Reflection and Strategy adjustment for Archery Elk

[CMF]

I've had similar situations with no luck of getting the bull off his cows. I've seen a few videos this year of a guy using a calf sound to pull a herd bull. Looking forward to trying it. Anyone else heard of this or tried it?

 

[mtnbound]

Hey everyone, just finished up my shorter elk hunt (I was the guy that posted a week back about stategies for archery elk hunting when you have limited time to scout/hunt due to a growing family and helping wife with the kids).

Anyways, I got into a big 6x6 for my last hunt this morning.

He was fired up and chuckling so we figured he had cows with him and wanted to assert dominance. I would bugle and he would chuckle before I could even finish the bugle off.

Wind was perfect as he was slightly elevated and I was below with wind in my face.

I had my dad start raking behind me and this seemed to fire him up even more.

We did this for about 45 minutes but he didn’t want to leave his cows so I made a move on him.

I snuck up the draw and spotted him with 3 cows. Once I ranged him he was 50 yards and prepared to pull back. As I pulled I didn’t see 2 other cows hidden above to my right and they busted me which alerted the bull who suddenly startled and dove off the back.

Bull never answered after that and hunt was done.

My question to you veterans on here is: what could I have done different to ensure success?

I got into bow hunting 3 years ago because of:
1. The difficulty
2. The physicality of it
3. The reps you have to put in to b successful
4. The proximity you can get to those wondrous animals

I’ve been a solid blacktail hunter (rifle/muzzleloader) for years but am now 0-3 archery hunting elk.

Of note: this is in Idaho where I now live

Appreciate you all and God bless!

The only thing you did wrong was not seeing the other cows, and that will happen again. You were aggressive at the right time and did the right thing by sneaking in. The bull was not going to move from where he was.
What I have observed for many years in Idaho, especially in heavily timbered and pressured areas, is that a bull is content to have a few cows. There seem to be more small herds; there's not one bull that is running off every other bull in the area to get all of the cows, because there are lots of cows.
Once they are herded up, I have noticed it's less likely for a bull to leave those cows to come to an unknown cow or to come and kick a new challenger's ass. It, of course, does happen, but it has a lot to do with the time of the season and the bull-to-cow ratio IMO.

 

[GunsAreFun]

OP didn’t say how the encounter started, but if it started with something mundane like cow/calf sounds or maybe even a location bugle (depending on distance) or just the bull sounding off, wouldn’t an @ElkNut1 Slow Play be an option? I agree that moving in probably is what I would have done too…maybe with a bow mounted decoy if I thought ahead and the terrain wasn’t too thick to cause it to be a hindrance.

That said, as far as calling goes, he’s not going to leave his cows for another cow. He’s not going to leave to fight another bull unless you’re right up in his grill and then he may just run. But, if he thinks you’re a bull with a hot cow, he might come in. He’s at least less likely to wonder off.

 

[Next Ridge]

I had a bull this year that would not respond to bugles. He responded to cow calls, and eventually came in to cow calls once I was real close. No shooting window though he was only 17 yds. I tried slipping in on him after he walked off and it came very close but didn’t come together.

You didn’t do anything wrong. Most bulls don’t leave cows no matter what you saw on tv 7 years ago. (As an aside, there has been a noticeable difference in tv call ins over the last 3-4 years also.) Moving in was the best option. If you are in a similar situation in the future, do the same thing again.