Elk hunting the rut along

[mdunc8]

So last year was my first year elk hunting and I'm officially hooked. My buddy did a great job calling in some really nice bulls, but I was never able to close the deal. He may venture away from our honey hole where I plan to hunt most of next bow season. Being a newbie, I'm not quite sure of the best approach for calling while I'm hunting alone. Would a decoy help take the attention away from me? Should I back off a little sooner, so the bulls are less likely to pin me down? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[thecrittergitter]

I think you will find that every person will have a different opinion and advise for you. Probably the best advise i think i can give you is to get out there and try different things and you will find that what works one day, may not work the next. The decoys are great tools to have, and I've had them work great in certain situations. Calling techniques are going to vary from bull to bull and depending on the stage of the rut will even vary with the same bull at different times. You will get out and make lots of mistakes And you will learn from them. Every bull reacts different to calls, so you will have to feel them out and if a particular call or method seems to be getting bulls to respond, keep it up.

I'm a pretty aggressive hunter myself and have found that works more often than being passive. Especially when hunting alone. Once i get a bull located, i get as close as i can before calling again. Once i think i'm as close as i can get without bumping him, i relocate him. Every time i hear the bull, i try to get closer any way i can because as he is coming to you, he is honed into the last spot he heard you and if you can get between that spot and where he currently is, you have a more likely chance to get him to come by you heading to that spot. Sometimes, you screw it up and move too close to quick but you just have to move on and try again. I have had much more luck with this method than sitting way back trying to call bulls from a long way away. They get more agressive if you can get them more uncomfortable.

My two cents anyway, although probably only worth about one cent

Good luck, you will have lots of fun no matter the outcome And don't get discouraged, I have been calling in bulls for a lot of years and have had a lot of success, but nonetheless, learn something new almost every time i go! You will find yourself saying alot........"woulda, shoulda, coulda"....