Elk Tactics 2017 - Episode #3

[WapitiTalk1]

Date/Time: Early October, 2017/4:40 PM
Location: Somewhere in the elk woods
Hunt Pressure Status: Minimal
Hunt: Solo hunt today
Tag: Smoke Pole (ML) Season; 3 point or better bull.

A fine bit of working the wind and a quiet approach has gotten you to this point, approximately 70 yards from where you see the bull now (H for hunter)! You first heard the bull bugle when you were several hundred yards back down the hillside below this meadow (meadow is a small one, perhaps 50X70 yards). Once you got within 75 yards of the meadow, you could hear cows mewing on the other side of the meadow, well into the timber; the bull had seemed to have gone silent at this point. At the edge of the meadow where you sit now, you pause for just a second to plan your move and from the right, on the other side of the meadow, you hear rustling and see this bull coming out of the brush, trotting from right to left, quickly covering 15-20 yards in the opening. Up comes the smoke pole to your shoulder just as the bull turns and does what he's doing now. From where you now stand with rifle to shoulder, it is all public land for several miles in all directions. Yes, you're packing your trusty Elknut Chuckler tube and your calls. What do you think your move should be at this place in time to possible bring an elk home for dinner?

H - hunter location; C - cows (no visual, just heard them); W - wind direction.

If you're shooting, save the picture to your desktop and open in MS Paint, then place a spot, X, or whatever on the critter before you save it back to a jpg or png and add the marked up pic with your post.

There he goes.jpg (113.6 KiB) Viewed 6587 times

[>>>---WW---->]

Too late now! You should have stopped him with a nervous bark (not a nervous grunt) when you first saw him coming out in the open. As soon as he clears that fence, he'll be in the brush. Better luck next time!

[Old school]

Once he clears the fence and is into the brush, I'm taking up after him. With cows further in the brush, I'm making an assumption that he is going in after them. I'll get to the fence and see if I have a shot from there as the wind will still be in my favor and he SHOULD be looking for the cows further ahead and not at me on his backtrail...

--Mitch

[lamrith]

I am hitting him hard with a nervous grunt while he is still in the air. if he freezes at all on landing and there is a clear shot to the boiler room the hammer drops. Then I eat a granola bar, call for packing help and pull out my knives while I give him a few minutes to pass in peace.

[Swede]

I would try what Lamrith recommended, but I must be totally ready. If not, then I need to reassess. I am somewhere between Saddlesore and WW if the bull gets into the woods with no bullet in him. Optimism would keep me trying, experience tells me "better luck next time".

[saddlesore]

Even if I was fast, which I am ot, , with the gun at my shoulder, he would be still moving too fast in that jump to place a shot accurately. Once over the fence,one more jump and he is in the rush. Others may be quicker than I though.

[Kessler10]

Even if I was fast, which I am ot, , with the gun at my shoulder, he would be still moving too fast in that jump to place a shot accurately. Once over the fence,one more jump and he is in the rush. Others may be quicker than I though.

agreed!

Although I think Vince is underestimating himself.

[lamrith]

Yeah my hope by barking at him loud and hard is that he freezes, or in olympic terms "sticks the landing". And no soft tenative nervous grunt either, make it loud the and clear the 1st time so your buddies back at camp hear it, you will need to be loud with the elk jumping and having wind in it's ears. That and already having the gun up to your shoulder per Phantoms dream scenario are the only way it would work...

[Swede]

I agree Larry. You have nothing to lose, and I think it will work. If I have a good diaphragm in my mouth I would try just what you suggest.

[ElkNut1]

From your description it doesn't seem like the bull was running from you? With that in mind a good loud nervous grunt (nervous bark is the same thing) as he lands on the other side would probably be my choice. There's a good chance it will anchor him as he stops to look for the elk that asked for an identity from him! You gotta try something! (grin)

ElkNut1

[saddlesore]

My answer was predicated on the fact that I can't use a diaphgram call. It is a little hard to have a reed call in you mouth and a gun on your shoulder at the same time.

[Swede]

It is a little hard to have a reed call in you mouth and a gun on your shoulder at the same time.

Actually it is not all that hard. People that use diaphragms keep them in their mouth for hours. It would be as easy to make a nervous grunt with a smoke pole to your shoulder as it would be to stop a bull while at full draw. Just don't swallow the diaphragm in all of the excitement.

[lamrith]

My answer was predicated on the fact that I can't use a diaphgram call. It is a little hard to have a reed call in you mouth and a gun on your shoulder at the same time.

Yeah I can understand that. You can even make the bark with just your voice as well, don't have to have a reed in or a diaphram. Once you have heard one in the wild it is not to hard to mimic, at least close enough to get the job done. If you have not heard one, I recommend Elknut's DVD's he covers them a good bit.

Reminds me I need to make sure and practice calling while at full draw with bow...

[saddlesore]

By reed call,I am referencing a call like the Skeery or such,not a diaphram that goes inside of one's mouth

[ElkNut1]

With a few minutes worth of practice you can make the single note grunt with your voice, it's done by sucking air passed your throat along with voice inflection. No call of any sort needed!

ElkNut1

[saddlesore]

I'll have to practice that.Although now days,I usually hunt cows in ML season and by 2nd Co elk season,the elk are pretty much spooked at any call