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Mistakes I Have Made

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Mistakes I Have Made

Postby Swede » 10 18, 2018 •  [Post 1]

This thread is about the mistakes we made, and what we learned from them. If we did not learn something, how would we know it was a mistake. I will post a couple that I have made, and wait to post some more later.

1. While waiting in my tree stand, I heard a bugle off in the distance. I had a diaphragm in my mouth, and the grunt tube was hanging on the side of the tree above my head. I used to keep a diaphragm in my mouth nearly all the day, but that was not the mistake. The mistake was in returning the call. I did that a number of times over the coarse of a few year, and nothing ever came in afterwards. Some were within 100-200 yards of the water hole I was waiting at. I had elk come around after initiating a little calling, but never when I answered one. Since nothing came in afterwards, and often these calls were made near a bedding area, where I was expecting to see elk at any time, I have concluded it is not a good idea to answer a bull from my tree stand.

2. I used to set up a decoy near the water hole where I had my stand. Nothing ever came because I had a decoy up. Some thought it was ok, but some turned away just seeing it. Some were very much frightened by it. Since no elk was expecting to see a decoy, I know that was not the reason they were coming in. They were coming in for water, therefore I have learned to leave Nellie my decoy to guard the truck or camp. She has no place near my tree stands.
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Re: Mistakes I Have Made

Postby Jhg » 10 18, 2018 •  [Post 2]

There was a bull bugling every once in a while as he went walkabout looking for some cows. I put a stalk on him in the morning but never saw him, I think because he was traveling pretty fast. (I named him traveler) I hunted around and the mid-day found me up against a beautiful 100 acre meadow. I didn't expect to see anything, it was 1 PM after all. But I have a soft spot for nice meadows. So there I was. Just as I arrived a bugle hit me and in the next instant a fantastic 6x6 was strolling across the meadow, muscles ripping under his sleek coat, the tines of his majesty glinting in the sun.
It was like watching a National Geographic movie.
As he disappeared below an undulation in the meadow I quickly set up a decoy next to the edge of the timber and drew back into the shadows. I blew a couple excited cow calls- thats all it took. First the tips of the rack then the bull came in like "on a string". He was coming closer and closer until he was maybe 60 yards out. (I shoot a recurve) When he saw the decoy he stopped and let out a thunderous bugle. He then circles upwind of the deke, not downwind of it as I had anticipated. Now he was 60 out and 50 over. He stood trying to get the deke to come to him for about 5 minutes. Then he left.
Big mistake was setting up the decoy so he could see it before he was in the zone of death.

But there is more....

I took down the decoy and went over 100 yards to what I call a hot spot (a place that is cooked by the sun in summer and has little vegetation and dead trees usually) and took a nice nap. About the time I was considering getting up, a bugle erupted from where I had set up the decoy earlier. The bull had come back 2 hours later to give that stubborn cow another chance. I should have been waiting there in the timber because I thinking he might do just that (thats why I took a nap nearby) but I did not follow my intuition, either out of laziness or self-doubt. Mistake number 2 same bull same day.
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Re: Mistakes I Have Made

Postby ElkNut1 » 10 18, 2018 •  [Post 3]

Swede, I understand what you're saying about calling from a stand, I agree if this bull is bugling his way in & wants to know if another elk is there, BUT, if that bull is bugling with no intent to come your way but for other reasons then he is very callable. Just because you bugle back that is no reason for him to come your way, you didn't ask him to or give him a reason to do so. That's where the issue lies! (grin)

Jhg, I've had similar experiences & screwed the pooch as well! Sometimes being patient & knowing it could work out is so hard to do! (grin)

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Re: Mistakes I Have Made

Postby Swede » 10 18, 2018 •  [Post 4]

Where I have hunted for years the elk usually come from their bedding area in the mid afternoon until dark. My experience says they come in the PM 75% of the time, but it is the opposite for Stringunner and I don't know why. Maybe he is doing something wrong. :lol: When they come in the late afternoon and evening, I have not had success with several different elk sounds. I have mostly used short two note bugles, and a few cow calls. I have tried a chuckle, but not enough to feel I have any conclusive answer on that.
I can say that by staying quiet, I have had a lot better success. The closer they are when they call (100-200 yards out), the more sure I am that I will get a good shot at him if I remain quiet. I am straining my memory a little here, but when they are close when they call, they come in most of the time. I have never tried any re-gathering cow calls or breeding sounds. I have had a little success trying to encourage a bull to be curious, and come in to check me out. Except for those occasional short bugles I do once in awhile because boredom has set in badly, I do most of these before I climb into my stand.
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Re: Mistakes I Have Made

Postby Fridaythe13th » 10 20, 2018 •  [Post 5]

This was the 2nd year of archery elk hunting the 1st year we found a valley 3 miles in with bulls screaming there heads off most days.
day 1 we knew where we were going, 3 of us headed out probably walk right by elk to get to this sacred spot??? We arrived maybe half an hour after shooting time. Not a bugle anywhere so we started to climb, not sure how high this hill is but heaven might be closer. Half way up the mountain we heard a bugle way at the end of the valley. Smiling and knowing we are hours away and plenty of elk in the middle we took are time. the closer we got the action pick up a couple more bulls joined in for the party. We closed the distance to maybe 150 yards, with 1 shooters out front and 1 down the hill I started cow calling, raking trees and a couple of chuckles. This bull went crazy breaking trees and ground shaking bugles, this was awesome. I finished 1 of my calling sequences and I heard rocks turning over I looked around seen a satellite walking the trail we walk in on 15 yards in front of me, I got ready for the shot and I believe the wind from my down hill shooter hit the nose of that bull and gone.
With the heard bull still screaming and another bull moving in right above him we moved in closer hoping for the best from eather bull in our approach I spotted a bull 50 yards below us my 2 shooter went left and right and I walk up the hill made 3 cow call the bull came up the hill for a 11 yard frontal shot. Good blood trail found him 100 yards later.
Now after that long story your probably wondering were the mistake was. Well as we were taking care of his bull the original bull bugle 200 yards away the entire time. Why the he!! Didnt 1 or both of us go after the bull. Hind sight is 20/20
The best day of elk hunting in my life that bull bugled 300 -400 times from 830 to 4.
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Re: Mistakes I Have Made

Postby Swede » 10 20, 2018 •  [Post 6]

Friday the bull that kept on calling was trying to locate the missing one. I have shot animals and had the herd bull keep on bugling. I was alone and only had one tag, so I just kept on butchering, but they seem very callable. My son shot a small bull with a cow and calf right by. The cow retreated away and bugled several times.
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Re: Mistakes I Have Made

Postby Fridaythe13th » 10 21, 2018 •  [Post 7]

Swede:
With the wind being perfect all day and 2 more tags in our pocket, that was one that got away. The whole day was good we had 2 missed elk and 1 in the freezer. My brother miss a bull in a classic way sat down for lunch let out a call took a bit of his granola bar and bam the bull standing 30 yards away. He did get a shot off but just took some hair off the bottom. We call the bull Nick after that.
The othe miss was steap up hill shot he range at 50 yards with a old range finder. Yep you guess it shot over the top should have put the 40 yard pin on him.
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Re: Mistakes I Have Made

Postby Swede » 10 21, 2018 •  [Post 8]

I was just pointing out that I have had similar experiences. Most experiences where I had a bull hang around with his herd was in the evening, and I was butchering one of his cows by myself at night.
The cow that bugled, after my son killed the bull, stayed around for awhile in the early afternoon. I was not interested in butchering her, so I left her alone. I think a re-gather cow call sequence would have brought her in. She did not know we were around for at least a half hour. I am not sure she ever did as I did not pay any attention to her and her calf.
I think the bull would have come closer with a re-gather call, but it was dark, and I was fresh out of elk tags then.

Anyway, I think after we break up a herd by shooting one, it is sometimes possible to get them to return with a round up bugle or cow call. Elknut is sharper on what calls to use than I am, but if I shot a cow, I would use a re-gather cow call, and try to sound like she is back. If I shot a bull, I would use a round up bugle. "I'm back!"
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