Mature bull elk circled down wind and busted me? Tips to avoid this?

[Wapiti1]

How do you know it was the bull you were hunting?

Jeremy

 

[Huntnnw]

If he barked, I can't imagine that he smelled you. Generally when they smell you, they just bust out of there without making a peep. It also could have been a satellite bull or even a cow that you didn't know was there and either saw your movement, or heard your cow calls and wanted you to show yourself.

Two years ago I had a herd bull do something I had never seen before. There was a long draw in this larger basin that had an open bench and then heavy timber on both sides. The open grassy bench was maybe 30 yards wide. When this bull first bugled back at me he was about 300 yards away and I could tell he had cows. I moved in and was right on the bottom edge of that bench with the bull still up the timbered part of the draw maybe 100 yards now. I start to hear sound down in that timber making its way down the draw coming kind of towards me but would pass below me on that angle.

I see a cow below me in the timber, then another, and another, and finally probably 20 cows funneling through that timber below me. The wind is cutting across at an angle from my left that would have hit their direct line they were on if they continued another 50-70 yards maybe. There's a small gap in the timber below where the cows are and I range them at 30 yards. I figured the bull would be bringing up the rear and I was nocked and ready to go.

The cows out front were getting close to that wind intercept spot and I was getting a little antsy. Then while I'm locked onto the back end of these cows moving through......suddenly from my left directly from up wind of me my nose catches that unmistakable scent of rutting bull. I turn to see the large 6x6 directly above staring right at me from about 40 yards away. Holy smokes! Never expected that. About the same time I tried to turn my body, those front cows hit my scent line and all was over and gone in a matter of just a couple seconds, including the bull. That was a first for me.......the bull actually moving to a spot "up wind" from me. It was like he sent the cows down below as a decoy so he could slip in above. Sometimes they do exactly what I expect them to do, but many times, they'll throw a curve or a screw ball in there and I come out just shaking my head.

had elk more times than I can count bark due to smelling me. Just this weekend alone I was barked at by 2 different elk that 100% didnt see me and I was winded. One was while I was asleep in my tent a raghorn bull worked up below me bugling and got my wind and barked at me . the next one was stalking a bull and a cow and the wind switched on me and she barked and off they went.

 

[Bobinbend]

Sometimes you do everything "right" and it just does not work out. A highly visible decoy will oftentimes deter them from circling down wind. And it's not a bad idea to be 30-70? yards ahead of your decoy. Or tie a cord to a flexible branch, the other end to your boot and create motion. Hopefully, they think it's another bull rubbing. Nothing works all the time!