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When to move in on a bull?

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When to move in on a bull?

Postby JohnFitzgerald » 04 18, 2013 •  [Post 1]

Question by LuckyTyler

by LckyTylr » 04 18, 2013 • [Post 2]

How do you know IF you should make a move on a Bull?

IF . . . you Do make a move, when do you go and how close do you try to get?

I know all of this depends on a lot of variables. Maybe some of you pros could paint us a few pictures and IF you should Move, When and How Close?

If you make a move at the wrong time, you will wind up nose to nose with a bull as you both round a bend. If you wait, you will spend an entire morning calling to a bull that has no interest of getting out of bed.

And Go . . .
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Re: When to move in on a bull?

Postby JohnFitzgerald » 04 18, 2013 •  [Post 2]

Just depends on the bull. I had a recent conversation with someone. Short story was he was 100 yards away and was screaming back and forth at a herd bull. The bull eventually gathered up his cows and exited the area. Why did the bull not respond? Easy, the bull felt he had the intruder at bay. He was on the defense but not threatened enough to come and fight. For me, 100 yards is the starting point not the stopping point for pressuring a bull. If the herd bull doesn't respond, I pose more of a threat and move in closer.

I found satellite bulls are less predictable than herd bulls. I've had some cross entire canyons to come investigate. While others just hold tight no matter what. For me, playing on their curiosity is just as effective and sweet cow calls. And sometimes better depending on the time of year and the amount of callers out it the woods. If they aren't coming in I get as close as possible and work em.

Just my two cents!

jf
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Re: When to move in on a bull?

Postby bnsafe » 04 18, 2013 •  [Post 3]

again i cant speak to elk, but for turkeys if i could move halfway to him and not get busted i had a MUCH greater chance of killing that bird. not sure if its because i just cut the distance in half (dont think thats it), its in there nature for the hen to go to the gobbler, or because when the calls come from a different spot then closer it is more realistic like a hen was moving to him ( i think thats it and the gobbler wanted to get to the hen before another one did). i just think its more realistic when the sounds come from someplace new. even if you have to move sideways to not get busted it works for turkeys. again, not sure elk are the same.
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Re: When to move in on a bull?

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 04 18, 2013 •  [Post 4]

Back in the day in MT, we had many, many more bulls "come running in" to calling as there weren't that many folks calling I think. Heck, my dad used to whistle into a 30-06 casing to get answers :). Fast forward to modern day? I normally aggress and get close before saying anything. I have zero experience in more open elk areas (WY, CO, UT, AZ, NM) but in the alder/huckleberry brush choked side hills of MT, ID, and WA, it works well to move steadily towards a bugling bull, whether hearing an unsolicited bugle or one that answered your call. Work elk trails in these tight areas as much as possible (most of the time, that's all you got) and get within at least 100 yards, set up and listen. You make noise when you're moving in elk country, elk think you're an elk (making noise while moving in, that's another thread). I get as close as possible and try to assess what's going on (elk are on the move to feed/bed, bull is in a static location knocking the stuffing out of some brush, etc.). I'll normally set up my partner where he has some possible shooting lanes, back off to the side and behind from 20 to 40 yards terrain/wind dependent, and see if I can evoke an emotional (physical or vocal) response from the bull with various brush raking, stomping, or calling. Usually results in some activity :D
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Re: When to move in on a bull?

Postby Swede » 04 18, 2013 •  [Post 5]

The short answer is: If the bull does not come to you, then you need to go to it.
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Re: When to move in on a bull?

Postby bnsafe » 04 18, 2013 •  [Post 6]

well thats easy swede, i coulda said that, lol
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Re: When to move in on a bull?

Postby CrazyElkHunter » 04 19, 2013 •  [Post 7]

Swede wrote:The short answer is: If the bull does not come to you, then you need to go to it.


Ditto! Couldn't have said it better! :D That's elk hunting, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
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Re: When to move in on a bull?

Postby cnelk » 04 19, 2013 •  [Post 8]

I would move in on a bull to get into better cover, or a better shooting position, then let the bull decide what to do next.
If he sounds like he will commit, I will let him.
If he stands his ground, I will use cover to move in
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Re: When to move in on a bull?

Postby easeup » 04 19, 2013 •  [Post 9]

lckytyler, the old cut the distance by 1/2 is a good rule of thumb.....
then rethink the deal to hear what is going to happen next.
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Re: When to move in on a bull?

Postby flystrait » 04 19, 2013 •  [Post 10]

This is a great question. I am a very aggressive hunter. I do not sit back and let the bull dictate what will happen, I try to dictate what is going to happen i.e put the bull in the position and or mind frame you want him in to be successful. This usually requires you to be inside a 100 yards. Once I have learned to call properly, I have never blown a bull out being that close no matter how loud and aggressive I was..

CK
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Re: When to move in on a bull?

Postby buglmin » 04 19, 2013 •  [Post 11]

No matter who you are or how good you sound, you aint going to get a big herd bull to commit to you and come running in to you by bugling and just cow calling to him...its times like this when you gotta move and try different things...we've had herd bulls come into us when we started calf calling, cause he comes in to pick the calf up. The biggest bull I shot in Colorado came back to pick up the cow/calf that was following to far behind the herd as they moved to bed...
When bulls hang up, its usually cause he becomes suspious...something just aint right. We hear guys trying to sound like a bull with lots of cows, but all the sounds come from one area, and with no noise. Bulls will come in and not see all these elk he is hearing, and becomes suspious. That comes from way over calling...
In Utah, we had a huge bull hang up one morning, but he would answer to any noise, and not move off. After moving a few times, I called twice on a dfferent cow call I didnt like but carried anyways, and the big bull came screaming in to us...sometimes, moving on a bull and using a different call will bring in a bull thats hung up. In the Gila a few years back, we had a bull that loved the Hoochie Momma, and a bull that loved the Cowgirl...
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When to move in on a bull?

Postby Huntography » 04 19, 2013 •  [Post 12]

Hi fellas,

Yeah, that's a lesson I learned first hand last fall in Idaho. We had called a bit and walked the top of a ridge line in the first hour of light.

Then spotted a number of cows making their way up to us. Along side of them was a really nice bull.

As we waited for them to move up, one of the cows got really close to us and spooked and took off back down the ridge. All the elk followed.

We decided to hook around the top of the ridge and try to get in front of them as they paralled the ridge.

A few hundred yards later, we heard the bull bugling. He seemed to be rounded up the cows.

We bugled back and forth with him for we'll over 20 minutes. Each time slowly moving closer.

But, not fast enough. We were hoping to pull him in to us. Big lesson right there.

After talking to a few elk nuts, :), its clear we made a couple of mistakes.

Not moving in faster and possibly saying the wrong things to that bull.

But the thrill of the experience was just something to be cherished.

Rudy
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Re: When to move in on a bull?

Postby Trophyhill » 04 21, 2013 •  [Post 13]

as a solo hunter mostly, as soon as i get a response or hear elk, increasingly i am moving towards them trying to get close and looking for a good set up at the same time. a couple years ago i was a very passive elk hunter but am finding out just how productive being aggressive can be. and being aggressive doesn't neccesarily mean challenging his elk hood all the time but being aggressive in my actions if that makes any sense.
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