Calling em in, or, head in?

[WapitiTalk1]

Trophie's thread got me thinking about a new thread. So, you've got an answer on the 5th of September and it sounds like a decent bull. How do you play it? This early in the rut, the herding up activity is really in full swing and this (IMO) is prime time to bring a bull in to your location through some good calling, playing on their interest of gathering a cow or two, or, perhaps just curiosity of what this other bull is up to. Same situation occurs on 21 September. The bull sounds pretty decent "but", are your odds as good to pull the bull in (satellite or not) to your location? I know by the third week in September in the areas I've hunted in ID and MT, the satellites are stuck like glue (for the most part) to an established herd and are not quite as willing to leave a known commodity. Thoughts? Do your tactics change for an answer from a bull across the draw between the 5th and 21st of September? Let's say for the purpose of this ultra scientic question, the bulls I'm querying about are not herd bulls.

[ElkNut1]

In the situations described I do not try to call those elk to me whether satellite or herd bull even if I had them respond to my bugle, I'd get over to them pronto, once close enough I'd use the sequence that's best suited for that encounter. For satellites hanging around the herd & bugling for cows to take notice of them they'll get a strong dose of the breeding sequence, they will come in now that you're close! -- For the herd bull, get inside 100 yds & call his cows from him, depending on his attitude I may start light & escalate my calling by adding cow whines & mews as a Threat # 1 & 2. Heck I may get close & cow call & await his response & go right to him as he asks or I may cow call & scream a bugle over his return bugle. Nothing written in stone, I stay flexible & adjust to the situation that gives the highest odds of a shot opportunity. -- I may even try slipping in silently if it's the best thing to do but rare is that possible, in most case we need the bull to come to us but only after we get close enough to them!

ElkNut1

[Fridaythe13th]

RJ Em I reading this right, in your opinion or is it more of a fact. Satellites are harder to call in in the middle of the rut opposed to early sept. I'm sure there are lots of variables that play out. but over all it easier to call in a satellite early sept?
2nd year hunter and home by the 17th sept jobs kill elk hunting

[Trophyhill]

Either way I'm moving in. The elk will let me know how aggressive or patient I need to be on my approach.

[WapitiTalk1]

Eric, was kind of a trick question I guess. Was trying to facilitate some discussion on when (if it exists) is the best time to call a non-herd bull in from perhaps, a distance. Elknut chimed in and illuminated exactly what I was eventually gonna get at. It is "always" better to get closer before setting up and calling than to attempt to lure a bull in from afar. Yes, myself and many others have had a distant bull scream in early in the rut (or come in silent) from a significant distance but it is the exception rather than the norm for certain. Earlier in the rut, the sattelites (some of these lonely devils will actually become herd bulls as soon as they gather a few cows and start tending them) during the herding up phase are involved in much more movement and locating (trolling for chicks) than say, later in September. It is not uncommon to hear several bulls in the early part of the rut sounding off from several different areas in a drainage (not isolated to say, one area that contains a herd bull with a few satellites). They're advertising, locating, and as the testosterone level is starting to rise, trolling. During this earlier part of the rut, pick a bull that seems to offer the best chances to get close (terrain, wind, etc.) and head towards him, trying to get close enough to set up and invite him over. Later in the rut, when the herding up phase has mostly been done (although one could argue that some semblence of herding continues through the majority of the rut in the sense that bulls continue their advertising, locating, etc. through the time the last cow estrus cycle passes) herd bulls become like statues, very unwilling to leave what they are tending, and, the satellites hang right around the herd in hopes of hooking a cow or more from the boss. Long winded, sorry. Yes, IMO it's a bit more likely (earlier in the rut during the herd up phase) that a distant bull may travel farther and come in to calling, but, as Elknut mentioned...... it will always increase your odds of calling a bull in once you get closer, say within 100 yards or closer. Good luck this fall, looking forward to hearing how you did!

[twinkieman]

[quote="Trophyhill"]Either way I'm moving in.

X2.... Your odds increase a ton moving in, (undetected) and calling closer to the elk you are trying to call in. Along those same lines, your choice of setup to not just call in the bull, but get a shot at the bull increase as well. So many variables could change the whole encounter with too much distance, it's like we hunters want the bull to do all the work for us. Elknut spoke of two of his methods, the breeding sequence, and the threats. Chances are in the situation Phantom has set for us, there is a cow in estrus, or close to estrus, why would a bull move a long way for a chance at an unseen, and a cow who may, or may not be coming in, when he has had a whiff of one or more right where he is? Using the threats, we are now a bull that has not been heard before, and he may not wish to take a chance on looking wimpy in front of lady elk. I've, as well as a lot of others, have witnessed a satellite race in and hook cows away from the herd, when the herd bull was actually breeding a cow, or chasing away other satellites, and if I were a satellite, I'd be looking to steal a few when the big boy was busy elsewhere. I believe when you cut the distance, you eliminate more things that can go wrong, and I'm moving in.

[Brendan]

So here's a question for everyone more experienced than I am - is getting in close on a bull, either by sneaking in or calling him in, easier or harder at different times of September? What dates would you pick if you had 10-11 days to hunt? Would that change if your goal was a more mature herd bull vs. any bull?

I am currently going to be hunting the 14th through the 25th, but would be interested to hear your thoughts...