Keeping the spike interested or scaring him off?

[JohnFitzgerald]

Anybody want to take a wild guess on why this immature and stupid spike didn\'t want anything to do with the caller?

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NQl3o-CGwY&app=desktop[/youtube]

 

[cnelk]

My guess is the caller was set up on the edge of the clearcut. [I didnt see any trees in front of the camera]
The elk saw where the sound was coming from and saw no elk.

The caller would have been better off moving back into the timber, or not call at all

Thats my wild guess

 

[Olympushunt]

He lived because something bugged him. He showed interest but heeded something...be it a herd bull that kicked him out, wind swirls, lack of visual....something. I\'ve seen spikes that were super skitish and some you had to practically shoo away. Maybe he was/is smarter than the average bear. 100 bucks says he dies though if he spots a juicy butt courtesy of the slip system. I think all caution on his part would be thrown out then.

 

[Swede]

I agree with Brad. The spike needed to see a decoy to be brought in. If they can see where the sound came from and know they should see an elk, they don\'t come.

 

[iccyman001]

As a complete noob this doesn\'t mean much, but I have questions/observations.


To me it seems like his calls had no rhyme, reason, or sequence. Am I correct with this?
For example, what honestly MAKES that spike want to come over there? A few toots on a cow call?

I figure he should be trying to lure him in. Make it more seductive or throw in a small spike squeal on top of some cow calling to make it more interesting?


Also, for his longer calls. Were those correct? Maybe it was the microphone but they seemed overly high (which I understand means immature ???)
and they seemed very long.




Again, forgive my noobness, but can anyone elaborate on any of this?

 

[Swede]

Dan: Those are good questions. I don\'t think any call would have brought the spike in calling from where he was, unless he had a decoy. Even then it would have been dicey. The caller was in the wrong place.
This can be a good point for educating hunters. Don\'t call from any place where the elk can see your place from a long way off. I have made this mistake too many time and it always ends the same.
If the caller could have moved up about 60 yards after calling he may have had a chance. The problem was you probably have no idea if or where the elk are.
Here is one of those never statements I try to avoid, but will make it here anyway. Never try to call an elk across a big clearing. Set up where they are within shooting distance before they can see you. Move your location immediately after you call or have a shooter well out in front of you. The shooter here should have been out 60+ yards.

 

[mainebrdr]

The caller should have been wearing Lou\'s Elk cap or been sitting behind Jeff\'s umbrella!

 

[otcWill]

This hunter busted this spike just before this video. The spike knows whats up the whole time. There was never any chance he would come back. I think there are only one teaching point here: This is why we call after the shot. This is exactly how a bull will react after being shot as long as he was calm at the shot. Peak his interest and watch him flop.

Classic case of \"Oh, NO! We just busted one! Quick, turn on the camera and I\'ll call at him while we stand here with him looking at us.\"

 

[WW]

All of the above could be the reason this little guy buggered. But, did anyone notice the wind. It was blowing pretty good and really shaking that little pine tree at the beginning of the video. I wonder if it might have been swirling a little bit and the spike got a slight whiff of something he didn\'t like.

Also, the caller wasn\'t the best in the world. Why give out what seemed to be a lost cow call and then back it up with normal mews. That\'s like saying \" I\'m lost, but OH wait a minute, maybe I\'m not\"! That just ain\'t right! Plus this guy was way over doing it with his calling. Way too much.

Spikes, especially lone ones like this guy are usually a piece of cake to call in. They are just babies and don\'t like being alone and will usually respond to just about any sound because they are looking for companionship. So what everyone else has said plus my own thoughts here could have been good reasons.

The real problem is, this guy just plain blew it!!!