Sagebrush1
Well-known member
I’m not an archery hunter, (or much good at elk hunting in general,ha) so I don’t spend much time really getting after rutting elk. This week, however, I’m tagging along with a buddy hunting archery.
Holy cow! We spent yesterday morning in the midst of screaming, thrashing, rutting bulls. Bugles firing off from all directions, cows and calves singing all around. Crashing through brush and breaking branches. It was so dang impressive.
We split up yesterday morning (he’s a “hike fast to the top of every mountain” guy, and I’m a “quiet and still is the way” guy…plus I didn’t want to hike up yet another mountain
) and I snuck around and found a litt wallow underneath where I was hearing the bulls. The wind was perfect, and I tucked myself in a little Gamble’s oak to wait.
During the course of the morning I had
- a 330ish 6 point standing at 25 yards screaming in my face every time I made a cow call for like 5 minutes!
- that same bull then moved uphill to about 60 yards and spent probably 20 minutes bugling back and forth with another couple bulls. All within sight.
- a satellite 5-point came in and walked to the wallow right in front of me. He stood around nervously for a minute, then sauntered off uphill.
- a small group of cows and calves walked right in talking the whole way.
I’m pretty sure this is about as good as it ets during a rut hunt, and I figure I’d be hard pressed to top it.
I just had to share because I was so impressed by the whole thing.
Holy cow! We spent yesterday morning in the midst of screaming, thrashing, rutting bulls. Bugles firing off from all directions, cows and calves singing all around. Crashing through brush and breaking branches. It was so dang impressive.
We split up yesterday morning (he’s a “hike fast to the top of every mountain” guy, and I’m a “quiet and still is the way” guy…plus I didn’t want to hike up yet another mountain
) and I snuck around and found a litt wallow underneath where I was hearing the bulls. The wind was perfect, and I tucked myself in a little Gamble’s oak to wait. During the course of the morning I had
- a 330ish 6 point standing at 25 yards screaming in my face every time I made a cow call for like 5 minutes!
- that same bull then moved uphill to about 60 yards and spent probably 20 minutes bugling back and forth with another couple bulls. All within sight.
- a satellite 5-point came in and walked to the wallow right in front of me. He stood around nervously for a minute, then sauntered off uphill.
- a small group of cows and calves walked right in talking the whole way.
I’m pretty sure this is about as good as it ets during a rut hunt, and I figure I’d be hard pressed to top it.
I just had to share because I was so impressed by the whole thing.
I bet you'll see him stomping around up there next fall though!
