Ready, set…charge, or maybe not.

[WapitiTalk1]

All right campers, you've gotten within XXX yards of a bull in archery season during the September rut.  In what situation(s) would you go right at the bull?  What known factors may affect your decision process?

[Longfield1]

Tons of factors I think play in this scenario
1. Wind. Is the only way to get there where the wind is blowing right at him? Well then wait or try to find an alternative route.
2. Time of day. Early morning? Mid day? Evening? If it’s the morning and the thermals are pulling wind away from him then I might stalk on him. Mid day might work too if he’s bedded, by himself, and you got your ninja skills today. Evening same thing as morning but with a little more aggression in making it happen.
3. Vocalizing. Have you been buguling back and forth with this bull? He’s probably already on to you and most likely is going to go the other way. Cow call only? I’d wait for him to come to you or be silent and let the curiosity bring him in. If he’s buguling and making noise all by himself then I would definitely slowly stalk on him and not make any vocalizations.
4. Time left of your hunt. If it’s your last day then I would be more aggressive and sneak up on him. Otherwise I may try to analyze the situation and figure out what’s the best way for that type of terrain/set up.

[salmosalar]

It's pretty dependant upon a few factors. Time of day, how the bull is behaving, how many cows I think he has and what sort of terrain/ cover we are in.

Obviously, the wind matters too but my assumption is that if I am there, I feel like the wind is right.

I'm most likely to push in mid- day, with a bull that isn't moving too fast or too much, with fewer cows and in thicker cover.

I hunt Roosevelts.

[2MANY]

Wind, getting spotted, or if the bull is going to walk right by you anyway.
Those are the only reasons I'm not charging.

[Kingofthemountain83]

When I've been hunting bulls with harems of cows they usually get their girls and run when I get too close and try to challenge them with a bugle... So I try to sneak in and blow it...

[salmosalar]

When I've been hunting bulls with harems of cows they usually get their girls and run when I get too close and try to challenge them with a bugle... So I try to sneak in and blow it...

Another option is to get close and then bugle to the cows. There is a youtube video that I have seen where a dude explains this. Everything that he said tracked with what I have seen.

Sometimes a softer sweeter bugle is the way to go.

[dreadi]

I'm 10yds away, in a tree, just a loin cloth. Yippee-ki-yay!


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[Stein]

My sneaking and charging are like french vanilla vs homestyle vanilla so my options are to stay put or move.  Staying put will at some point lead to either them moving away, scenting me or the 1/360 chance they move toward me.  So, after a bit of trying a few things, if they don't respond it's usually moving.

[Kingofthemountain83]

When I've been hunting bulls with harems of cows they usually get their girls and run when I get too close and try to challenge them with a bugle... So I try to sneak in and blow it...

Another option is to get close and then bugle to the cows. There is a youtube video that I have seen where a dude explains this. Everything that he said tracked with what I have seen.

Sometimes a softer sweeter bugle is the way to go.

I'll have to check that out... I am do for a bull tag...

[Kingofthemountain83]

I do recall when I had a Rimrock bull tag these two bulls were hung up bugling at each other in separate clumps of trees... My dad and I were bugling in the middle at a wallow at them and they'd get all fired up but wouldn't leave the trees... I found a decent looking branch bugled, held it above my head on my left side and rushed into the thicket with the muzzy in my right... He froze and and sized me up... I dropped the stick and had a 10 yard shot but he a little smaller 5x6 then I was after... He trotted away... Tried it with the other bull and he booked out like he was scared to fight... Smaller bull as well... Both didn't have any cows... That was a good hunt...   

[WapitiTalk1]

Excellent discussion guys!  Lots of great tips here for others to glean from and I hope some are taking notes!  This is a topic The Elknut ran on my WapiiTalk a handful of years ago and it generated some really good discussions.  This is a quote from Paul on the original thread.

"The reason for the Topic is to help some realize that elk do not ALWAYS come to us no matter how good a caller we are? Yes, it's wonderful when they do.

There will be bulls that will respond well to sequences (i.e., the threat) and ones that will not! Never be willing to give up or toss in the towel because things are not going according to plan! At times we must adapt & adjust our thinking to "fit in" to an encounter! You will come across bulls that could care less about responding to a cow sound but get fired up towards your bugling, then there's times bulls will fire away at a cow sound but not a bugle, then yes there's times that all sounds get them responding very well or no sounds at all seem to faze them! In some of these instances we need to be creative! We have to take the game to them!!!

For instance, you've bugled & located a bull, you move into 100yds or so & cow call to pinpoint him better, he responds right off but doesn't come your way! So you bugle over the top of him as he responds to your cow call in hopes he will come to hook you up & push the intruder bull away. But Nothing! He doesn't come & he shuts up after you bugled. You wait a minute & cow call & he respond right away. Here is an instance you need to take the game to him! Do not sit in a "setup" & keep calling hoping he will finally run over to you! In most cases he & his harem will go the other way. When a bull bugles or chuckles you in response to your cow calling he is trying to call you to him, when you do not do this within a reasonable amount of time he can get suspicious! Best thing to do is go right at him with wind & cover in your favor calling excitedly on mid volume, adjust accordingly as you get closer!

This same thing can apply to bugling a bull, there are times to get on him quick & bugle in an effort to call his cows away! This is especially so when a bull uses a Lip Bawl bugle after you've bugled, he's talking to his cows when this happens, he's urgently trying to gather them together for possible protection or flight if this bull (you) gets closer! This is a spot where you need to get to that area fast as he tries to call his group together & then you redirect those cows your way with similar calling! It's even a time to use variations of the Threat if needed, point is, you are adjusting your method & taking aggressive action instead of staying back & getting the bull to do all the work in hopes he'll come over to you!

Lots of scenarios can take place here, but be aggressive when needed!"