Anyone after the one that got away this year?

[elk-n-walleye]

I know some of you have names for some of the elk you have encountered over the past seasons. I have one of those bulls(nameless) that got away last year. I am returning to the same unit this Sept. and will definitely spend some time in the area that I found him last year. Hopefully he made it thru rifle season and is still around. I would love the chance to get in range on him again.

Anyone else going to be chasing the one that got away?

[a3dhunter]

Nothing would be sweeter than getting the one that got away........I could only wish. I will be in the same area and hoping.

[Indian Summer]

Sort of. I had a buddy named Will go into an area in Wyoming. He had never killed an elk before. I looked the maps over in detail and told him where I thought he should camp and hunt which was about 8 miles from the trailhead. Neither of us had ever been in there before. I put a couple Xs on the map where I thought the high % spots to find bulls would be. He went in solo. He called me 3 days after he went in. "Bull down!". I asked where of course. He said well, I spotted a nice big 6 point right on one of your Xs believe it or not. But on the way over there I ran into a 5 point bull that just begged to be killed. So I gave him his wish and never did get to go after the big boy. The only people he saw were a couple non-res hunters from Tennessee and they were camped at the truck. Nice. I'm going to look for that bigger bull, or one of his buddies this season. I call him "Will's bull" since he very well could have been. Can't wait.

Also... speaking of the one that got away, there was this unbelievable girl at the bar last night....

[flystrait]

Not for me. I never go after the one that got away. I believe you waste to much of the precious time we have every season. If he got away, I re-group and move on and find another and yes there is always another. I do reflect on all the encounters after the season, I just don't let it consume my time in the elk woods. Don't get me wrong memories are very important to me as well, but then again I will move on in a hurry to find the next candidate. I am out there every season to kill a mature bull and I don't care to know his name, I just want to kill him. Pretty blunt I know, but is that not why we all buy an elk tag no matter the state? If it was not we would not purchase a tag and walk around and talk about all the great experiences. Sorry I had to to say it out loud. We all here to learn from each other to be more successful in he field or "shorten the learning curve" is what I have heard on here. A toast to everyone here on this forum for success.

CK

[Indian Summer]

I hear you Flystrait but.... I see nothing wrong with picking up where you left off. Think about it... you already have a few pieces of the puzzle so why start at square one. And... if it's a good enough spot for that bull surely you are hunting others in the same general area right. One year I called in a big bull for a client who never did get a shot. I saw that bull one other time and knew the area he was frequenting like the back of my hand. He was for sure a quality bull for the area and I finally killed him the first week of October. Took me that long to go from ne step behind to one step ahead. But the bottom line is I had fun doing it and ended up tagging a darn good bull for my efforts. I never said I wouldn't have killed a different bull if I had the chance but that just didn't happen.

Most will agree that nothing is better than knowing your area in great detail. It can't hurt to know a few things about a certain bull either.

[flystrait]

I hear you Flystrait but.... I see nothing wrong with picking up where you left off. Think about it... you already have a few pieces of the puzzle so why start at square one. And... if it's a good enough spot for that bull surely you are hunting others in the same general area right. One year I called in a big bull for a client who never did get a shot. I saw that bull one other time and knew the area he was frequenting like the back of my hand. He was for sure a quality bull for the area and I finally killed him the first week of October. Took me that long to go from ne step behind to one step ahead. But the bottom line is I had fun doing it and ended up tagging a darn good bull for my efforts. I never said I wouldn't have killed a different bull if I had the chance but that just didn't happen.

Most will agree that nothing is better than knowing your area in great detail. It can't hurt to know a few things about a certain bull either.

I do hear you Joe! But as far as carrying on for the next year for the same bull I don't think so, finding the same bull year to year is very few and far between. As far as hunting the same area as the one that got away, there is nothing wrong with that. For example one year I never got a shot but close to a large heard bull, the next year hunted the same ridge only a 2-3 mile hunt down we killed 2 bulls in 2 days and never heard or saw the bull from the previous year but yet we were very successful. My opinion is don't go after the one that got away, BUT if you find an area that hold elk year after year take the opportunity that it presents. That's what sounds like you did and you did run back into that bull kudos to you. Again that doe's not happen very often. My advice would be open minded to the opportunities that presents themselves.

CK

[elk-n-walleye]

Me too. I am always open to taking another animal even if it is a cow again. I'm like many others I would like to get that nice bull but usually take the shot that I'm presented with bull or not. But that is a topic for the "first legal elk" thread.

[Indian Summer]

My advice would be open minded to the opportunities that presents themselves.

CK

Absolutely! Who in their right mind would limit themselves to a certain animal? I guess it might just be that you have him on your mind as you hunt what may very well be his turf. But the saying one in the hand is worth two in the bush is sure true when it comes to elk!

[Duck-Slayer]

I hunted in the same general area every year, I have never seen the same elk more than once, they move around in this particular area over several drainages, and during the rut the bulls never stop moving, so it would almost be impossible too hunt the same bull if he made it threw the year.... so I will agree that its a waste of time too hunt a specific bull that you had encounter with, unless you are on a private ranch and they pretty much don't leave it, than that would be a different story, but i'm a public land only guy.....
Matt

[Lefty]

It would be nice if he made it through the rifle season and winter.
The last week of the season ! watched him get out of his bed , and later got to within 270 yards when he took off with his girl friends

[Lefty]

ooopps

[Lefty]

It would be nice if he made it through the rifle season and winter.
I was in on these three twice last week of the season ! watched the big one get out of his bed , and later got to within 270 yards when he took off with his girl friends.
Messed up on the little guy at 21 yards. He sure covered lots of ground. I have pics of him scattered all over on the trail cam during the season
Well any of the three

bullscopy re (Small).jpg (27.63 KiB) Viewed 7455 times

I got some questions on the pic last year,.. Ive messed with the backgound

[IdahoD]

With me, they are all the ones that got away. So yes, I am pursuing the one that got away. Or his friend. Or even his girlfriend.

[the weasel]

i agree........ they all, always get away..........
22 yrs. and 0 for 22...... maybe someday...........
one thing i can say proudly....... I HAVE NEVER WOUNDED AN ELK OR LOST ONE!

[Trophyhill]

Nope. As what was said previous, it's time to move on to the next opportunity. Chances of finding and killing the same bull from the previous season would be like chances of winning the lottery.

[Trumkin the Dwarf]

Yes I would go after the one that "got away". If I find a big bull, it must be there for a reason. I may never run into the same elk again, but I would bet his habitat holds other like minded elk who are just begging to be killed.

[Fridaythe13th]

"Lefty" watched the big one get out of his bed

Lefty
Which ones the big one they all look big to this flatlander

[Indian Summer]

Yes I would go after the one that "got away". If I find a big bull, it must be there for a reason. I may never run into the same elk again, but I would bet his habitat holds other like minded elk who are just begging to be killed.

Exactly! But I have seen bulls return to the same areas too. People hunt deer and other animals assuming they are in their "home range". It surprises me to hear how many people think bulls are like shooting stars.

[CrazyElkHunter]

If this guy made it thru the later seasons, He will be a toad this year.

[WapitiTalk1]

If this guy made it thru the later seasons, He will be a toad this year.

Surely a toad. Did you name it?

[CrazyElkHunter]

Same wallow 2 years earlier.

[CrazyElkHunter]

If this guy made it thru the later seasons, He will be a toad this year.

Surely a toad. Did you name it?

No, I didn't name him, but he had the darkest neck out of the 5 that hit the wallow last year.
He fooled me and came in in the morning when all the rest were hitting the wallow in the evening.

[WapitiTalk1]

No sir. But there is a bull, in a remote area in ID, who brandishes the name "Big Pete". He has evaded my advances and invitations for a candlelight dinner for two years now and I hope he continues to persevere until my return. This bull sports a very impressive set of headgear by anyone's standards and knows his remote area intimatey. I won't be hunting that area this year as the two cats who invited me to that area several years ago can't hunt ID this year. I've invited another guy to hunt with me in ID this year so will hunt a new area so as not to violate area etiquette .. On to a bigger bull!

[WapitiTalk1]

Same wallow 2 years earlier.

He appears to be burying something. Perhaps a lesser bull? Definitely a keeper bull.

[CrazyElkHunter]

Same wallow 2 years earlier.

He appears to be burying something. Perhaps a lesser bull? Definitely a keeper bull.

It's crazy! There is a clean running creek 20 yds away, but they still drink the muddy water from the wallow.
I've been hunting this wallow for years, and watched hundreds of elk, cows, calves and bulls, drink from this wallow.
My tree stand is slightly right and 28 feet above the camera.

[CrazyElkHunter]

Few years earlier.
I shot this bull a few days after this picture was taken. He finally came in before it got dark.

[CrazyElkHunter]

This young 6x6 walked directly under stand but would not go to wallow due to the larger 6x5 hanging around.
Decided to take the younger bull and let my buddy hunt my stand for the big boy. My 3rd bull taken in August.

[WapitiTalk1]

Few years earlier.
I shot this bull a few days after this picture was taken. He finally came in before it got dark.

Nice, that's a "good" muddy mess there.

[one_elk]

Interesting topic for sure, based on my own experience and a number of elk location data sets I have seen the odds of finding the same bull, assuming he survived the year, in the same area are pretty high. It’s my opinion that a bull will not stay alive very long running all over the country side, one of their keys to longevity is learning those areas that provide them security during hunting season once they find those area’s they will use them again and again they will also learn to use it more and more to their advantage each year i.e. becoming more nocturnal in their movement patterns and reducing their movements in general. One of the keys, which I seem to fail at somewhat consistently is having the patients glass/watch areas where you have seen said bull before that of course is assuming that indeed is an area that provides significant security and access to water….….and not just an area where you happened to see a bull pass through on his way somewhere else. I believe they live longer knowing their surroundings……best of luck to all