Elk Game Plan - Episode 1

[WapitiTalk1]

9:30 PM, 23 September, 2014. Up until this point in your hunt, you've been hunting your normal spots but decide to branch out a bit and do some locating about ten miles from your normal camp/hunt area. OK, you park on a turnout on a raggedy, steep side hill road and sit quietly, listening out the window into a deep draw for 15 minutes. After hearing nothing but the wind lightly blowing through the trees overhead for those 15 minutes, you quietly step out of your truck and walk up the road 100 yards and throw a nice, three note locator bugle down the side hill into the large draw. After 10 or 15 seconds, you hear a response probably 1/4 mile down the draw to the right. You have a vocal bull to hunt in the morning if you choose to. No established trail systems here, pretty dang steep, and the terrain is a mix of somewhat open bear grassy meadows and timber stands. Last piece of information; you're not very familiar with this area but possess a 7.5 minute quad map that covers it. What will your planning process consist of for tonight, and, how do you think you may attack this bull in the morning?

[Swede]

I would leave and get some sleep for the night.
In the morning the plan would be to return and try to relocate the bull. If there is a response similar to the one I received last night, I would try to quickly and quietly drop down to where I thought I was on the same level he was on. Be very careful after dropping down about 1/2 way. I would stay in cover, then start cow calling when I was where I hoped to call him in. Remember the wind. After cow calling wait and see what the bull does, and go from there. If there is no response, I would believe I was not close enough, or he is coming in silent. Since I did not spook him by calling from the same or nearby last night, I would not think calling again would be a problem.

[Swede]

On the other hand, if My tree stand was nearby, I would likely just slip into it and wait.

[ST52V]

I would plan to be there several hours before light. Maybe he will be bugling on his own from his night time feeding spot a mile up the drainage from where he was bedded yesterday. That would give me time to position myself near the bedding area before he returns to my trap.

[WapitiTalk1]

I like the thoughts on this so far guys. Anybody else? This happens to me almost every year when I have road access (base type truck or quad/bike access road camps). I branch out a bit and see if I can add a new spot to hunt by night time location bugles. I do not like to and will not hunt the same spot each day with my style of hunting (run and gun as I guess it's titled) but instead, I rotate spots that I know I have gotten into bulls, or, "have located one by nocturnal location bugling". Remember, you don't know this area very well but have heard a bull below the road in the draw.

[Rizzy]

I would study my map that night and try to see if there are any topographic features that explain why the bull is in there and try to pinpoint where I heard him on the map. That late in September, if he's a herd Bull he should still be there with his cows the next day, or close. The wind would be my first priority the next morning. I would put the wind in my favor and still hunt my way in to where he was last night, trying to get there before they are done feeding for the morning. When I got to the approximate location, if I didn't see or hear anything yet, then I would do the location Bugle and see what happens.

[WapitiTalk1]

I would study my map that night and try to see if there are any topographic features that explain why the bull is in there and try to pinpoint where I heard him on the map. That late in September, if he's a herd Bull he should still be there with his cows the next day, or close. The wind would be my first priority the next morning. I would put the wind in my favor and still hunt my way in to where he was last night, trying to get there before they are done feeding for the morning. When I got to the approximate location, if I didn't see or hear anything yet, then I would do the location Bugle and see what happens.

Allright Ron, I'm with you buddy. Do the map work and see what you may be dealing with in the morning, smart move. We know those thermals will flowing down in the early morning so, we'll need to plan our ingress down to the bull's elevation to one side or another to avoid being detected by our tell tale scent. In addition to checking the map for perhaps, where the bull was hanging via best guess by where you heard him, a guy should probably check and see if there are any finger ridges or false draws depicted on the quad map going down the big/main draw to hide one's movement as we move down to the elk's elevation, yes? Allrighty, we've used the cloak of a backside of a finger ridge to get to the approximate elevation (or a bit below) where we believe homeboy was hanging last night.... is a location bugle the best sound to throw out to elicit a response? Thoughts?

[twinkieman]

I agree with Swede, I would try to be at the same elevation as the bull, if I haven't closed the deal by the time the thermals switch, I will still be in the game, by not being below him. I would not give a location bugle, instead I would try to entice him with either excited cow calls, or a lost cow call. When I get him to bugle, or chuckle, I would move in stomping the ground, trying to sound like a cow coming in. When I am as close as I dare, I will setup, and see what his reactions are. if he doesn't want to come in, then I would add a bull into the scenario, either a spike squeal, but more than likely, a raggy bull. I would give painful cow calls, like the bull is horning me, or biting me to keep me from going to the bull we located the night before. Hopefully this bring him all the way in.

[BrentLaBere]

I would use the location bugle here. Herd bull and cows could have moved off through the night and might not be coming to bed the same way they came, and if they are I am betting on locating him first and then moving in for my setup. You would have to be pretty close for a cow call to work (i think?). And how much time do we have before shooting light? that would also play a factor on if you just wait and listen or try to find him because we are hunting now.

I do like the idea of getting in close and cow calling first and then offering a challenge after. Level 3 threat

[twinkieman]

I'm not going to cow call at all until shooting light, listening for him to bugle on his own. If I was going to give a location bugle, I would have done it back up on the road, somewhere different from the location I used the night before.

[Rizzy]

A lost cow call could be good, maybe getting him to think he left a cow behind. I doubt he will leave his harem to come in and find the cow, but he would probably get vocal trying to call her in. If he is a satellite bull he might come in though. I would want to be at the location at or after shooting light, the wind is usually swirly and unpredictable this time of year and I wouldn't trust hanging in the area waiting for shooting light. Especially if I intercept them on the way in or he is a satellite bull.