cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,278
They are herded up and bugling where I?ve hunted the last couple days. Things should be in full swing by next week.
Colorado Elk Bugle/Rut Report
- Thread starter nclonghunter
- Start date
Itsaholaday
New member
- Sep 4, 2019
- 3
Haven?t heard a bugle since we got here on 9/6. Unit 20 hunting Rock Creek 116.2 leaving Friday. Hope it picks up.
eat.sleep.hunt
New member
- Sep 16, 2019
- 1
Hello everyone,
I went out for elk this past Saturday(9/14) and Sunday(9/15) and heard bugles both days.
My buddy couldn't join me Saturday morning so I went in solo.
As I approached one of several spots we have marked to hunt, about 250 yards from the truck,
I heard a bugle.
Me: "Yea, there must be another hunter bugling. It's not this easy."
I started walking in another direction and the bugled continued. As I reached my second spot,
The bugle sounded closer and I still assumed it was another hunter.
As sat down and got my range finder out, there he was, a satellite bull, swinging his antlers around in a mud pit and flinging mud every where around him.
I ranged him at about 108 yards then bugled. He responded. He'd chuckle then I'd chuckle but he never came towards me. He kept on moving down the marshy terrain.
I disappeared in the tree line, moving as fast as I can quietly, trying to intercept him.
At one point, I was able to close the gap as his bugles sounded much closer but I couldn't see him amount the aspen trees.
Then he eventually went silent. I heard a bugle in the distance about 10 mins later.
That whole ordeal lasted about 30 to 45 mins.
It was a super exciting encounter but in the end I was so disappointed in myself that I didn't close the deal.
My gut tells me that If I knew how to better communicate with him, and had given the right response to this lone bull, I could have brought him in and filled my tag.
Now on Sunday, it was almost the same situation.
On our way to the tree stand, we heard a grunt. We froze and waited.
what seemed about two minutes later, he bugles. My buddy bugles back, pause, then cow calls.
This goes on for about for 30 minutes and we have no eyes on him. We tried to close the gap and we went silent on us.
I am heading back this weekend for a five day hunt and I will definitely be working on and studying what calls to use and when.
Punched my mule deer tag on opening weekend at this same location. Forty three yard shot right in the boiler room on a doe. That was my first harvest ever.
Now, I just need to fill my either sex archery Elk tag and I might consider myself worthy to be called a hunter. I also have a 2nd rifle season tag for either sex elk in 214.
What are your thoughts? What would you have done in a similar situation?
I went out for elk this past Saturday(9/14) and Sunday(9/15) and heard bugles both days.
My buddy couldn't join me Saturday morning so I went in solo.
As I approached one of several spots we have marked to hunt, about 250 yards from the truck,
I heard a bugle.
Me: "Yea, there must be another hunter bugling. It's not this easy."
I started walking in another direction and the bugled continued. As I reached my second spot,
The bugle sounded closer and I still assumed it was another hunter.
As sat down and got my range finder out, there he was, a satellite bull, swinging his antlers around in a mud pit and flinging mud every where around him.
I ranged him at about 108 yards then bugled. He responded. He'd chuckle then I'd chuckle but he never came towards me. He kept on moving down the marshy terrain.
I disappeared in the tree line, moving as fast as I can quietly, trying to intercept him.
At one point, I was able to close the gap as his bugles sounded much closer but I couldn't see him amount the aspen trees.
Then he eventually went silent. I heard a bugle in the distance about 10 mins later.
That whole ordeal lasted about 30 to 45 mins.
It was a super exciting encounter but in the end I was so disappointed in myself that I didn't close the deal.
My gut tells me that If I knew how to better communicate with him, and had given the right response to this lone bull, I could have brought him in and filled my tag.
Now on Sunday, it was almost the same situation.
On our way to the tree stand, we heard a grunt. We froze and waited.
what seemed about two minutes later, he bugles. My buddy bugles back, pause, then cow calls.
This goes on for about for 30 minutes and we have no eyes on him. We tried to close the gap and we went silent on us.
I am heading back this weekend for a five day hunt and I will definitely be working on and studying what calls to use and when.
Punched my mule deer tag on opening weekend at this same location. Forty three yard shot right in the boiler room on a doe. That was my first harvest ever.
Now, I just need to fill my either sex archery Elk tag and I might consider myself worthy to be called a hunter. I also have a 2nd rifle season tag for either sex elk in 214.
What are your thoughts? What would you have done in a similar situation?
StronTower
New member
- Jun 11, 2019
- 18
Freshmeat,
I would love to hear advice on this as well. I am new to archery as well and I have had 3 similar situations. I would be able to get a bull to bugle back and we would have a back and forth for a while but eventually he would go silent. 2 of the times it was alone. The first time I think I was to aggressive to fast and the bull just left. The second time, it seemed as if the bull just didnt want to pick a fight and would rather keep leave the area (I also tried racking trees). The third time I was with my buddy. I was the primary caller and he was the shooter. We tried everything. I racked trees, We tried the slingshot calling technique, I tried dropping further back to make the bull feel like he could come closer. My buddy and I tried calling to eachother from 200 yards apart to entice the bull and nothing. We ended up chasing him for 2 hrs. And I got him extremely agitated. But he never came in to challenge (and we even got close to him definitely within 100 yards and most likely at 50 yards at some points). Eventually, he just went quiet and we lost him. With peak rut coming up I am hoping they will be more aggressive, if not I may try going silent and sneaking in on the next bull. We will see.
If anyone has any other advice I am sure freshmeat and myself would greatly appreciate it. Best of luck to all of you.
ST
I would love to hear advice on this as well. I am new to archery as well and I have had 3 similar situations. I would be able to get a bull to bugle back and we would have a back and forth for a while but eventually he would go silent. 2 of the times it was alone. The first time I think I was to aggressive to fast and the bull just left. The second time, it seemed as if the bull just didnt want to pick a fight and would rather keep leave the area (I also tried racking trees). The third time I was with my buddy. I was the primary caller and he was the shooter. We tried everything. I racked trees, We tried the slingshot calling technique, I tried dropping further back to make the bull feel like he could come closer. My buddy and I tried calling to eachother from 200 yards apart to entice the bull and nothing. We ended up chasing him for 2 hrs. And I got him extremely agitated. But he never came in to challenge (and we even got close to him definitely within 100 yards and most likely at 50 yards at some points). Eventually, he just went quiet and we lost him. With peak rut coming up I am hoping they will be more aggressive, if not I may try going silent and sneaking in on the next bull. We will see.
If anyone has any other advice I am sure freshmeat and myself would greatly appreciate it. Best of luck to all of you.
ST
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,278
Freshmeat, first of all welcome to the forum! :welcome:
I'm by no means an expert, but here's my thoughts on your first encounter. First of all, if you can see the bull, he can probably see good enough to see you. In other words, if you call from that spot, he is going to look that direction and expect to see an elk. If he doesn't, things are going to get fishy for him. In addition, just throwing a random bugle at him isn't going to convince him to come in. You've got to give him a reason to come to you. Corey's go-to calling sequence could work in that scenario: start with a cow call and if/when the bull bugles, you bugle right over top of him. Make him angry and convince him to come in for a fight. Similar answer for the second situation, just bugling back and forth isn't going to convince them to come in. You've got to give them a reason.
Just my two cents, and it probably isn't even worth that much! Again, welcome!
I'm by no means an expert, but here's my thoughts on your first encounter. First of all, if you can see the bull, he can probably see good enough to see you. In other words, if you call from that spot, he is going to look that direction and expect to see an elk. If he doesn't, things are going to get fishy for him. In addition, just throwing a random bugle at him isn't going to convince him to come in. You've got to give him a reason to come to you. Corey's go-to calling sequence could work in that scenario: start with a cow call and if/when the bull bugles, you bugle right over top of him. Make him angry and convince him to come in for a fight. Similar answer for the second situation, just bugling back and forth isn't going to convince them to come in. You've got to give them a reason.
Just my two cents, and it probably isn't even worth that much! Again, welcome!
wapiti_will
Member
- Dec 28, 2012
- 206
Freshmeat,
I've experienced similar encounters with bulls in Colorado that experience a lot of hunting pressure and are (for the most part) very risk averse. cohunter14's input was good, and could be what it takes to seal the deal.
One tactic that seems to be effective for me on bulls that don't seem to want to play, is to mimic their risk averse behavior....which usually involves them sticking tight to their cows regardless of another bull screaming next to them, and when they are bugling throughout the day it tends to be almost soft and whiny in order to not reach out very far. So I will stick with light grunts and short whiny bugles (anything aggressive would just get them to lock up and move away) and after a few responses I'll mix in some cow calls. That tactic has worked several times to just get them interested enough to come check out the situation without thinking it's a hunter or another bull looking to steal his cows. The archery hunters continue to increase in numbers and knowledge (often from similar sources, and therefore tactics), so it's always good to keep expanding your playbook and trying different things. I'm far from an expert, but maybe some of my ideas can help others be successful....which is what this site and the hunting brotherhood/family is all about!
I've experienced similar encounters with bulls in Colorado that experience a lot of hunting pressure and are (for the most part) very risk averse. cohunter14's input was good, and could be what it takes to seal the deal.
One tactic that seems to be effective for me on bulls that don't seem to want to play, is to mimic their risk averse behavior....which usually involves them sticking tight to their cows regardless of another bull screaming next to them, and when they are bugling throughout the day it tends to be almost soft and whiny in order to not reach out very far. So I will stick with light grunts and short whiny bugles (anything aggressive would just get them to lock up and move away) and after a few responses I'll mix in some cow calls. That tactic has worked several times to just get them interested enough to come check out the situation without thinking it's a hunter or another bull looking to steal his cows. The archery hunters continue to increase in numbers and knowledge (often from similar sources, and therefore tactics), so it's always good to keep expanding your playbook and trying different things. I'm far from an expert, but maybe some of my ideas can help others be successful....which is what this site and the hunting brotherhood/family is all about!
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,278
Just bumping this back up to see if anyone heard any bugles during the 1st Rifle season this last week. Hope some of you found some success!
