Elk Tactics 101 - Episode #9

[WapitiTalk1]

Date/Time: 15 September 2016/4:00 PM
Location: Somewhere in the elk woods
Hunt Pressure Status: Minimal
Hunt: Partner hunt today
Tag: Archery season; any bull (both partners have un-notched tag)

After a death march hunt this morning into a deep, steep draw to your right from where you sit (east), you've crawled your way back up to this natural meadow where you perch just off the edge in the timberline to grab a quick bite before you head in the direction of camp to your left (west). There are some very good spots on your way back to camp (which are closer to camp from your current position by about a mile) that you plan on hitting while hunting out of this area. After sitting here pretty quietly for 1/2 hour resting your bones and chowing down, it's time to get up and start the hunt out towards camp. While gearing up, you start hearing cow mews across the 100 yard wide meadow on the timbered hillside and obviously, the group of elk that are now pouring into the meadow to your front (north) are done with their siesta and have decided on an early dinner time. The game plan at this particular point in time is to .............? Oh, now you hear two bulls raking and having a heated conversation beyond the cows in the timber. Game plan?

Reminder that if you save the picture to your desktop and open in MS Paint, you'll be able to place a spot, X, or whatever on the critter before you save it back to a jpg or png and add the marked up pic with your post.

[Lefty]

Wow a lot going on here.Most of you shouldn't follow my splan. But this is the way I would play it.
Im waiting3-5 minutes to see what the bulls are up too.
So many variables
, I might hustle downwind and cross the meadow, then head for the herd, the winds is still good. I expect the cows will extend out into the meadow further. Eventually the bulls will follow. I figure I can be noisy on my approach so I can move fast.
As I move in Ill look for the two trouble makers, maybe stalk in while they are busy playing tough guy.
Im wont be in a hurry to call, but eventually will if the bulls aren't stalk-able
If they are feeding and moving a totally different play

[Swede]

There is some good cover along side of the meadow on the far side. I would circle the meadow downwind and work back fairly close (estimate 60-70 yards) toward where the bulls were having their conversation. There I would rake a tree and stomp around a little while my partner moved in a little closer for a shot opportunity. If the raking did not produce, then I would give a short nonthreatening bugle. A cow call might be a good option in this situation, but I would go with the raking and a bugle.

[Tigger]

My inclination is always to start with a cow call. It seems that is never a wrong choice if they do not know you are there and are relaxed (correct me if I am wrong!). After circling around down wind and stalking as close as possible (60-70 yards), I would give a soft cow call. Then if nothing happens, I would get whinier and more impatient. Still nothing? I might rake and stomp. Then if nothing shows, ramp it up with some bugling.

[lamrith]

Skamper off stage right and hustle downwind and around. Knowing chuckleheads are in the woods, I would want my poison arrow decoy out as I hoof it over there. Once I get on the far side, in the trees and downwind I would have to re-evaluate where cows and bulls are situated and have caller and shooter split up and start a sequence.

Once there much would depend on the outcome or current situation with those other bulls. If setup allows I could see working to get between those bulls in the trees and the herd. Use the bulls bickering to keep their focus and mask your sneaking in. Then setup with the shooter downwind and maybe a little deeper into trees than the caller who is closer to the treeline and directly between the bulls and the herd. Then using one of Elknuts threat sequences with bull screams/chuckles and lots of varying tone cow in distress to simulate a new bull between the raging pair and the herd that is hooking and forcing some of the cows off. Both caller and shooter better be arrow nocked and ready, chances are one of the bulls is going to come racing in.