Called a bull in, but no shot

[Wapiti1]

This is all BS. Scent control is the issue here. How can any of you not see that?

Jeremy

 

[JMatt]

It sounds like you have done some whitetail hunting from the ground. How did that work out for you?

 

[corey006]

Solo archery Elk sucks for sure...

IF I get one coming I try to move up 75-100 yards in front of my last calling position.....and then dont call.

Hoping IF he comes in he will present a shot while he is looking for the Elk.

Doesn't always work...lol.

 

[Next Ridge]

This shit happens, in the last two seasons I was at full draw 3 then 6 times before I connected. Maybe bull saw something, maybe scent, maybe bull is just cautious…just keep hunting.

Were your first two for two successful elk hunts easy and straightforward?!

 

[HighUintas]

It sounds like you have done some whitetail hunting from the ground. How did that work out for you?

Yup, it's hard! I grew up hunting whitetail in a high pressure area. I typically hunted from a tree stand but did occasionally still hunt. Got a nice buck with my slug gun and a doe with my bow

This shit happens, in the last two seasons I was at full draw 3 then 6 times before I connected. Maybe bull saw something, maybe scent, maybe bull is just cautious…just keep hunting.

Were your first two for two successful elk hunts easy and straightforward?!

Haha kinda. Number one was archery. I found an active bull bedding area prior to season and then I was able to stalk in when a couple of bulls were in there opening day and arrowed one. I probably won't fill another bull tag for 10 years now haha

 

[Deadfall]

It's my 3rd year of elk hunting and so far I'm 2/2 on my bull tags and neither one utilized calling! I'm still in the mindset of it's better if they don't know I'm there. I also only hunt solo, so that makes the shot presentation harder to get for calling.

Anyway, it was my 2nd weekend out. Yesterday, I was sitting on the ground in some cover at the edge of a small clearing with a wallow/water hole in the thick timber. At about 7:30am, I hear a beautiful bugle maybe 200 yards away at most. It almost sounded fake! I decided to send a loaction bugle back to see what happened. Almost immediately, he bugled back, a little more energetically. I listened to this one really closely to see if I could tell his distance and his mood. Definitely a real bull! I let out another bugle, this time a little stronger and then I heard some branches snapping etc. So I decided to try to paint a picture in his brain that there was a semi interested cow along with me. So I let out a few cow mews and whines that sounded to me like "hey big boy, let's party!" Then I gave out a stronger bugle kind of like elknuts lip bawl saying hey get back here! I could here the bull working towards me, thrashing stuff on his way. I did a couple more mews and followed it with some bull pants. I also did some raking and stomping too, but not sure exactly when. I think it was after I heard him taking at about 75yards and it brought him closer. The bull got in to 40 yards before I could see him, but unfortunately he was looking straight in my direction. I was behind a couple of pine trunks and a pine sapling, but if I moved quickly I knew he'd see me. That's when the blood started pumping. He was a very nice 6x6. Real thick.

I wasn't sure what to do then because he had a lock on my location and was close without enough solid cover between he and I unless he made a mistake and went towards the clearing to get to me. There wasn't enough cover for me to back away making the retreating mews and get back to my spot for a shot.

So I did the dumb thing and slowly moved behind my tree and gave a couple mews and raked again.

I think he either saw me or could see enough of my area to know there wasn't a cow there. He took off. Incredibly silently too! I was impressed.

So what would you guys have done at the point he was 40 yards, without a shot, and not enough cover to move anywhere?

Then today.... I was heading to a different wallow where I had to pass underneath the area this bull came from yesterday, probably by 200 yards. I decided to throw a locator out. Waited a couple minute, nothing. So I started moving again. After walking for a couple minutes, I hear crashing and this same huge bull is taking off uphill! He was behind some deadfall and spotted me. So I gave a couple of mews to stop him and it did for a minute! I can't remember what I did then to screw it up, but he ended up leaving.

What would y'all do in that scenario?

Needless to say, that was a blast

As nerve racking as it is.....patience. no more calling at that point in first scenario...move when he moves.

Second scenario. Move 10 or 20 yards immediately after the call and wait. Especially in a place where you bumped one day before.

Patience is key to mature bulls early on season.

Give a couple days to relax then hit it again. Ods are he will be within a reasonable area of your encounter.

Hunting solo, never stay in the exact spot you call from. I try to always move about 20 yards ish downwind from where I called at.

From along was off they can pin point exact spot. If he's quiet doesn't mean he isn't curious.

 

[Sergei]

Agree to try the ultimate cow elk decoy!

 

[corey006]

Who wears their hunting clothes in camp?

I usually hang mine outside to air out.

I store all my camo etc in old garment bag.

Inside That bag I pick Wild Peppermint, Muskeg (which I also make tea) and other stinky plants.


I put bag of these inside the garment bag.

It makes all my clothes stink like the forest....

Not sure IF it works or not...I also put out HS specialty Elk Scent Wafers around my calling site.

You'll never fool an Ungulates nose but a "rut crazy" Bull might tolerate your scent for an extra few moments....enough to get a shot.

 

[bpctcb]

When you hear him coming after you made your last call sequence move towards him quietly but quickly 15-20 yards and get in front of something so your camo breaks up your pattern. Hopefully, the elk is looking to the spot you were calling at before you moved forward.

This ^^^

BP


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MagnumRuger]

Back in 2013, in one week, we had 46 encounters before we finally got an elk on the ground.

Keep on. Keeping on.

 

[Ridge Hunter 83]

Oh if only I had the internet when I started elk hunting….

LOL!!! Right. Same here. I started chasing various animals in the late '70's. No, I'm not old; I just started when I was really young. In those days, getting people to talk and actually volunteer information was a real problem. I had a neighbor (farming) who was catching pigeons; I couldn't even get him to tell me where he was selling his pigeons... never did find out. The best source of information in those days (for me) was the fur buyer; at least he would talk to me.

 

[Ridge Hunter 83]

Great story though. Maybe, next time, if it's an option (with enough cover)... after he seems to be focused on one spot and walking with conviction toward that spot but before he gets close, slip off to the side and let him walk in. There might be an opportunity to take a shot at him directly from the side or at an angle. If possible, I would rather call, rake, stomp, etc., in relatively heavy cover. Lots of variables though; just have to play the game as it plays out.

 

[Ridge Hunter 83]

Who wears their hunting clothes in camp?

I usually hang mine outside to air out.

I store all my camo etc in old garment bag.

Inside That bag I pick Wild Peppermint, Muskeg (which I also make tea) and other stinky plants.


I put bag of these inside the garment bag.

It makes all my clothes stink like the forest....

Not sure IF it works or not...I also put out HS specialty Elk Scent Wafers around my calling site.

You'll never fool an Ungulates nose but a "rut crazy" Bull might tolerate your scent for an extra few moments....enough to get a shot.

I like it; I like it a lot. Load that bag with anything and everything from the local area. When I used to hunt whitetails, I would wash my clothes in "no scent" soap; I don't know if it did any good but I did shoot whitetails. Grasses, weeds, sticks... anything from the local area is even better... hang the entire mess outside while being infused with the local scents.

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

I used to do the scent clothing worry stuff, but the moment we start sweating we ruin the hell out of that.
Then multiply that by a few days of chasing bulls.

I smelled like shit when I killed my bull this year. He didn't care what kind of soap I used on my clothes.
You can't beat the wind if it decides to.switch it's just part of the process. Sometimes you get lucky and a bull is a little.more curious when the wind hits your neck. Sometimes it swirls and they're gone.

Check it, plan it in your favor, and hope it stays the same.
Circle 30 yards with the wind in your favor after.your last call solo. Then shut up and don't call until it's time to stop them for a shot.

 

[HighUintas]

I used to do the scent clothing worry stuff, but the moment we start sweating we ruin the hell out of that.
Then multiply that by a few days of chasing bulls.

I smelled like shit when I killed my bull this year. He didn't care what kind of soap I used on my clothes.
You can't beat the wind if it decides to.switch it's just part of the process. Sometimes you get lucky and a bull is a little.more curious when the wind hits your neck. Sometimes it swirls and they're gone.

Check it, plan it in your favor, and hope it stays the same.
Circle 30 yards with the wind in your favor after.your last call solo. Then shut up and don't call until it's time to stop them for a shot.

I never thought once about moving after calling when I know. He was on his way. I think I was just thrilled and stuck on getting him in. And the woods were so thick in his direction, I didn't want to be caught moving

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

I never thought once about moving after calling when I know. He was on his way. I think I was just thrilled and stuck on getting him in. And the woods were so thick in his direction, I didn't want to be caught moving

That thrill is why we do it. It's hard to make rational decisions when you zone in. Learn and move on.

Movement can ruin it, but you can get away with sight and sound pretty often.
You can't beat their noses when thermal, or wind goes bad. No matter how much ozone generators you tape to yourself, dead down wind you bathe in, or wafers you jam in your pockets.

You're the elk he's looking for. Gotta set up where you can shoot him while.he walks to that imaginary elk. Otherwise you may only get frontal shots, or none at all.