Now What Should I Do #4

S

Swede

New member
Mar 4, 2014
1,722
It is mid archery season and I just looked at my watch. It is 6:15 PM and I need a snack. It has been quiet here for the past three days. I am thinking about going somewhere else in the morning. This place was getting regular use until I started sitting here.

WAIT! I just heard a location bugle up the hill behind me. The bull is about 100 yards to 150 yards back in the timber. Now what should I do? What would you recommend I do, if he stays quiet and does not come around for the next 3/4 hour? What would you recommend I do if he does not come around this evening?
 
If you\'re patient enough to sit in a tree for 3 days with no action. You should take up still hunting. You\'ve got the patient part down pat.
 
If he gave just a single contact bugle, I\'d wait quietly in the tree stand to see what develops. Why change your game plan if you have a reasonable chance?

But if he doesn\'t show up, I\'d consider getting down and calling at him. Factors to consider are wind, terrain, foliage, and shooting time left. If forced, I\'d throw a contact bugle his direction to see his reaction. If he responds, hunt him as the bull he is(satellite or herd bull).

If he doesn\'t respond, I might close the gap by 50 yards and give some soft cow calls.

My 2-cents.
 
Sounds like a pretty boring hunt so far. I\'d say there\'s nothing wrong with some cow calling at this point -- letting him know that there are other elk in the area. He may have his own cows and not want any contact with other elk, but he may well be alone, and like the idea. Painting a picture of elk vaguely in the area might get him into \"silent search mode\" or even spark a return call.

Or you could wait ... and wait ... and wait all day the next day on the idea that one call is all you need to call an area \"hot\".

Personally, if it doesn\'t happen that night, tomorrow I would change methods and go looking for elk.
 
This scenario reminds me of an old saying:

There are people who make things happen, people who watch things happen, and people who wonder what happened.

Which one are you?
 
Many times I\'ve been able to lure a bull like that with soft cow calls...however, when sitting over a wallow, they have sometimes taken their time to come in, and when they did, it was very cautiously.

Some questions that might influence his behavior, is he a lone bull just looking for an evening drink? Or, is he pushing cows?

Had a similar situation some years ago,where I heard one whiny bugle about 150 yards out one evening. Hit him back with a series of soft cow calls. After a couple minutes I saw a lone bull emerge about 100 yards to my right, and start raking a tree. I went silent...and after a good 10 minutes, he put his nose in the wind, and slowly walked in to the wallow. When he put his head down to drink...I double lunged him. It was about 6:30 PM at that point.

Would he have come in if I had remained silent on stand? Maybe :think:

I always go with my \"gut feeling\" in those situations.
 
After 3 days, and nothing so far, I am waiting till just 30 minutes before legal shooting light, in this scenario that is about 30 minutes longer, and if he doesn\'t show, I\'m giving him some soft cow calls off and on till dark. He may have bugled to see if anything was around the water/wallow and if so I want to give him some time to commit to that if he will, if not cow calls.

And if he never shows, I\'m hoping Swede has a better stand for me to sit on day 4!! :cool:
 
if the wind was right, i\'d monkey roll out of that tree and try to sneak in for a closer look.

get closer and let out a seductive cow call...just to say..hello.
 
My patience have are probably thin by now. I\'m going to be aggressive, get the wind right and bugle back while slowly approaching. I\'m either going to call him in or push him off the mountain.
 
Very rarely do I find a place where a three day wait for elk to come around is excessive. Where I hunt a three day interval would make a place a real honey hole.
Based on experience, I would say never answer a bull. I have called numerous times from a stand, but have never called one in by answering him. I have called them in by just cold calling, then going quiet. Cold calling from a stand is a tactic I would say is quite area specific. In my over called heavily hunted area, I usually prefer to stay quiet. Where you hunt it may be different.

\"cnelk\" said:
There are people who make things happen, people who watch things happen, and people who wonder what happened.
Click to expand...
\"cnelk\" said:
Which one are you?
Click to expand...

When a hawk lands on a limb overlooking a meadow, it does not call out or scream. It watches and waits until it strikes. A screaming eagle is not carrying away any game. There is no use making your presence known if your objective is to ambush an animal.

I will keep this thread open for another week for further discussion.
 
\"Swede\" said:
Based on experience, I would say never answer a bull.
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Of course John, you know Brad and I disagree with this...and have elk in the freezer to validate our point. If the bull is directing his vocalization toward me in response to soft cow calls...my \"go to\" response is a spike squeal. I have been aggressively charged on multiple occasions using this tactic...happened again to me last Season.

\"Swede\" said:
There is no use making your presence known if your objective is to ambush an animal.
Click to expand...

As Brad said...sometimes you will fare better if you make things happen. A roaming elk might just make it\'s way in your direction in response to soft cow calls, that might have otherwise continued on in a different direction. You CAN create opportunity doing this, and I know Brad and I (and others) have successfully done so. Just my two cents.
 
Jeff: It has been my observation that bulls will occasionally call before they come into a water hole. I believe they are wanting to find out if there are already elk present. The bulls that call, either have cows with them, that they don\'t want to share, or they have had an encounter with another bull that they don\'t want to repeat. The key in what I was saying is in the word \"answer\". Calling is one thing, but answering a location bugle or other call is different. Cold calling a little may bring in a curious bull. Still I would not answer a bull. I would not want him to pinpoint my location. Elk are shocking good at pinpointing your exact location.
It is a lot different cow mewing or spike squealing from a stand, in a cold call situation than answering a bull. It is different than answering a distant location bugle from the ground, when you are wanting to just locate a bull you heard you will try to go to.
 
Picture031_zps4f04fe98.jpg


John,
I know I posted this story before in validation of the same argument. I was softly cow calling from my stand about every 10 minutes, when I saw this bull off to my left at about 100 yards away. He had a single cow with him.

I would occasionally cow call to him, but he and the cow kept feeding for around 30 minutes. Finally, as they started to feed away...the bull bugled with a short chuckle at the end (I am assuming this vocalization was directed at me...trying to get me to follow).

I answered him immediately with a spike squeal, and he immediately turned and charged right out in front of my stand. He stopped at the edge of the waterhole, stomped his front right foot, and let out a whiny \"huff\" (I could see the steam come out of his mouth...it had lightly snowed that morning)

When he turned back to look at his cow...I smacked him through both lungs.

So, I ANSWERED a bull from my stand, and I KILLED that bull. I created opportunity. Since it worked before, I have used that tactic several times with similar successes. Why wouldn\'t I :think:
 
Jeff, you called and the bull kept on coming. He finally chuckled and you continued to call. That is totally different than calling in a bull that bugled off in the timber and waited. That is the scenario for Now what should I do #4. I have called in bulls too when I initiated the calling. I assume it can be done when they initiate the calling, but it has been my observation that they don\'t come in if they started calling first.
Continue to do what works for you.
 
I\'ll probably never call from a tree stand. To me, tree stand hunting is an ambush style and that means I don\'t want the elk to know I\'m there. And my definition of cold calling is not staying in one place. I\'ll try to hit several elky spots throughout the days hunt.

If you look at my dinner plate, my meat and potatoes never touch. I\'m just that type of person! :D
 
\"JohnFitzgerald\" said:
I\'ll probably never call from a tree stand. To me, tree stand hunting is an ambush style and that means I don\'t want the elk to know I\'m there. And my definition of cold calling is not staying in one place. I\'ll try to hit several elky spots thought the days hunt.

If you look at my dinner plate, my meat and potatoes never touch. I\'m just that type of person! :D
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I called from a tree stand and my spike came in.
I agree that it\'s a good ambush spot, but here is the thing.
Hunting from the ground, the elk could hang up and stop 20-30 yards out on the other side of some brush.

Up in a tree.......... now you have a shot. :upthumb:
 
\"iccyman001\" said:
\"JohnFitzgerald\" said:
I\'ll probably never call from a tree stand. To me, tree stand hunting is an ambush style and that means I don\'t want the elk to know I\'m there. And my definition of cold calling is not staying in one place. I\'ll try to hit several elky spots thought the days hunt.

If you look at my dinner plate, my meat and potatoes never touch. I\'m just that type of person! :D
Click to expand...


I called from a tree stand and my spike came in.
I agree that it\'s a good ambush spot, but here is the thing.
Hunting from the ground, the elk could hang up and stop 20-30 yards out on the other side of some brush.

Up in a tree.......... now you have a shot. :upthumb:
Click to expand...

What happens if the elk comes in on the opposite side of the tree your stand is on, stops at 20-30 and looks around? :(
 
\"JohnFitzgerald\" said:
What happens if the elk comes in on the opposite side of the tree your stand is on, stops at 20-30 and looks around? :(
Click to expand...


I carry a metal boomerang that I have super sharp for that exact situation..........












 
\"iccyman001\" said:
\"JohnFitzgerald\" said:
What happens if the elk comes in on the opposite side of the tree your stand is on, stops at 20-30 and looks around? :(
Click to expand...


I carry a metal boomerang that I have super sharp for that exact situation..........












Click to expand...

Lol! From here on out Dan\'s nickname is \"Mad Max\"!
 
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