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[Jahnke76]

So the last 2 mornings we have seen the same two bulls in the same meadow raking trees. Yesterday a botched call from one pf the guys made tgem walk off and we left them alone. This morning one guy got spotted and barked at and they just slowly started walking out of sight. Yesterday when a cow xall was given one of them started to walk towards us untill the hoochie mama in one of the guys hand squaked. If we find these two again what would be the best option. Nothing is bugling here yet either and we have a bunch if muzzy guys setting up. Please help if you have an idea.

[easeup]

here is my 2 cts.....it is not worth much.....only from my experience.
I have never had any luck around clearings....I avoid them. try to catch elk in thick timber where you can close the gap by one of several methods that you already know. you can only ambush him, get his curiosity, or challenge him. those are the only 3. so in a clearing there are only two to choose from since you can't ambush him in the open.
it is probalby too late for a decoy, but I can only speculate that they would be more beneficial to you in this case as you would try to step back further into the shadows and lure them out of those clearings.
since he has no cows I dont know how you would challenge him. so you can only get his curiosity up with calling or find him at another time....in the timber.

hey what do I know....good luck.

[N5J]

Find heavy cover and get close to them before you setup to call. Sounds like they are lonely and willing to come to a cow calls so don’t give up keep trying. If you get busted or they leave…wait a while (least an hour)…get the wind in your favor…follow or circle around and try again. We stay after elk until we get them or totally blow them out of the area. Have the shooter setup about 30 yards a head of the caller. Only have the caller make a few cow calls then shut up. If you see them coming don’t make anymore sounds unless they hang up….they know where the sound is coming from so let them come…patience! If you have a decoy setup the decoy and caller behind and off to the side so they looking past the shooter. Once they see the decoy they will keep coming and only a couple more if they hang up. Have you tried raking a tree? This gets their attention and they will come investigate and see who the new bull is. I would setup up a shooter and a caller…the caller will break branches, stomp and rake a tree with a good size branch then wait 15-20 minutes, if nothing…start the sequence again then wait 45 min to 1 hour. You have to try different things BUT stay with it….GOOD LUCK!!

N5J

James

[Freebird134]

Any ideas on what to do after a botched call? Is it really that big of a deal?

[N5J]

Elk make different calls and they aren't alway perfect...Big deal NO but not ideal. If I mess up a call I'll come back with a series of calf calls. Short chirps...then a cow call, trying to make it sound like the calf was making the noise. Do you have any others cow calls with you? If you do, change cow calls and setup again after some time goes by and they settle down. The hoochie mamma gets used a lot in public ground and they can get call wise. I use a hoochie mamma mixed in with a diaphragm call when I want to sound like more than one elk otherwise it stays in my pocket. I use several different diaphragm calls because I can make many more sounds and if they don’t come in or I get busted I’ll switch calls. You have to try different things…different cow calling sequence…don’t stay with the same sequence. I would do a series of cow calls then move to another spot short distance away and rake a tree, breaking branches, and stomp and see what happens. Then wait 10 to 15 min…do the series again but add a short squel and a few chuckles. You are creating a scenario that a bull is displaying to the cows. If you only have a hoochie mamma…put the end of the call in your pocket…do a couple of calls, then pull the call out and do a couple more. Change it up on the next sequence and twist the head to change call sound. Good Luck!

N5J

James

[Vanish]

You should know their escape routes now after having pushed them out. Why not go silent and set up a couple ambushes on the escape routes?

[eltaco]

Here's what worked for me opening week... I pulled a 5x5 about 200yds through a clearing. Might not be your ticket, but it's worth a shot.

Do you have a decoy? I used a cow butt and flagged him from behind some bushes. Gave him something to look at and that was all it took. I kept moving it so it wasn't stationary, and whenever he got leary I'd throw out a cow call or two. Brought him in on a string!

I'll also note that you said the bulls are not bugling. If I had a nickel for every time someone said that... I will say that 95% of the bugles I hear in CO are because I started bugling first and got a response. If you spot them in the open, make sure you don't call from anywhere near the edge of the treeline. If they don't see an elk within 50yds of the treeline, but responses are coming from the edge of the trees, they'll walk straight away. Elk are smart critters, and they'll pinpoint your calls within feet of where they're coming from. You will need to set a caller up back in the trees where he can't see the clearing and hope you can gain their interest. Get the shooter positioned near the treeline and make sure he doesn't make a peep or movement.

Hope that helps! I'm just happy to hear you're seeing some sort of routine starting. The elk in my area were ALL OVER THE PLACE opening week. Never did see the same bull twice.

EDIT: One thing just hit my mind... what time are you seeing them in the clearing? Do you know where they're coming in from? Can you beat them to the clearing? Timing is everything and for times like these it may require waking up an hour earlier. Just a thought.