Chasing in the morning

D

Deertick

New member
Mar 2, 2014
1,763
September 2014 ... first morning out, I heard a bull bugling about a quarter-mile away at the same elevation I was at on a gentle north-facing slope.

Judging by repeated bugles about 5 minutes or less apart, he was headed uphill. We were near the top of the elevation already.

As I caught up to him, I realized I was \"behind\" him just a bit ... I saw him at about 70 yards ... mature bull, but no time to count points. He was moving (with cows, I suspect -- never saw them, but there were more tracks than just his in the wet ground).

So ... I tried to call him back to me, but of course, he kept on going over the top of the ridge, apparently to his bedding area on the south-facing slope.

So ... what should I have done?

Undisturbed, could I have counted on him coming back to that spot in the evening? Or should I have \"cut hay in the sunshine\" and been more aggressive?
 
When it comes to calling I never know what to do but here is what I would try. You said more tracks than his and you were behind him and he was moving. I would guess he is following the cows to a bedding area. You have 2 choices. One would be to follow them and try to learn where they bed for future plans. The second would be to find cover and start with a lost cow call and see if he thinks one of his girls got left behind. He might fall back and try to herd you back into the group. I would try the calling first for a short time and if it doesn\'t work follow them quietly. If I could keep up.
 
I think you played it right, John. I\'d have left him be and been back that evening or the following morning
 
In those situations [and I have had plenty] I have found it very difficult to bring a bull back to where he has just been by calling.
He may slow up or stop and look, but for him to commit and come back.... Hmmmmm.... not so much
 
\"cnelk\" said:
In those situations [and I have had plenty] I have found it very difficult to bring a bull back to where he has just been by calling.
He may slow up or stop and look, but for him to commit and come back.... Hmmmmm.... not so much
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Follow-up question: If he won\'t turn around, will he be back in the evening?

My guess: That\'s wishful thinking.
 
What\'s the chance you could antagonize him with bugles? Just dog him and keep cutting his bugle with a bugle matching his intensity. I\'ve never had a chance to try this but I\'m hoping to try something like that this fall. I may be disappointed with the results but at least I\'ll know.
 
Were they on a established trail with fresh tracks moving in both direction ? This would give me some insight on these elk returning in the evening.
 
\"Scot320\" said:
Were they on a established trail with fresh tracks moving in both direction ? This would give me some insight on these elk returning in the evening.
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Nope.
 
Brad and Phil are right. Keep on hunting and don\'t worry about chasing or waiting for that bull. If you can figure our where he is going you might plan to ambush him. Since he has cows, stalking is not going to generally be productive.
 
\"Jason Balazs\" said:
Did you not have a shot at 70? Well within comfortable range.
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For a bow shot?


Go on you if you can.

I am not comfortable shooting out past 55. That\'s in fair conditions also.
My range goes down as the weather goes up.
 
\"Jason Balazs\" said:
Did you not have a shot at 70? Well within comfortable range.
Click to expand...

A) no

And

2) that is beyond my range by a factor of 1.75. On a good, calm day.

And

c) (and I really don\'t mean this to come across as an anti-70 yard shot comment) I\'m interested in getting closer as a matter of fun.
 
\"Deertick\" said:
September 2014 ... first morning out, I heard a bull bugling about a quarter-mile away at the same elevation I was at on a gentle north-facing slope.

Judging by repeated bugles about 5 minutes or less apart, he was headed uphill. We were near the top of the elevation already.

As I caught up to him, I realized I was \"behind\" him just a bit ... I saw him at about 70 yards ... mature bull, but no time to count points. He was moving (with cows, I suspect -- never saw them, but there were more tracks than just his in the wet ground).

So ... I tried to call him back to me, but of course, he kept on going over the top of the ridge, apparently to his bedding area on the south-facing slope.

So ... what should I have done?

Undisturbed, could I have counted on him coming back to that spot in the evening? Or should I have \"cut hay in the sunshine\" and been more aggressive?
Click to expand...

You have a very low chance of calling him back. He\'s going to stay with his cows.

Vocal bull, take the opportunity. I would have tried to bed him with bugles. Then slip in and rough him up right before his mid day snooze. If I couldn\'t find his bed or he shut down, I would hunt him the next morning. Be on top about 200-300 yards either side of where he came through the previous morning. At ~30 minutes before light, rip a location bugle. The my hunt starts from there. :)

Just my 2-cents!
 
\"Ol\' Arky\" said:
Ya\'ll gota remember Jason is a 100+ yard shooter.... Unless he changed...:D :D
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Still shoot a lot of tournaments at 100 Phil. I totally aggree with you guys, if you are not comfortable, then don\'t take it. Me, if they are stationary, under 100, the arrow is finding its mark. However, I shoot up to 125 all the time at shows as well as for fun. Shooting farther makes those close (70 yards) shots more comfortable. :upthumb:

One thing I always tell people when I talk at booths is to shoot what you want to be comfortable. However, when people ask me how they can get better shooting longer distance, I ask them what is their max distance. When they tell me, I tell them to add 40 yards to that and practice at that. Then we they start to do OK at that distance, go back to their max and shoot. They will see a difference.
 
I played this scenario more the once. I will give you a couple of examples. I was with a guy and we had the same experience, we followed the bull, doing contact bugles just to keep tabs, up one ridge and down another. Finally, on the third ridge about 11am he rolled over it with his cows, we got to the ridge and called down, nothing, no response. After a couple of locates, still no response. We sat down and pulled out our lunches and starting recounting the morning. I look over my shoulder behind me and there he was, larger than life 30 yards away. I whispered to my hunter \"grab your bow, the bull is right behind us\". He moved slowly to his bow and the bull had seen enough, down the slope he went. We figure that ole bull didn\'t much care for some stranger bull tailing him across the mountains, and once he got his cows safely bedded, he decided to sneak back up and see what this annoyance was. Lesson learned. We went over and saw his tracks where he whirled down the slope, but we also saw something amazing, he has actually come up about 40 yards away and stood, then moved 10 yards closer to get a better look. Elk are curious!

Fast forward to last year. Same hunter, five years later. We are eating breakfast in camp and we hear this pig of a bull at about 6am screaming past camp. I mean this bull wont shut up, non stop bugling. We grab our gear and decided to hang with this bull until it gets light. After a few miles we close to within 75 yards, but over the ridge he goes and up the other side into a small ravine to bed. We figure he has a hot cow in the group and the satellites are just harassing him. We settle in and have lunch, wait about three hours. Now bulls during the rut don\'t sleep a lot, and when the sun gets high the heat index goes up, the flies start to bite and the bull gets a little ornery. By 1pm he is on his feat and the intense bugling starts all over again. We decide no need to call, drop down and slip above the bull to get wind. We are stalking and get with 50 yards, but my hunter is a trad shooter. Things are going perfect until the satellite gets too close, off the herd bull goes wheezing chasing this bull back down the slope. Aggggh. The herd bull comes back up about 120 and gathers his cows, I cow called to suck in the satellite and he gets within 12 yards of my hunter. This satellite is a huge five and no wonder why he was pushing the herd. Hunter doesn\'t shoot but that herd bull makes the weirdest bugle I have ever heard. Sounded like a helicopter, then a mountain lion, on into a traditional bugle. The most pissed off bugle I have every heard. If that herd bull had caught that satellite I have no doubt he would have killed him. Now, a couple things, just because a bull goes over a slope to bed, it certainly doesn\'t mean it is game over. Bed with him, have some lunch, very likely in a few hours he will be moving again. Or, as in the first scenario, make a few locate bugles and wait, very possible he will sneak in to investigate or another satellite.
 
If I am following in the morning and they are vocal on there own, I will not call. I will wait till they bed for the day get in close and start challenging the bull with bugles, try to get on the same elevation before challenging him. You want to make it easy for him to come check you out. Be ready when you do this things can and will happen fast. 90% of the elk we kill are in there bedrooms. Remember not to call to him until they reach the bedding area this is where most make the mistake.
 
\"flystrait\" said:
If I am following in the morning and they are vocal on there own, I will not call. I will wait till they bed for the day get in close and start challenging the bull with bugles, try to get on the same elevation before challenging him. You want to make it easy for him to come check you out. Be ready when you do this things can and will happen fast. 90% of the elk we kill are in there bedrooms. Remember not to call to him until they reach the bedding area this is where most make the mistake.
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Ah very good point that I forgot to add. By bed him with bugles, I mean from a distance. If you get in close and start bugling, you can and probably will push him out if he hasn\'t bedded yet.
 
So bear with me guys... It\'s a bad idea to challenge a bull if he\'s not bedded? Just wondering, I\'ve been reading about Dan Moore and trying to come up with something more aggressive this fall. I have no doubt being aggressive can pay off but there\'s got to be a time and place for it. Can you explain a little more about why the bull has to be bedded.
 
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