Can someone please give me a clue?

[fishnfur]

I not  understanding this elk season in SW WA (506/530).  I haven't heard a single elk sound in the woods - nothing.  Normally, I hear some bugles and cows in the hills near the area I hunted tonight.  So far this season, bugling has been worthless, cow calls occasionally gets a me a single noise or stick break out in distance, but absolutely nothing showing, and no hint that a bull is even considering coming in. 

Tonight, I heard a stick break fairly near by after a cow call.  I circled downwind and uphill so that I might have a better view of goings on below me.  Cow calls and glassing for 10 -15 minutes - Nothing, nothing, nothing.   I headed back down towards my original position and bumped a bull that was apparently bedded or just well hidden in tall elderberry/salmonberry below me.  This is driving me nuts!

What the heck am I doing wrong.  I thought these bulls would be a bit more active in this pre-rut/rut period.  Any suggestions?

[chester]

Nothing wrong with what you're doing , thank all the a-holes that spent July and August running around with bugles and hoochie momma for that set of conditions. 
If anything responds expect it to come in quiet. That stick breaking is as close to a warning you may get. That's just my opinion tho.


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[bullfisher]

Water water water, this year more than ever.

[fishnfur]

I've got water on both sites, creeks at the bottom - and both sites are private/posted property.  I've got nocturnal bulls on trail cams but nothing really acting interested at all.  It's like somebody forgot to tell them that there's hot cows somewhere out there. 

All I'm looking for is a legal raghorn.  Meat hunt special.

[Reidus]

Next week!

[chester]

Spot and stalk, leave the calls alone find one feeding in the re prod and try to cut him off.


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[djnoodle]

That's how it is for us this year too. Spot and stalk. Or more like, spot them and then get in a position that you think they are going to go to next and wait for them to come into range. It's been working, but it's been frustrating too.

Good luck.

[fishnfur]

Thanks guys.  I'll try the spot and stalk. 

[predatorG]

672 Williams creek GMU and bear river GMU are dead silent too. I'm sitting in a clear cut right by a stream that leads into a ton of private land, but still haven't seen anything.

[Taco280AI]

Isn't just you or your area, is a lot of people and in Colorado too

[BOWHUNTER45]

Nothing wrong with what you're doing , thank all the a-holes that spent July and August running around with bugles and hoochie momma for that set of conditions. 
If anything responds expect it to come in quiet. That stick breaking is as close to a warning you may get. That's just my opinion tho.


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  EXACTLY THAT !!    But it should change this week ...keep at it !

[predatorG]

Spot and stalk, leave the calls alone find one feeding in the re prod and try to cut him off.


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I hate reprod

[fishnfur]

   I really hate reprod when it's soaking wet.  It's like jumping in a pile of leaves and dirt when you're all wet.  wood and debris in every body orifice by the time you crawl out of the stuff.

[TheHunt]

I have killed way more elk in jack firs than in the wide open.  In the wide open they can look at a longer and your hang up spots are a lot longer.  If you are calling they will hang up a lot longer away from you.  Now in the jack fir's it is typically up close and personal.  Just my experience.

[Little Fish]

In the case of Ryderwood isn't that one of the units where WDFW issued a boatload of cow tags over the last 4 years to thin out the herd? If that is the case I am certain this had a huge impact on elk numbers. There are simply fewer elk that might respond to your calls.

In the case of Willapa Hills its possible you simply haven't bumped into any talkative ones yet. Just because they aren't talking does not mean they aren't there. How long are you staying in one spot when you are calling? My rule of thumb (when I set up to call) is to stay in one spot for a minimum of 45 minutes. Bulls frequently come into calls without making a peep, but it usually takes them some time to get there. If I start a calling routine I try my best to resist the temptation to stop calling and move on. Since the season started my hunting partner and I have called in bull(s) 6 separate times using a calling routine. 4 of those times the bulls came in quiet. 2 times out of the 6 we moved too early only to have a bull show up after we moved.

I don't know that this answers your question, but my point is if you know there are elk in the area you have a good chance to call them in even if they don't respond to your calls (with a call back).