Elk Tactics 2017 - Episode #3

[WapitiTalk1]

Date/Time: Early October, 2017/4:40 PM
Location: Somewhere in the elk woods
Hunt Pressure Status: Minimal
Hunt: Solo hunt today
Tag: Smoke Pole (ML) Season; 3 point or better bull.

A fine bit of working the wind and a quiet approach has gotten you to this point, approximately 70 yards from where you see the bull now (H for hunter)! You first heard the bull bugle when you were several hundred yards back down the hillside below this meadow (meadow is a small one, perhaps 50X70 yards). Once you got within 75 yards of the meadow, you could hear cows mewing on the other side of the meadow, well into the timber; the bull had seemed to have gone silent at this point. At the edge of the meadow where you sit now, you pause for just a second to plan your move and from the right, on the other side of the meadow, you hear rustling and see this bull coming out of the brush, trotting from right to left, quickly covering 15-20 yards in the opening. Up comes the smoke pole to your shoulder just as the bull turns and does what he's doing now. From where you now stand with rifle to shoulder, it is all public land for several miles in all directions. Yes, you're packing your trusty Elknut Chuckler tube and your calls. What do you think your move should be at this place in time to possible bring an elk home for dinner?

H - hunter location; C - cows (no visual, just heard them); W - wind direction.

If you're shooting, save the picture to your desktop and open in MS Paint, then place a spot, X, or whatever on the critter before you save it back to a jpg or png and add the marked up pic with your post.

[lamrith]

Nervous Grunt as he reaches max point of his jump, then wait for him to land and be ready to drop the hammer when he locks up.  If he did not hear the grunt during his flight, hit him again after he lands.  Goal being to stop him before he gets into the clutter.  BUll is in open, clear shot, time to git er done.

Thanks for clarification on land situation, always a factor when you have a fence situation.

[Jonathan_S]

Time is short. Based on the situation, I'm going to make the loudest, high pitched mew and hope he stops. If it's not loud enough, he might not hear it enough to differentiate it from the cows he is trailing.

It's an easy poke if he stops.

[BULLBLASTER]

Time is short. Based on the situation, I'm going to make the loudest, high pitched mew and hope he stops. If it's not loud enough, he might not hear it enough to differentiate it from the cows he is trailing.

It's an easy poke if he stops.

Would that be the same loud high pitched noise that you made when the fit limb came in the truck window and smacked you in the face? 

[lamrith]

Time is short. Based on the situation, I'm going to make the loudest, high pitched mew and hope he stops. If it's not loud enough, he might not hear it enough to differentiate it from the cows he is trailing.

It's an easy poke if he stops.

Would that be the same loud high pitched noise that you made when the fit limb came in the truck window and smacked you in the face? 

  Ohh that sounds like a hunting story that just has to be shared.....

[Jonathan_S]

Haha! Not much of a story, just got smacked in the schnozz by a wayward limb while riding with an open window. I may have yelped

[Jonathan_S]

Probably sounded like the Howard Dean "yeeaw!"

[Jonathan_S]

Anyway, the reason I act aggressively in this situation is because late Sept and early October bulls are usually glued to their cows and having him in the open alone is a 1/1000 chance. Plus he might be spooked by something already and it's easier to stop him in his tracks than to call him in later

[lamrith]

Anyway, the reason I act aggressively in this situation is because late Sept and early October bulls are usually glued to their cows and having him in the open alone is a 1/1000 chance. Plus he might be spooked by something already and it's easier to stop him in his tracks than to call him in later

I agree, got a reasonable shot, take it now.  Bird in hand vs Bird in bush..