Suggestions: Lots of very fresh, big scat, urine but no bugles...

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Hi All,

Any suggestions on whether it's worth hunting or moving on to where bulls are more vocal?

Info: I've done a good bit of still hunting in an area and found multiple super fresh, bigger than my foot scat, just Sat. smelled that musky bull smell, but only heard a few bugles about 1/2 mile away last week. Since then it's been silent.

There is a combo of thick timber with sparse enough areas where lots of green bunch grass grows. Water is close with some clearings amidst the timber.

It's not far from a road, but no glassing opportunities.

How would you hunt this if stayed?

Thx

s

ps - saw this awesome great grey owl in there

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Awesome pic. I’m no help on your question but seeing things in nature that most people never get to see, like this owl, is one of the best things about hunting. There is so much cool stuff out in the woods.

 

[UtahJimmy]

Do you have pictures of the poo? Could be moose...

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[CamoPirate]

No hot cows. Move areas/cover ground.

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Awesome pic. I’m no help on your question but seeing things in nature that most people never get to see, like this owl, is one of the best things about hunting. There is so much cool stuff out in the woods.

Agreed! So fulfilling and when the frustration starts to set in during a long day of still hunting, these experiences make it worth it.

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Do you have pictures of the poo? Could be moose...

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Oh yeah, my buddies and I are weird in that we're always sharing pics of sh$t with each other.

Boot size 11 1/2 for reference.

Oh, and a little nugget of a sweet muley buck I ran across at about 50 yards.

 

[hobbes]

That's elk but it's not fresh.

 

[Ross]

Are you seeing any elk rubs specifically fresh ones? If not get moving

 

[Jbehredt]

Fresh, “super fresh” even is shiny and green. That stuff is to old to keep my attention. If you want to hunt bugling bulls you’ll need to move until you find bugling bulls.

 

[GringoBling]

Looks old to me. Fresh still looks wet and shiny.

 

[lyingflatlander]

Find fresh sign, listen to Remi Warrens podcast about silent bulls this week.

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Thanks, I was going by softness with the clumped scat being as soft as mashed potatoes, but the color was not green at all in those. Good to know about the color also.

In another area where the bull kept pushing his cows up drainage, his scat was more olive and actually smelled still. Called one of his cows in to 10 yards, but the bull was silent.

Yes, good podcast by Remi, so will try that next time.

 

[roosiebull]

Oh yeah, my buddies and I are weird in that we're always sharing pics of sh$t with each other.

Boot size 11 1/2 for reference.

Oh, and a little nugget of a sweet muley buck I ran across at about 50 yards.

none of that is fresh enough to keep me there... they probably aren't far, i would branch out and check surrounding areas before completely moving areas... if i'm not seeing or hearing elk, i want to see some really fresh sign or i'm covering country until i do.

in your scenario, i would use the sign you are seeing as a clue and start checking other areas that are close, and even try to get a read on what general direction the sign you see is going..... i would probably start looking in the general direction of the bugles you did hear, that was likely the same elk working in that direction. break out the satellite images and topo and look for the next likely spot in that direction... check that and see if there are elk, or at least fresher sign.... the little details matter

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

if i'm not seeing or hearing elk, i want to see some really fresh sign or i'm covering country until i do.

Big thanks everyone for the tips. Maybe this is best for another thread of its own but:

When covering country to try to find bugles, how much of that are you doing by vehicle and by foot, assuming there are some forest road networks?

Obviously there are pros and cons to each and I imagine would be somewhat region dependent, but would be great to hear your actual experiences. I put mostly hiking time in, but am no fitness super stud, so am questioning if I should consider more forest road time.

Thx

 

[PaBone]

Just got back from Montana were we took one bull and had several opportunities on other bulls. We found the bulls would not bugle unless you were within a hundred yards of them or closer. On the 11th we heard bulls bugling everywhere and after that it really slowed down. We were camped on the mountain and heard bugling after dark. We walked slow on elk trails in the timber calling, once we got close to a bull they would bugle and it was game on. My son shot a 5X5 and my other son had two shots, his arrow deflected off a limb on a giant at 30 yards that's going to haunt him for awhile

 

[PaBone]

I wanted to add there was some access roads in our area and we saw and heard several people in the morning and evening driving and stopping to bugle to locate bulls, the bulls were there but we never heard one answer anyone from an access road.

 

[UtahJimmy]

Thanks, I was going by softness with the clumped scat being as soft as mashed potatoes, but the color was not green at all in those. Good to know about the color also.

In another area where the bull kept pushing his cows up drainage, his scat was more olive and actually smelled still. Called one of his cows in to 10 yards, but the bull was silent.

Yes, good podcast by Remi, so will try that next time.

You were on my mind this weekend when I found this, so took a picture of what super fresh elk scat looks like. Green and shiny, and STANKY!

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[lifeisgoodsteve]

You were on my mind this weekend when I found this, so took a picture of what super fresh elk scat looks like. Green and shiny, and STANKY!

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I found a few small piles a couple days ago, so thinking maybe cows. So what's fresh bear scat look like?

Got to get my sh$t straight.