What to do now? Situation #1

[WapitiTalk1]

It’s the third week in SEP and you and your hunting partner are working down and across a series of finger ridges on the side of XX Mountain in the Gem state. Its late afternoon and you know there will be elk in one of the smaller draws that run up and down the huge side hill you’re descending down and across, sweeping from south to north, as you hunt. Yep, a series of east/west flowing draws which means, you’re dropping down on all north facing slopes each time you crest a small ridge and descend. As you top each small ridge, you drop down a bit, set up and try to strike up some conversations with the indigenous population. After two of these endeavours with no results, you top the third finger ridge, listen for unsolicited elk sounds for a few minutes, then commence with setting up. You decide to start with a locater bugle for this set up. Well, all heck breaks loose. From a small semi- flat spot on the bottom of the draw (70 or 80 yards below and left) you hear immediate responses to your bugle from several cows! Across the draw, in a somewhat benchy area... two bulls sing back. One is a honker, who follows his challenge bugle with some hard hitting grunts. The big bull is approximately 100 yards across and down; the smaller bull seems to be directly across the draw. Well, you’ve just woke up the sleepy mountain side for sure. As you and your partner share a few, quick thoughts on how to proceed you hear immediate movement to your left 30 yards or so and hear a few calves nervously chirping. Below you to the left, momma elk has moved up the side hill a bit and is now really talking (come back down here young ones). This all happens in less than a minute. Well now you’ve done it, it seems like you’ve walked into a small herd that was on the move... seemingly, in your direction. You have calves to your left, a concerned cow down below you and to the left, several cows down to the left in the small flat bottom, and two bulls across the small draw. It’s very, very thick in this particular area (timbered but tons of 10-15 foot tall alder and large patches of huckleberry brush) but there is a small opening on the bottom of the draw where there are cows having a nervous conversation. From where you’re currently sitting, there are a few shooting lanes out to maybe 20 yards in a few directions going downhill. It’s so thick here that moving to the right and across the draw may be extremely unwise. I know, lots going on here.

Would you:


a. Drop the shooter in place, head back up the side hill 20-25 yards, do some raking and throw out some excited cow sounds followed by a scream?

b. Give the shooter a few minutes to get down to the small opening to set up. You’ll stay put and commence to throw out cow/calf talk, mixed with some screams and chuckles in an attempt to pull one of the bulls across your partner?

c. Phone a friend for advise (oops, no cell service here).

d. Don’t make another elk sound until you need a popping/nervous grunt. Split up, and try to sneak across the draw on elk trails through the alder to get close to the bull(s)?

What say you elk hunters? After a few post up their thoughts, I’ll tell you what I did a few September's back when I experienced this situation. My chosen course of action (not necessarily the best), resulted in my buddy drawing on the herd bull at 25 yards.

[Mike_Parson]

i am a total newbie here but, from what i remember in Elknut"s writings I would choose D. already enough sounds out there no reason to add to them, just sneak in and use a sound to stop a bull if its needed. just my .02 worth.

[Old school]

I would try "a" - figure you already have shooting lanes and a 20 yard shot, no use moving forward and risking busting the herd. And they were already moving your way to start with.

--Mitch

[Luckyman]

In tight already, thinking choice A

[Tigger]

calves at 30 yards, I cant risk moving much. I choose "A" cuz it takes you away from them (I think). The picture I am trying to make for the bulls is that the cows are nervous cuz there is a new bull in town (me). One of the best things I like about Elknuts playbook is the principle of trying to paint a picture for the bull. When you look at the situation through his eyes, you see it a bit differently sometimes. Paint that picture!

Make sure you let us know how this plays out in real life, I am on pins and needles wanting to know if he dropped the hammer!

[Swede]

Since they are moving in my direction, I would either stay in place and support my partner and wait to give a short bark to stop one in place, or move uphill a little ways and stay quite until I think some calling is going to help. I guess that is close enough to A.

[Mathewsz7-elkridge]

Never been elk hunting yet, but I would think a is the best choice. You already have nervous elk and you have some shooting out to 20 yards which in thick stuff it is probably only going to get worse. Unless you make it to that small openning. The heard bull is already upset. So calling his cows away is only going to make him see a brighter red. I might add a couple chuckles in the mix to really sell that I am here to steal a couple of his cows.

[ishy]

I'm starting with D, but probably not moving depending on the calves and nervous cow... and would soon follow with some A depending on what and where they go. If the cows make it past us, a solid threat might be in order.

[Swede]

I like Ishy's answer except for the elk are already moving toward me at a fast pace. Of coarse this is all hypothetical so anything may work, or not work in a theoretical world. If I chose D I would want to be even more careful not to be busted. The elk are coming rapidly, so your challenge is not to be caught moving or out in an open spot.
I remember the last time I tried to hurry things along. A large bull was going to pass by me at about 30 yards. I decided to move in closer while the bull was about 80 yards away. I still don't know how he saw me, but he was gone before I knew what happened. I still kick myself for not waiting. BTW: I think that was the bull Stringunner got a season later.

[WapitiTalk1]

Thanks for the discussion! I decided quickly to send my partner down towards the small clearing where I could hear a few cows chattering, including the momma (hanging somewhere between myself and the other cows) that was anxiously calling the two calves that were to my left. Kneejerk plan was to get my partner closer to the bulls, potentially on a path they would take to come see me. There was a lone elk trail in the tall alder (thick, but still a used travel route) heading down to the left towards the small clearing (maybe a 40X60 yard East to West opening 70ish yards below). Told my buddy to "go get em", meaning the bulls beyond where I believed the majority of the small group of cows were. I couldn’t see anything in the thickness of the alder jungle beyond 20 yards or so but heard plenty. I stayed somewhat in place, moving back and forth/up and down the hillside a bit, making excited cow mews, some calf chirps, kicked the crap out of some alder, stomped, screamed and chuckled over the course of 3- 5 minutes. The bulls continued to sound off, the cows did not bust and a few actually moved past my partner towards me (I guess I sounded sexy). My partner made it to the small clearing and had shooting lanes to his left and into the small clearing for some pretty clear shots, none over 40ish yards. The herd bull (decent 5X) finally couldn’t take it anymore and charged into the small clearing where a few of his girls were, on a pretty direct route towards me. My buddy drew back for this easy slam dunk shot and settled his pin on the bull's vitals, following it as it moved to the center of the clearing where it stopped broadside….. directly on the other side of a cow! No shot and the elk finally busted but it was an exciting hunt with my partner almost tagging his bull.

Edit: In hindsight, I certainly could have been more aggressive. It was a unique situation that the cows were on "this side" and the bulls, on the other side of the draw so I thought I could bring one or both of the boys over my way which actually somewhat occurred. I think I have a video posted somewhere showing me carrying on verbally with the elk while Joe crawled in. Perhaps, I was too interested in movie making and trying to get a bull to run in on camera and certainly could have taken the fight to them more directly. Fun hunt though.

[Mike_Parson]

Thank you so much for posting things like this. i really do learn a LOT from them.