Tale of the Tape - Episode #2

[WapitiTalk1]

Watch the clip and tell us what you see and hear going on. What type of bugles are you hearing? What is the bull you can see doing? Any thoughts on the the unseen bull(s)?

Please, offer a few tale of the tape "time" specific observations. Example: "at 2:02 the herd bull throws out a warning bugle with grunts; at 3:15 the herd bull curls back his lip checking the air for estrus scent, etc." (these are just examples and do not match up with the VID). I'm just trying to keep everybody's elk brain active, including mine 

Bull Elk bugle up close

[coachcw]

id say he's making sure where that other bull is . he looks to be keeping between his cows and that other bull . my bet is if bull two gets to close he will push those cows the heck outta there.

[REHJWA]

With the low head sneak, and the wind checking of the cows, it looks like he has caught the scent of a cow not in his harem and trying to get her to come to him?

[trophyhunt]

Off topic, what do you think that bull scores?  I'm guessing 335 ish, great backs, small 3rds.  Tough to pass him up if it was a blues bull, dead if in the little naches.

[stromdiddily]

Yeah, these videos are awesome. 

I know literally nothing about elk, but watching the videos in your last two posts gets my heart rate up for sure

[coachcw]

that bull is just shy of 350 I'd say

[Shawn Ryan]

The bugle at :16 sounds like a lonely satellite.

At :35, 2:14, 3:30 I see him checking the air for cows in heat. There is a specific scientific name for his actions that I forget right now; something like "flemming."

At :18, :42, 1:18, 1:32, 1:45, 1:57, 2:20, 2:46, 3:06, and 3:44 I hear the same "pops." Some of those you can see coincide with penis palpitations.  The "pop" could be a camera sound; I have a camera that makes that sound periodically. However, I once had an encounter with a rut-crazed herd bull at 8 feet where his penis was thrusting back and forth in the sheath and making a very similar sound. I had heard that sound in the doghair we were in, but had no idea what it was--it sounded like a half-full water bottle being sloshed back and forth. He was as horny as a sixteen year old boy at the prom. When I pushed through some branches and surprised us both, he stared at me with blood shot eyes, snot blowing out his nostrils, and that masturbating penis working overtime.  The absolute coolest elk experience of my life.  (I had just taken my arrow of the string because it was so darn thick in there.  I was still holding the arrow in my hand and tried to get it back on the string, but couldn't in time. He took a few steps trying to find out how to mount me, then realized I wasn't one of his cows and two of his steps later he was gone.)

At 1:52 the distant bugle sounds more interested, but still not a threat.

At 2:44 I hear what might be a warning from another bull with cows. Its less likely that is just a satellite wanting a piece of this action.

At 3:30 he's doing that head-down, full nose and mouth air-check (flemming?) that is usually pre-copulation. He's hot and ready.

Overall, this is the best of all scenes for me.  I don't even need to shoot. Just watching and hearing him chase cows and be all rutty can satisfy me for months.

I'm no expert and I could be way off on my observations.  But I'm really digging Phantom's game.

As for the antler score, I'd like some more opinions. I'm really no expert at that, but trophyhunt's 330 and coachcw's 350 seem real high to me.  I see a nice 7-pt. 303 every day and it looks bigger than this bull.

[coachcw]

yeah you may be right after a closer look i'd say closer to 330

[Karl Blanchard]

He's one of those bulls that is deceiving.  He has good tops, mains flair out and he keeps his head laid back like a BOSS but he has really weak 3rds, mains are kind of short, and his fronts are lacking.  That being said, he is a mature bull, with dark horns, that look amazing!  He eats a bullet or arrow any day! Phantom man!  You are killing me with this stuff!  I can't even sleep at night you have me so pumped for September!