Bumping elk in the timber

[Wapiti1]

Curious what others do when they bump elk in the timber while working in on a herd, or bull. They don't wind you, but you get too close and they scatter, or run a little way. I just got back from my MT hunt, and as usual, this happened a few times with elk I didn't know were there. Sometimes it was 3-4 cows, other times it was a small bull.

My strategy is usually to give a single bark or grunt followed by a couple of soft cow calls. Then wait and listen. This seems to be about 50/50 in calming things down.

What do others do when this happens?

Jeremy

 

[Marble]

Thata what I do. When I doubt which way they went I head uphill and up wind. I kill more elk in the heavy timber than in the open.

 

[Newt]

I killed my first bull right after something exactly like this happened. I wasn't exactly working in on them, more just trying to hump it up the mountain and accidentally bumped into them.

I immediately, without hesitation, blew a few lost calf type calls(or what I would think they would sound like...lol). I thought it might make them stop and wonder if it really was a lost calf wandering around below them.

It worked. They stopped about 80 or so yards away long enough for me to get through the brush that was between us and key in on the bull. The lead cow saw me though and barked a few times, but I just stayed still and waited for my shot.

I plan on doing the same thing if the events happen again in a few weeks.

 

[hobbes]

There is usually some cussing involved.

That doesn't really help anything, but seems to be as successful at killing one of those elk as anything else I've done.

 

[AGPank]

Probably people are hearing nervous grunts vs barks. You hear barks the elk aren’t stopping or coming back. I recommend the elknut app for some strategies.


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[Wapiti1]

The alarm bark and a nervous grunt are very similar sounds. I've heard both enough to know them both. From a cow, though, to me, they are almost indistinguishable, and I only know which is which from cadence. Alarm barks keep going for a few barks, and nervous grunts are usually singular. At least that is my experience in the woods.

If you haven't heard alarm barks, find a cow in the spring that has a stashed calf. She will bark at you, and try to lead you away from the calf. If you follow her slowly, she'll keep barking for quite a way until she loops back to tend her calf.

Mostly, I am curious what others do, and what works/doesn't work.

Jeremy

 

[Wrench]

Quick cow calls and move in quick, or gamble on them buying into you asking them to come to you....50/50 odds.

 

[debevemos]

I'm having similar issues, would love to hear new strategies

 

[Tdiesel]

Bugle a bull calling cows most the time the herd bull doesn’t know what happened and if he think a sneaky bull slipped in and is trying to cut out some cows

 

[Wapiti1]

I've thought about hitting them with a round up or lip bawl bugle. Only problem on the lip bawl is that I am terrible at that bugle. Especially if I have to crank it out on short notice.

I like the concept.

Jeremy

 

[SniperHunter]

Yes sir, we hunt quite a bit of blow down/downfall areas. Doesn't mean I care for them but sometimes you gotta go where the elk are. I do not go into them unless I hear them bugling in it or I get them to respond from it. I can skirt many of the worst areas & call into them to know if there's a bull or bulls in there that will talk, I have no desire to walk around in it stumbling around cow calling in hopes of seeing something before it sees me. No talking & I don't go in. Once an elk is down in downfall it can be a hell of a chore to break them down in miserable conditions & then get them packed out. All part of the game though!