Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: ganghis on October 04, 2016, 10:11:43 PM
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So after chasing mulies around Bonaparte and Republic (30 does and 1 Buck sighted - really?), decided to try for whitetails near my moms cabin in the Ione area. While in a plausible spot this AM I hear bugling the next ridge over. I then decide to make it an elk hunt (which I've never done before, but have a tag and a cow call stashed away). I give a few calls while heading over to the area I think he's in, and then set up in the timber where my best guess is he's in. I give another cow call. In about two minutes I hear something charging in and grunting... problem is, it's from behind me through some thick brush. I try to reposition (and break a bunch of sticks doing so)... unfortunately he bails. Don't know if it was scent or my movement or making noise or what. Unfortunately I never saw him. Any suggestions for what to do different? Kind of wish I had a bugle call! One more morning to get after em before heading back to reality!
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you were busted!
hunt the wind
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Winded :tup:
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Yeah, I tried to take that into account but it was pretty slack wind. Hard to position right too given he only gave a couple of bugles in the am. I'll definitely apply a double dose of scent spray tomorrow...hopefully he's still around and not 'gun shy'!
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I had wolves bust a few bulls for me up there, sure you weren't being followed? I started making some scrapes then seeing if anything stepped in it and sure enough almost every scrape I made had a wolf track in it. Never did see or hear them.
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Either scent or sight when they hear breaking branchs most
Often they think it's another elk. De sent use mega amounts of
Cow scent works for me.
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Thanks all for the suggestions - didn't hear any more bugling yesterday AM. Something was making noise in some rotten birch deadfall behind a tree stand I was sitting in but never could see anything through the thick brush and no response to a cow call this time.
I've tended to avoid general elk season because of all the reported craziness in popular areas but think I'm addicted. If nothing else I'm going to make sure I'm set up with the right stuff in case I get lucky again.
KFhunter - that's crazy about the wolves! Don't think it was wolves in my case though, just general sloppiness. Didn't see any sign anyway.
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Elk prefer to come into a noisy setup. As long as those sounds are elky sounds like branches breaking or footfalls. The noises to watch out for are swishy clothing, packs against branches or metallic sounds. But branches breaking actually helps elk commit to your setup. I'd say you were winded. If it was that thick and he saw unfamiliar movement, I doubt he would bail that hard.
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:yeah:
Wind
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Lots of wolves up there. Have had them howling in three different spots up there this year. :bash:
