We have all heard it. We are heading back to camp, when all of a sudden, across the canyon we hear a clear location bugle. Until then we doubted there were any elk in the area, as things had been so quiet. If there was another hour, or maybe even 1/2 hour, we would try to reel the bull in, but there is barely light enough to see without using artificial light. What would you do if anything?
A bugle just before dark.
- Thread starter Swede
- Start date
JohnFitzgerald
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- Mar 31, 2014
- 1,108
Bulls love to go crazy just at or after dark! Not enough light, hunt\'em in the morning. Check maps that night and think about the area he bugled from. Possible bedding....possible out feeding? Next morning be back on him before light. Tactic depends on time of year and whether we feel he was a herd/satellite bull.
elkmtngear
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- Aug 9, 2017
- 1,152
I\'ll be on the downwind end of the nearest feeding area to where I heard the bugle before first light 
Glacier Country
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- Nov 13, 2013
- 177
I love this scenario. I will start bugling at him to amp things up and then leave ... come back in the am and lots of times when I bugle he will come right in!
\"Glacier Country\" said:
Just a simple location response? And how many times would you bugle to him?
I would assume this is to raise curiosity of a \"new\" bull in his area that he has to check out. Locating him in the morning and closing the distance, allowing for a calling set up might be to much for him to resist...
JohnFitzgerald
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- Mar 31, 2014
- 1,108
Can you get a bull like this to ramped up? If he thought he had an aggresive bull near, would he move his cows out? Flee instead of fight?
Glacier Country
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- Nov 13, 2013
- 177
I pester him with some bugles and leave just before he commits to come to me. He feels he won the skirmish. He yelled at me and told me to leave and I did. Then when I come back in the morning and try him again he thinks it is easy to run me off. So here he comes ... His last mistake.
If that doesn\'t work I will do some hyper cow sounds and make him think I am trying to breed a cow. Either way I have stacked the odds in my favor.
Try that Tip from Glacier Country Hunting Calls...
Troy
If that doesn\'t work I will do some hyper cow sounds and make him think I am trying to breed a cow. Either way I have stacked the odds in my favor.
Try that Tip from Glacier Country Hunting Calls...
Troy
Olympushunt
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- Jun 30, 2014
- 234
\"Glacier Country\" said:
Wow....I wish I had this amount of skill. To know exactly how much to get a bull amped up and then read his mind to stop right before he comes. I am not saying this with sarcasm either! I realize there are guys like JF and Troy who can just about do that....read their minds and manipulate a bull that well. I think that must take a TON of time calling and working bulls. Certainly not for rookie callers. Case in point. I had this happen to me once. A big bull lit off at dark and I bugled back....ONCE. Here he comes! DOH! I didn\'t want that! I don\'t know what I said to him but he obviously didn\'t like it. I could see him in the moon light but there just wasn\'t enough light to do anything about it. :help2: So I am very hesitant to call back to a bull I don\'t want coming in. I must be saying \"Hot cows around me with their pants around their ankles....come n get it!\" Who knows. To bad it hasn\'t worked as good in the day time. lol
JohnFitzgerald
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- Mar 31, 2014
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Troy - :upthumb: :upthumb:
Olympushunt - If the bull goes silent, get out. I\'ve been burnt a couple times by thinking I lost the bull only to have him come in past shooting light. Also get out if his bugles appear to be getting closer.
You really want to get a bull fired up.....interrupt his bugle with your own. It takes timing to pull it off though.
Example, you bugle then wait for him to bugle and interrupt his with another of yours. Most dominant bulls really hate this and will fire off another more aggressive bugle. Play for a while and get out. Many times we\'ve got back to the truck or camp and state....\"man that bull was pissed\". That\'s the ultimate setup for the next morning.
Just an aggressive tactic I like to use if the situation is right.
My 2-cents!
Olympushunt - If the bull goes silent, get out. I\'ve been burnt a couple times by thinking I lost the bull only to have him come in past shooting light. Also get out if his bugles appear to be getting closer.
You really want to get a bull fired up.....interrupt his bugle with your own. It takes timing to pull it off though.
Example, you bugle then wait for him to bugle and interrupt his with another of yours. Most dominant bulls really hate this and will fire off another more aggressive bugle. Play for a while and get out. Many times we\'ve got back to the truck or camp and state....\"man that bull was pissed\". That\'s the ultimate setup for the next morning.
Just an aggressive tactic I like to use if the situation is right.
My 2-cents!
Olympushunt
New member
- Jun 30, 2014
- 234
\"JohnFitzgerald\" said:
Wow....good advice! I hadn\'t thought of that. That makes a lot of sense really. I definitely want to try those tricks when I hear one like that again!
Glacier Country
New member
- Nov 13, 2013
- 177
I would be hesitant to cut his bugle off with my bugle in this situation.... John is right it will piss him off , but I want to pester him,not call him in this close to dark.Remember... he is across the canyon and would have to go down and come up. Knowing this I am betting I can bugle at him several times and basically get in a yelling match. I do not want him to come in and smell where I had been. When I leave he feels tough because he got the last word so to speak, I will use this in the morning to my advantage. I will go in on the downwind side of what I believe the feeding area is and do my signature location bugle. He Answers back and I will then bugle 1 more time if I need to to pinpoint his bugle. Get the wind and get as close as I can, as fast as I can before I bugle again. I will then bugle and as soon he bugles I will bugle over top of him with a narly high pitched bugle. Get ready here he comes!! If I call again it will be to send him in the direction I want him to go into a shooting lane. Things are going to get interesting quick. So make sure you have already ranged a few spots already before your last bugle because you probably won\'t have time to range him when he comes in. If your setup is pretty good it will be a shot 30 yards or less anyhow.
Now if he did come running to my first bugle or 2 in the evening and blow out of there. I would come back with a different sounding bugle, for this bull or go somewhere else to find a different bull.
Just another reason to have a couple different sounding diaphragms!! That is like fly fishing with just a couple royal coachman, and nothing else.
It is my opinion that your best chance to take a bull is the 1st time that he commits and comes in.
Now if he did come running to my first bugle or 2 in the evening and blow out of there. I would come back with a different sounding bugle, for this bull or go somewhere else to find a different bull.
Just another reason to have a couple different sounding diaphragms!! That is like fly fishing with just a couple royal coachman, and nothing else.
It is my opinion that your best chance to take a bull is the 1st time that he commits and comes in.
JohnFitzgerald
New member
- Mar 31, 2014
- 1,108
I\'m never worried. The herd bulls I hunt would never leave their cows to come that far and I would never hunt satellites that way. But I have been fooled and accidently called in satellites close to dark. Piss off the herd bulls and sweet talk the satellites.
