What is this Bull Telling You? #3

[Trophyhill]

Let's say it's sometime between the 15th and 30th of September. You've been hearing bugling all night keeping you awake. Before the first burst of the suns rays you are dressed and heading for the closest bugle. (Thermals are not an issue) as you work thru the timber on a ridge getting closer to the bugling chuckling bull you run out of cover and spot this bull pacing back and forth 100 yards or more from your location on a knob slightly higher than your elevation. Remember there are other bulls in ear shot bugling and carrying on. You cow call and he starts toward you and almost immediately does an about face and goes back to pacing this knob while bugling and chuckling with an occasional grunt. You repeat a cow call and the same thing happens. What is this bull conveying in your minds eye? And what's your next play?

[Elkonthebrain]

I'll try one. I would think he wants you to come to him with his chuckling. To get him over to me try the threat level three? Just a guess... I'm sure a decoy would help out a lot as well.

[ishy]

He's got cows and you are farther away than the ones he can see, hear and smell. He's inviting you to the party, but not giving up what he's already got. I think if there's no way to close the distance than having a caller slowly move back and increase the threat and after you might be dogging the heard once they start moving if he won't commit.

[Washington Wapiti]

Yep, he's inviting you to hang-out on the knob. My tactic? I'm just gonna let RJ call him in for me.

[Trophyhill]

Edit; this is a 340 or better dominant bull. Don't know if that will make a difference in your answers or not

[WapitiTalk1]

Trophy, what kind of bugles would you say the big fella is throwing out during this event? Challenge/warning bugles or perhaps shorter screams?

[Trophyhill]

Trophy, what kind of bugles would you say the big fella is throwing out during this event? Challenge/warning bugles or perhaps shorter screams?

Excited bugles w/chuckles and an occasional grunt while pacing the Knob

[Toby]

He wants you to come to him. I imagine he has been pestered by satellites all night and isn't going to put much distance between him and his cows. I'm going to back off and try to find a route with more cover to get close to him. If there isn't one, I will wait until he heads into timber and dog the herd.

[WapitiTalk1]

Yes sir, he really liked that smooth cow sound you threw at him but there is no frigging way he's leaving what he already owns. You didn't mention you saw or heard cows in the area of the bull but being a horse like that, he's "probably" got a small gaggle of them on the knob behind him (although it's a bit odd he's not in tighter with them, in tending mode, and out in the open singing his guts out). You mentioned he burped out a a few grunts (telling all others to pi$$ off and stay away), and, the chuckles tells me he's a wapiti playboy, trying to either call in you, other cows, or perhaps readying his small group for movement. Competition is fierce in this area for the attention and breeding rights of the available cows (lots of advertising and probably, challenging/warning bugles going on). It's pretty open between you and he.... what to do. I'm going at/to him by the best way possible, using available cover/concealment and try to get as close as I can to his cows, probably on the same elevation as he, and then... light him up with whiny, pitchy cow squeals and a loud "in your face" scream... Be ready to draw and shoot.

And Shawn, you're the caller, remember. I told you should wait and not shoot that 1X4 two days ago

[easeup]

just like RJ said, he's got his cows over the knob and he ain't letting them out of his sight. If you want that bull and not one of the pesky young raghorns, we have to go crowd him . I cant see what you see, but the plan has to involve getting in his face.

[Trophyhill]

Ok all, I can't take it anymore. I've got to spill my guts. This scenario actually happened on my very first elk hunt in 2008. There are a lot of very good answers here. A lot of you were very close with 1 winner.

So what happened was this. Keep in mind this was my first hunt. I was armed with a hoochie mama and a Carlton's Squeeze Me. I know, I know. No need say anything else about my calls lol but I did get a lot of responses with them and almost killed a giant bull a few days earlier that came running in to these calls only to hang up behind some dark timber tangle at 15 yards but that's another thread. I knew nothing about calling or elk for that matter nor had I heard of Elknut1.

So I'm driving up and down and up a logging road at 4am when a herd bull crosses in front of me at 10 yards and up the mountain. I drove down another 400 yards and parked the truck and cracked the window listening. I hit the elk jackpot because bugling was all over this mountain including coming from the direction from where that bull crossed in front of me. I remember thinking to myself while in the truck that I'm going to kill a big bull on my very first hunt! Positive attitude? Or false hopes?

So at about 5 I get out of the truck and work up onto the ridge moving slowly toward the closest screaming bull. I timed it just right. As it got light I found myself at about 100 yards from the Bull as described in the OP. After a few heart pounding moments, about 30 minutes of this bull responding to my Hoochie Mama by moving toward me from the knob and then back up to pace back and forth, ( no idea he has cows ) the bull leaves and his bugles are getting further away. Rory, there was no way to move in on this bull. No cover and the bull had full vision all around this knob.

Remember in the OP I mentioned a few grunts? So after stopping my knees from knocking I decide I'm gonna follow these elk and get back on them. I never heard the term "dog the herd" but that's what I was going to do because I know I wasn't seen or smelled. So I make my way up onto the knob and low and behold there's a different very large bull staring a hole thru me at 40 yards all alone. Before I could clip my release he bolted and I quickly realized that these animals are a lot more agile and quicker than I imagined they could be. Looking back there is no doubt in my mind that this second bull was the reason for those hard hitting grunts from the other bull and that this bull and his harem had indeed been pestered all night by this other bull which I think was the same bull that crossed in front of my pickup on the logging road earlier. Looking back I think I may have had a chance to kill that second bull had I stayed put.

I still had no clue as to what was going on in the elk world but that herd bull was still sounding off and getting further away so I followed. They had followed a tree line/50 yard wide clear cut and entered back into the timber about 1/2 mile away. By the time I got there they had settled down and the bull was still going nutz about 100 yards inside the timber. As soon as I got into the timber hot on his trail a big cow barked at me and it was thundering hooves moving away from me but this bull stayed very vocal as they were moving off. So I quickly moved back into the clear cut, moved up and over the next ridge and sidehilled, and paralleled the vocal elks direction of travel on the backside of this ridge. The elk had slowed and I was again getting close and then it happened. I had caught him with his pants down. I look to my left on the other side of a pine that concealed me and there he was, looking back and chuckling to his cows. I had no idea that this bull had cows back on the knob because I couldn't see them or hear them but found out he did have cows back by the clear it edge.


So anyway this is where it gets good. The bull has no idea I am there, I range him at 40 yards broadside, and I'm fixin to kill a very big bull at 40 yards. I had practiced this shot so much I could make it with my eyes closed. Then the unexpected or unexplained happens and something totally out of my control. As I clip my release and begin to draw my bow, 2 military jets from HAFB (Holloman Air Force Base) fly over just above tree top level very loud and very fast causing this bull to jump and turn and bolt out of my life forever before I could get to full draw.

Toby? You hit the nail on the head with your response! Great job! A lot of great responses here and some of them may have worked. Every time I see a thread like this I'm looking at it from a lone hunters perspective because that's what I do so please forgive me all you guys that hunt with partners.

Again great job Toby and if could give you a prize for hitting it on the head I would hey now there's an idea Paul <grin>

[Washington Wapiti]

Awesome story and action Trophy! Sorry, it played out the way it did. Why at that exact moment?? Kind of like the truck that came rolling down the forest service road and blew my shot on a blonde-phase black bear, that I was waiting out in my treestand. LOL

[Washington Wapiti]

And Shawn, you're the caller, remember. I told you should wait and not shoot that 1X4 two days ago

I know, I know . . . I tend to get a little paranoid and with an itchy trigger finger.

[Trophyhill]

Awesome story and action Trophy! Sorry, it played out the way it did. Why at that exact moment?? Kind of like the truck that came rolling down the forest service road and blew my shot on a blonde-phase black bear, that I was waiting out in my treestand. LOL

Lol well they say timing is everything......good or bad. The good Lord wanted me to have to earn my first bull which took a lot of hard work and finally happened in year 5 after taking several cows prior to that:)

[Washington Wapiti]

Awesome story and action Trophy! Sorry, it played out the way it did. Why at that exact moment?? Kind of like the truck that came rolling down the forest service road and blew my shot on a blonde-phase black bear, that I was waiting out in my treestand. LOL

Lol well they say timing is everything......good or bad. The good Lord wanted me to have to earn my first bull which took a lot of hard work and finally happened in year 5 after taking several cows prior to that:)

And I bet it was THAT much sweeter!

[Toby]

Wow, neat story, thanks for sharing. You are a great writer, you had me right there with you every step of the way. Got me pumped, how long until September?

[Trophyhill]

Awesome story and action Trophy! Sorry, it played out the way it did. Why at that exact moment?? Kind of like the truck that came rolling down the forest service road and blew my shot on a blonde-phase black bear, that I was waiting out in my treestand. LOL

Lol well they say timing is everything......good or bad. The good Lord wanted me to have to earn my first bull which took a lot of hard work and finally happened in year 5 after taking several cows prior to that:)

And I bet it was THAT much sweeter!

Oh you better believe it! After many close encounters/opportunities including a blown opportunity on an absolute giant Gila bull days prior, it was a feeling of "finally! It came together and I didn't screw this one up" if ya know what I mean. I still have a long ways to go but man I love this stuff! I enjoy getting people engaged in elk talk. I learn so so much I can't tell you. It's great therapy for me lol