collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: Herd Bull or Satellite?  (Read 6554 times)

Offline WapitiTalk1

  • Forum Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (+9)
  • Old Salt
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2011
  • Posts: 7439
  • Location: Wet Side, Rainier, WA
  • Groups: RMEF, NRA, US Army (R)
Herd Bull or Satellite?
« on: June 27, 2016, 09:18:35 AM »
Something to spark elky discussion......  8)

Without a visual, how do you determine if that answer you receive (or heard unsolicited) is a herd bull or a satellite? Your tactics and calling may very well be different, even starting from a distance, for a herd bull versus a satellite bull. What are you thoughts on how to determine, from a distance, by perhaps sound or actions alone whether a bull is a dominant herd bull or a lone, herd harassing satellite bull?
« Last Edit: June 27, 2016, 09:24:26 AM by Phantom16 »
Darton Archery Maverick II
Traditions Vortek StrikeFire Smoke Pole
Weatherby VG-2 Boomstick
"Poking at a campfire with a stick is one of life's great satisfactions." Patrick F. McManus

Offline Dhoey07

  • Trade Count: (+7)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Sep 2011
  • Posts: 3274
  • Location: Parts Unknown
    • No Facebook for this guy
Re: Herd Bull or Satellite?
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2016, 09:30:13 AM »
Maybe it's part of my problem but........

If I hear a bull, unsolicited or not, I'm planning on closing the distance between me and him in the best way possible. 

Offline kentrek

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2012
  • Posts: 3379
  • Location: west coast
Re: Herd Bull or Satellite?
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2016, 09:32:19 AM »
Herd bulls don't bugle....they roar

They also have the power with one roar to completely shut up a drainage.....they always win the vocals

I prefer to challenge herd bulls

Offline TheHunt

  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Sep 2007
  • Posts: 6238
  • Location: Western Washington
Re: Herd Bull or Satellite?
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2016, 09:32:45 AM »
It depends on where you are hunting.  In an area that is hunted hard the bulls do not survive longer than 4 years old with the majority being 3 years old the pitch will be higher.  So tone is very much a hit or miss.  But if the bull is moving toward you with cow calls it typically is a satellite.  But if the bull is staying put it is typically the herd bull.  Unless it is laying in his bed and not interested in getting up. 

In Washington on an open unit in Western Washington that the unit is hunted hard any branch antlered bull without hoof rot is a good bull.  Getting a herd bull is a little different. 

Here is a satellite that came running in and it traveled about 600 yards to get to me. 


Here is a herd bull that stayed with his cows.


Here is another that stayed with his cows.
« Last Edit: June 27, 2016, 09:49:10 AM by TheHunt »
275 down 2

Offline CP

  • Trade Count: (+6)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Mar 2008
  • Posts: 6453
  • Location: Mukilteo
Re: Herd Bull or Satellite?
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2016, 09:33:56 AM »
It usually turns out to be another hunter.

Offline TheHunt

  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Sep 2007
  • Posts: 6238
  • Location: Western Washington
Re: Herd Bull or Satellite?
« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2016, 09:36:30 AM »
It usually turns out to be another hunter.

Very true...
275 down 2

Offline piledup

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Scout
  • ****
  • Join Date: Jul 2008
  • Posts: 289
  • Location: NE
Re: Herd Bull or Satellite?
« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2016, 12:22:32 PM »
A husky lower tone is how I tell it is an older bull. Being older doesn't mean it is the herd bull but I like to think it is bigger than the rest   :tung: :dunno: :chuckle:

I mostly determine a herd bull to be one that is not coming in to my calls (not another hunter cause I hunt remote areas) :rolleyes:
or when I get close enough to hear/see the cows  :tung:
or when I bump the herd   :bash: :chuckle:

Offline pd

  • Trade Count: (+7)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Nov 2012
  • Posts: 2425
  • Location: Seattle?
Re: Herd Bull or Satellite?
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2016, 12:31:38 PM »
Those 3 pictures from TheHunt made me bite my tongue.  I guess he is a herd bull, and I am just a satellite.   8)
Si vis pacem, para bellum

Offline krout81

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2010
  • Posts: 629
  • Location: Tacoma, Washington
Re: Herd Bull or Satellite?
« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2016, 12:45:02 PM »
Herd bulls don't bugle....they roar

They also have the power with one roar to completely shut up a drainage.....they always win the vocals

:yeah:

Flinging Arrows with Thunderhead 125's since 1992 
Why Change now?

Offline deerhunter_98520

  • Past Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (+4)
  • Old Salt
  • *****
  • Join Date: Nov 2009
  • Posts: 8928
  • Location: aberdeen, wa
  • Chief Executive Head Anarchist of YKWTSASFFRO
Re: Herd Bull or Satellite?
« Reply #9 on: June 27, 2016, 12:59:38 PM »
Herd bulls don't bugle....they roar

They also have the power with one roar to completely shut up a drainage.....they always win the vocals

:yeah:

I've experienced this one time and it was amazing...I had 5 bulls bugling all around me with 2 small bands if cows and this herd bull which I'm assuming was the king of the mountain came running in about 200yds away and let out this huge loud deep bugle and every other bull shut up and never bugled again....it was like your dad coming out and yelling at the kids to be quiet and you know he's serious
Official hunt-wa bigfoot field researcher!

Offline Toad

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Tracker
  • **
  • Join Date: Jan 2016
  • Posts: 40
  • Location: East
Re: Herd Bull or Satellite?
« Reply #10 on: June 27, 2016, 04:48:33 PM »
Maybe it's part of my problem but........

If I hear a bull, unsolicited or not, I'm planning on closing the distance between me and him in the best way possible.
 :yeah:

Offline Dan-o

  • Global Moderator
  • Trade Count: (+24)
  • Explorer
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jul 2010
  • Posts: 16715
Re: Herd Bull or Satellite?
« Reply #11 on: June 27, 2016, 05:03:20 PM »
I guess I don't think you can really tell a herd bull from his bugle.

Think squeaky Mike Tyson.

Think skinny/scrawny bass singer in The Oak Ridge Boys.

Member:   Yakstrakgutp (or whatever we are)
I love the BFRO!!!
I wonder how many people will touch their nose to their screen trying to read this...

Offline coachcw

  • Past Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Old Salt
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jun 2009
  • Posts: 8815
  • Groups: Team getsum !
Re: Herd Bull or Satellite?
« Reply #12 on: June 27, 2016, 05:47:42 PM »
really best answer is you just don't know till you see or hear his cows . I've seen a whimpy looking five point run a herd with a 8x9 just laying off .  close the distance and replicate the bull .
My wife told me that I hunt way more than I did when we first got married. I said yeah I know isn't it great !

Offline kentrek

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2012
  • Posts: 3379
  • Location: west coast
Re: Herd Bull or Satellite?
« Reply #13 on: June 27, 2016, 06:11:04 PM »
Just cuz a bull is with some cows doesn't really mean he's the "herd bull"....he could have just got lucky and stole them or the "herd bull" just doesn't care atm...

Ive had alot of people show me "herd bulls" that they shot...."well they had cows" !!!

When I think herd bull I think the absolute most dominant bull in the area

Offline shootnrun

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Hunter
  • ***
  • Join Date: Dec 2011
  • Posts: 159
  • Location: Various
Re: Herd Bull or Satellite?
« Reply #14 on: June 27, 2016, 07:52:02 PM »
I don't know if this is the case everywhere, but lately we have noticed the big boys in our unit stay up on the hill early in the season and let the smaller bulls round up the cows for them. See a decent 5-6pt with the herd. Then, once it starts getting later and the cows are starting to estrus, they will come down and run the smaller bulls off. The best way to know is to get in close and look for cows. A cow call can still elicit a bugle from a herd bull if they are hot and want you to join his harem. Too many variables to say you know 100% every time. 

 


* Advertisement

* Recent Topics

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal