Lunchtime Elk

[WapitiTalk1]

Was just thinking about the times I've sat down mid day to take a break and enjoy a mountain side snack. On occasion, I've thought it was a 'good' idea to throw out an elk sound with my guard down. A few times it has resulted in being surprised by either a silent visitor or a rude wapiti yelling back. Have you ever made this silly error in hunting protocol?

[Swede]

Absolutely. That is how I came to know that it is a huge mistake. I still remember the time I had a new hunter ask me to show how I make a bull sound. I gave out one short small bugle because as I told him we were getting close to where we would start hunting. In a couple of minutes he hears some crashing behind him and says, "what was that?" I said, " oh it was just a 5x5 bull elk." In disgust I retrieved my bow that was laying on a log about 20 feet away. We were both up and I said, "lets go". We walked a few yards and spooked a large herd. One big mistake like my first there, certainly deserved an encore finale.

[Trophyhill]

Yes and it cost me a chip shot at a broadside cow it only happened once. I'm a fairly quick study on things like that lol

[ishy]

Had many afternoon naps rudely shortened. Two spikes that made me drop a sandwich in the dirt once.

[elk.addict]

Oh yeah. Had it happen before, but the best was when we were taking a nap mid-day. I woke up around 1:00 (had been sleeping a couple hours), so I kicked my buddy to wake him up and said "hey, throw out a bugle for me". He did and we got an almost instant response from about 200 yards away! We were able to call the bull in but was winded in the end.

[Gypsumreaper]

I had one of the worst experiences doing that an it still haunts me to this day, now I don't take a leak without my bow right there. We worked a bowl after chasing a huge bull for a week straight he always jus was that one step finally we split up to try an get him to slip up, 2 lower an 2 higher workin the eastern side of the bowl where he loved to hang out. Well we made it through with no luck so to find the other 2 we began cow callin back an forth, as me an my brother worked down to my buddy and other brother we never had any answers besides each other. We got to about 40 yards of them an I tossed a small rock to get their attention wheny buddy turned around an told me to shut up cause he kept hearing something moving. Finally we worked down to them an talked for a little before startin to snack, I decided to walk up the hill about 30 yards looking for an arrow my brother shot into a tree goin for grouse. Suddenly I hear hooves bangin on logs and coming closer, I cow called a couple of times and was about to slip outa my shoes to move down to my bow and boom there he was. He slipped up at the worst time 20 yards broadside he had me pinned . I sat back behind a small tree an got the others attention an was telling them where to look but they couldn't see him. We stared down for about 2 minutes before he just trotted off around me an never seen him again...,, did he slip up or did he know I messed up. So never leave ur now where you can't grab it very easily

[Washington Wapiti]

Haven't had the pleasure of this one yet! Hopefully, now not ever. Like Gypsumreaper, there isn't much I do without making sure my bow is close. The times I've been 20, 30 feet or so from it, I've gotten nervous knowing that anything can show up "all of a sudden."

[pd]

Yes. This happened just six months ago. General season, rifles, those with tags were good for any bull, everybody else spikes only. I was there to help only (carried the rifle just in case I saw a nice Smokey). There was another guy (looking for spikes) in the party--we were teamed up, looking for elk.

I wasn't really sure where the other hunter was (within 200 yards or so), but I knew the general direction. We had been at it since Dark O'Clock, and it was Noon or so by this time. I sat down (looking down a draw), enjoying my peanut butter & butter sandwich (God himself decided this is the best sandwich in the world, you know), rifle to my side. Suddenly, to my left and above, I hear footsteps (hoof steps), and instinctively draw up to see what I can see. Broadside to me, perhaps 30 yards away, I catch only the flank of a large bull. To this day, I am not sure if he was a pointed bull or a spike, I never saw his head.

Within 30 seconds or so, the other hunter comes crashing through the brush, towards me. I am standing by that time, sandwich in one hand rifle in another, and I ask, "Did you see that bull?" He answers, "Yes, but I couldn't tell if he was legal or not, I was ready to shoot until you busted him."

Huh? I was eating a peanut butter sandwich. That bull never saw/heard/smelled me.

[itsnlkthing]

Last year I was hunting hard from before light until about 10am. I stopped in a nice spot, got out my jet boil and made some oatmeal and coffee. Had breakfast and packed everything back up in my pack. I put my pack on and slung my rifle over my shoulder to hike over to the next area I planned to explore. Before I got 40 yards from my breakfast spot I bust 2 nice bulls out of their beds and they're gone before I can even get my rifle off my shoulder. I managed to stop them briefly with a cow call but not where I had a shot. That was a hard lesson to always be ready and always be looking. I just assumed that nothing was near me and let down my guard.

[Indian Summer]

Did somebody say lunchtime elk? One of my favs... elk brazoles!

elkbrazole.jpg (38.13 KiB) Viewed 3539 times

My brothers first bull: Him and a buddy napping on a hillside on the Bitterroot throwing out the occasional cow call. Doug hears a twig snap loud enough to wake him. Then hoof beats. He was smart enough to keep his bow between his knees. He was always one to keep an arrow nocked at all times. His buddy had his bow leaning against a tree.... 10 feet away. He looks at his bow and Doug gives him the "move and I'll shoot you" look. The 4 by 5 walks right in to 15 yards and Doug drills him perfectly broadside and he goes down in 35 yards.

Year before last Welka... a member hear was a client and him and another great guy Northwoods were napping when the hoofbeats alerted them of elk. Next thing they knew a 5 point bull nearly walks over them.

Had a client from Arizona who never got very far from camp. One day only a half mile out he sits on a big boulder and starts eating a PB&J sandwich and calls a bit. First a big 5 by 5 mulie bucks walks by. He was kicking himself for not buying a deer tag. Said he wasn't even done yelling at himself when he hears hoofbeats. Within 30 seconds he sees a rack coming his way, puts his sandwich down on the boulder and drill a 5 point bull.

Lunchtime elk... it's what's for dinner.

[Elkduds]

On 2 occasions during rifle hunts, I had elk join me for lunch, both during rifle season. In the first, I was walking back to grab lunch from the atv rack. A cow strolled across the sage clearing I was walking through. I knelt and scoped her, could see just a little back and her head between the tall sagebrush, didn't shoot though I had a cow tag. In the other I was walking in aspens along the edge of a clearing on a ridge, to sit on the saddle at the ridgetop and have lunch. I heard something trotting up the ridge behind me, saw movement and dropped to my knees. I found dark hair in the scope as the cow spotted me, spun on her heels and ran back where she came from. That time I did shoot, and got to spend the afternoon hauling meat.

[wawhitey]

Not as it relates to elk but a number of years ago I did call in an animal without being ready for it. First time I ever put a rabbit distress squeaker to my lips I had no expectations of success. I blew the thing for a minute then stood up to piss. As soon as I had my hand full a coyote almost ran me over full tilt running. Was a visual barrier on the line he was coming in and we couldn't see each other until he was very close. Well he put on the brakes hard and we kind of looked at each other with our shocked and stupid faces for a second before I grabbed for my gun the second he peeled off in reverse. We both learned a lesson that day