Field Judging Elk On The Fly?

[Joe Hulburt]

I finally have a premier elk tag in hand for the Wenaha unit in NE Oregon for the upcoming archery season. I've killed 20+ Roosevelts with my bow but only one Rocky and he was just a fork. This is my chance to have a solid representation of a Rocky Mt bull to add to my collection and I really want to get my moneys worth.

I have a general concept of what a bull scores if you have a long time to get a good look at him but I'm really concerned about making the right call when I have a hot bull coming in fast in the thick stuff and my heart is pounding out of my chest!

Any secrets for making the call in a split second? Say you really want to kill a 340+ bull. What do you see in a few seconds to make that call? Pictures would be cool....

 

[257 Wby Mag]

Nice work joe!! That'll be a fun hunt, check out the "elk lets see em" thread, lotsa bulls and scores there. Luck

 

[MT_elk]

There are lots of articles on field judging (a copied a couple below). For a split second decision, I always look at the 4th point. You will be able to tell a big bull by this instantly.

http://gothunts.com/field-judging-elk/

http://jayscottoutdoors.blogspot.com/2012/06/field-judging-elk-and-scoring-elk.html

Congrats on drawing the tag.

 

[bowhunterjae]

There are lots of articles on field judging (a copied a couple below). For a split second decision, I always look at the 4th point. You will be able to tell a big bull by this instantly.

http://gothunts.com/field-judging-elk/

http://jayscottoutdoors.blogspot.com/2012/06/field-judging-elk-and-scoring-elk.html

Congrats on drawing the tag.

That is a helpfull link!

 

[bkondeff]

Obviously there's a number of factors, but for quick judging, one thing I focus on is the distance between the tines. This will help give a better perspective on proportions.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Brow tines that look like they reach to the end of the nose then turn up. Most bulls will have fourth points that look long but short third points can hurt a score. Long fifth points. A narrow inside spread will keep a score lower even with long main beams.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Rack Bracket

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

look at his dagger and youll have a quick idea,if it sticks out prominently youl know you've got something.,,wenaha has some nice ones in there but also be aware that you will have spike hunters to contend with at the same time I believe your hunt is.

 

[Gerald Martin]

370" +. Shoot! I'm usually gunning for the first legal bull that I see but good fronts are important for a high score. A bull with long tines on the first three points and a good main beam will score better than bull with impressive 4ths and short fronts.

 

[WapitiBob]

Yew will have more than enough time to judge Bulls over there if yew hunt the right spots.

 

[Joe Hulburt]

Thanks for the replies all. Here on the coast on a very crowded general season hunt it has always been easy. If it is at least a rag horn it dies unless there is a big bull coming in right behind it. That is the only time I have passed any branch bull elk with my bow. My #1 goal has always been to have elk meat to feed the growing boys. Now they are grown and we don't HAVE to have quite as much meat This will be a new experience....

Yew will have more than enough time to judge Bulls over there if yew hunt the right spots.

I would love to be sure I am hunting the right spots. Please feel free to PM me.

EDIT to say I am slow but I believe you gave me a clue. I will be looking at it first hand tomorrow so I will see if I can put it together.....

 

[highmountian]

Tines length and mass. , but on the fly when he comes in and your mouth drops wide open pull the trigger on the release, then be happy happy happy!

 

[hank4elk]

Ditto,many times just seen the nose pop out after the tinge tips.
Like seeing a huge blond body and the front is covered.....whale tail rubbing it's butt..................

 

[WapitiBob]

Thanks for the replies all. Here on the coast on a very crowded general season hunt it has always been easy. If it is at least a rag horn it dies unless there is a big bull coming in right behind it. That is the only time I have passed any branch bull elk with my bow. My #1 goal has always been to have elk meat to feed the growing boys. Now they are grown and we don't HAVE to have quite as much meat This will be a new experience....



I would love to be sure I am hunting the right spots. Please feel free to PM me.

EDIT to say I am slow but I believe you gave me a clue. I will be looking at it first hand tomorrow so I will see if I can put it together.....

I see you posted on ifish. Tim has good intel and I would look at those areas he mentioned also.

 

[Maxxis31]

Wenaha

I would say that if he has cows in any of the big 3 he is a big mature bull. I had an emily tag a few years back and it seemed like every bull with more than a cow or two was in the 330+ range. We saw lots of satellite bulls over 300", you will know instantly if the bull is a shooter.

As far as field judging I start at the bottom and work my way up, if the fronts are weak it effects the score the most, 12" eye guards instead of 18" ones take a bull from 340" down to 316", week thirds only effect the score double, so using the same numbers they would take a bull from 340" down to 328".

Width is not as critical as main beam length because your width can't exceed your longest beam length. Personally if a big old heavy bull came in I would put an arrow in it regardless of score. I have a friend who was holding out for a 380" bull last season and ended up eating his tag, he filmed several bulls in the 340"+ range but had been watching a bull he believed was over 380" so he held out and tried to hunt it all season.

I personally know more guys who have eaten tags in the big 3 that ones who have filled their tag. I only know a couple people who have had the tag and killed big bulls and one guy that has killed a bull over 350" and it was during rifle season with 10+ guys spotting for him. Most of the guys I know that have killed bulls in there were in the 280-310" range, my bull ended up scoring 270" and I shot him toward the end of the season after passing on several 310-320" bulls that offered me a very good shot. Seeing a big bull across a canyon is one thing, getting within bow range is another, I had one bull in Emily that I got within 60 yards of twice that would have went over 350" but the only shot he offered was a quartered toward shot and I passed at that range.

Not trying to be negative at all but a 340" bull is a whopper with a bow, I really hope you can find and close the deal on one. There is some really good areas to hunt just outside of Elgin and Sammyville that hold very big bulls. You don't have to get into Wenaha canyon to find a stud, the big bulls are where the cows are.