Help on a tag decision

[El General]

Just wanted to let everyone know how my hunt went in Utah. It was half with a buddy and half solo. It started off in believable rough with no elk sightings and no bugles for 3 or 4 days straight.. after that things changed dramatically and we had some awesome action. It was an incredibly tough hunt but I stayed persistent for 10 days straight with no breaks just hunting with a couple of close calls. I actually passed up a 200 inch 6x6 and hoped I didn't regret it later. But the way I thought about it was I am here on a limited entry tag and I'm going big or going home. If like to know other people's thoughts and opinions on that! Anyway on the 10th day the seal was broke, I hunted this bull for 5 days with out bumping him. And it seemed the more I learned him the smarter he got. Finally I noticed a glitch in his behavior and arrowed him at 30 yards! Just wanted to thank everyone that helped give a little convincing to take the tag I'm extremely glad I did. It was the experience of a life time for sure. Also the help of a couple locals including one on here played a big part in my success. I love the fact that people are willing to help and hope I can help someone in this sense one day. Now to figure out how to post a pic.

First of all, congratulations on a beautiful bull. He is awesome.

Second, what was the glitch?

Third, I think I speak for everyone, but I would be interested to hear the details on your 5 day bout with this bull if you have time to write it up.

Have a good one,

EG

 

[SoDakGuy]

Yeah I will definitely do that EG as soon as I get a chance either later tonight or tomorrow sometime!

 

[SoDakGuy]

Hey guys, sorry for the delay... I have just been crazy busy since getting home from the hunt and getting back to real life ha. But anyway so the hunt was just absolutely fantastic and I had a ton of fun but this bull in particular was basically the last 5 days of my hunt and probably the most fun yet the most stressful with my days counting down. So basically I got into this ball one day and just got close to him from locating him by his bugles and I could get close to him within 70 to 80 yards but then he ended up shutting up and I lost track of him that day. The next day I went back to that same area and heard him bugling again this time I decided to try out my own bugling skills which are extremely limited by the way. So I Googled my way into him next thing I knew I was right with his cows with the wind in my favor and he was freaking out. I guess he was trying to Wrangle up his Cows as he thought another bull was moving in on them and that he did the cows went right by me down the mountain and off they went and he continued to bugle though a little while after the run. So I have only read about this before so don't judge me too much haha but don't get me wrong I'm completely open to what I should have done or if that was the right thing or not. So I took off after him and caught up with them again this time I actually was able to get directly in between half of this cows and him in the other cows that he had and continued my bugling at him. This time I couldn't believe the fit he was throwing it was absolutely unbelievable and I was just bugling back the entire time I didn't exactly know what bugles I was making but I'm pretty sure he was completely irritated buy them because he had just about lost his mind making noises I didn't really know a bull elk made! So I couldn't get him to come back out into the clearing to get his cows so I decided to go in after him with the wind in my favor and then just before I crested the knob to where I think I would have been able to see him I felt the wind hitting the back of my head and just about immediately he shut up and vanished like he was never even there left this cows high and dry. The cows were actually walking around in front of me mewing back and forth but he was just gone. So I backed out and that was the end of him for that day. The next day I got back into him morning and night he was back in the same area and I would get close to him when he was bugling and then I would try and cow call to get him in the rest of the way and he would just go straight away from me yet continue bugling and I could never get my eyes on him actually. So this actually went on for like the next 3 days morning and night just about and I would never get my eyes on them but I would get within 50 60 or 70 yards pretty much every time and I would try calling to coax him into view where I could possibly get a shot but every single time he would go straight away from me but continue bugling and I would try to sneak around and cut them off but somehow it never worked out and I never even got a glimpse of them until the morning before I shot him. I did the same thing yet this time I actually was ready to say the hell with them and try to find another bull as I was getting close to the end of my hunt and this guy kept shaking me so I actually made up my mind that I was leaving him that morning as he was headed straight away from me bugling I turned around and walk the other way and was on my way to try to find another for the rest of the morning what about 15 minutes into my walk he bugles behind me fairly close I couldn't believe it. So I am standing there trying to decide do I go after him or continue on with my new plan of going after another bull and he bugles again even closer. So I did but I think any of us would do grab my s*** and headed back down the mountain as fast as I could. I was within about 50 yards of him but it was too thick to see anything so I decided to close the gap and got through the thick patch in front of me to see an aspen tree whipping back and forth that he was raking. This is actually the first time I actually got my eyes on him so I had no shot and he started moving through the trees and I cow called and he let out a bugle but continued away from you once again still bugling and I snuck around following him trying to get a shot or another glimpse but I just couldn't I ended up coming face-to-face with a huge bull moose and he ended up Vanishing. So that night I had a plan I knew where he had been coming out in the general area at least so I was going to get deep in there and try not calling at all just stocking into him. Well I stuck to that plan until I got two of them 60 or so yards of him and still could not see him so I figured I'd call which as you could guess led to the same damn response I got every other time he went straight away from me but continued bugling as always ha. So the next morning I was back after him again walking around in general area looking and listening for him and I think I only heard him once or twice that morning there it was just a quiet morning in general but I put a salad hunt in and then set a while that I found close by until about 1. I hiked out went to the place that I had Service as I had to check some messages got back to camp around 4 and by this point it was my 11th day and I hadn't taken any time off yet and I was getting extremely beat. I sat in my chair fading in and out and it was about 4:30 and I told myself I needed to get up there and be in position for that last hour of light when I was fairly confident he would be up in active as usual so I grab my bow and took a practice shot and completely miss my target at 45 yards long story short somehow my bow came out of tune from getting knocked around or something and somehow I ended up adjusting my rest a handful of times and getting it right back to where it needed to be within 25 minutes don't ask me how but I did. So I get back up to the spot just in the nick of time and here is first bugle so I move in and got to my 60 yards and couldn't get any closer I didn't feel so I did what I probably shouldn't have and cow called again. Straight up the mountain he went pissed off figuring I just blew it again for the night trying to decide what to do it hit me that to other times he had ended up coming back to the general area that he was when I first started calling and he walked away a little while after I had left there and stop calling so I decided to sit tight and keep my call in my pocket. About 25 minutes later I hear him bugle directly above me and he's coming straight at me bugling the entire way I watched him close the distance from about 70 yards down to 30 screaming the entire time I couldn't believe it and then I smoke him. And of course this was the second half of the trip where I was alone so it got real fun after that LOL. But I absolutely loved it and had a great time and was so excited with getting my first bull and it being such a great 1. I forgot to add in there before this I had a shot it about a 200 in 6 by 6 25 yards broadside bugling in between eating and he had no idea I was there I decided to pass on him being that I was in a limited entry unit even though I still needed my first elk I just didn't feel like I should shoot a bull like that in a limited entry unit where I can't even apply again for another 5 years. Turns out I made the right decision but I was sweating it just wondering what other people would have done in that position? Also I'm completely open to anyone telling me things I maybe should or shouldn't have done during this because I really don't have that much experience just things that I have that I've read in articles and on this site which has all seem to be great info by the way. Thanks again everyone hopefully I didn't butcher the story too bad I'm no writer!

 

[SoDakGuy]

Wow I didn't realize how long that was....my apologies

 

[jeremy.b]

Here, I hope you don't mind, but let me try to throw in some white space for ya to hopefully make it flow a touch better. Awesome story, congrats!!

Hey guys, sorry for the delay... I have just been crazy busy since getting home from the hunt and getting back to real life ha.

But anyway so the hunt was just absolutely fantastic and I had a ton of fun but this bull in particular was basically the last 5 days of my hunt and probably the most fun yet the most stressful with my days counting down.

So basically I got into this ball one day and just got close to him from locating him by his bugles and I could get close to him within 70 to 80 yards but then he ended up shutting up and I lost track of him that day.

The next day I went back to that same area and heard him bugling again this time I decided to try out my own bugling skills which are extremely limited by the way. So I Googled my way into him next thing I knew I was right with his cows with the wind in my favor and he was freaking out. I guess he was trying to Wrangle up his Cows as he thought another bull was moving in on them and that he did the cows went right by me down the mountain and off they went and he continued to bugle though a little while after the run.

So I have only read about this before so don't judge me too much haha but don't get me wrong I'm completely open to what I should have done or if that was the right thing or not. So I took off after him and caught up with them again this time I actually was able to get directly in between half of this cows and him in the other cows that he had and continued my bugling at him. This time I couldn't believe the fit he was throwing it was absolutely unbelievable and I was just bugling back the entire time I didn't exactly know what bugles I was making but I'm pretty sure he was completely irritated buy them because he had just about lost his mind making noises I didn't really know a bull elk made! So I couldn't get him to come back out into the clearing to get his cows so I decided to go in after him with the wind in my favor and then just before I crested the knob to where I think I would have been able to see him I felt the wind hitting the back of my head and just about immediately he shut up and vanished like he was never even there left this cows high and dry. The cows were actually walking around in front of me mewing back and forth but he was just gone. So I backed out and that was the end of him for that day.

The next day I got back into him morning and night he was back in the same area and I would get close to him when he was bugling and then I would try and cow call to get him in the rest of the way and he would just go straight away from me yet continue bugling and I could never get my eyes on him actually. So this actually went on for like the next 3 days morning and night just about and I would never get my eyes on them but I would get within 50 60 or 70 yards pretty much every time and I would try calling to coax him into view where I could possibly get a shot but every single time he would go straight away from me but continue bugling and I would try to sneak around and cut them off but somehow it never worked out and I never even got a glimpse of them until the morning before I shot him.

I did the same thing yet this time I actually was ready to say the hell with them and try to find another bull as I was getting close to the end of my hunt and this guy kept shaking me so I actually made up my mind that I was leaving him that morning as he was headed straight away from me bugling I turned around and walk the other way and was on my way to try to find another for the rest of the morning what about 15 minutes into my walk he bugles behind me fairly close I couldn't believe it.

So I am standing there trying to decide do I go after him or continue on with my new plan of going after another bull and he bugles again even closer. So I did but I think any of us would do grab my s*** and headed back down the mountain as fast as I could.

I was within about 50 yards of him but it was too thick to see anything so I decided to close the gap and got through the thick patch in front of me to see an aspen tree whipping back and forth that he was raking. This is actually the first time I actually got my eyes on him so I had no shot and he started moving through the trees and I cow called and he let out a bugle but continued away from you once again still bugling and I snuck around following him trying to get a shot or another glimpse but I just couldn't I ended up coming face-to-face with a huge bull moose and he ended up Vanishing.

So that night I had a plan I knew where he had been coming out in the general area at least so I was going to get deep in there and try not calling at all just stocking into him. Well I stuck to that plan until I got two of them 60 or so yards of him and still could not see him so I figured I'd call which as you could guess led to the same damn response I got every other time he went straight away from me but continued bugling as always ha. So the next morning I was back after him again walking around in general area looking and listening for him and I think I only heard him once or twice that morning there it was just a quiet morning in general but I put a salad hunt in and then set a while that I found close by until about 1. I hiked out went to the place that I had Service as I had to check some messages got back to camp around 4 and by this point it was my 11th day and I hadn't taken any time off yet and I was getting extremely beat.

I sat in my chair fading in and out and it was about 4:30 and I told myself I needed to get up there and be in position for that last hour of light when I was fairly confident he would be up in active as usual so I grab my bow and took a practice shot and completely miss my target at 45 yards long story short somehow my bow came out of tune from getting knocked around or something and somehow I ended up adjusting my rest a handful of times and getting it right back to where it needed to be within 25 minutes don't ask me how but I did.

So I get back up to the spot just in the nick of time and here is first bugle so I move in and got to my 60 yards and couldn't get any closer I didn't feel so I did what I probably shouldn't have and cow called again. Straight up the mountain he went pissed off figuring I just blew it again for the night trying to decide what to do it hit me that to other times he had ended up coming back to the general area that he was when I first started calling and he walked away a little while after I had left there and stop calling so I decided to sit tight and keep my call in my pocket. About 25 minutes later I hear him bugle directly above me and he's coming straight at me bugling the entire way I watched him close the distance from about 70 yards down to 30 screaming the entire time I couldn't believe it and then I smoke him.

And of course this was the second half of the trip where I was alone so it got real fun after that LOL. But I absolutely loved it and had a great time and was so excited with getting my first bull and it being such a great 1.

I forgot to add in there before this I had a shot it about a 200 in 6 by 6 25 yards broadside bugling in between eating and he had no idea I was there I decided to pass on him being that I was in a limited entry unit even though I still needed my first elk I just didn't feel like I should shoot a bull like that in a limited entry unit where I can't even apply again for another 5 years.

Turns out I made the right decision but I was sweating it just wondering what other people would have done in that position?

Also I'm completely open to anyone telling me things I maybe should or shouldn't have done during this because I really don't have that much experience just things that I have that I've read in articles and on this site which has all seem to be great info by the way.

Thanks again everyone hopefully I didn't butcher the story too bad I'm no writer!

 

[MuleyFever]

This thread is great! I dont know about elk hunting, I have a bird hunt, well OK.....

Picture of an awesome elk......

 

[SoDakGuy]

Thanks for the edit helsyeah!

 

[jeremy.b]

Thanks for the edit helsyeah!

Glad to help!

 

[SoDakGuy]

This thread is great! I dont know about elk hunting, I have a bird hunt, well OK.....

Picture of an awesome elk......

Haha and I still have my bird hunting trip to hells canyon in Idaho lined up for January!

 

[mcr-85]

Also I'm completely open to anyone telling me things I maybe should or shouldn't have done during this because I really don't have that much experience just things that I have that I've read in articles and on this site which has all seem to be great info by the way.

You should have went bird hunting. I only came back to this thread for upland bird kill photos. Maybe some dogs on point? Instead its a first bull, archery and a good one at that, on a hard unit. Lame.


Nice bull, it sounds like you did exactly what you needed to do and got it done.

 

[SoDakGuy]

You should have went bird hunting. I only came back to this thread for upland bird kill photos. Maybe some dogs on point? Instead its a first bull, archery and a good one at that, on a hard unit. Lame.


Nice bull, it sounds like you did exactly what you needed to do and got it done.

Ha thanks mcr

 

[Guff]

Awesome story! Glad it worked out for you. Love to see a pic of your bull

 

[SoDakGuy]

Awesome story! Glad it worked out for you. Love to see a pic of your bull

Thanks! They are posted on the 2nd page I believe (pics)

 

[CX5Ranch]

Ya that's a lot better than plucking a chicken. Good job.

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