amplify the sound, you can make a horn about 40 cm long from birch bark or other suitable material. Imitation of moose sounds is made with different strengths, but not too loud.

For hunting with decoys, clear, quiet weather is desirable; rain is not desirable for this hunt.

The most favorable time for hunting with a decoy is the early morning, when the elk roars longer (about two hours), it is easier to shoot and search for wounded animals, if necessary.

Hearing the sounds of an elk nearby, the hunter begins to lure him in, imitating the roar of an opponent or a cry for help. But at the same time, you need to observe moderation: you should not shout often - the elk may not come out, realizing that the screams are not from an opponent.

If the elk does not come to the hunter, you should warm up his desire to engage in a fight with his opponent, imitating an elk heated by passion: at the same time, organize the crunching of branches, hitting trees and bushes with a large stick.

If the elk does not respond to these sounds, it is worth making a neighing sound, which the males make after covering the female.

During the rut, moose become not as careful as in other periods, and you can, luring him closer and closer, try to approach him for a targeted shot.

It’s better to hunt together: one lures the animal (or wreath), the other shoots. The purpose of the hunt is important. After an elk has responded to the lure's call, professionals can use its voice to determine its age and decide whether to continue hunting or change location. If the trophy is suitable, then the hunt continues. In this case, depending on the terrain, either the lure operator moves further, leaving the shooter in the path of the animal, or the shooter comes closer to the elk and moves away from the lure operator, whom the elk mistakes for a rival.

At the same time, when an elk approaches, it is worth assessing the trophy, if it is important, and deciding whether it is worth shooting the animal.

Types of decoys

Elk decoys are homemade or technical devices that increase a hunter's chances of success.

Some experienced hunters can, without any equipment, using their hands, make a sound that attracts an elk.

For those, who is not so experienced, wind decoys (a tube into which you blow), homemade decoys from a tin can, or electronic decoys may be suitable.

The popularity of these decoys is high, as they do not require much effort on the part of the hunter.

Wind decoys

With the help of wind decoys, you can produce the sounds that males make to attract a female. You can also make sounds of small moose calves, females. To imitate different sounds, you need to blow into the device in different ways: for the sound of an adult moose, blow out air and at the same time pronounce the sound “fe”, while raising your upper lip; for the sound of a small elk calf, blow a gently short sound.

In this case, the air should come from the larynx, and not from the cheeks; The decoy must remain motionless when blowing into it, otherwise the sound will be false and the sounds made will not attract the elk. To learn how to make the right sounds, you should practice first.

DIY decoy

You can make an elk decoy with your own hands. How to make a decoy for an elk? For example, they often make a decoy from a tin can, which should preferably be cone-shaped, that is, narrower at the base than at the outlet.

You can also make a homemade moose decoy from birch bark, twisting it with a horn. In the summer, birch bark about 2 mm thick is removed from a smooth, knot-free area of the tree trunk and cut into a helical shape. Then the spiral tape is straightened and a strip is cut out of it, narrowing it from 170 to 100 mm. Another piece 120 mm wide is cut from the same tree above the removed birch bark. Three narrow rectangular holes are cut out on one side of this piece, and three triangles are cut on the other side so that when folded, the triangular cuts fit into the rectangular holes.

Then, inside the rolled birch bark, the edges of the triangles are straightened, forming a lock on the tube, which is then used as a cuff on the wide end of the decoy. The decoy itself is rolled up with the white layer inside. The rolled birch bark is stretched into a pipe. The protruding corners of the birch bark are cut off, and a previously made cuff is put on its wide end. To preserve the edges of the semolina, you can glue it with adhesive tape.

When air is blown into such a horn, the sound is adjusted by squeezing and stretching the pipe.

Decoy from a jar

You can easily make a moose decoy yourself using a tin can (from coffee or baby food). In addition to the can, you will need a lace or clothesline about 60 cm long, a piece of leather or electrical tape, with which you need to cover the entire surface of the can.

A hole is made in the center of the bottom of the jar into which a rope or cord with a knot at the end is inserted. To get rid of the metallic tint in the sound of the decoy, wrap the entire surface of the can with electrical tape or leather. You can stuff the inside of the jar with loose moss to make the sound as close as possible to that of a moose.

To use this decoy, you need to moisten a cord or rope with water, hold it between your index finger and thumb and run it from top to bottom. In this case, the jar should be held only by the base, without touching its walls. The result will be a sound very similar to a moose moaning.

Electronic decoy

Electronic decoys are technical devices that record a set of different sounds produced by an animal. These can be the sounds of a female catching a male, a female during mating, elk fighting, the cry of a young calf, a lonely female, or a rival male. It is easy to operate, each button usually produces a different sound. Electronic decoys are compact, battery-powered, and you can adjust the volume of the sound produced.

But when choosing one or another electronic decoy, you should first listen to the sound of one or another voice. Experienced hunters often note dissimilarity recorded sound on such devices with real sounds made by moose.

It is also worth paying attention to the country of origin, since Russian moose differ, for example, from Canadian moose, including in the sounds they make.