What Should You Do? Episode 2

[WapitiTalk1]

Allright.. It's here. The fall elk season has finally came around! You've planned your second ever trip to the elkwoods, you're buddy bought in and is on board, the OTC tags have been purchased, you've driven the 2316.91 miles from (name your town), Alabama.. You've practiced your calling until you're pretty dang good with locater bugles, challenge screams, and you're feeling very good about your cow and calf sounds.. The drive out was painfull, anticipating your second archery elk hunt and at long last, you've arrived... stepping into the elk woods for the first time. You and your buddy leave camp and hit the access trail and climb close to 2 miles before you take a hard right and stop on the finger ridge that looks down over the 1/4 mile wide (insert state here) basin you've looked at 100 times on GE and perused over the hard copy 7.5 minute USGS maps you've had for almost a year. You and your buddy stand there for a few minutes, that golden time right before the sun actually comes up over the eastern skyline, taking in what is truly God's country.. You throw out your first locator bugle and "holy crap".. a bull answers you with a locater back. At this time of the morning, the thermals are moving steadily down and will do so for the next several hours at a minimum. The bull seems to be directly below you on the sidehill several hundred yards. What's your initial plan of attack to get close enough to get a shot?

[Swamp Buck]

What time of year? What stage of Rut?

[WapitiTalk1]

What time of year? What stage of Rut?

16 September, 2014.

[Swamp Buck]

This has happened many times, not only in the AM but the PM. I am curious how you would attack it differently from AM to PM?

I am going to circle back down the ridge a little, then go strait down. My buddy can stay put and perhaps in about 15 min or so give another shout out so I can keep tabs on the bull. Once at a even elevation with the bull I stalk him, keeping a close eye out for any cows. I will also assume that he is moving his herd up the drainage so I will be dogging them. If the bull keeps moving up my buddy keeps up on the ridge to keep him talking. If I get close and they just keep moving I may pull out a cow call to act like a straggler that he will need to come and get to catch up. How aggressive I get will depend on time of year and how much time I have left in the hunt along with other hunter pressure. If Sept. 16th, I would wait until the next day so I could shoot him on my birthday.

Great topics, these will really help hunters to see other options and think before they act in the field. These discussions are what separates this site from ALL the rest.

[Trophyhill]

I like what Swamp Buck says. ALl of it

[Toby]

I would circle so he couldn't wind me, then drop down to his elevation. If I have him pretty well pinpointed I would have the shooter move up ahead of the caller 30-40 yards and try to get within 100 yards, then have the caller throw out a couple cow calls. If he bugles back at the cow calls, I would either continue to cow call so the shooter could stalk in for a shot or throw a challenge bugle at him.

[Fridaythe13th]

[quote="Swamp Buck"]This has happened many times, not only in the AM but the PM. I am curious how you would attack it differently from AM to PM?

. If the bull keeps moving up my buddy keeps up on the ridge to keep him talking. quote]


I agree with this, but if your buddy is on the ridge it's the thermal going down to the elk. or since he is bugling when you are above him it must be fine.
How far can elk smell? That sound like a new subject.