Aggressive Elk Tactics....

[WapitiTalk1]

We've heard a lot of elk hunters talk about being aggressive while hunting during the rut. What exactly does this mean? I'll give one example of being aggressive I saw a while back:

While hunting Montana 5 or 6 years ago, I kept bumping into a young man parked at various vantage points in several large drainages. I stopped at some point while heading to, or coming from, one of my hunts and talked to the young lad. He told me his method to get shots on bulls was to locate bugle from a road (starting from before daylight to sunset). Once he received an answer, he would grab his bow and tube, and steam plow through the alder fields like Rambo on a mission until he got to where he figured he was close enough to challenge the bull, then, would commence to screaming and raking. He told me that he got shots every year using this method.

That's more than a bit of an extreme example, but, the young man at least conceptually, was on the right track. Now, what do "you" consider aggressive elk tactics that have worked in the past. I feel a hunter who thinks a bull will come flying into their calls from a distant ridge, more often than not, may be just having long, meaningless conversations with said bull.

Let's talk about aggressive elk tactics!

[Lefty]

Ive made huge mistakes hunting bull elk.
In the past the worst mistake a made continuously was waiting for elk thinking I could ambush elk when they came in. Well they didnt come in, they kept doing what ever they were doing, Where iis the Homer Simpson "Duh"
For me being aggressive should have meant taking off, jogging towards the elk. Other times I played it too safe thinking I knew where the herd was headed then loosing them. I should have stayed where I could maintain sight or sound more often.
Too aggressive so far was locate or challenge bugling with happy bulls with a herd, , The Herd bull left with his harem


Elk are so different than any other game Ive chased, tactics are different. Every once in a while the "Elknuts Playbook" needs to come out and smack me on the side of the head.

[Swede]

I think "aggressive" can vary from area to area. What may be patience, muted calling, or stealth in one area, is about as aggressive as you should get. In another area and time, these tactics may be too passive. Get to know your area. One size does not fit all. Paul's book is great, and I would recommend every elk hunter read it. Still you can't apply everything he has written down and apply it to every area, throughout the season. Once you get to know what works, you are better off using some and leaving some. Experience will tell the difference.

[WapitiTalk1]

Do you folks think dogging an elk herd could be considered an aggressive tactic? After all, you're following or slightly paralleling a moving elk herd, working the wind so they don't wind you (probably to their bedding area) and not merely sitting an ambush point, tree standing, cold or blind calling, etc. I would also say that moving your buns to get in much closer proximity to a distant bugling bull before saying a peep is an aggressive tactic, yes? On the same vane, letting a bull call you to him (with the hunter simulating a needy cow) "after" he's answered you initial locater cow calls could be in the aggressive tactic category, yes? What other methods do you feel are considered aggressive elk tactics?

[Heartwood]

To me being agressive means doing what it takes to make somthing happen ie. to get a shot op. The challenge is to know when to be agressive and when to let a situation develop on its own. I usually opt to go agressive because it pays more often for me.

[Trophyhill]

Do you folks think dogging an elk herd could be considered an aggressive tactic? After all, you're following or slightly paralleling a moving elk herd, working the wind so they don't wind you (probably to their bedding area) and not merely sitting an ambush point, tree standing, cold or blind calling, etc. I would also say that moving your buns to get in much closer proximity to a distant bugling bull before saying a peep is an aggressive tactic, yes? On the same vane, letting a bull call you to him (with the hunter simulating a needy cow) "after" he's answered you initial locater cow calls could be in the aggressive tactic category, yes? What other methods do you feel are considered aggressive elk tactics?

absolutely it can! aggressive doesn't always mean aggressive calling either. your actions play a huge role in whether you are aggressive or not.....at least in my opinion. 1 of the most aggressive tactics I've been using the last couple years is cow calling my way in to a vocal bull. the calls aren't aggressive or threatening but moving in on them sure is.

[bald9eagle]

My brother hunts turkeys in a very similar way as the original post. He drives from spot to spot until he finds a bird that will answer him more than once. He then goes hard to him. He has taken tons of birds this way.

[JJ Overkill]

last yr I learned you can get to aggressive. I went right at a screaming bull, he answered every bugle I made. I was calling to his cows not him. he was well within 100yds on top of a ridge in dark thick timber. he would grunt at me, his cows were all excited, calling non stop. I moved my shooter in and challenged the bull. I heard the bull gluncking and the cows went silent. the whole herd left. when I said I was calling to his cows I would cut the bull off with a bugle and chuckle. the bull would scream and grunt at me and id answer with grunts of my own and a scream. the bull sounded very upset with me. when I started raking a tree he came unglued again. he started coming at us, the shooter 20yds in front of me and to the right. I'm not sure what happened for him to turn and leave the way he did. I didn't see any other elk around us and I had the wind the whole time. this is my aggressive hunting style and perhaps I will practice a little more patients. but looking back I'm not to sure I would do anything different.

a good friend of mine will always say " go in and kill him, what are you afraid of?"