Post by: WapitiTalk1 on January 28, 2019, 01:46:23 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 70X80 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 possibly 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.
Post by: CoryTDF on January 28, 2019, 02:15:26 PM
Post by: Shawn Ryan on January 28, 2019, 05:15:17 PM
Post by: Crunchy on January 28, 2019, 05:27:59 PM
Post by: flyfishWA on January 28, 2019, 06:33:36 PM
Post by: Dan-o on January 28, 2019, 07:05:10 PM
He was pissed at first, but I'm a nice enough guy that he ended up gutting it and packing most of it out for me.
At least that's my input.
Post by: duckmen1 on January 28, 2019, 07:51:14 PM
Post by: Stein on January 28, 2019, 08:21:28 PM
Yeah, I'll wait a second and see how he lands.
Post by: Crunchy on January 28, 2019, 08:26:29 PM
Post by: chester on January 28, 2019, 08:28:41 PM
Post by: Stein on January 28, 2019, 08:31:34 PM
Post by: j_h_nimrod on January 28, 2019, 09:09:49 PM
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In reality I would probably be looking the wrong direction, hear him land, try to turn and blow my reed and stop him, get bull fever and flub a shot, then sit there crying. Then I would come to reality and chase the bull down and stab it ala pig hunting :chuckle:
Post by: Crunchy on January 28, 2019, 09:23:39 PM
Post by: Stein on January 28, 2019, 10:01:42 PM
Wind and all is in my favor, I’d probably have a diaphragm call in an be able to do a mew stopping him when he lands, turning him broadside or quartering to. If he keeps going I might do a rush to close distance, but with cows close maybe a quick stalk. At 75 yards I am pretty much right on and if he gives me a 0.1 second I’d take a shot on that good bull at that distance.
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In reality I would probably be looking the wrong direction, hear him land, try to turn and blow my reed and stop him, get bull fever and flub a shot, then sit there crying. Then I would come to reality and chase the bull down and stab it ala pig hunting :chuckle:
Sounds like me except instead of flubbing the shot I would get a "click" and then spend the next hour figuring out why I thought muzzie season was a good idea.
Post by: CoryTDF on January 29, 2019, 11:05:35 AM
Post by: Karl Blanchard on January 29, 2019, 11:17:32 AM
Already said I would wait but if I did have to shoot this is where I would hold. Bull is moving and it is a ML so going to have to lead the shot a bit. :twocents:thank you cory! I've been to the range and watched folks shoot muzzy's. 70 is touch and go for lots when they are just standing there :chuckle: if your mark isnt accounting for lead then you either missed or thumped him in the guts/hind end :twocents:
Post by: CoryTDF on January 29, 2019, 11:20:08 AM
Already said I would wait but if I did have to shoot this is where I would hold. Bull is moving and it is a ML so going to have to lead the shot a bit. :twocents:thank you cory! I've been to the range and watched folks shoot muzzy's. 70 is touch and go for lots when they are just standing there :chuckle: if your mark isnt accounting for lead then you either missed or thumped him in the guts/hind end :twocents:
I was kinda surprised I was the first one to say this????????? We live and we learn I guess.
Post by: WSU on January 29, 2019, 12:02:09 PM
I'd pass for now. I'd be ready to shoot if he gave me an opportunity after he crossed the fence and would try to stop him with a cow call. With a gun, even a muzzy, he only needs to stop for a second or maybe two. If that didn't work, I'd go kill him in the timber.