Muzzy Tactics / Toutle Quality

[Rickyrebar]

Anyone with any experience hunting muzzy elk. I have one of the Toutle "quality" elk tags (any bull), I have never hunted elk during muzzy season (rifle hunter). How well, if at all, will the bulls respond to calling during this time period (Oct 3 -9). Assuming the Toutle unit up to that point has been open to permit holders only I wouldn't think they would be too educated?
Bugle?
Cow call?
Also, best strategy in your opinion... thick timber during the day, perhaps clear cuts early morning, late evening?
Any advise would be much appreciated.

[Chukarhead]

Scout, scout, scout.  That hunt is much easier if you know where the animals are first thing on opening morning.

If you don't find one for opening morning, get away from the road and into the thickest, steepest farthest away from the road stuff you can find.

Don't rely on calls, but have them handy.

[lokidog]

Assuming the Toutle unit up to that point has been open to permit holders only I wouldn't think they would be too educated?

      Good luck with that.  I had a ML deer tag a bunch of years ago, thought the same thing since there were few other tags... vehicles all over the place.  I did see a fair number of elk though.

Hope you have a good hunt.

[Brushbuster]

I also have the muzzie Bull Tag. Your game plan sounds good to me. We've been down scouting 4 times so far & plan to go a couple more times this week & next. The unit is huge & we mostly have been driving learning the road system. We have not seen a lot of elk but have seen 3 bulls. The last one was the nicest he was at least a 5 pt.

The bulls should still be bugling during our hunt. We plan to bulge for locate & cow call to get in close.

It will be a tough decision to shoot a spike or a rag horn early in the hunt versus holding out for something bigger. I think most would say to shoot the first legal bull you see.

Good luck on your hunt. We'll be driving a tan Tacoma. 

[Rickyrebar]

I also have the muzzie Bull Tag. Your game plan sounds good to me. We've been down scouting 4 times so far & plan to go a couple more times this week & next. The unit is huge & we mostly have been driving learning the road system. We have not seen a lot of elk but have seen 3 bulls. The last one was the nicest he was at least a 5 pt.

The bulls should still be bugling during our hunt. We plan to bulge for locate & cow call to get in close.

It will be a tough decision to shoot a spike or a rag horn early in the hunt versus holding out for something bigger. I think most would say to shoot the first legal bull you see.

Good luck on your hunt. We'll be driving a tan Tacoma. 

Yes, "shoot the first bull you see" has been the general consensus from about everyone I've talked to. Most say the unit was much better 10 years ago but now not so much. I'll keep an eye out for you, tan Tacoma. Good luck, hunt hard.

[Rickyrebar]

Scout, scout, scout.  That hunt is much easier if you know where the animals are first thing on opening morning.

If you don't find one for opening morning, get away from the road and into the thickest, steepest farthest away from the road stuff you can find.

Don't rely on calls, but have them handy.

I've been scouting the crap out of the place, mainly concentrating on 3 different areas. 3 game camera's I've been rotating around for over a month. I have bulls in every location so I am confident (and ignorant) that I know where to find them. My only question at this point is a strategy to hunt them. I fiddled around with a cow call 2 weeks ago, 1 chirp brought a bull to within 30 yards of me, he stared me down for a good 2 minutes before catching my wind, but that was 2 weeks ago, not so sure how or if that will work 1 week from now.