16 Proven Elk Calling Tips with Corey Jacobsen | SITKA

Elk calling tips from 10-time World Champion Corey Jacobsen: understand rut phases, emotions, and strategies for every season.

Corey Jacobsen steps onto the SITKA stage in Bozeman, three weeks before season, to share his passion for elk and explain “why” before “how.” He breaks elk calling into the early-season, pre-rut, and peak-rut phases, showing how bulls shift from solitary and irritable to dominant harem holders.
Early season: big bulls bed alone, rake trees to build neck strength, hate company, and explode when a rival surprises them inside 100 yards; lonely young bulls drift in quietly to simple cow talk.

Pre-rut: mature bulls wander, then fight to rank dominance. Aggressive bugling, tree-raking, and closing distance trigger those fighters, while dispersed satellite bulls key on a single “lonely cow” sound.

Peak rut: herd bulls guard cows and respond best when callers shadow the herd or pressure close; satellites race to urgent estrous buzzes.

Corey demonstrates emotion-filled bugles and cow calls—contrasting flat “location” tones with ragged, breath-pushed screams that say fight me now, and soft mews with drawn-out, growly buzzes that beg for company. He reminds hunters that proximity (inside 150 yards), realistic raking, disciplined setups, and flawless wind are the difference between a bull hanging up and a bull charging broadside.

He also notes that school, work, and scouting pull time short, yet passion draws hunters together. By unpacking the bulls’ mindset—from testosterone-charged staging benches to fragile satellites run off by herd bulls—he equips listeners to adjust on the fly instead of memorizing one rigid script.
Gear up for your own rut adventure—explore SITKA’s elk hunting collection and be ready when the mountains erupt → https://www.sitkagear.com/pursuit/elk

#ElkCallingTips #ElkHunting #SITKAGear #RutTactics #bowhunting

0:00 - Introduction & Welcome to Bozeman
1:00 - Corey's Philosophy: Teaching Love for Elk Protection
2:30 - Understanding Elk Behavior Through the Rut Phases
4:50 - Three Phases of the Rut Overview
9:10 - 2023 Season Timeline & Moon Phase Impact
10:45 - Early Season Elk Behavior & Hunting Strategy
15:50 - Pre-Rut Phase: Bulls Establishing Dominance
19:45 - Peak Rut & Hybrid Shadowing Technique
22:00 - Why Elk Calls Work: Psychology Behind the Response
24:50 - Emotion in Calling: Bugle Demonstration
30:30 - Cow Call Techniques & Estrus Buzzing
35:45 - The Importance of Getting Close Before Calling
37:00 - Using Raking to Display Dominance
39:00 - Setup Strategy: Shooting Lanes & Positioning
40:20 - Wind & Thermals: The Most Critical Factor