Situation Help

[MLayden]

Hey guys - lurker here...been bow hunting for elk a few years and have gotten more serious about it this year (fly fishing takes a back seat now)

Made it out opening day with my hunting partner. Had a few bulls respond to our locator bugle first thing so we closed the gap on them quick. Wind was in our favor most of the day.

Once we were 100 yards away we gave another locator bugle, immediate response. We waited 20 min or so, and gave him another locator. He came back with a challenge bugle, so we moved in closer(+/- 70 yards). Partner was stationed 20 yards in front of me, and I hit him with a challenge bugle. Immediate challenge bugle back. I started stomping and raking the trees around from me, and the bull did the same. But the bull wouldn't budge from his spot. We gave him about 25 minutes and I hit him with another challenge bugle. He bugled back but sounded like he pushed away some more so we thought we should get on him again and began to close the gap. This situation happened a few times with this bull throughout the morning, until it hopped over a fence into freedom (solid 6x6). My bugle wasn't as big as what he was, and we don't think I sounded a small as a spike...good middle ground we thought, but we couldn't get him to come in...

Our thoughts on if this were to happen again. Caller stays back and calls just like we did, and shooter works his way around to get in a shooting position. Or should I have screamed at him, and headed straight at him closing the distance while the shooter lead? Again wind was in our face in each situation...

Any advice??

On another note. I called in a spike within 30 yards, had 3 calves come into 5 yards and chirping in my face, and had 2 cows come within 10 yards and stare at me for a while! Not a bad opening day in my books!

[mjblowers]

I'm not about to claim I'm an expert, but I'd say the area that you "messed" up on (sometimes they just Hang up and there isn't an answer) is waiting 25 minutes at 75 yards. I think more action should have been taken, if nothing else moving in another 20 yards and screaming again and doing that within minutes of his prior response.

That's my two cents. Can't beat yourself up too much. Hindsight is always 20/20. For all you know he could have been sprinting at you as you tried to close that small gap and caught you moving.

[Relentlessly Unforgiving]

Sounds like an action packed opener for you guys! Sounds like you we're very patient with this bull which I am not very good at. When he was raking you might of had a chance of the shooter moving in on him. From what I read it looks as though he was interested in your bugles. Maybe level one of the threat would work, as you pose to have hooked a nice cow!

[ElkNut1]

Mitch, welcome to the Forum bud! Please read this info here at this link, some will apply & some will not, but there is excellent info in there to digest & will help you out on your next similar encounter! As a tip though, once contact is made with your location bugle & you move forward to the bull do not use the location bugle any longer instead imitate the sounds you are hearing from the bull. Remember too, most bulls do not want to fight but they will defend, give them a reason where a physical appearance is needed. It could have been once you got inside a 100yds to give some low volume pleading cow sounds, once the bull responds cut him off with your own challenge bugle. If the bull becomes enraged then game on, he will come. If he shuts down with your bugle go back & stay with the cow sounds & go right to him with good cover so as not to be seen or smelled. The Call & Stalk is another method that you asked about & it too can be one to be considered. Look at this info here in the Tip & Clips Forum! viewtopic.php?f=11&t=27

ElkNut1

[MLayden]

Perfect. Thanks for the input guys and the welcom. Will try some of those techniques if the situation comes up again!

Will be tough to have as good as opener as that for a while I think!

Was out yesterday. Got busted by a 6x6 and 10 cows as we where trying to get around them and get the wind in our favor...bad luck/bad mistake as they started heading out into a field as we came around the corner.

We have been seeing the bigger bulls already with some cows this year...hoping it's more just pre-rut activity and things get back to "normal" soon!

Best of luck everyone!

[MLayden]

Update: Been hunting hard every sat-mon since this happened. Had seen very few elk. Had a day of rain here, and potential with frost. So I called in sick from work to head out.

Climb up on top of a ridge and slide into the timber and let a location bugle go. Immediate response. Sounded about 100 yds away, so I my game plan was to quickly move up. Move out of my cover spot around the tree and move 20 yards along the ridge. Spot said bull behind some fallen timber at 60 yds! (his head was hidden). Slide into some cover out of few from the bull, range a few spots and nock an arrow. Started stomping the ground and raking a tree, knowing full well he could pin point where I was but my cover was good so I thought it would be ok. Bull stops moving (still behind the timber, no view of antlers) I point my tube straight up into the air (as noted in one of Elknuts threads) and give a challenge bugle. Bull hangs around for about two minutes and meanders off. Wind was headed down the slope and the other side was wide open. Tried to slide down wind on the slope and attempt to do some soft cow calls to get a response, but he's gone.

Many leasons learned that day. One - hunting solo is a hard game to play. Two - give the bull a bit of time before you move to see what he's doing. Think he was coming towards me intially. (Previous experience above we waited too long) Three - I believe I may have sounded too big with my challenge and he didn't want the confrontation.

Back out in the same lease on Monday...this time with my hunting partner.

View atop ridge:

photo.JPG (34.31 KiB) Viewed 4838 times

[Vanish]

Three - I believe I may have sounded too big with my challenge and he didn't want the confrontation.

That's along the lines of what I was thinking before I even got there. If the bull is alone, he has no cows to fight over. Why would he even respond to a challenge?

[MLayden]

Archery only season ended Oct 25th. After climbing up and down mountains for two months every chance we got, we hadn't connected on anything.
Following weekend once rifle opened up, my hunting partner headed to a trail 10 minutes from his truck and had this guy walk by broadside at 30 yards...told him had we not put in the effort all season he wouldn't of had this opportunity...

[BRazz]

Congratulations!! What a great end to a season - way to work for it!

[Swede]

Nice bull. Way to go.

[Triplebhunters]

That's awesome. Some gratification there!!!