Wapiti Talk | Elk Hunting Forum | Elk Hunting Tips
 

The encounter thats still haunting me from last year!

Moderators: Swede, Tigger, Lefty, Indian Summer, WapitiTalk1

The encounter thats still haunting me from last year!

Postby JJ Overkill » 06 11, 2020 •  [Post 1]

So I finally get back to elk hunting after a 4 yr break. Feeling kind of rust, hunting a new area. My wife’s cousin is showing me around somewhat. He rifle hunts but never bow hunted. The winds are strong from the south west and we are walking on the top of a ridge, can’t hear anything even if a bull did bugle. After getting my bearings I can’t take it anymore and tell my wife’s cousin I’m getting off this ridge and dropping into dark timber in the draws out of the wind. We walk down into a draw I give out a bugle and a bull answers. He’s a ways off. We start making our way towards him. The bull is sounding close one minute and far away the next. I can’t figure out why. So when he sounded close I ran at him cow calling the whole time. He’s bugling and chuckling the whole time. I get to where I should be seeing this bull and it’s just a giant ridge. I standing there scratching my head waiting for my wife’s cousin to catch up. I see the bull on the top of this ridge with a small group of cows. I tell Rob we can’t get up there without being busted. I know this bull heard my cow calls, he answered them perfectly. I was debating on backing out when something I heard elk nut say popped into my head. The only time a bulls defensive is when there’s a hot cow. Ok, game on! I give some nasally pleading cow calls followed by a bugle. The bull bugles and chuckles but I scream over top of him at about a level 5 on my scale. The bull didn’t make a sound so I get really whiny with the cow calls the bull bugles and I go level ten scream and grunts. This bull bugles as I see his antlers flying down the ridge. He comes through an opening where I should have shot him but didn’t have a good range on yardage and I was expecting the bull to come right at me. Instead he trouts off to our right, stops and starts taking a tree. I can’t see him but can hear him. I know he’s within 50yds easy. If I tried to move on him it would put me in the wide open. So I tell rob to sit tight and I’m going away. So I walk straight away from this bull, he’s still raking, I get about 50 yds away from rob and cow call. Nothing exciting or pleading but away from the bull. I do this for 150yds. After 30 min I go back to rob. He said he saw the bull and we was looking and pacing but then turned and just walked out the other direction. So now after 9 months I’m still wondering what could I have done differently? Sorry for the long read but I wanted to paint the picture as clear as I could.
PSE PRO STAFF since 2013,
User avatar
JJ Overkill
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 550
Joined: 06 25, 2012
Location: in the backwoods of MN
First Name: jeremy

Re: The encounter thats still haunting me from last year!

Postby Swede » 06 11, 2020 •  [Post 2]

Did you ever try to get a young lady to be interested in you? Likely you tried to be, and look your best. That is what the bull was doing raking and bugling, but you as the cow walked away. You know how he felt as he went back to "his" cows.
I would recommend you bugle like a small bull trying to protect your one cow from a bad hombre. Don't leave, but appear vulnerable.
Swede
Wapiti Hunting - Tree Stand Tactics
 
Posts: 10215
Joined: 06 16, 2012

Re: The encounter thats still haunting me from last year!

Postby JJ Overkill » 06 11, 2020 •  [Post 3]

I thought for sure this bull would’ve came in to sent check this cow to see if she’s worth following. I know I had the wind in my favor. Not sure why he turned and walked away without checking for sent.
PSE PRO STAFF since 2013,
User avatar
JJ Overkill
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 550
Joined: 06 25, 2012
Location: in the backwoods of MN
First Name: jeremy

Re: The encounter thats still haunting me from last year!

Postby Elkhunttoo » 06 12, 2020 •  [Post 4]

Maybe you didn’t do anything wrong and maybe you did. That’s the great fun with calling. I will take a swing at it with my 2 cents though.

This bull left his cows to go to another bull with cows. When he got close he stopped and started to display for this cow he is wanting. When you start to head the other way during his display he is left with a choice. Leave his cows and go after another bull with cows. Another bull that as soon as he got close started pushing his cows away and so he will have to leave his cows for a chase. Or head back towards his cows he already has. Looks like he choose the second option.

Had this of been a bull without cows I’m guessing he would of came on down.

It’s easy to add thoughts while I’m is my house. once he started displaying I think if you would of got back 40 ish yards behind your partner and started knocking on bushes, displaying back. Add your cow calls in and I think you get him close enough for your buddy. Always easier said then done
Elkhunttoo
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 1160
Joined: 05 23, 2016

Re: The encounter thats still haunting me from last year!

Postby JJ Overkill » 06 17, 2020 •  [Post 5]

I didn’t think of racking back at him from a distance. That’s an option I’ll have to keep in the back of my mind. I find at times my brain just won’t function when calling in a bull. I can play the scenario game (If he does this do, do this) all day long but as soon as something doesn’t mess with what I have in mind I’m caught in that what now moment. Like you said, sitting at home, it’s easy to say I’d should have done this or not done that.
PSE PRO STAFF since 2013,
User avatar
JJ Overkill
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 550
Joined: 06 25, 2012
Location: in the backwoods of MN
First Name: jeremy

Re: The encounter thats still haunting me from last year!

Postby Swede » 06 18, 2020 •  [Post 6]

JJ if everything worked like I think it should, Chuck Adams would look like a pure amateur, and I could go on the rubber chicken tour. I would be on everyone's pro staff. Unfortunately.... :lol:
Swede
Wapiti Hunting - Tree Stand Tactics
 
Posts: 10215
Joined: 06 16, 2012

Re: The encounter thats still haunting me from last year!

Postby Lefty » 06 20, 2020 •  [Post 7]

Elkhunttoo wrote:Maybe you didn’t do anything wrong and maybe you did. That’s the great fun with calling. I will take a swing at it with my 2 cents though.,,,,


And sometimes even more so with some big herds as the cows cycle out. There can be all sorts of sounds and commotion going on. And none of the elk seem to care. They just dont really respond, as if they have ear plugs in and blinders on.
With numbers the herd of flock mentality kicks in. Just like some markets,,,Guys crying and shouting out, gals dancing,.Some carrying on a conversation ,.. And you can walk right through and never be noticed
User avatar
Lefty
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 6926
Joined: 06 25, 2012
Location: Pocatello Idaho
First Name: Dennis
Last Name: H