State of the Elk - June

[Troy Neimann]

This year's snow pack followed by heavy spring thunderstorms look to be promising for nutrition. The elk appear to be doing very well with heavy calving under way! The last couple of days have allowed us the opportunity to observe bulls with heavy antler growth along with cows bugling out of anxiety attemting to work their calves out.

Looks like this year should offer heavy horned bulls with excellent point length. The mature elk droppiong calves early show good birth weights. Here's a few pictures we shot yesterday and today - enjoy!

[DeepTimber]

wow! the growth on those bulls is totally insane. Its greener in eastern oregon than i have ever seen it. Ive been seeing really big things

[elkguide]

I have also noticed great antler growth for elk and deer over east!!! This should be a good year for nice bucks and bulls!! Cant wait!

[Troy Neimann]

Only about 1/3 of the cows at the elk ranch have dropped their calves! Usually the females drop early followed a few weeks later by the males...

We're headed back out tomorrow to film a few calves being born as well as capture some cows bugling.

The bulls are about 80% antler growth with their mainbeam and final points to complete.

Happy Father's Day!

[Landmine]

I've been telling my wife how this rain and great forage will help antler growth but some how I don't think she really cares. Are those pictures from the farm off of Lower Bridge Road? I've been practicing with the deep timber bugle but still haven't figured it out. I need to stop by norco and pic up some more latex finger protectors. That call makes too good of a sound to give up on it.

[Troy Neimann]

Keep at it Landmine... The key to the call is practice learning to control back pressure. Dan's call does not require a lot of air flow, just reverse flat tongue pressure that increases to achieve the high notes.

Suggestion - cut the latex just above the dowel line and make sure the tension setting is slightly loose. Don't forget the small center slit (hint - the smaller the slit, the higher the note).

Practice humming with your toungue flat against your upper lip, then place the bugle mouth piece on the upper quarter of your tongue while humming to achieve the growl, then increase tongue pressure while increasing air back pressure creating the higher tones for the different bugles.

If you apply tongue pressure first, then airflow backpressure decreasing while letting off on your tongue, you will achieve cow sounds. (hint- the lighter the air pressure, the better the cow sound.

The chuckles are produced by making short abrupt mini bugles while inhaling after each mini bugle creating the effect of air flowing in and out just as a bull does if you observe their diaphram and title volume.

You will get it - practice, practice, practice!