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Hurry move…no, sit, be patient ???

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Hurry move…no, sit, be patient ???

Postby Elkhunttoo » 06 18, 2021 •  [Post 1]

On the calling thread Swede brought up what I thought was a good point. He talked about after a calling display or whatever you want to call it that we need to wait up for a few hours sometimes instead of the 30-45 minutes that is so often talked about. A few years back while sitting in a tree stand I shot a small range horn bull. I let out a few cow calls and if my memory serves me correct I shot this young bull 1.5-2 horns after the calls. Was he coming in for water or for the calls? I don’t know because I never took the time to ask him.

Lots of times in the archery hunt game we all love I think it’s hard to find the perfect blend of passive/aggressive style that we all have good intentions on went we wait, or when we move in. Last year when I heard elk being elk (unsolicited calls/rut action) I tried both methods. I tried getting the wind good and holding up in the direction I thought they were coming. I would say this did okay at best as a strategy. Some close encounters but nothing real productive. Yet I always maybe moved to soon and didn’t give them enough time. I also tried the method of closing as much distance as I could, never calling just getting right in the herd. This provided me with a couple of what could of been cow shots (passed on them) and maybe a range horn shot (Always was after the herd bull so really paid them very little attention when I saw them). This method put me within 40-60 yards of the herd bull I was hunting 3 times. One where I ended up shooting over him. I also tried slow playing while slowly moving. Trying to resemble a herd while by myself. (Not recommending this ;) ) this put me 60 yards from the big bull and 40 yards from a really nice 6x5. Both busted me before I saw them. On a side note this was only tried because I had to be out of the mountains by certain times those days so I was in a hurry.

I guess in all of my rambling I’m asking when do you decide to hold up and wait? And for how long? And when do you dive right in?
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Re: Hurry move…no, sit, be patient ???

Postby Lefty » 06 18, 2021 •  [Post 2]

I took a nap after a calling location, Woke to a cow elk staring a hole through me.
Ive been busted too many times leaving too soon. The location and plan for that time frame often dictates, A shorty 20-25minutes, long 40-60 minutes . I dont even know if its intuition or luck or laziness waiting longer and then seeing elk.

I really prefer after the first elk sound they come charging in :lol:
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Re: Hurry move…no, sit, be patient ???

Postby Swede » 06 18, 2021 •  [Post 3]

Here is my take on the patience question. If you wonder and second guess yourself, you don't understand patience. Even when you don't score now, you will get another chance sometime or someday.
A few years ago I heard a breeding frenzy going on about 100 yards down the draw form me. It was going on for several minutes. I did not get up and go check it out. The wind was swirling and I calculated my chances of being busted were greater than getting a shot. About an hour later I shot an nice bull right where I was waiting. Could I have shot the first bull? Maybe. I guess.
I have to admit I start to get antsy the last week of the season, but I have killed elk the last hour of the last day. I am still in the game until the lights go out on the season. It takes me about two weeks before I start to think strongly about the next season.
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Re: Hurry move…no, sit, be patient ???

Postby saddlesore » 06 19, 2021 •  [Post 4]

I think if an elk walks by you 2 hours after you called, chances are it would walk by you even if you had not called. To me, it shows that may be you piked a good place to sit or put your stand because elk are using that area.
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Re: Hurry move…no, sit, be patient ???

Postby Swede » 06 19, 2021 •  [Post 5]

I would agree Saddlesore except that I have had elk come in several times and just look over the exact spot I called from, then turn right around and go back. If they were not curious about the elk why would they do that to the exact spot I called form? Why do they come to and look over the exact spot I called from and not get a drink or do anything else when there? They do that when there are several watering spots and trails in that vicinity.
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Re: Hurry move…no, sit, be patient ???

Postby saddlesore » 06 19, 2021 •  [Post 6]

They were probably walking thru and and got your scent from where you called ,then turned around and left.Elk don't have an attention span of 2 hours. .That would indicate some cognitive thinking. Elk are living in the minute.
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Re: Hurry move…no, sit, be patient ???

Postby Elkhunttoo » 06 19, 2021 •  [Post 7]

I agree that there attention span can be short and that they can change their minds in a millisecond, but I have called with the same bull for 2 hours or more lots of times. I think in the rut all bets are off. I’ve watched bulls come in and stand and look for 30-40 minutes. Some of these were bad calling set ups or some being super close when you called and you had no idea they were around. I’ve watched elk have tons of patience especially in the evenings, when I think they like waiting for the dark because they feel more at ease.

I’ve also cracked off a bugle and had them in my lap when I didn’t even know they were around. I really think that a bedded bull that is about to get up for the evening can be persuaded what way to go by something he hears when he is bedded.
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Re: Hurry move…no, sit, be patient ???

Postby saddlesore » 06 19, 2021 •  [Post 8]

I agree if you are talking to the bull back and forth,it can last a long time. I think it is doubtful then that that bull will come in. But I seriously doubt if you call and two hours later a bull walks by it is because of the call.
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Re: Hurry move…no, sit, be patient ???

Postby >>>---WW----> » 06 20, 2021 •  [Post 9]

If you are talking about how long to wait after using what Jim Horn and myself refer to as the (Silent Calling Method), after a calling session. I usually like to wait 45 minutes to 1 hour before moving to another location.

I have found that most of the time, the bulls will come in silent. Thus the term Silent Calling. They may come in and you never even know they are there. If you get up and move too soon, you will bugger them off.

By the way, Elkhunttoo, You mentioned the term (range horn bull). Is that just a typo for rag horn or do you know something the rest of us have never heard of.
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Re: Hurry move…no, sit, be patient ???

Postby saddlesore » 06 20, 2021 •  [Post 10]

>>>---WW----> wrote:If you are talking about how long to wait after using what Jim Horn and myself refer to as the (Silent Calling Method), after a calling session. I usually like to wait 45 minutes to 1 hour before moving to another location.

I have found that most of the time, the bulls will come in silent. Thus the term Silent Calling. They may come in and you never even know they are there. If you get up and move too soon, you will bugger them off.

By the way, Elkhunttoo, You mentioned the term (range horn bull). Is that just a typo for rag horn or do you know something the rest of us have never heard of.


Then quite possibly that bull came in and you never heard or saw it and it left
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Re: Hurry move…no, sit, be patient ???

Postby >>>---WW----> » 06 20, 2021 •  [Post 11]

That's very possible Vince. But often they will come in expecting to see another elk that was calling. Sometimes they will hang up and just stand there looking around for you. You never may know if they had been standing there for awhile or if they had just come in a few minutes ago.
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Re: Hurry move…no, sit, be patient ???

Postby Elkhunttoo » 06 20, 2021 •  [Post 12]

>>>---WW----> wrote:If you are talking about how long to wait after using what Jim Horn and myself refer to as the (Silent Calling Method), after a calling session. I usually like to wait 45 minutes to 1 hour before moving to another location.

I have found that most of the time, the bulls will come in silent. Thus the term Silent Calling. They may come in and you never even know they are there. If you get up and move too soon, you will bugger them off.

By the way, Elkhunttoo, You mentioned the term (range horn bull). Is that just a typo for rag horn or do you know something the rest of us have never heard of.



What? You’ve never heard of the “range horn bull?” Well…me neither :D I think my brain moves either faster or slower than my fingers.
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Re: Hurry move…no, sit, be patient ???

Postby >>>---WW----> » 06 26, 2021 •  [Post 13]

I can relate to that! :lol: Mine moves slower for the most part LOL!
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Re: Hurry move…no, sit, be patient ???

Postby >>>---WW----> » 06 26, 2021 •  [Post 14]

I can relate to that! :lol: Mine moves slower for the most part LOL!
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