Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: rebal69972 on September 19, 2011, 05:05:56 PM
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early season is over. i didn't get an elk but did have a good time out hunting. i did make a few mastakes, I'm just not 100% sure what i did wrong so i thought i would ask you all about those little tips you can only learn from another hunter that has significant time hunting elk or by having the time in yourself.honestly last year was my first year hunt elk and i thought hell hunt an animal as big as a horse this should be easy but there is alot to hunting elk that i don't think i will have the time to learn before i pcs to another base I'm not asking where your honey hole is not even which gmu or state you hunt I'm just looking to pick at your alls brains and hopefully learn a few thing.
when cow calling how often do you call and the same with bugling. twice this year i locater bugled had bulls answer but when i would bugle back it seemed like they where running away from me. after the first bugle and i got an answer i would move a few 100 yards towards them the call again but he was always getting farther away so i bugled then went away from him and bugled again and he was still moving away, i stopped with him and went after the other bull but the same thing happened with him. they both seemed aggressive and they would cut me off when i bugled. so I'm not sure where i went wrong. then on the last day i found a little 3x4 he was out about 200 yards i softly cow called and it seemed to spook him. i could see him but couldn't get him to come in.i called at him for what seemed like an hour but was really only maybe 10 min i tried to sneak up on him but he was real jumpy i got into 60 yards but i wasn't confertable with the shot. i didn't bugle at him just soft cow calls. these are only 3 of the things i done this year that i know i made a mistake just don't know what it was.
i know when walking move slow and stop every 15 to 30 steps and look around then move on. i know my binno's are my best friend out there, a locator bugle at first light can tell you where the bulls are for the first few days of season. with that do the bulls really get that call shy that easy? i don't have alot of time in the woods with my calls but i set at home and pratice pretty much all year watching you tube and hunting shows tring to get the sound right. I'm not a world class caller but i think my calls sound pretty good. i have 1000's more questions but this is getting alittle long so i will stop here for now
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Wellcome to hunting educated elk ! cow calling mixed in with soft bugling works ok in the early season , once you locate a bull i'd say make sure the wind is right and get on him without calling if possible then try a few cow calls once your close and give him time to work in , often early pre rut bulls will walk in quietly . I located a bull yesterday hoping he had cows with him he only buggled twice once on his own and once from about 500 yards , on got right on him and tried to locate him with cow calls and nothing then game him a soft bugle and he only meowed at about fiffty yards I snuck in twenty more yards to find him all by him self with no tag in my pocket . good luck and give her hell your learning on the fly once you think you got them figured out you realize just how much more you have to learn .
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I'm not really an expert either, but I've seen more elk run away at the sound of a call than come in...unless I'm the only hunter there. I think they learn quickly in pressured areas the difference between a hunter and another elk. For one, I think most of the elk shut up when they start to figure out it's hunting season. This year I rarely called, and saw elk all over the place compared to the people who called more. I had an elk at 70 yards and it was looking like it was moving out of the area, so I had to do something and cow called. It quickly came into the meadow, looked in my direction and very quickly left the area (decoy might have helped that one). Unpressured, the elk would move on their usual travel routes. Once the "herd" of hunters came in with their cow talk and bull bugles, I saw nothing move. I had to go as far away from those pressured areas to find elk.
One other thing, I've had more elk run away as I tried to "sneak" up on them than when I'm just stomping down the trail, but the ones I saw as I was stomping down the trail were not in positions to be shot. Still have not figured a way around that one.
Best I can figure is either get lucky, or try to be where the elk are going to be and don't make a peep.
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Google: Roe Hunting Resources.
Chris is the best I have ever seen at explaining elk language. Great website, I learned more in less time at RHR about calling elk than anywhere.
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thanks guys. ive hunted w/t all my life and compared to elk w/t are easy. hunting elk is learning on your feet and very quickly or tag soup. before elk season i saw them everywhere i thought i had them figured out where they were feeding, bedding, traval routes but as soon as season started it all changed. i thought i was being to voical. tring to figure out bear elk and b/t is giving me a head ache :chuckle:
