Which Bull?

[cnelk]

A few years ago, one morning we were hunting the middle of September.
He were hiking in an area than has a closed trail system - open to foot/horseback only.
We heard a bugle, got closer and it ended up being 3 bulls bugling [Red Xs]
We snuck in between them [Yellow line] and set up and called.
I killed the bull one of the bulls - which bull was it?

[Trophyhill]

I have a 1 in 3 chance of guessing right. I'll play. I'm gonna guess that the bull on top of the screen was lower than you and easier to get to so you chose the path of least resistance and killed that one.

[ElkNut1]

The one 50 yards of elevation above you & to your left, the other two below you would most likely wind you on their approach in a morning hunt with thermals heading their way as they tried to close the distance. Too, at least one of those bulls had cows.

ElkNut1

[Bowhunter]

Well it was morning so the thermals would take your scent down so that eliminates the one below you. The one above you would have to come down more elevation than the one to the east so I would guess you shot the one to the east that walked around to check you out.

[Bowhunter]

Elknut, I came up with that bull being 320 feet higher in elevation by the line. That is why I choose the lower bull to the east . He is still above the hunter so shouldn't wind him.

[cohunter14]

I would have to say the one above you and to the east. Based on the picture, it looks like you are on or very close to a bench. I am guessing he came down the draw to that bench and traversed towards you. The bull below you, as has been said, probably winded you. The bull directly above you, although the closest, would have to move down some pretty steep terrain to get to you. Based on the location, that bull could also be bedded down on that bench with his cows, if they are already hearded up (mid September is border line).

[ElkNut1]

Ha Ha, my bad!! I just looked the map over & pulled out a magnifying glass & now see the elevation numbers! (grin) I was completely backwards thinking up was down, thanks for catching it!

ElkNut1

[cnelk]

Here is the aerial pic.
Kinda changes things, dont it?

[Bowhunter]

Heck with the tiny ridge between the lower bull, if you circled around him high enough and he didn't wind you. The lower bull could have gone NW toward you and he could have been arrowed. Any way it would have been fun to be in your shoes at that moment.

[Mikeha33]

I'm going to say the bull below you. I think that elk would travel uphill, trying to play the thermals, along the E side of the ridge, and then essentially follow your trail heading West, into kill range.

[MTLongdraw]

Good ole Friday morning mind bender. I'm gonna say the one to the bottom. Others have their theories that make a lot of sense but here is why I say that. He is the only one that wouldn't have to cross or come near the trail you were on. Maybe he came from the right and didn't get your scent (thermals blowing down hill) before he got bit by the broad head. I have no clue

[WapitiTalk1]

The bull you killed that morning was the one in the picture. I win Although tempted to choose the one below you to the SE, the wind was wrong for you to agress him from your position (unless you blasted due S and then a bit E before you set up). With choices like you had, I'm guessing you chose the one to the NW. You guys got on your elk horses (legs) and hoofed it quickly to what you thought was a spot within 100 yards of the bull. You called, he responded but was still quite a ways away beyond the opening. You heard the lower bull sound off also again. You and your partner blasted into the timber and got pretty close to 80 yards below the NW bull and lit him up. He headed SW, circled underneath your setup to see what aftershave you were wearing, possibly thinking you were the lower bull coming to ask his girls out on a date. He came in within 27 yards and you put his nose in the dirt with a well placed shot.

[Swede]

According to the map the bull in the far northwest is the closest. According to the photo it appears to be the farthest from you. Because of the map and the ridge behind you I am going with the northwest bull. I think the bull to the south would have scented you before you had an opportunity to get a shot at him.

[cnelk]

Some very good thoughts guys
At least one poster has correctly put it together!

[Mikeha33]

If Rory is right, than I think it should be noted, that you never said that you moved from your calling set up. My thought is based on you killing from the location where you have the yellow X. If you moved from there, than a whole new scenario could have played out.

[ElkNut1]

OK, you killed a Satellite bull, this means it most likely was the bull below you or to your right. The one below should have eventually winded you so he's out, the one to your right is the one you killed! The highest one on the mtn is most likely the herd bull as he's above both smaller bulls on the way to bed.

ElkNut1

[cnelk]

Please note that we never moved from the yellow X

Also,
This area is prevalent for smaller bulls.
Call them satellites if you wish, but it should be noted that the chances of all three bulls were satellites.

[Swede]

Brad the bulls in your area as you describe it, sounds very similar to the ones in the area I hunt. If we had 100 bulls total, only 3-4 would be any larger than the one you got. I have killed quite a few like yours. Stringunner got an exceptional bull. There are a few 270+ bulls where I hunt, but just enough to keep me looking for them.

[WapitiTalk1]

Please note that we never moved from the yellow X

I guess I don't get the weenie whistle prize I had you guys moving from the X to another position. I donut reed so guud sumtims

[Lark Bunting]

My complete novice approach:

I'm guessing the north-east elk based on the fact it was morning, the thermals should be blowing down hill which means the elk to the south has a better chance of winding you. The north west elk has a much steeper descent based on the topo map and I don't think he'd move from the vantage point. The north-east elk has the path of least resistance to get to the yellow X.

[bnsafe]

if you send me the coord I will have a better guess,

[cnelk]

Let me give a clue

There is a reason I posted this scenario.
Why would I do that?

[easeup]

My play is the one on the lower right. He was going up to join the club. You managed to keep the wind right and got him.

It is possible but not as common for bulls already heading up to stop and come back down to jack with you.

[stringunner]

I agree with Easeup.

Bigger question for me, why YOU believe the bull you shot (regardless of which one) committed and came into your calling vs. the two that did not...

[cohunter14]

Let me give a clue

There is a reason I posted this scenario.
Why would I do that?

I have to agree that you must have killed the lower bull. Why did you post this scenario? To prove to everyone that you, just like the most interesting man alive, have NO scent!! Stay thirsty my friends...

Hahaha, actually I am guessing that you were able to sneak in that way using the topography to mask your scent from the bull below you. Either that or maybe that day, the thermals didn't 'behave' and the wind was blowing in an opposite direction. Either way, by getting in there, you were then able to put yourself in the best case scenario to put your tag on that lower bull. A few cow calls from your location probably brought that satellite in thinking he might be able to grab a cow that had wandered down from the rest of the heard.

[>>>---WW---->]

The bull at the bottom and here is why. He has to come up hill. But the elevation is only 80 ft. That's nothing for an elk. And presuming the thermals are still going down, he can come with his nose to the wind. He will most likely angle from his spot to the northwest, towards the trail and then use that trail to come on in to you. The other two elk are quite a ways above you. Not so much distance wise but steep elevation.

I'm basing this on the fact that you said you never moved from the yellow X. So I assume that means the bull came to you, and you didn't have to go to him.

And just in case I am wrong, the correct answer would be the first one of the three that presented a shot. That has to be the right answer for sure

[>>>---WW---->]

I'll add a little more. The bull is already moving up hill anyhow. So coming on up to you is no big deal for him. You said it was a morning hunt. So I'm guess he had spent the night before in that big meadow at the lower left of the map. And he is following the small stream up the mountain to bed up. The bull on the upper right has already gone up ahead of him and may be reluctant to come back down to your calling. And I have no idea what the bull on the upper left is doing on that steep hillside. But there is probably just enough room for him to bed on that very small bench where he is.

Oh, and by the way, your scent trail should be OK. If the thermals are still coming down. it will wash to the left of that little knob between you and the lower bull. And I'm betting that is how the bull on the upper left came up from the meadow.

[Lark Bunting]

What is the answer?

[Trophyhill]

What is the answer?

He knows the suspense is killing us

[cnelk]

Hey guys - had to do some stuff

So here is what happened.
WW nailed it spot on - others who picked the bottom right bull were right too

This happened almost 10 years ago
We heard the bulls bugling and slipped between the top right one and the lower right one, staying right on
the road as we could could move quick and fast.
The thermals must have washed our scent since the lower one didnt scent us.
We crested that small rise [yellow X] and set up.
At that spot, the thermals were drifting to the SW.
The guy who I was with had already tagged out so he was the caller.
I was positioned on the high side of him kneeling by a bush, and when the lower right bull came in, he came right by the caller, less than 10ft
My shot was less than 30yds.

We didnt know which bull was going to commit, as we targeted all.

The answers were all good.
I just wanted to share with you how elk hunting is not predictable - be agressive - be prepared to adjust - and shoot 'em when you can.
Being lucky helps too

Stay thirsty my friends...

[ElkNut1]

Good job Bill! Brad, you should have mentioned wind direction right off, on any given hunt wind is paramount in decision making. Under normal conditions that lower bull would have winded you easily with morning thermals. Since the wind was different that would alter many of the guesses! (grin) Thanks.

ElkNut1

[Elkduds]

Fantastic thread, guys. Totally got my $'s worth on this one. What time did this happen? Point of my question is that winds shift sooner in the am on south and east facing slopes, especially without trees. Looks like he came up the east-facing side of the ridge you were on top of. The bull moving uphill toward you from water/food to bedding area was in your favor. You set up where he was probably already headed, even if you didn't know it @ the time. Having 2 bulls bugling uphill from you helped as well, especially the one more north of you. He was directly behind you from the lower bull's vantage point, so you were just another bull in line w the other bull to him. Did he come in on a rope, ready to rumble; or cautious and curious?

[Swede]

I think you presented a fun scenario for us to consider. I thought about the lower bull and concluded, after I posted, that you likely would not have known about him if he had winded you. I still liked the NW bull and was guessing. Did you bugle any as you walked out the road? What call did he ultimately fall for?

[cnelk]

Yes. Its been a fun thread. I hope it was informative too.
It brought back memories

Looking at the topo you can the see that its fairly 'bumpy', with finger ridges and draws.
And the morning thermals tend to follow the 'gut' of those draws or depressions.
So as you rise out of a draw and onto a another finger, the thermals will quickly break over on down the other side.
Its when you are directly on top is when you dont know which side they will go.

The call was soft cows calls.
The bull came in pretty fast - typical of a satellite

Also,
On the topo, look above the upper left bull. Do see that flat contour near the top of the map?

This is that spot




And if you look on the aerial above the upper right bull - see those small meadows?

This is that spot

[Lark Bunting]

Great thread! I sent it to some of the guys I'm hunting with this year to get their responses. As a newbie to hunting it was fun to try to figure it out.

I hope to one day have this problem..."which of the three bulls do we go after?!" HA! Couldn't even imagine!