Editor's Note: Wayne Carlton, host of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation's "Elk Country Journal" TV show, has hunted and guided for elk for more than 32 years. Carlton's the father of the diaphragm elk call and a member of Hunter's Specialties' Pro Staff. This week, Carlton will tell us how carrying more calls to an elk hunt will help us call in more bulls.
I'm often asked by hunters which elk call is the most effective at calling-in trophy elk. This very good question has a simple answer. The call that makes a bull elk come to where you're waiting to take the shot on the day you're hunting is the most productive elk call.
Hunter's Specialties has several different varieties of elk calls, and I've used all of them successfully. But remember, there's no specific elk call that will call-in elk every day. Most serious hunters take more than one call with them when they hunt for any species. Bulls are individuals with varying moods, experiences and needs. One day, you may be able to call-in elk by soft calling on a single-reed diaphragm elk call, and the next day, you may call-in elk with the Mac Daddy. The more calls you carry with you on your hunt and the more different calls you try, the better your odds for choosing the correct call for the particular bull you're trying to call-in on that day.
In my arsenal of calls, I have the new Hunter's Specialties Bull Hooker Cow Call. I like this call because it's similar to the copper-pot type of turkey calls, which had a very unique sound and were very effective at calling-in turkeys. The Bull Hooker has a more metallic sound and produces a very sharp, piercing, aggravating type of call, which attracts bull elk, even when they don't want to bugle or make any sounds.
I also have the new Premium Flex Elk Diaphragm calls reengineered using the new Infinity Latex, which doesn't absorb water like most other diaphragm calls. You can keep these diaphragm calls in your mouth all day and be ready to call-in elk at any time during the day, without changing the tone of the call. Many times during a hunt, I don't hear an elk until he grunts, walks or bugles 100-yards away from me. That's when you want to return to the elk with a call. By having the new diaphragm calls made with the Infinity Latex in your mouth and ready to use, you can talk to the elk the instant he talks to you.
Also, with the Infinity Latex, I can use the same diaphragm call for calling-in elk and turkeys. The new Infinity Latex creates a sharp, raspy sound that's really productive when you're calling-in turkeys. I'm excited about the new Hunter's Specialties' diaphragm calls with the Infinity Latex because they're a significant improvement over the diaphragm calls we've used in the past. The new Bull Hooker Cow Call adds another arrow in my quiver that will help me call-in and take more elk.