Lone bulls...

[Tigger]

Okay, I have been holding this question for awhile but now is the time!

Last year, we had an encounter with a bull. late afternoon about 3 pm. Timbered slope of mountain. No openings. He answered a location bugle. We snuck in to what we thought was pretty close - 100 yards? I went to a cow call. He answered. Bingo! about 100 out. Try to call him in with cow calls. He answers but doesnt move. Sneak in to roughly 50. cow call. He answered! still 100 out. decide to try to up the game a little. Go through a set of whiny cow calls. Still 100 out and answers, but wont come closer. Sneak to him. He starts moving away. Bugle at him, he answers. Wait. Nothing. Turn around and bugle. he answers, but....dang it he is moving away....cow call. He answers. sneak closer. he stays put. almost get the shooter to him....then he moves away. Cat and mouse. FOR 3 HOURS! I tried everything. He answers every call I throw at him but stays 100-200 yards away from us. Wind was fine the whole time. I could stop him, but couldn't get him to commit. My shooter did have him at 40 yards once, but the window closed too quick. So, my question is, how do you handle this situation? What could I have done different? I tried every sequence known to me. Cow. Calf. Bull. Nothing at all. Threat 1, 2, 3. Breeding sequence. Poetry. Location bugles, you name it. he would always answer, but would stay ahead of us. Many times I could get him to answer from the location 2 or 3 times.

then next day, a similar situation occurred. This one was mid morning and I wonder if that bull was going to his bedding area. But I could stop him, but not long enough to sneak in on him. That one lasted an hour. Ideas please!

[olympushunt]

He may have needed one final piece to push him over the edge so to speak. Did you have a decoy?

[Tigger]

no decoy. I hope elknut has a critique!

[sasquatch]

I don't even have enough experience to offer input of value but are you sure it was a lone bull? At that time it sounds as if maybe him and a heard was moving toward their feeding area or something and just kept answering you as to say "were over here". And if he was a heard bull with cows I think 100 yds out may have still been too far to make him see red?? Idk just a guess really. What was the date time frame?


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[Tigger]

Date was Sept 18th roughly. My buddy did get eyes on him and he didn't go in a straight line. Kinda ended up not far from where we started actually. Almost positive there were no cows with him. Great questions!

[olympushunt]

There has got to be some good replies for this Tigger! I'm curious too what the others think. Pushing this to the top....even thought it was pretty much there anyway...lol. Being mid to late September I'm surprised he wasn't more receptive. I can understand that in late August. I still think a decoy could have helped ya there. Swede and I once had this and while Swede was messing with him I snuck around and got in the path he was heading. Anyway, you all can make fun of me later for this but you guys ever hear of that girly book "He is just not that into you" that is for the ladies trying to understand why they are not getting the guy to respond in the way they want? This bull makes me think he was just not that into you. LMAO!

[WapitiTalk1]

Tigger, you started with a locator and the bull answered.. sweet! Remember locators aren't confrontational, just a social sort of "who's out there" calls and both lone bulls, satellites, and herd bulls will oftentimes answer. You did exactly what I would have done by taking the action to him, getting as close as possible. After getting close, you used cow calls (good strategy after all, the rut is all about the ladies). The bull answered and he was genuinely interested in possibly dating you (some gift exchanges, nose rubbing, hot tub action, long walks in the pine, you get the drift). After you continued being an alluring cow, he was still interested but a bit unsure about the reality of the situation (is this really a solo cow coming in to meet me; I can't see her). A bull will get suspicious if a close encounter calling session drags on and he can't pinpoint the origin/location of the elk sounds being made. At this point, with the bull hung up, I may have dropped my shooter and regressed back in the direction where I came from perhaps 50-75 yards, rustling brush, moving side to side a bit, and throwing out a few whiny cow sounds... that may have pulled him back in your direction and provided a shot for the shooter. As soon as you bugled again, he lost interest in the situation (you brought another bull into the "lone cow coming in" situation which may have cooled his jets; think cold shower). I’m not saying lone bulls never come in to bull calls, but, when a sweet sounding cow (coming in to the lone bulls calls), suddenly has a bull sounding off nearby, the interest level may certainly drop… particularly if it’s a juvenile bull that’s been MMA’d a few times already. He continued to answer your calls to keep you located, and well, because he just can't help himself this time of year . The Threat level(s) probably isn’t/aren’t gonna work as this bull seemingly didn't have cows to simulate stealing. Sometimes a hunter can over call which perhaps is the case in this scenario. Oftentimes less is more, and, staying with sultry cow sounds when close (particularly in this lone bull situation) is a better course of action than digging deeper into your tool kit of elk sounds. Don’t sleep on keeping your calls to a minimum and even just using light brush raking, ground scraping, small rock rolling, once you get close. Sounds like a fun day on the mountain!

[Tigger]

Oh, it was a grand day on the mountain! It was just one of those soooo close things.

I did wait until I "thought" he lost interest in the cow calls (I could have misinterpreted it) before I introduced the bull as I knew that was potentially a game changer. I never thought of backing up, that is a good thunk there, I hope it didn't hurt too much to come up with it! I am gonna have to noodle on that some.

My hindsight was that maybe I should have stayed in one spot and just made him talk now and again and let my shooter circle him. Tried that on the second days goose chase but he was on a mission. And maybe one of my calls was off key???

We actually encountered 2 bulls the year before in a different state that were really cruising and sounding off at the same time. Both came over the same saddle mid morning about half hour apart. We tried calling to them, but somehow, they walked faster than we did!

These bulls that are travelers.....!

[WapitiTalk1]

My hindsight was that maybe I should have stayed in one spot and just made him talk now and again and let my shooter circle him.

Yes, another good option! If cover/concealment are available, its a good idea to move a bit as the caller (side to side, forward and backward) to simulate realism. On the rare occasion I come across a calling hunter in my areas, they're usually easy to make as hunters as they never move!

[Elkhunttoo]

I think spot on with backing up a bit with the caller...we found a lone bull right before the end of legal shooting light. He held up at about sixty and even though there was still a few minutes of legal light it was getting darker in the timber. I went to back up and my wife was having none of me leaving her by herself with this bull screaming at us ... when legal light was done we started back down the mountain, we went a few hundred yards and this bull in the dark and quite as a mouse fired off a bulge from about 40 yards behind us. He was about 80 yards from us when we started back out and followed us all the way down the mountain. My wife looked at me and gave her hunting quote of the year "talk about puckering your butt cheeks" ... just from our sound of walking he followed us right down the mountain.

[Elkhunttoo]

Good topic by the way

[N2mywake]

we've had some similar situations where the bull would sound off but continue up the mountain and we couldn't do anything to convince him otherwise. On my last hunt once we got within 100 I would sound off at his bugles and try to mimic his sounds to agitate him. once I felt like I had him fired up I would go silent like hunting a turkey, sometimes that was enough, others I would rake tree's and sometimes that is enough. I seem to stay pretty active moving my call location trying to pull the bull to the shooter. but again i'm certainly no expert.

[ElkNut1]

Tigger, sounds like you were working a bull that had been pressured by another hunter before you? He'd seen that rodeo before!

1 - Working a pressured bull!

2 - When you moved closer cow calling he was calling you to him, you didn't show like a real cow would have. When you guys did go forward you were in sneak mode, real cows do not do that!

2 - He had a couple cows most likely.

3 - He moved away because he didn't want a confrontation, you both bugled & cow called to him, this represents a "Stay Back Or Else--Warning"!

4 - He or one of his cows saw your buddy at that 40 yard mark, he may have caught movement & considered it a threat!


At any rate this bull needed to be worked with playing on his curiosity & desires, it is evident regardless of the date that there were no cows in estrus in his area or you would have had multiple bulls bugling for the hot cows attention. This being the case you would have better results being subtle & having lots of patience as you allow things to develop. You planted the seed very well, you then needed to slowly water it & that bull will come your way in most cases. You need to think like an elk here not an impatient hunter wanting instant results like the last hunters this bull had messed with! (grin)

Next time play on the bulls curiosity! As you cow call a non rutting bull stay at that 100yd or so distance & give a couple low volume mews a hair longer than a social mew. You may have to give 3-4 sets of two or three mews one minute apart from one another before he responds. When he does you've got the hook in his mouth, don't jerk the rod yet! (grin) Wait one or two minutes & call back the same way with the low mews from your same position, this lets him know you haven't moved, this is good! A bull can play with you back & forth for 20-30 minutes easily but stay patient he will come! Here's where you set the hook! After 10 minutes or so of being in that spot start to retreat slowly away from the bull, as you do crack sticks & rustle brush or whatever is nearby, you will also give very low whines that most hunters would have to strain to hear! Don't worry the bull will hear them. Slowly move away calling as you do, take a full minute to wander back 50 yards or so as you continue to rustle things painting a picture in the bulls eyes you are losing interest in him & leaving. Once at that 50 yd mark hold there for 30 seconds or so & give 4-5 mews in that 30 second period. If alone scoot back silently where the bull heard you give your 1st cow call, that's where he will show up, don't call anymore, be patient & confident he'll sneak in.

If two hunters, then the shooter will stay at the original calling spot as the caller moves away calling as described above, the caller can continue out to 70-80 yards or so mewing softly now & then showing the bull her new location, most bulls can't take it & come over to catch up, some can bugle there way to you but most do not! This works great on non-rutting bulls!

Here are 3 bulls that I called for my son in the last 4 years with this exact calling strategy! These are OTC DIY bulls!

ElkNUt1

[Tigger]

Thanks Paul! How would you handle it if he started moving away from you? It is hard to remember exactly how it all played out in the beginning, but I think he may have been moving away a little.

So lesson learned, I will try your approach next time. But riddle me this, once involved in this cat and mouse/chase-the-bugle game, is there any tricks for an hour or so into it?

[Swede]

Here is my take on the situation. I started to post this a couple of days ago, but after writing a response, the internet server quit on me. Anyway I accepted the idea the bull was alone. That is not uncommon.
The following was what I had to post the other day. Hope it gives you another take on what you could do.

This situation you describe is quite common. The bull won't come. You told him you were a bull with cows. He was alone and he has already had a confrontation with a bull with cows. Your satellite bull in question doesn't want another experience like it. He doesn't mind talking with you, but believes when you advance toward him you will cause him some pain. As long as you are 100 yards away everything is fine.
If the bull had tried to call your cow(s) in, you could have challenged him. Otherwise I would have left the bugle alone and just cow called and not chased after him.

The same scenario plays out around water holes. When you hear a bull bugle off in the distance, stay quiet. Most likely the bull will come in for water or to wallow. Just be ready.

[ElkNut1]

Tigger, it appears you are hunting elk that others have been working or harassed or you yourself are pressuring them different days? When a bull leaves an area because you called to him there is a reason for that. Either you were seen or winded or he's been hunted in a similar fashion so is getting very wise. With that bull I'd leave the area & look for another if I felt there was little chance with him, a lot would depend on his attitude & why he left!

If working a bull for an hour especially with cow calling it's possible he is still heading towards his destination, it depends on time of day. With that said it's common to get to a bull's bedding area & stay back from him 150 yards or so where he may be bedding. If the bull is alone or has cows he could bed them down & come back looking for you. Do not do any bugling, stay there & call softly off & on for 5-10 minutes, you are just talking not trying to get excited with the calling here & call him to you, you're just letting him know you are staying right there. After the 10 minutes move up 40 yards & do not make a sound, that bull or possibly another that also heard you could show up to check you out or hook you up, that's your chance! Don't get impatient this can take 5 minutes or 45 minutes!

ElkNut1

[saddlesore]

Here in Colorado where there are multitudes of hunters tooting anything, everything, and anytime, those bulls pretty much get the idea that there are non elk doing it. It takes a real hot bull to over come that. Most,if they have few cows, will move away. Even cows get the same way.I am real careful of what I call and how often. Most will circle around and come in quiet if they come at all. My experience only though.

[bowhuntermojo]

That sounds like a great strategy ElkNut1. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading your posts and felt as though I have learned a lot as far as elk hunting/calling goes.

Thank you.