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Great sights and sounds in the elk woods

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Great sights and sounds in the elk woods

Postby Lefty » 12 27, 2021 •  [Post 1]

I was able to be part of some great experiences this year in the elk woods.
My last day I need to give my brother credit for the experience reminding me of an antelope hunt on the trapline 42 years ago.

Ill give a short version of my short time in the elk woods:
Somewhere in the fog was 500 elk Some close, some very close, Some Im not sure but they had been in this location at sun rise,,
As the fog rolled in thick. I could hear and see some elk in front of me. visibility was about 45 yards or less.

I wanted the cow elk closer for the shot.. At this moment she had her rear facing me.
I let out a soft whiney cow call.
Almost instantly a wall of elk ears, faces and front legs appeared. A mystical wall of elk faces and ears. I barely recognize the unique situation in front of me, elk lined up shoulder to shoulder. there were at least 20, likely more,
I was focusing on the cow elk charging my direction 8-)
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Re: Great sights and sounds in the elk woods

Postby Jhg » 12 28, 2021 •  [Post 2]

A few years ago I decided to invest in an elk decoy and settled on the one where the cow is demurely glancing back over her shoulder. I was a little fuzzy on just how to approach using the decoy, but glanced over some posts on set up where and how etc.
I was hunting with a partner that week and we hiked down into a nice string of small parks following a drainage. One such meadow looked classic elk good, so we sunk the decoys poles into the earth and hid back in the willows about 20 yards behind it.
My buddy let go with a bawling cow estrus whine and instantly was given a location bugle way up above us on the far side of the park. The bull was bedded on a dry finger ridge. We replied and he answered again right away but now obviously closer. Every bugle after that was closer, he was coming fast. He must of covered a half mile in about 15 seconds.
We could tell he was coming to us and when he reached the edge of the meadow he saw the cow elk decoy and let go a thunderous lip bawl bugle that stood the hair on your neck. The little park was tucked in between two ridges that amplified his bugle and it was to this day the most bombastic bugle I have ever heard.

Of course, when the cow decoy (who had been saying she was looking for love) didn't run right over to him he was alarmed. He circled the park to get our wind and probably did eventually, for we never heard another thing from that guy after his monster train horn bugle that will forever be welded into my memory.

1) don't set up a decoy that can be seen by an elk before they are in a place that offers a shot

2) don't put an elk decoy in a open meadow per #1

3) decoys work
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