Elk Tactics 101 - Episode #6

[WapitiTalk1]

Date/Time: 27 September/10:56 AM
Location: Somewhere in the elk woods
Hunt Pressure Status: Moderate (there are other hunters camped in the general area you’re hunting, off the main access road, but you haven’t ran into any of them yet once you’ve gotten back off/in between the main trail systems  Terrain: Large east facing mountain side with multiple E/W facing draws and ridges
Tag: Archery season; branched bull only

On a solo hunt today, you’ve hiked in up a NF ridge trail a few miles and stopped to glass a semi-open N facing hillside on the other side of a draw.  One, two, three, yep, at least 6 or 7 elk including one visible branched bull are finishing their morning breakfast on a series of stepped benches towards the bottom of the hillside.  You hear and see the visible bull bugle a few times as he runs in and out of the small herd of cows which is now moving from the breakfast bar SW up the N facing slope they’re on.  You figure they’re heading for the Motel 6 and decide to close the distance by contouring around the draw to a place you feel they may be headed.  That worked pretty well, took you a bit over an hour and a half, and you’re now within 80ish yards of one pretty vocal bull with an obvious upstart chiming in on occasion.  At this point in time, you’re to the W of the elk, pretty close to being on their same elevation, with the thermals really starting to threaten to completely change from downhill to uphill.  As you are deciding on your final play on one of the bulls, you hear what is probably a hunter’s bugle way down the draw; it prompts an immediate response by the herd bull.  The bugle down the draw may be 3-400 yards away.     
   
What’s your game plan at a bit before 11:00 to maximize your chances of bringing a bull home for dinner? 

[theleo]

I'd get in as close as I could to the cows without getting busted and let out an aggressive challenge bugle to see if mister loud mouth would like to come and stomp me. To many eyes and not enough time to try to get anything more than a knee jerk reaction from the bull by challenging him for his cows close in.

[coachcw]

Id try and slip above the bull putting him between the other bugle and I give him a couple cow cherps and see if he comes in . once I see the tops of his horns I draw and he gets a full frontal arrow insertion ! if he retreats towards the other call I go hard after him I mean fast . if he left his cows some raking in between he and them may get him to turn back .

[buglebrush]

If you are already at 80 yards I would slip a little uphill set-up with some good shooting lanes, give a couple cow calls/crashing and then hit him with the Bull calling cows bugle.  Be ready to get run over! 

[kentrek]

Id try and slip above the bull putting him between the other bugle and I give him a couple cow cherps and see if he comes in . once I see the tops of his horns I draw and he gets a full frontal arrow insertion ! if he retreats towards the other call I go hard after him I mean fast . if he left his cows some raking in between he and them may get him to turn back .

  depending on how intimidating the other hunter is sounding that bull might gather his cows and move them to a good place to fight, if it's a weak sounding hunter then that bull might go to check him out but if I'm above him I can go hard and fast just like coach said....i could see that working very nicely

[UBA]

With the pressure near by anybody think of setting up where you think he will push his cows away from the hunters bugle. I think since the other guy was so far away and assuming he keeps on calling, the bull might gather his cows and push them up and away.

[moocher97]

If there's moderate pressure he's probably been hunted before. That being said he'll probably gather his cows and get out of dodge. Only thing you could do is maybe sneak in front of his path.but if too risky let out a few cow chirps and see if he says hi and gets into range

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[jstone]

I am for keeping quiet and sneaking in. He probably wont leave the cows if the bugler is far away. And if he does i would get between him and his cows and call. He will come running into your lap.

[4fletch]

I'd follow coach in

[Tbob]

Dang,
   All great answers. If Im only 80 yards away, Id probably either just try and quietly slip in there or get above him just a little and throw down a challenge bugle and rake a tree, Maybe he'll think I am that "other elk" he heard and seriously just closed some distance to steal one of his cows..