Posted By: John Humbert
Results from trying to call axis. - 03/12/13 06:39 AM
Ok, went to my spot outside Boerne last weekend with my daughter and her BF. Just hunted Sat evening and Sunday morning.
I picked up a Primos IMAKA DA BULLS CRAZY elk call. I choose this call as my first test because rather than a "fixed" tube call, this one was manual with a reed. You put the reed in your mouth and you control the sound totally. I could vary the call from a high pitch chirp to a longer bugle (sort of) after a bit of practice. I'm still practicing so I hit a couple of sour notes that sound more like a rabbit or deranged clown.
After a slow evening - where my daughter passed on a nice doe because she was alone with a fawn and looked like she was about to drop another - I walked over to fence line with her BF where we saw about 20 axis in the neighboring ranch. There is a double fence here with a easement road between the fences.
It was almost dark and I gave three short chirps/barks. IMMEDIATELY a group of 15 young axis came barreling out of the brush near the creek 100 yards away and ran up to the fence. They saw us standing right there and backed off the fence 50 yards and stared at us. After another chirp or two, three young buck broke from the herd and RAN right up to fence and one barked at us. For 15 minutes we chirped back and forth standing no more than 40 feet from each other. The rest of the herd edged up closer.
The one came right up to far fence and chirped and was definitely NOT afraid but very curious and talkative. We were absolutely floored!! It got dark and we couldn't even see them anymore but they continued to talk. My daughter and the land owner came over to see watch was going on. They couldn't believe it either, but they shined a light - there they were, but spooked off 100 yards but stopped and chirped some more.
We left them but I really was in shock. I really felt if we hadn't been standing there out in the open plain as day, they might have jumped the fences.
The next morning after a morning hunt, I went back to the fenceline (this is the opposite of where we normally hunt) and looked across the field. Nothing. I gave a few chirps and immediately I saw about a dozen heads pop up on the far side of the field about 800 yards away. They were looking right me. Another few chirps and 7 axis broke from the herd and came RUNNING across the field full speed. Holy Sh-t I thought. I ran back to the truck, got my gun and went back to the fenceline.
They had stopped about 200 yards out and were looking intently my direction. I quickly hid in some brush, got ready, and started calling again. They immediately came right up to fence. Now here's where it gets funky. They obviously were intrested, but they seemed really reluctant to jump. They paced the fence back and forth in what appeared to be looking for a break. There were two large bucks still growing in velvet , plus some yearling bucks and one dropped horns. There may have been does, but I couldn't see them all clearly from where I was hidden. They were definitely curious.
After pleading with my calls, one small nubbin buck went UNDER the fence to the easement road. I thought, this is it - they are going to cross. I repositioned for a shot and they busted me. They backed off 50 yards, with the buck going UNDER the fence again and stopped to look. I stood up and started calling again. They kept looking at me until I started to hit some sour deranged clown notes.
Then they simply turned and walked slowly off. I could not get them to respond or acknowledge the calls anymore. Once they looked back as if to say "that guy won't give up will he?" But would not return. Pretty much ignored me after that, though I tried for about 30 minutes.
So very interesting and frankly surprising.
I got the most responses and intrested not from a bugle-like, but rather a high pitched chirp - almost like an alarm call. Once I had them close, a very soft chirp got them VERY intrested.
I don't know if I called too much and they wised up. And I'm not sure if they were simply curious to the sound or it meant something - but they definitely reacted and - as Iong as I didnt toot sour notes, it definitely didn't alarm them.
That is all for now, but I am encouraged this far. I am definitely try again and maybe setup differently.
I picked up a Primos IMAKA DA BULLS CRAZY elk call. I choose this call as my first test because rather than a "fixed" tube call, this one was manual with a reed. You put the reed in your mouth and you control the sound totally. I could vary the call from a high pitch chirp to a longer bugle (sort of) after a bit of practice. I'm still practicing so I hit a couple of sour notes that sound more like a rabbit or deranged clown.
After a slow evening - where my daughter passed on a nice doe because she was alone with a fawn and looked like she was about to drop another - I walked over to fence line with her BF where we saw about 20 axis in the neighboring ranch. There is a double fence here with a easement road between the fences.
It was almost dark and I gave three short chirps/barks. IMMEDIATELY a group of 15 young axis came barreling out of the brush near the creek 100 yards away and ran up to the fence. They saw us standing right there and backed off the fence 50 yards and stared at us. After another chirp or two, three young buck broke from the herd and RAN right up to fence and one barked at us. For 15 minutes we chirped back and forth standing no more than 40 feet from each other. The rest of the herd edged up closer.
The one came right up to far fence and chirped and was definitely NOT afraid but very curious and talkative. We were absolutely floored!! It got dark and we couldn't even see them anymore but they continued to talk. My daughter and the land owner came over to see watch was going on. They couldn't believe it either, but they shined a light - there they were, but spooked off 100 yards but stopped and chirped some more.
We left them but I really was in shock. I really felt if we hadn't been standing there out in the open plain as day, they might have jumped the fences.
The next morning after a morning hunt, I went back to the fenceline (this is the opposite of where we normally hunt) and looked across the field. Nothing. I gave a few chirps and immediately I saw about a dozen heads pop up on the far side of the field about 800 yards away. They were looking right me. Another few chirps and 7 axis broke from the herd and came RUNNING across the field full speed. Holy Sh-t I thought. I ran back to the truck, got my gun and went back to the fenceline.
They had stopped about 200 yards out and were looking intently my direction. I quickly hid in some brush, got ready, and started calling again. They immediately came right up to fence. Now here's where it gets funky. They obviously were intrested, but they seemed really reluctant to jump. They paced the fence back and forth in what appeared to be looking for a break. There were two large bucks still growing in velvet , plus some yearling bucks and one dropped horns. There may have been does, but I couldn't see them all clearly from where I was hidden. They were definitely curious.
After pleading with my calls, one small nubbin buck went UNDER the fence to the easement road. I thought, this is it - they are going to cross. I repositioned for a shot and they busted me. They backed off 50 yards, with the buck going UNDER the fence again and stopped to look. I stood up and started calling again. They kept looking at me until I started to hit some sour deranged clown notes.
Then they simply turned and walked slowly off. I could not get them to respond or acknowledge the calls anymore. Once they looked back as if to say "that guy won't give up will he?" But would not return. Pretty much ignored me after that, though I tried for about 30 minutes.
So very interesting and frankly surprising.
I got the most responses and intrested not from a bugle-like, but rather a high pitched chirp - almost like an alarm call. Once I had them close, a very soft chirp got them VERY intrested.
I don't know if I called too much and they wised up. And I'm not sure if they were simply curious to the sound or it meant something - but they definitely reacted and - as Iong as I didnt toot sour notes, it definitely didn't alarm them.
That is all for now, but I am encouraged this far. I am definitely try again and maybe setup differently.