Your Move 2019, Episode 1

[WapitiTalk1]

Hunting Journal: 
Date/Time:  Early October; an hour before dark. 
Weapon/Tag:  Muzzleloader; Any bull
Hunting Pressure:  Minimal to none
Tale of the Tape.  You’ve decided to sit this nice meadow on a beautiful elk woods afternoon/evening.  You’ve gotten into a few bunches of elk over the past week in this remote area and you’ve surmised that elk do come into/feed in this particular meadow some nights; the bulls have been vocal.  There are several meadows in this area but this is the one you’ve decided to “sit”.  You are actually perched on a rise just above the meadow where you see the white arrow pointing to; you’ve ranged that tree on the other side of the meadow (the one my red arrow goes through) at just over 110 yard.  OK, as you sit you hear the cows coming from left to right petty quickly, and, barney bull blasts off a bugle with chuckles back in that timber that the red arrow is pointing at……. This all happens (cows come into meadow/bull bugles) in the matter of a few minutes.  Stupid bull should have been with the cows when they came into the meadow. NOW, what are your plans to make your smoke pole bark and bring the bull home for dinner at this point in time.  Your move.     


Reminder that if you save the picture to your desktop and open in MS Paint, you'll be able to “mark it up” if you wish to offer any graphic markings to supplement your comments. 

[WSU]

With an hour left till dark, I'm going to sit tight and let things develop.  I'd rethink as I began running out of time.  110 yards is well within range, so he just needs to show himself anywhere in that meadow.

[KFhunter]

I'm gonna circle towards that timberline, thermals are favorable, I'm 110 yards away, assuming I have the cover to avoid all those eyeballs I'm heading for the treeline ahead of the bull but getting a bit more distance from the cows.   He'll probably pop out to check in with the girls, but I don't want them all to be in my lap when it happens.

If its taking too long I might rake some brush, but not too much.  Just get him to see what the little bull is up too and if he needs bumped out again. 

[2MANY]

Don't shoot.
Judging by the blooming plant life it's out of season!!!

[lamrith]

I take it you are solo on this hunt.  If not time for the team to make some magic, not perfect time of the year but some competative bull & distressed cow sounds from your partner 20-30yrds behind you might bring Barney a running.

If not I sit a few more minutes to see if it sounds like Barney is moving in on his own or playing hard to get before I do anything more.

[Mudman]

Retreat blow bugle indicating a weak sat bull.  Move back try cow heat call.  Other than that wait him out upwind at edge of meadow cows feeding towards.

[WapitiTalk1]

Don't shoot.
Judging by the blooming plant life it's out of season!!!

Ha, it’s in season, it’s early October. Don’t you know that everything on the internet is true? 

[fishngamereaper]

 I'm actually guna slowly move to the left.. assuming the bull may come in to the meadow at a different angle( down wind) than the cows..I don't want to get winded... Give it 20-30 minutes then hit a challenge bugle telling the bull I got his cows. You don't have time for cat and mouse game, he's either coming in hot  or not at all.

[tracksoup]

I’m not moving one bit. The cows don’t know I’m here and feeding.
That bull will eventually step out. Patients.

[Crunchy]

If  the cows arent moving I will stay put for 15 or so minutes.  If there is enough cover I would move down wind away from the cows, and in to the timber edge.  Then rip a bugle and a cow call and see what happens.  If no cover stay put.

[CP]

The hardest part about this scenario is getting a Muzzleloader; Any bull tag.  I’ve never seen one.  Usually it’s a spike only or worse yet a true spike only.  Every now and then an antlerless; in that case I’d just pop the fat one on the far left.

[Tbob]

One of the things I’m working on as a hunter is patients.. I’m gonna sit this out to wait for that bull to come out. So far, I’ve got the wind and nobody knows I’m there. Yep, I’m waiting this bull out.

[Bushcraft]

Kudos for the cool thread idea!

…an hour before dark...

Easy answer:

I'm going to ever so slowly get my weapon up, and trained in his direction and make ready for a rock steady shot.  That bull is going to step out in a matter of minutes.

If you screw around and move around at the edge of a clearing...and they catch your movement...BARK!!!...they gone!

I'm sure it would bore a lot of guys to tears to hunt that way, but my "patient wolf" mode get's it done pretty much every year.

[Tjv28]

Patience! Not patients... wait, that bull is stepping out any second

[Crunchy]

Problem with sitting it out are the cows.  The more time they are out there the more likely one will walk up and bust you or feeding downwind of you.  I would decide based on what the cows do and if you have cover to move. 
Most likely stay put but looking at option to move.  Cant call from where you are at, just hoping for a shot.  I prefer to play by my rules not hope.  Either way whatever I did I should have done the opposite.