Post by: WapitiTalk1 on February 16, 2016, 05:37:37 PM
Date/Time: Mid SEPT/9:30 AM
Location: Somewhere in the elk woods
Hunt Pressure Status: Minimal
Tag: Any bull
You've set up with your buddy to do a bit of cold calling off of a semi-flat ridge that contains quite a bit of fresh sign. Nothing specific here for your calling sequence (not an advertising or breeding sequence), just a bit of herd talk (cow mews/calf chirps), non verbal sounds (brush raking/ground stomping), and a few bull sounds. After around 10 minutes, you hear a bugle down and across a rolling canyon; it sounds like a decent bull. Guestimate is that he is perhaps 1/3 mile away as the crow flies.
What do you do here to maximize an opportunity to bring an elk home for dinner? You've only been in the cold calling setup for 10 minutes and, are set up in a good area with fresh sign, but, you hear a bull across the canyon. What's the next move?
Post by: Toad on February 16, 2016, 06:03:31 PM
Post by: rtspring on February 16, 2016, 06:09:18 PM
Post by: Reidus on February 16, 2016, 06:10:53 PM
Post by: kentrek on February 16, 2016, 06:13:49 PM
Post by: coachcw on February 16, 2016, 08:11:42 PM
Post by: Big6bull on February 16, 2016, 08:38:01 PM
Close the gap and get on his level. If he will respond to cow calls I'd not bugle him . Keep cutting the distance once I'm close cow call again if he moves closer then I'd move in thirty more yards changing my angle up orDown depending on the wind . If he is coming to my last call I can ambush him staying unseen.
:yeah:
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on February 16, 2016, 08:42:42 PM
Post by: Sliverslinger on February 16, 2016, 08:55:28 PM
2. Devise an aggressive plan to get the wind in our favor and get on his level.
3. Bust butt to get in position if wind is good.
4. Cow call got him to bugle so cow calls it is.
5. Try and take his "temperature"
After I'm within 120 yards my next actions would be determined by how he responds to a couples soft mews and what other clues I see or hear. Might try and closer, might see if he bugles and then cut him off with a raghorn bugle. Hard to tell after thaat.
Post by: coachcw on February 17, 2016, 06:50:05 AM
Post by: Jonathan_S on February 17, 2016, 07:31:45 AM
Post by: jkthomps on February 17, 2016, 02:11:50 PM
Let's roll with a few of these to keep the juices flowing during the off season.
Date/Time: Mid SEPT/9:30 AM
Location: Somewhere in the elk woods
Hunt Pressure Status: Minimal
Tag: Any bull
You've set up with your buddy to do a bit of cold calling off of a semi-flat ridge that contains quite a bit of fresh sign. Nothing specific here for your calling sequence (not an advertising or breeding sequence), just a bit of herd talk (cow mews/calf chirps), non verbal sounds (brush raking/ground stomping), and a few bull sounds. After around 10 minutes, you hear a bugle down and across a rolling canyon; it sounds like a decent bull. Guestimate is that he is perhaps 1/3 mile away as the crow flies.
What do you do here to maximize an opportunity to bring an elk home for dinner? You've only been in the cold calling setup for 10 minutes and, are set up in a good area with fresh sign, but, you hear a bull across the canyon. What's the next move?
This must be a quality elk tag. Any Bull, mid Sept... :chuckle: I would hope that I was holding the Mission, east side modern firearm tag, Sept. 16 - 20, Any bull, GMU 251.
If this were the case, I would sit still for a little bit. I mean, only 587 yards away :dunno: I see them shoot elk that far across canyons all the time on tv. :chuckle:
Post by: buglebrush on February 17, 2016, 02:25:56 PM
We had a situation similar to this a couple years ago late morning on a bedded bull . rt stayed and raked a tree every two minutes and I closed the gap . the bull bugled every time he raked but wouldn't leave the hill side . as he bulged I hauled ass up this steep slope . when I got inside of 100 yards I softly cow called he got up and charged into 15 yards . he was a 315 class 6x6 it was a really cool experience. one thing Ive learned is to stay aggressive pays off more often than sitting still.
Totally agree with this. I always say go hunt the vocal bull. The hardest part of elk hunting is just finding the elk, after that it gets a lot easier.
Post by: Magnum_Willys on February 17, 2016, 03:19:08 PM
Post by: Camp David on February 17, 2016, 03:22:47 PM
Post by: Karl Blanchard on February 17, 2016, 04:15:40 PM
Post by: Shawn Ryan on February 17, 2016, 05:41:17 PM
At 0930 he is in his bedroom for the day or close to it. In my limited experience I have yet to call a bull from his bedroom any amount of distance. Coach nailed it, get close and get on his level.
Get close as fast as possible. If he doesn't respond to the cow calls once close (giving him time to respond), I'm moving closer until I shoot or bump him. If he has cows with him, I would get as close as possible and I might use a "calling cows to him bugle" as I think Elk Nut calls it: a bugle with chuckles. I would not use any bugle if I thought he was alone.