Here's a story of one of our Elk Hunts this year, like many hunts this one has its ups & downs! (grin)
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We located a bull just after light during a Full Moon & found he was already in his bed! He bugled once, we heard him while 350 yards away & he had 200'-300' of elevation on us, yes it was very steep! He was on a small bench above us from his bugle. We headed at him & could get to about 175 yards before we were concerned with being spotted if we called & he got up to look for us. It was thick timber & brush so we did have concealment if we used it correctly. My son moved up ahead 30 yards & I went to a dead tree with lots of branches & concealment to setup to see if I could get this bull to an aggressive state! I started with a few mews as if I was entering the area, I repeated after two minutes with 3-4 more soft ones, no sound from the bull.
I continued with several more sets of mews & whines over the next 5 minutes, he finally bugled again but with little interest. I switched to Contact Buzzes, 4-6 of them a 1/2 second long each, I did 4-5 sets inside two minutes & the bulls next bugle had a bit more excitement to it but he had not moved! I did another set of Buzzes & he immediately bugled, I was ready for him & started to rake a tree & snap branches during his bugle. I raked for a solid minute & then panted 3 times through my bugle, he immediately bugled back & I cut him off with my own Challenge, he bugled instantly over me! Awesome, I'm getting him fired up! 8- 10 minutes has passed since we first got to calling! I continue to rake & thrash around along with foot stomping & mid volume excited mews as I changed pitch. This got him to bugle with more intensity & I could tell he was on his feet & had come 30-40 yards closer, no doubt he's looking down the mountain for these elk but my setup was good & it did not give him the luxury to see where the calling was coming from without coming much closer!
The bull was now bugling every 30 seconds, he was trying to call the cow & intimidate the bull to stay back! (me) I continued to thrash & bugled over him several times. I retreated about 15 yards as if pulling back a bit & continued to rake/thrash & a few buzzes, this really fired him up!! I could hear him coming down the mountain & now I can see glimpses of him moving through the brush, he still 80+ yards out from me so is aprox 40 yards or so from my son. I need him closer to him as he's shooting a Longbow. I retreat another 10 yards without being seen, I stop rake & scream a Challenge bugle, he hammers me right back. I now growl at him followed by 3-4 grunts, he moves down the mountain closer & I see my son stiffen as he is waiting for the perfect time to draw & shoot. There's no holding a 60# longbow at full draw & waiting for him to appear. I can see small glimpses of my son to my left & the bull to the right, they appear to be inside 30 yards from one another with willows separating them, the bull is fixed on me & has no clue my son is present. Out of nowhere I hear the soft thud of the arrow released from his bow & the bull goes crashing through the willows & the dark timber. 25 minutes have passed since I started calling, this bull had me pulling out all the stops, he just didn't want to come down but he did! (grin)
I start bugling the second I heard the bull crash off in an effort to slow him down. I headed over to my son to find out what happened!!!!
ElkNut/Paul
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We located a bull just after light during a Full Moon & found he was already in his bed! He bugled once, we heard him while 350 yards away & he had 200'-300' of elevation on us, yes it was very steep! He was on a small bench above us from his bugle. We headed at him & could get to about 175 yards before we were concerned with being spotted if we called & he got up to look for us. It was thick timber & brush so we did have concealment if we used it correctly. My son moved up ahead 30 yards & I went to a dead tree with lots of branches & concealment to setup to see if I could get this bull to an aggressive state! I started with a few mews as if I was entering the area, I repeated after two minutes with 3-4 more soft ones, no sound from the bull.
I continued with several more sets of mews & whines over the next 5 minutes, he finally bugled again but with little interest. I switched to Contact Buzzes, 4-6 of them a 1/2 second long each, I did 4-5 sets inside two minutes & the bulls next bugle had a bit more excitement to it but he had not moved! I did another set of Buzzes & he immediately bugled, I was ready for him & started to rake a tree & snap branches during his bugle. I raked for a solid minute & then panted 3 times through my bugle, he immediately bugled back & I cut him off with my own Challenge, he bugled instantly over me! Awesome, I'm getting him fired up! 8- 10 minutes has passed since we first got to calling! I continue to rake & thrash around along with foot stomping & mid volume excited mews as I changed pitch. This got him to bugle with more intensity & I could tell he was on his feet & had come 30-40 yards closer, no doubt he's looking down the mountain for these elk but my setup was good & it did not give him the luxury to see where the calling was coming from without coming much closer!
The bull was now bugling every 30 seconds, he was trying to call the cow & intimidate the bull to stay back! (me) I continued to thrash & bugled over him several times. I retreated about 15 yards as if pulling back a bit & continued to rake/thrash & a few buzzes, this really fired him up!! I could hear him coming down the mountain & now I can see glimpses of him moving through the brush, he still 80+ yards out from me so is aprox 40 yards or so from my son. I need him closer to him as he's shooting a Longbow. I retreat another 10 yards without being seen, I stop rake & scream a Challenge bugle, he hammers me right back. I now growl at him followed by 3-4 grunts, he moves down the mountain closer & I see my son stiffen as he is waiting for the perfect time to draw & shoot. There's no holding a 60# longbow at full draw & waiting for him to appear. I can see small glimpses of my son to my left & the bull to the right, they appear to be inside 30 yards from one another with willows separating them, the bull is fixed on me & has no clue my son is present. Out of nowhere I hear the soft thud of the arrow released from his bow & the bull goes crashing through the willows & the dark timber. 25 minutes have passed since I started calling, this bull had me pulling out all the stops, he just didn't want to come down but he did! (grin)
I start bugling the second I heard the bull crash off in an effort to slow him down. I headed over to my son to find out what happened!!!!
ElkNut/Paul
