Elk Tactics 101 - Episode #4

[WapitiTalk1]

Date/Time: 10 SEPT/8:40 AM
Location: Somewhere in the elk woods (you’re on a backcountry hunt)
Hunt Pressure Status: Minimal but you have ran into one other team of two in this remote area; they said they would probably not be back in there again till much later in the month
Terrain: Rolling hills in a large basin; a few large aspen stands, some large fir stands, and some natural meadow systems
Tag: Archery season; branched bull only
With the elk being so quiet for your first four days of your seven day hunt, you’ve decided to set up with your partner and do an advertising sequence to see if you can create some interest. You (the caller) are set up back in the direction of the yellow arrow about 45 yards; your partner (shooter) is set up down from the red arrow about 25 yards; and the wind at this moment in time is breezing in the direction of the blue arrow. Your raking/bugling/stomping is met with silence for ten minutes… until, you detect movement back to your right and within seconds, this fine fellow stops where he stands now and looks back at your partner who is at full draw. Although your team has the wind, and, the shooter is blending in well with the vegetation he is kneeling in front of, there is no clean shot. After a few seconds, the bull quarters bit to his right and walks directly away from the shooter at the same time the shooter let’s off of his draw.

What do you do here to turn this situation around and potentially get a shot at this bull?

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[longbowelk]

I would try another call and tree raking sequence to see if he comes back one more time.

[welka]

Been there, pained that! Let him walk away maybe a 100 yards, try to have the shooter move up a little, and then caller should let out a cow mew and a spike squeel if needed if he doesn't respond to the mews. The bull knows the last stationary spot he was at was a "safe spot" and might come back. Another option would be to have caller start to walk away (assuming out of sight) and mew and you might be able to pull him back into better shot position. Good episode!

[Lefty]

After his first steps forward Im crunching something on the ground,maybe just arranging myself as a caller in a more comfortable position switching knees, not a lot of noise just some. Followed by a cow or calf mew, thrown behind me with the expectation he stops and turns offering a shot