So this is 1st time hunting elk. Day 3 in Co muzzle season and finally seen a bull unfortunately I jumped out of bed and never got a shot off... Will this bull stay in the area or I've been told they vacate and run miles away?
Depends on how much hunting pressure there is in the area. If there is lots of pressure you gotta go dig them out of the thick gnarly stuff. Or wait till someone else does and bumps it back your way.
Also depends a good bit on what happened on the elks side of things, did he see you and spook? hear you and spook? .... or.... did he smell you and spook? Smelling you in his bed would bump him a long long way.