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What should you do? Scenario 8

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What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby cnelk » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 1]

Its mid-morning.
You have followed a bull's bugles all morning.
Not many bugles, just enough to keep after him.

Now you have finally spotted him. He is alone.

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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby easeup » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 2]

now this one is odd.
that big old boy by himself?
hootin all morning...still out in the open? hmmmmm

OK....i think it is going to get hot soon and he is headed for the north side to rest a spell. my guess is there are some ladies over there too.
(except looking at the pic, he is heading downhill.-weird) nevermind I am playing the scenario.
lets keep the pace up until he gets in the timber. I think he might let out a note when he lays down. lets move close to that spot and wait a little.
A midday cow call is the plan...to get him to get up and come ....quiet and slow for the lunch special we have fixed for him.
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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby Indian Summer » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 3]

That little bit of blue sky on the right gives me my plan. The ridge behind him is going downhill the way he's heading. Maybe to a saddle.... that some cows already rolled through. He HAS to be ready to get out of the sun! I'd try to get on the hill behind him asap then go over the top. By now wind is starting to come up so I should be safe above him over there. If I can beat him there I will be the cow he's looking for. Judging by his size I think my legs will carry me there in a hurry!
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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby otcWill » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 4]

Actually had a VERY similar sitauation 2 years ago at about 8;30 or 9 am. I sat in a meadow at the bottom of a shoot leading up to some dark timber which the elk are always bedding in. I'm thinking the morning hunt is probably over for me and I'll sit in the sun and enjoy the scenery when I here a couple of "cow" calls. I look over about 250 yards away and I can see antlers moving just over a little ridge in the middle of the meadow. I figure he's got some cows, but scramble to get off a few sublte cow calls and the big sucker turns and starts coming towards me like a puppy. He lets out a couple more cow calls and then lights up my world with a few of the loudest bugles I've ever heard. I assume that he maybe got ran off by a bigger bull though he was a 280 ish 5x. Long story short, he called in like a dang primos video! I mean 2 simple cow calls and in he came right across the middle of the meadow and into my lap for a 15 yard shot!
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What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby BarW » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 5]

Is he really headed down hill? Hard for me to say from the pick. I think he's for sure headed to bed I'd continue to play the wind watch where he beds and make a plan from there. Then again if I see a good bull like that I may just start running and shooting. Haha
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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby cnelk » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 6]

Cover and breeze allowed you to flank the bull.

As he crests the rise, you are not sure what the terrain is like...

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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby BrentLaBere » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 7]

I would do the same as otcWill,
Only because this is a very similar scenario to how I got my bull this last fall. I don't know the time of year on this(maybe sept. 10-15?) but I would guess the bull is getting revd up and is looking for cows. He is searching and randomly calling out to see if he gets a response. So trying to close the distance and giving him some cow calls would do the trick and my guess is he would come running.
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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby Swede » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 8]

If I know the bull and or the area we see him in, I could probably make a good guess where he is headed. I would try to meet him there. It is mid morning, so he is going to bed down on what appears to be a hot low elevation area. He will most likely go for shade on some nearby north slope well up the mountain. If there is a nearby water hole, he is likely to stop for a drink while on his way. If that water hole and/or wallow are on a good trail, I would immediately go there. I doubt he is going to bed on the open hill we see behind him. Since the wind and the cover have allowed me to flank him. Based on the openness of the timber behind, I am guessing he will cross to my side of the field,park somewhere close. I am not going away from him very far. If I do not know where he is headed, I think I would continue to flank him and wait for a shot opportunity. I would only cow call a little if I mess up and he figures something is close.
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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby >>>---WW----> » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 9]

The odds are way against you ever calling him across that open area. When he dropps over the horizon, I'd beat it over to his side of the clearing before trying to call him in. Hard to say from the picture if if it is still early in the season and he hasn't aquired a herim yet or maybe the rut is on and he just got his butt kicked out of the herd by a tougher bull. In either case, I think once set up, I'd start with cow mews and see what happens. Then just play it by ear from there. I don't really want to challenge him right here as he may have already had his tail kicked already. Think maybe I'd start with a lost cow call that was seperated from the herd. I've had good luck with that in the past in a similar situation.
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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby cnelk » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 10]

You continued to flank the bull to the top of the rise...

This is now what you see...

Now what?

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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby Indian Summer » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 11]

Now I'd just shoot! :D

The bull of course.
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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 12]

cnelk wrote:You continued to flank the bull to the top of the rise...

This is now what you see...

Now what?

Image


At this point I'm processing what I know, which is that I've been following a lone, bugling bull trying to get an angle on him. I've used his bugles, the wind, and cover to dog this big boy from early on in the morning. Now, I see a lone cow? Multiple cows in the brush? Cows with a herd bull? May be a bedding area in the small, brushy draw (quite possibly). Not sure who/what is in that brushy draw but I know the bull is heading there; I know there is a cow or cows there; I'm guessing there may be another bull in the equation now. Time to use the wind and cover to the best of my ability and get in close and see what plays out. There may two bulls butting heads soon; there may be a lone bull checking on a lone cow's estrus status; there may be multiple cows bedded down.. Not sure of exactly what's going on in that draw, but I know that's where I'm going by using wind and cover (as available) to my advantage.. I'm getting in there!
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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby >>>---WW----> » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 13]

If I had a rifle, I'd have shot him in the first picture.

In that third picture, that is me in my lost cow suit. See, I told you it would work!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby TetonStorm » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 14]

This to me is a great opportunity to put the Montana Decoy to work. I'm assuming I'm in cover at the moment and would assemble decoy and move within the cover and wind advantage that is working now to a position 75-100 yrds from the draw. I'd wait for an opportunity to place the decoy on the edge of the meadow and take a position 10-15 yrds behind it. While I was doing this my brother(who is always with me) would've taken a position behind me another 30-50 yrds and let out some cow calls with a hint of estrus in them. Lets see what happens and go from there.
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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby elkmtngear » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 15]

I'm going with the decoy idea of course :mrgreen:

Here's a great example of how well it can work in wide open spaces, with 3 guys hidden behind it:

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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby cnelk » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 16]

This bull has got love on his mind.
Any calling or decoying will prob have to compete with that cow in that last pic.

It's time to sit back and see what happens next.
It's getting on toward mid-day and nothing exciting is going to happen for awhile with this bull.

He probably isn't going much further and either am I....

I want him to be the one to make a mistake, not me
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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby easeup » 02 12, 2013 •  [Post 17]

I think so also cnelk.
He has been steadily walking that direction and bugling cause he got a whiff of that lady over there over an hour ago. So from that knowledge I know the wind is right for me to hang back a little a stay hidden and get close. they may get out of the heat by just laying up in that draw under the brush.
he is a nice one! I do not believe he will leave a cow he smells for a decoy he cannot smell this time.
my bet now is that when they both disappear in the brsuh I can get over there near them and knock an arrow.
and hope for lady luck.
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Re: What should you do? Scenario 8

Postby BrentLaBere » 02 13, 2013 •  [Post 18]

I don't have enough experience but I am not sure I would sit back. I'm sticking with what I said the first time with the bull is now searching to gather cows. Now that I see he is heading towards one and maybe the cow is not close to estrus. By giving him a few excited cow calls could bring him right too you. I guess my thinking is why not try to give the bull what he is looking for? All wind and cover permitting. Other wise sit back and enjoy watching him from a safe distance.
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