What would you do?

[Osprey]

This seems to happen every year to a plethora of hunters every year including myself last year. This happen to me in CO 3rd Rifle however Archery hunters come across this same situation.

You are working your way through timber with vis anywhere from 20-50 yds towards a bugle you had just heard or through a known area Elk frequent. This exact situation happen to me last season in both working to a bugle and just happened upon by working into a known area. You start to smell Elk and can hear them you continue to work towards them, by the sounds of it a lot of cows with a bull is in the area. You then start to see cows some as close as 20 yds however the bull stays just out of sight. What do you do? I came across this 3 times last 3rd season every time I could have shot numerous cows and had spikes at 20-30 yds however the bulls always seemed to stay in the middle of the outlying cows which were scattered in small groups all around in the timber. Continuing to work further just spooks some cow groups since at least one group somewhere becomes downwind of your position. I never did get a opportunity out of 3 encounters like this at a legal bull I tried staying still hoping an opportunity would present itself and I chose about 70 yds in the wrong spot multiple bulls starting full on sparring in a spot I second guessed myself about but could never see them! Another time I tried cow calling copying what the other cows were saying to each other hoping the bull would think I was part of the group and just walk within a clearing anywhere since I had a rifle which drew in cows and spikes and got a bugle response from a legal bull but no dice, I also went aggressive and chose to spook a few cow groups trying to really push in on em which blew a lot of em into another drainage which i re-found them the next day. It seems archery hunters encounter this same situation in Sept as I did in early Nov the mood of the bulls was aparent that they were still interested in breeding but not real aggressive. They talked some at night, early morning, and late evening but that was it. Sometimes it was faint bugles other times it was really aggressive seemed to depend on the day. To be so close in that dang timber over and over is awesome but dang it it gets frusterating when theres so many cows!

[WapitiTalk1]

I know its a bit of a departure of normal operating procedures during rifle season, but, have you thought about trying to simulate that you've hooked one of the bull's cows to pull that bull into view? Elknut describes this tactic in depth and calls it The Threat, with three various levels. If there is a mature bull with the cows, there is a high chance that one or more of the cows have not taken yet and the bull knows this. When in that close to a bull with cows, regardless of the time of year, its just a matter of moments before it goes downhill quickly. Why not try some whiny, "holy hell he's got me", cow sounds behind you with an immediate, follow on bull scream aimed directly ahead, at the herd's bull. If it works, it'll happen very quickly

[Osprey]

Prior to this hunt I didn't really look to much into calling thinking hey its 3rd season Elk are probably holed up and will most likely be still hunting, spot stalking, stand hunting... I just brought calls without thinking I would really need them boy was I wrong I did do those methods as well but without a doubt my lack of calling abilities and even forgetting my calls one day left me at a disadvantage in some situations. That will not happen again especially as I plan to start chasing them in sept as well so I should continue to hone my calling skills. Nice thing X-mas is around the corner and Elknuts dvds fit nice into a stocking . How far or close do you need to be to try that tactic? some of the cows were upwards of 150 yds away from the bulls. It always seemed if I cow called the older cows would come check it out, I think I could of clubed one it was that close. Now if I had someone with a cow tag then I wouldn't see an Elk! haha

By any chance do you know which Elk nut DVD covers that calling sitiuation?

[WapitiTalk1]

Not sure which Elknut DVD specifically covers the Threat levels (I'm not at the house so I can't review them and determine which), but, I'm pretty sure it will be on one of the Bugling Bulls and Beyond (1-4) DVDs. The Threat Levels are also covered in the Elknut Playbook. How close should you be? As a general rule, you need to be within the bull's comfort (or discomfort zone as it were) which is optimally 100 yards or closer. 70 yards or closer is really in big stinky's wheelhouse! When you do finally deploy this method, be ready for an immediate and swift reaction

[Swede]

Considering how spread out the elk are and you have tried the threat, I think I would try just a simple location bugle and see whet happens. Be patient and wait. It the bull(s) just answer stay quiet awhile then bugle again. If they are still hanging back after a second bugle, then try chuckling after a few minutes. I have not worked bulls in November with a call, but have called to them for fun with a cow call. They answer, but don't come close.