To increase the odds of this happening, concentrate your calling efforts during the time of day when bulls and bucks are most receptive to it. When the females are bedded and content to stay put, a male is more apt to respond to cow or doe calls that are relatively close to him. But you can almost guarantee that he won't move too far away from them to go looking for a fight.

"When a bull loses control, that's when he's most callable," Berry said. "A lot of times, that happens when they're moving from feeding to bedding areas. The cows tend to wander, and he gets worked up looking for them. He starts worrying about a satellite bull stealing the cows, and he'll go after any of them that pose a threat."

That tactic can also be reversed. By playing the role of the lead bull that's lost control of his herd, you can often attract satellite bulls to your position. Use deep, strong bugles and multiple cow calls from different positions to locate the satellite bulls.

Then it's time to play hard to get.

"Once he's 100 yards away, and he's coming, lay off it," Carlton said. "If you're trying to get him to come closer, and he's not moving, 90 percent of the time it's because you're calling too much."

The closer the animal is to you, the more likely that over-calling will translate into a spoiled hunt. Frequent calls when the deer or elk is within sight allow him to pinpoint exactly where your calls are coming from. By his nature, he'll hang up where he can see the source of the call. The female he's looking for wouldn't be hiding from him, so if he doesn't see or smell what he's expecting to, he won't come in.

As with every rule, however, there are exceptions.

"If I've got a bull 100 yards away, and I keep quiet, but he still won't move, I'll give him a little cow call," Carlton said. "If he cuts me off on a cow call, I'll hit it hard for 30 seconds. Then I won't say another word."

In such a situation, however, Carlton says he always hedges his bets.

"When you have a unique-sounding call, you want to save that one for killing," he said. "If you're using it throughout the day, they'll get bored with it, and you're losing your advantage."

RULE NO. 2: Position Is Everything
Whether you're using a stand, ground blind or natural vegetation, before you try and pull an animal within bow range, there are several considerations you should take into account.

"I always look for a spot where I can plant myself in heavy cover with a few different shooting lanes," said Chuck Adams, a world-renowned archer whose name is linked to more record-book animals than any other bowhunter.