Finally got action, what did I do wrong?

[BDRam16]

It's exactly the same as turkey hunting!!!!!!

Crap. I’m terrible at that too lol.

 

[IDspud]

Crap. I’m terrible at that too lol.

Came here to find out why I suck at elk hunting, and left learning why I also suck at turkey hunting.

I gave him 48 hours and I’m about to head back out to him. Watched a long seminar from Paul. Going to try this slow play sequence. Sounds like he was definitely not in a fighting mood and was chuckling trying to get the ladies more than a fight.

 

[BoxKrancher]

Agreed, its hard for me to not call sometimes but that is often times the best option.

 

[Scoot]

Different folks will tell you how you should have handled the situation very differently. Some people love to call- that's how they hunt and don't want to change (most of them). Some people are spot and stalkers and don't have any interest in calling. Some people like to sit water. Some people like to hunt travel routes. ...and on and on...

Even within any group of people you'll find tons of variability in how a situation should be handled. Often really good hunters who have had tons of success doing that approach will differ in opinion on how to handle it.

I'm a caller. I love to call in elk- it's the best! I'll do other tactics too, but calling in elk is what gets me excited and why I love elk hunting. It's definitely not the best approach in some situations and I try hard to recognize those situations and not call then. I suggest you find the approach that works best for you and try hone your skills with it. Then try broaden your horizons and use other tactics too. More tools in the toolbelt is a good thing...

I would have definitely handled your situation differently than you did. Most likely that means I would have used a different approach to screw it up! But that's ok- as others have said, it just isn't in the cards sometimes. Sounds like you had a fun interaction and now you're doing what I do after every unsuccessful elk interaction-- "What if I had...?" That's part of the fun and the torture of elk hunting! Enjoy!!!

 

[CAElkhunter]

Sounds like a better day than sitting in my office reading this thread....good for you. No day better than
spending a day out in Elk country chasin Elk.

 

[BDRam16]

Came here to find out why I suck at elk hunting, and left learning why I also suck at turkey hunting.

I gave him 48 hours and I’m about to head back out to him. Watched a long seminar from Paul. Going to try this slow play sequence. Sounds like he was definitely not in a fighting mood and was chuckling trying to get the ladies more than a fight.

Man I had a gobbler going for an hour this spring but he wouldn’t move. I finally decided to ditch the boots and stalk in. Belly crawl when I get close to where I thought he was and it turns out he crossed the little fire lane and had I been looking right instead of left I would have sealed the deal but he busted me. Fun as hell though.

 

[roosiebull]

Never called one in, but all this commentary makes elk calling sound more and more like turkey hunting in that once you locate that gobbler, you don't want to just keep calling to get a gobble. Very informative so far and thank you for the insights.

It’s like calling turkey that aren’t as random as a damn turkey! Calling bulls it feels like you can read the situation and bull, not much mystery with a bull… turkey are more random shitheads, I think the difference is emotion, turkey are emotionless, soulless feathers of random, paranoid stupidity… cannot read them by temperament… bulls, you can tell what their emotional status is, and exploit it

Turkey sound like they are full commit , double gobbling every sound you make, but he’s handcuffed to a tree… then he shuts up randomly, keep lightly calling hoping he’s coming silent, 90 minutes pass and you walk away… get about 150yds away from where you just sat 2 hrs, look back and that Tom is strutting around your ass impression on the ground

Or, make 2 clucks, 5 toms come from 300 yds away, running, only to stop and gobble, and red and blue heads are bobbing around 5 yds in front of you 4 minutes after the first cluck… if turkey could smell humans, nobody would ever kill one… elk are a lot more straightforward to call

 

[roosiebull]

Different folks will tell you how you should have handled the situation very differently. Some people love to call- that's how they hunt and don't want to change (most of them). Some people are spot and stalkers and don't have any interest in calling. Some people like to sit water. Some people like to hunt travel routes. ...and on and on...

Even within any group of people you'll find tons of variability in how a situation should be handled. Often really good hunters who have had tons of success doing that approach will differ in opinion on how to handle it.

I'm a caller. I love to call in elk- it's the best! I'll do other tactics too, but calling in elk is what gets me excited and why I love elk hunting. It's definitely not the best approach in some situations and I try hard to recognize those situations and not call then. I suggest you find the approach that works best for you and try hone your skills with it. Then try broaden your horizons and use other tactics too. More tools in the toolbelt is a good thing...

I would have definitely handled your situation differently than you did. Most likely that means I would have used a different approach to screw it up! But that's ok- as others have said, it just isn't in the cards sometimes. Sounds like you had a fun interaction and now you're doing what I do after every unsuccessful elk interaction-- "What if I had...?" That's part of the fun and the torture of elk hunting! Enjoy!!!

Really good advice

 

[sneaky]

Sounds like the bull got to a spot where he could see where you were calling from and didn't see an elk. Went to bed after that.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Sounds like the bull got to a spot where he could see where you were calling from and didn't see an elk. Went to bed after that.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

I've had whitetails do the same thing after crashing into a rattling set and not finding the "bucks" fighting. Sometimes a decoy can be clutch.

 

[David-D]

Hiked up to some fresh sign before first light. Bugled at 7 and got a return a couple hundred yards away. Talked back and forth until he got to somewhere around 100 over 20-30 minutes. After he hung up there he went back and presumably bedded down at 730/745. He bugled and talked back and forth for a while without moving to Jen went silent.

The winds were starting to shift up so I backed out. What did I do wrong? How do I approach him again?

Should I go back this evening when the thermals shift again and wait until dark? Go back tomorrow morning? I don’t think he winded me but it’s possible.

This is when having a caller behind you 75-100 yards would have put you in shooting range. Bulls often hang up waiting to see another bull (or cows), and possibly to wait for you to meet them halfway. You could always get him talking in his bed and sneak in, playing the wind.