Moose Calls

There are a wide variety of calls on the market ranging a simple "megaphone like" piece of birch bark to some of the newer synthetic versions. Many guides have studied moose habits and calling to such a degree that they are able to imitate a variety of calls using only their mouth and cupped hands.

When bow hunting, it is important to draw your prey to within 20 or 30 yards. The poor eyesight of the moose is actually a benefit to calling because the moose must rely on the sound of the call and cannot easily determine the source of the sound. Keep in mind that you are appealing to the mating instinct and a big bull may come charging in and see you as a threat, making your hunting experience more exciting, and potentially dangerous than necessary.

A cow moose looking for a mate will issue a loud nasal-toned bawling sound and the bull will return the call with a loud coughing bellow. The cow call will be the primary, and most effective, call used by hunters during the rut.

For the novice caller, many calls come with an instructional video to help get you started and practice is essential. Moose may not be able to see very well but they do have superior hearing and can easily pick up on the nuances of a call. Some calls allow you to vary the sound and type of call through the manipulation of a flexible neck.

Today's synthetic calls are easy to use and are much more durable than calls of the past. With care they will perform well for many hunting seasons. A good synthetic call is a multi purpose tool that can even double as a scoop for water. By letting the water drizzle back out of the call you will imitate the sound of a urinating moose. This might be just what you need to bring that big bull in for a closer look.

So if you intend to hunt moose during the rut selecting a good call and learning how to use it properly will increase your odds of putting meat in the freezer or that rack on the wall of your hunting camp.