Thoughts on this video

[Dr_flash]

My buddies from work called in this bull last muzzy season. I thought it was cool, any thoughts or analysis on the video? They passed him up since it was opening day. Would you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF0qC56pKnY

[elk.addict]

Yeah that was a cool video for sure. Very close encounter. I can count on 1 hand how many times I've had bulls charge in through a big opening like that in the past. Usually they will skirt around through the timber if at all possible. I have found my Montana Decoy helpful to put a bulls 'at ease' when trying to draw them across an opening.

Anyhow, you'll probably get a lot of opinions whether or not someone would pass this bull up. I would pass on this bull if it was early in the season. More often than not, I've taken similar or smaller bulls towards the end of September. Now 6 years ago when I lived & hunted in WA, the answer would be no, I would not pass it up at any point of the season. It all depends on the individual hunter and where they are hunting.

[Fridaythe13th]

Depends on the zone. In unit 78 of CO I would have back straps for supper. In a hard draw unit that took 10-15 preference points hold out for a monster. If it was on my private ranch (which I don't have) shoot him get him out of the gene pool. Call some buddy's and do some more filming and calling for friends. It's just as much fun to call as it is to shoot.
Sorry I pick on Co unit 78 it the only one I hunted in and never seen a bull like that, but would go back there to hunt.
I would be happy to shot that bull were I hunt now with stick and string.

VERY COOL VIDIO.

[ElkNut1]

OTC bull, he would be toast! Tough to draw unit, let him walk! I'm guessing it was a draw unit? Your buddies did a very nice calling job there with his bugling, raking & cow calling.

ElkNut1

[Wapiti]

From my experience bulls called in early season are always easier !! If you wait on another bull it will get harder as time goes on and other hunters come in and call to bulls. So if your after meat release that arrow ! If you want big bone then hold out. Only you can determine that answer.

Nice bull but he had a weird rack. He was missing a normal third point on his left side. Fun call in either way fellas and thanks for sharing it with us.

Trav

[Dr_flash]

This was a draw unit. Over the last three years, the group has taken a bull each year, the first two years were bigger than the one in the video. Last year was rough, there were people on ATV's using electronic calls but they were not hunting, what they were up to is anyone's guess and it was fairly warm. Its possible the Colorado Parks and Wildlife were out doing something but i don't think so. This year we have two shooters that should get bull tags, i'm one of them if the minimum PP holds up. I've been practicing my diaphragm calls every day on my way to a from work. I'm saving up some cash to buy the playbook and the 4 dvd set to which leads me to question i'll post as a separate topic. If i understand my sounds correctly, the bull was doing a chuckle there at the end trying to get the cows to show themselves. The shooter, which was off the screen, was only 3 yards from the bull. The bull was also passed up because one of its tines was broke off as well (the first one on his left side). There was all sorts of things going on that's not shown on the video, especially some tree raking behind the camera. I had to share because i haven't seen a video like that and thought everyone would enjoy it.

[under H2O hunter]

Excellent video and excellent training tool...
I enjoy spending hundreds of hours a years analyzing film. This is an excellent tool to teach from for various reasons..

1. This set up was a horrible one for a bow hunter IMHO. But an excellent one for a Muzzle loader. The open space was just to much. Most times that bull is not going to cross that opening like it did. As previously said they are going to come to the crest of that hill what I call the window. Look to see whats making that noise and if they don't see what they should expect they are gonna turn around and leave or they are going to skirt the opening if they do come usually from the down wind side. As a bow hunter I felt there was ample time to cut some more of that distance down and get to the left side of that opening well before he showed up. It had excellent shadow coverage and there was 1:32 worth of time from the start of the film to when his antler tips appear for the first time... Plenty of time to sprint the short distance and get set up in a better location. Especially with the number of callers who were in perfect location for their calling sequence.

2. Its shows how the terrain had dips and rolls in it where a bow hunter could draw his bow but it was very brief and it shows how quick elk can cover ground so you have to be ready to draw quickly and smoothly if you want to make that shot happen. The only place I liked to draw my bow was at 15 yards when he dipped down in the cut and his head was just out of camera at the 4:13 mark.

3 The calling was excellent with the calf and cow sounds. The bull sounds were just enough but not overly aggressive. The racking of the tree is what finally convinced that bull to leave the top of the opening and jog across it and come closer for a look so It shows how mixing in various sounds ultimately convinced that bull there was a party going on and he had to cross that large opening if he wanted to be a part of it.

4. I suspect that bull is an average bull for the area and didn't seem to worried about getting his butt kicked so I would have take him even on opening day. You can't assume you'll call another better bull in, If this was Colorado muzzy you have already had a couple weeks of bow hunters calling and as the week progresses the muzzy guys are gonna be calling all over the place and probably not nearly as well as this video showed. to which could shut the bulls down. The flip to that coin is that this may be the start of the rut and you may call lots of bulls in because they are all fired up and will come to a dyeing screaming cat sound.. A bird in the hand is always better then two in the bush. At least for me. Excellent restraint by the guys in the video as they didn't think he was a shooter.

5. This video showed how bulls will react to something they feel is not right. He spooked out of there even while bugling and came to another shot opportunity about 40 yards away and quartered away. So for the new bowhunters out there you have to remember that just because a bull spooks out doesn't mean that you are done for. This bull stopped to look back at what he wasn't sure of and presented another good opportunity. Maybe not the best opportunity like what it was at point blank range but still another opportunity. I think a lot of guys over react sometimes when a bull busts out and they panic blow tons of cow calls to get the bull to stop. This bull was convinced there was a herd and he didn't wind you so keeping calm like these guys did was excellent and something I think a lot of bow hunters mess up on.

Just my .02 worth can I get some change please.

[Dr_flash]

Great analysis H2O. I enjoyed reading the opinions from all.

[jc957b]

Awesome job!!!!

Easy for me to answer. I have never killed one, soooo he would be in the freezer.