Oregon West Side Roosevelt Elk

[Zach95]

I'm a longtime roosevelt elk rifle hunter, but I am archery hunting elk for the first time this month for Roosevelt on the Oregon Coast, and am looking for any tips and tactics from anyone who has experience. I have seen a lot of conflicting information on Roosevelts as far as whether calling is effective, and am open to any tips in general for this hunt. I have followed Born and Raised and Angry Spike Productions and they seem to like an aggressive bugling strategy, but they even admit that a response from a bull is not common in this country. I hunted last weekend and found some legal bulls, one of which I was in bow range with very limited shooting lanes who was just walking by me unaware. I let out a couple cow mews and he didn't stop, slow down, or even look my way. Lost him after that.

Anyways, any Oregon roosie hunters who can share some effective tactics with a FNG?

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

Be ready to grind it out, I personally use calling as a tool to locate or keep tabs on elk. It’s so brushy here on the coast if you are where elk move early morning late evening you will typically hear them breaking brush.
I don’t like cold calling so much I did when I was new and trying to force some action to happen. Now I really only call if they give themselves up first and try to gauge the mood of the bull. I have buddies that strictly call and are very successful just not my style. I prefer getting between bedding and known feed typically in the timber and slipping in on them.
Sounds like you already have some bulls located, I’d figure what the wind does in that area in times of movement (early morn/ late evening) and play the game find their trails, ridges etc and just work in on them.

Good luck

 

[Dirtscoots]

At times calling can be counter productive, because you are on elk you made elk noise now another hunter is calling to you and won’t shut up. I rifle hunted Rosie’s all of my youth. Once I picked up a bow it was a different experience. Sounds like you are on the right track. Finding elk is pretty easy finding them within bow range is where the fun begins!

 

[HODL]

The west side can be frustrating. I haven't nailed the recipe for success yet myself. I do know from experience that for every one bull I have called in with bull sounds, I have made 10 run for the hills. Not because I am a bad caller, but because most of the time, they want to get their cows out of there and avoid a conflict.

The only exceptions to this I have found are when you're close before you start calling, or even better if two bulls are already bugling at each other.

So much of whether the elk are receptive to calling depends on what the elk in the area are doing naturally -- whether there are cows in heat, whether the bulls are herded up with the cows yet, if there are a high number of smaller bulls shaking things up for the herd bull. This varies from drainage to drainage.

I say if you're finding elk you're on the right track. Sometimes a series of cow calls will pique curiosity enough to get a bull to check you out. Don't be afraid to make an aggressive stalk on a herd and look up ElkNut's videos on stopping elk with the nervous grunt.

 

[3Esski]

I don't call that often when hunting the coast range. Sometimes it can be effective, but it seems like, at least the areas I hunt, the elk are pretty pressured. I try and stay quiet and hunt in pockets that they get pushed into that most guys pass up. I've pulled a few groups out of thick stuff but it's completely different hunting than the east side of the state, not any less fun, well maybe a little, but certainly quieter.

 

[elkliver]

I have a theory that with the thick heavy jungle of the coast range, sound often doesnt travel as far. So you may bugle and not hear their answer. The other thing i think happens is because it is thick and hard to get off the road, 90% of the hunters are bugling from a logging road. Walk in or bicycle in one of the gated roads. you get a couple of miles in, you will likely get an answer... Getting to where you can actually shoot an arrow is a lot more challenging., Working the edges of clear cuts, just inside the tree line is sometimes helpful.

 

[wide_groupings]

^ I don't even think that's a theory. The terrain and vegetation just swallows sound. If you're hunting with others, be sure to spread out well before a bugle.

Plodding the logging roads waiting for a response is tough. Like others have said, you have to imagine the elk get used to hearing 1-2 bugles from the same place on the roads day in day out.

 

[hibernation]

I do know from experience that for every one bull I have called in with bull sounds, I have made 10 run for the hills. Not because I am a bad caller, but because most of the time, they want to get their cows out of there and avoid a conflict.

I always wonder how bull:cow ratios factor into this. A lot of Oregon units have pretty low numbers of bulls per cow (compared to other states in the west), and I see a lot of midsize branch bulls that have their two cows and seem pretty content. Makes me wonder if their social structure and behavior changes when there's just not that much competition from other bulls, you get a couple cows and don't have much reason to stick around for a fight.