Advanced Elk Calling Tactics

[Two Bear]

Anybody ever charge straight at a bull you were playing \"cat and mouse\" with?

I did it just this year as a matter of fact. I was getting very frustrated with a big bull that acted like he wanted to fight but would not come any closer. We were in heavy deadfall and it was difficult to see more than 40 yards. After an hour of back and forth challenge bugles with no decrease in distance, I ran after him. I would run at him while bugling the nastiest bugle I could and he would run away a little and fire a bugle back. This went on for another hour. We stayed within 30 yards of each other the whole time and finally I got a shot. The crappy ending to that story is I never found him. I don\'t know what happened. I thought it was a 30 yard chip shot. My arrow must have gotten deflected. The only positive is that I am pretty sure it was a non fatal hit.

I do almost the opposite! No matter how big and bad one sounds with a bugle, it doesn\'t compare with the real thing. (That\'s why I never really worry about sounding \"too big and bad.\") I have left my hunter where I bugled and backed off, trying to show the bull that maybe I\'m not quite ready for this encounter, and a little timid. My hope is that it emboldens the bull and he advances, but also elk are curious critters. If I back off and keep moving away, good chance the bull is going to come and give a sniff or two where I was, and where my hunter is