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.

good luck and hopeit works out John, be super cool if you can call one in shoot it and get it all on video. Maybe just even a video of there reactions would be neat. Keep giving it hell and good luck.

Oh and did you find the pig hunt ????????

Yup, setup my daughter and BF for pigs.

I took some video of calling but it is pretty lousy as I was trying to hide, see, call, and get ready to shoot if they crossed all at the same time.

Here are some pics of my daughter in Ghillie setup to ambush from a field.

well best of luck to them on the pigs and axis

Very cool, I'm heading to a friends ranch in Campwood this weekend. I might pop by BassPro on the way out of Houston to see if they have that call and give it a try.

from the ones that have tried it, a hoochie mamma works.

i have a hootchie mama just always been too scared to use it and blow my hunt.

I'm def. gonna give it a try now

Great to see some supporting experience. They are a lot more vocal than you might think. Hoochie mama and the open reeds make basically the same call - that cow chirp seems to be the ticket.

That's awesome, John! I know the "theory"/question was posed on here last week as to whether or not it ACTUALLY worked...good to get some "in the field" testing/feedback. I'm officially intrigued now and getting a call before my next trip to grounds that house axis!

Great pics too btw!

ok. I'm that sucker born a minute ago. Got me a hoochie mama ordered from Academy. $19 + $1 shipping. worth a try.

I had mixed results this last weekend. On Saturday morning I had a small group of axis hanging out behind some thick cedars. I gave a few chirps and immediately one of the does came rushing around the cedar mott - a fatal mistake.

That evening, the LO had me rush back to the house because a very large axis buck was walking the fenceline on the pasture south of the house. I gave some calls but he never even paused and simply walked off into the brush never pausing an instant.

I did however, pull out some does from the brush to the east - but I was really trying to get the big buck. I stalked him through the brush and called some more - but never saw him again nor did I get a response.

I was disappointed, but I think he was just on a mission and wasn't about to stop for anything. It would have been awesome to get him to come to the call or at least stop for shot.

But that's hunting.

I would like to head to Porters just for a visit and see if we could go out and try calling and get it on film.

Thanks for the heads up, almost ordered one from bps and it was almost $45 with shipping.

Let us know if that materializes...Porter's is a great "call testing facility"! I wish I had video of the trip I took out there to try out a sika call awhile back. Mr. Porter in a box blind, blowing on every end of that thing was pretty priceless!!

We DID end up calling in sika btw! There were about 4 or 5 different exotic species in the field we were perched atop, watching. A group of sika showed up briefly, then walked over the crest of a hill and out of sight. I blew the call (to the best of my "ability") and lo and behold the sika walked back over the hill toward us. They came w/in 50 yds or so, looking inquisitively in our direction. Not one of the other 20-30 animals in the field paid any attention to it at all.

I was kind of amazed to be honest (like "Marie" in The Jerk would say, "whoa...this s&%# really works!")...

If anyone wants more info on the make of the sika call let me know. Only found 1 place that makes them.

i'm still gonna try it

try it!

Bet a single or double reed turkey or elk Diaphragm call would easily work also if you can use one. Elk chirps and mews are not difficult to make with a little practice.

Ive been following this post, and Im very interested in giving it a shot. Can anyone hook me up with a sound clip of the actual call your making? Or something similar. I havent worked an elk call in 15 years and Im pretty much lost as to what to try.

gonna go out next week and try it out.

i'm gonna chit if it actually works

A couple of friends and I will be out at the ranch next week looking for a gobbler. I've got a heard of 25 - 30 axis on my place and plan to give the cow call a try next week when I'm out there. I've got a dozen or so sika too, so I'd be interested in that sika call if they were as elusive as the axis.

T

I may be wrong but I would think that for a call to work the target animal or animals would have to be either rutting or if females have fawns. Right now I would not think Red deer, Sika or that species would not have any interest in a call. Axis with hard horn or Axis does with fawns maybe.

To cool!

Hey Don I have followed this thread and I think most animals are just curious enough that they will come see. It may work better during the rut for axis bucks just for the fact they are very aggressive at that time. I saw a video the other day a guy called up three axis bucks while rattling. It may be that these animals know this sound is an animal and they just want yo see what it is. Very cool either way and the THF may be the first to invent a new axis call

I have never tried to rattle up hard horned Axis bucks , but I would not think it that difficult. I know they get very agressive when rutting.I have many patched holes in my fences to prove that. Also a bleating fawn type call should do very well in calling in Axis does that may have fawns.

I am beginning to form a theory on why this working based upon my observations.

I am beginning to believe that this is playing on the strong protective herd instincts that axis have.

Rather than calling in bulls for fight, I think the chirps are simulating a distress call and they are responding by grouping up and coming to protect.

I am interested in testing this by getting a WT fawn decoy along with the call.