Big Bulls returning "home"

[POk3s]

Just wondering if any of you elk nuts have any insight on this.

I actually just posted a reply in "oct advice" that kind of hit on this but wondering if big bulls will return to a place the next year after they've been pushed out. What I mean by this is, I hunted this big 340" bull for 3 or 4 days. Careful not to push him out of the country but he did bust me twice. The first time I got to loose an arrow at him as I was 10 yards away when he figured something wasn't right. He ran out in front of me and I misjudged the yardage when I cow called to stop him, and sailed my arrow underneath him. Very heartbreaking....BUT even though he saw me, the next day I found him about 300 yards away from there. I'm guessing he went into hiding in the nearest thickest jungle and didn't move until the next night. That night he never said a word but I saw him on the way back to my truck of all things and he thundered down the mountain.

He went to the next ridge and holed up again, as I found him 2 days later. I never blew him out of that spot and was with 70 yards for about 4 hours. Just could never sneak my way in.

I didn't go back the rest of bow season (this was second week of september) but had a hunch I knew where he was going to be on the rifle opener. I was 100% correct but found him after he had moved off of the meadows and we were both in the same patch of timber. I couldn't get a shot off and he ran off. After that I would hear stories of people chasing him all over hell. I'd ask somebody how they did and the response was, "Well we got a cow, BUT YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN THIS MONSTER BULL WE SAW SPRINTING ACROSS THE RIDGE!".....or something of the likes. More than a handful of people saw him, but they saw him on a dead run.

Just wondering if anybody thinks that bull will be back to his summer range where he felt safe for so long, or will he move to greener pastures?? I will have a trail cam set up but this guy was very much a home body. He didn't move hardly at all if he wasn't pressured. He's just one of those bulls where I won't be surprised if I don't get any pictures of him all summer but all of the sudden there he is.(hoping anyway)

Thanks guys for your input!

[jmez]

He'll go back IMO.

[Indian Summer]

Home is home. He'll be back.

[Fridaythe13th]

Nope you chased him to my neck of the woods in Idaho, I hope. I'm sure he well be back

[ishy]

I think it is that much more likely since he is a bigger bull that he'll be back. Smaller bulls...not so sure, but a dominant animal should be back. One of the herd bulls I have four years on camera at the same wallow.

[POk3s]

Cool! That is what I was hoping to hear. I had never seen him before until this year. The bull with all the cows the year before was a big 5 point. Probably scoring 270-280 or so. I spent a couple days chasing that big 5 as well only for him to be shot on opening day of rifle season. As much as that 340" bull glunked around last year, I figured I would've at least heard him. It's possible that he was there all along I suppose. Overthinking it in April I guess. If he's there he's there, if he's not he's not. Guess I'll find out when the time is right!