Elk Hunting Tactics - Episode #13

[WapitiTalk1]

Date/Time: Early September 2016/0730
Location: Somewhere in the elk woods
Hunt Pressure Status: Minimal
Hunt: Partner Hunt
Tag: Archery season; any branched bull

Allrighty, you and your partner set out walking on a long, south to north running semi-flat mountain ridge early in the morning (the ridge has two pronounced saddles on it). On the west side of the ridge, there is a pretty large road less/trail less basin that is alder/huckleberry choked with numerous small stands of mature timber patches mixed in and lots of water seeping out of the side hills with a small stream in the bottom. On the east side of the ridge, it has similar vegetation but is much steeper than the opposite basin. As you walk in on the ridge, you hear several bulls spouting off on "both" sides, seemingly advertising from the side hills below the ridge on both sides. Of course this time of the day, thermals are moving down from your position in to the basins on both sides. You didn't have to do any locating (bulls are sounding off on their own) so its time to make a plan and execute. How are you gonna hunt this situation and potentially arrow a bull? Both you and your partner have tags and both are pretty darn decent callers.


Your move. What do you feel you may do in this situation to take a bull home for dinner?

[coachcw]

I may just sit down and cow call and see how the wind starts to play out or drop down and try to side hill to a bull . let the elk choose what you do. I figure those bulls are for the most part are going to move from s e slopes to the north face to bed up.

[mburrows]

The area and terrain you've described sounds exactly like where we will be when we head east.

I think I would go after the bull thats in the best spot considering the wind and thermals, try and get on the same level as he is and start to slip in on him if he is still bugling.  Get set up from there and hopefully get a chance to call him in.

[Rainier10]

I am sitting down and waiting to see if one group or the other crosses that ridge.  I would be paying attention to what each group is doing and making a plan for when the wind was in my favor.  Once it was I would head towards the last location of the group I had decided on.  If as I got to where I thought they should be and couldn't find them I would start with some very soft cow/calf calling just to try to get a location again.

[kentrek]

Sounds like a familiar place......listen for one of the bulls to be more dominant and head that way....with the bull to cow ratio being so high just stick to cow calls..get in tight and hold up....let the satellite bulls do the work for you in getting that herd bull cranked up...be patient...if the satellite bulls don't stir the pot enough,and the wind is consistent, go in fast and furious and kill that big mamajamma

Good luck 

[WapitiTalk1]

Sounds like a familiar place......listen for one of the bulls to be more dominant and head that way....with the bull to cow ratio being so high just stick to cow calls..get in tight and hold up....let the satellite bulls do the work for you in getting that herd bull cranked up...be patient...if the satellite bulls don't stir the pot enough,and the wind is consistent, go in fast and furious and kill that big mamajamma

Good luck 

LOL, stalker 

[kentrek]

Might as well as posted the longitude and latitude 

[lamrith]

Might as well as posted the longitude and latitude 

Beer's in the cooler, your phone # is on speed dial for the packout.

[chester]

Send the partner down the steep side and drop off the other then try to side hill in close for a shot.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[kentrek]

Might as well as posted the longitude and latitude 

Beer's in the cooler, your phone # is on speed dial for the packout.

 

[TwoBear]

I get the wind, head toward the herd bull, forget calling.  Slip in and stick him.