What would you have done?

[mjblowers]

Here I am again, with another scenario of "I just missed..."

Busy first day, lots of movement, chatter, sightings --- I think that weather helped.

Anyways, scouting paid off this year and they were right where I was hoping they'd be with the only difference being there were 3 bulls. I'm coming down into the bottom of this ravine where there's a nice creek. I had heard some cow mews coming from down there about 20 min prior and we thought we'd jump down on them and see what's up. As we near the bottom which is about 200-300 yards away, we hear two different bugles and think they are both at the bottom, or at the very least, the bottom part of the opposite ridge connecting into this ravine.

One bull seems to be screaming, and right as we hear it, a Spike ghosts in front of us from behind a tree and we are frozen. Then a cow. They stare at us for a good 3 or so minutes and kind of wander off. The other bull is still screaming, not a location bugle or anything (from what I can tell) so I'm thinking (that's odd, it seems early for fighting) but I let one blare anyways thinking he's wanting to tango. My buddy was letting off some mews behind me a good 50 yards.

They don't sprint off or anything but you can hear them gradually bugle their way out of the ravine. I would have originally wanted to sneak a peak at them but with that satellite and the cow on the outskirts and in between us and the other ones bugling like that I was afraid I was going to get busted. Needless to say, ended up passing on the spike and not seeing one of the other two bulls as they just went away...

What would you have done to get in close on those other bulls?

[Tigger]

I am thinking he might have been trying to call the cow you saw to him. Then your buddy mewed and he was probably trying to call that cow too. When you bugled, I am wondering if he wasnt in the mood to fight and just let you have the cows. I think I would have not tried the bugle as he was already pretty interested in the cow calls (I am not sure on the timing of your buddy mewing vs your bugle though).

What I do think is obvious from what you have shared is he was undoubtedly a 400"+ bull!

[zpd307]

if it was thick enough, why not cow call and head right towards the bull? sure the 2 might have run off, but the bull doesn't know why. and the noise that you would be making would be consistent with cows coming in eagerly.

[WapitiTalk1]

Sweet first morning action Mike! Kind of sounds like the bull you heard was screaming at his small group to gather up and "head em up and move em out". Not sure if he winded you decending down the hill towards him/them, or, if he heard you guys moving thinking you were elk, or, if it was just time to move from feed to bed. This early in the rut, they are in the gathering up their harem phase and there are not many if any cows coming into their estrus cycle. I probably would have ensured I had the wind after "clearing" the spike/cow obstacle, and just used some sweet, a bit whiny, cow sounds to perhaps get the herd bull to ask for you to come over then as Gary mentioned, move towards the bull for a visit. That may or may not have stopped his departure (and quite possibly brought a satellite in to your location to pick up this lonely cow) but possibly worth a try. After that, I probably would have stayed with the herd's movement and followed them to their bedroom.

[mjblowers]

Sounds like I should have shut my mouth or stuck to the cow calling... which is what I thought after the fact.

I did have wind with me but it was not good cover at all. I get so concerned with not acting quick enough that I get on the bugle too quickly, too often. Blaaaaaaaaaaaah

[mjblowers]

@Tigger or anyone else - just had a thought - how do you discern between him screaming at cows or him screaming at bulls?

[Wyo67]

What Phantom said is probably true... The bull was most likely gathering up his cows to move them up. Once you challenged him, he packed up and left. You might have been too far out to challenge him. Need to be in his kitchen. So far as the spike and cow, I'm assuming they didn't wind you if they just wandered off. So, once you cleared them, it probably would've been a good idea to continue to silently sneak in on the herd and hopefully cut them off. Cow calling could have worked, but again, I think you would've had to have been much closer than 200-300 yards. That bull isn't going to leave his harem just to pickup a single cow that far away.

[Wyo67]

@Tigger or anyone else - just had a thought - how do you discern between him screaming at cows or him screaming at bulls?

Best way I can describe it is when he's rounding up his cows, it more like a short and not quite as high-pitched as a locater bugle. If he's screaming at another bull to stay away, it's more aggressive with growls/grunts and a lot of emotion.

[zpd307]

I am no expert, but researching and my experience in Idaho last year taught me that elk tolerate a lot of noise..... so as long as you don't let them smell you, and try to stay hidden while making it, you are golden.

[mjblowers]

I am no expert, but researching and my experience in Idaho last year taught me that elk tolerate a lot of noise..... so as long as you don't let them smell you, and try to stay hidden while making it, you are golden.

If there is 1 take away I've learned from coming here it is that it's ok to make (smart) noise, and I agree with you 100%.

[zpd307]

my first 2 years I treated elk like deer and was afraid to make any noise when they were near. last year I stepped up and was amazed at how close I could get! I have also watched a bunch of elk vids showing herd behavior. I was surprised to see that if you elk became alarmed, that the rest of the herd didn't just immediately blow out of the area....