Elk Conversations During the Off Season?

[WapitiTalk1]

I wonder what the "elk" talk about in the off season. Elk hunters obviously pass the time on the Hunt Washington forum talking about potential hunting areas, shot placement, gear recommendations, calling techniques, which pointy metal things are the best, lunch menu on the 5th day of the hunt during the 2016 season, whether one should bone out their harvest, and of course…stories from the previous year.

Here are a few topics of discussion our Wapiti friends may engage in during the off season. Feel free to add any you may have heard of :

1. Montana 6X6 talking to a group of young rag horns and spikes. “Yeah, you’ll be fine if you listen to the older bulls like me and Ralph.” Lesson one….”Only bugle to locate. Once they respond, or you smell them, simply move quickly to the ridge above the draw and watch the show. Some of them two leggers will actually stay in that same draw for an hour bugling excessively trying to call you in”.

2. Arizona 7X7 talking to a group of cows. “I’m not one to brag, but I successfully got within 20 yards of ten different hunters last season before they knew I was in the country. The frosting on the cake was when the guy shot his arrow off the brush into a tree. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I got the heck out of there”.

3. A two year old, bright eyed, Oregon cow talking to the other ladies in the herd on a lazy summer afternoon. “So, you’re saying a long third point on their antlers has a direct correlation to the length of something else”? (sounds of giggling)

4. Montana 6X6 talking to a group of young rag horns and spikes. Lesson two. “More often than not, they’ll give themselves away as hunters. Excessive cow talking, bugling, and brush smashing is a dead giveaway for me. It’s the ones that use their calling sparingly you need to watch out for”.

5. Washington 5X6 talking to his buddy. “Whoa! I know what you mean, those Pacific Crest Trail hikers smell like they’ve been wallowing and palpitating for days”.

6. Colorado bull watching the outdoor channel (I guess they have Direct TV in the high country now). “No stupid..don’t walk over there.. it’s not a real cow, it’s one of those Poison Arrow decoys.. he’s right there.. get away.. It’s a hunter.. HE’S RIGHT BEHIND THAT COW FACE! I can’t watch.. turn it off”.

[WapitiTalk1]

Really?  I expect some serious input from this crowd 

[coachcw]

Young  6x6 talking with a group of bulls in the central  cascades . Last year I was  heading down this ridge looking for this sweet sounding lady. When all of a sudden there was this stud human not two feet away  ... I I almost turned inside out.  When I went to get outta there I feel down and rolled down the  hill a few yards ..........man I'm  glad  the harem didn't  see it !

[4fletch]

Sitting in the tree stand this year I had three bulls talking to each other for days on end. The 7 by was below me to the north growling and a couple of lesser bulls one to the east the other to the west of me.  The 5 by rag decided to meet the other bull to the west Of me. I could hear him crashing threw the clearcut coming up to me. I grabbed my phone set it on camera. he trotted right below my stand 15 feet below I could hear him grasping for air as he went by,  by the time I shot a picture of him he was 45 yards away. Picture came out really bad but the Experience will always be there. Towards the end of the second week some one shot a cow and the calf was left to fend for her self. I was in the stand cow calling and above me on a steep hill side a calf was running down the hill as fast as she could looking  for mama. stopped about 30 yards from me. I could not shoot her. I felt sorry for her and let her go on her way

[trophyhunt]

I was out antler hunting for blacktails last weekend, I ran into a herd of 5 bulls, 3 6x6's and 2 rags.  They didn't know I was there so I was able to watch them for about 45 minutes.  They were scraping up trees and then they would fight for short times.  All the bulls had locked horns with each other, like half a fight.  I was just waiting for the antlers to fall off!!!  They ended up walking right in front of me, it was a good day. 

[BGLEMIN]

A young raghorn and a majestic 6x6 are standing atop a ridge checking out a nice herd of cows in a meadow below. The raghorn says, "We should run down there and breed a cow!". The older, wiser bull then says, "Why don't we walk down there and breed 'em all?" At this moment the raghorn suddenly realized that so much wisdom is gained with maturity!!

[trophyhunt]

The first archer bull I killed was many years ago.  I was heading out to my tree stand and ran into a bunch of cows, it happened pretty quick and before I was ready a bull steps out and looks right at me.  I didn't have time to range him and guessed the shot at 50 yards, it went right under his belly and stuck in a stump.  They took off and my depression level was high.  I continued about a half mile and climbed in my stand, thought about jumping out head first for the first 15 minutes!!  It was a big bull, 7x9 with beautiful dark antlers.  Well, about the time I getting ready to leap to my death I hear a crack.  I looked up and saw a cow walking towards my stand, I could not believe what I was seeing, I knew the bull would still be with the cows.  Now because I had already spooked the small herd I didn't want to talk to them, so I remained quiet considering they were coming my way anyway.  Then I saw the antlers coming through the brush, ranged a tree close by and waited.  I took about 10 minutes for the bull to stand next to the tree that was at 12 yards, pulled back and let it fly.  The angle was almost too far downward, I hit one lung and got just the bottom of the other lung.  After waiting about 1/2 an hour I climbed down and tracked blood.  Yup, it was too soon, he jumped up after only going about 30 yards  Rookie mistake.  I backed out, called a friend and went back in 2 hours later in the dark.  He only went about another 50 yards and was stone dead.  It was one of my best days in the field.  Now he's on my wall forever

[face]

5x5 bull in back of truck 2 weeks ago in l.t. murray . I thought hunting season was over.                                                                   1200 elk running everywhere today -  Who 's doing the shooting. I think its Tonto, RUN!!!