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Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

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Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby ElkNut1 » 07 17, 2018 •  [Post 1]

For most hunters hunting OTC Public Lands pressured elk is on the menu, we find ourselves confronted with quiet elk or elk that may bugle once or twice early morn or late evening, how can we hunt those elk? -- We may know a general area where some of these elk feed/bed, etc. but there's no bugling & little cow chatter. How do we lure a bull our way when confronted with these issues, this is a common scenario hunters face every year & possibly only a week to hunt them!

When calling is the answer Slow Play the Breeding Sequence! It will take from 10 min to 30 min to run its course. The odds of calling the bull in you know is there are extremely high even without him bugling! Choose a good tight setup where the bulls approach is in your range before he can see source of your sequence.

You will imitate one cow & one bull, no more! I like to get about 200 yards or closer if possible but no closer than a 100yds is necessary, heck I've pulled them from a 1/2 mile away. Start with some light raking tree branches/brush, this will get the bulls attention. Now add light hoof stomps & rustle what's ever on the ground to add realism for 30 to 60 seconds. Stop raking/rustling & now add 2-3 voice pants through your bugle tube, this shows excitement over his present situation as he Displays. Wait 15 seconds or so & add 2 soft mews & one single whiny mew, this mew will be much more abrasive & last 1-2 seconds longer than the soft mews.--- Start Displaying/Raking again for 30 seconds or so. Give several bull pants again with a low guttural growl, do the pants & growls with your voice through the bugle tube, all this is for the cow. Repeat this several times with a short pause in-between!

You have set the scene you are Displaying for a cow coming into estrus! This kicks butt on those lethargic bed bugles & beyond. As the encounter comes to light you may need to get creative in your sounds if your target bull turns vocal. Listen & watch closely for a silent approach from the bull.

If he does start to bugle during anytime of your setup note what he's bugling, is it your cow call/raking-pants & is he cutting the distance. If he bugles your setup be ready to respond with a moderate challenge but keep raking & give those soft pants showing your excitement building for the cow. After a few seconds & the real bulls anticipation growing give 3-4 Contact Buzzes, this asks the real bull to come on over, in nearly every case he responds with a short come over here bugle to the cow (round-up bugle) it has less less intensity/emotion than a challenge bugle. When he calls the cow his way you now escalate your challenge bugle to a 7-8 in a 1-to 10 scale with 10 being the highest. Get ready with an arrow nocked. Showing this defensive action for the cow on your part tells him you definitely have a hot cow. When done right the bull comes in on a string, rare is the case will he come in down-wind or behind you.

This is how you can turn a nothing situation into an aggressive one & having a chance punching a tag! When doing this method or any method be the elk you are imitating, let them feel your feelings & emotion, make it real!

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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby Swede » 07 17, 2018 •  [Post 2]

Jim Horn advocated doing this early in the archery season, but I never had any interest in it by a bull. I am not sure if I had a bull in hearing range, but there should have been some. Maybe I was not doing something right. I know there were no pants used. Do you think this works well in the pre-rut?
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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby ElkNut1 » 07 17, 2018 •  [Post 3]

swede, not the same at all, his was a Silent Calling method, it's the same as a Cold Calling Sequence which both came out aprox the same time years ago. A Breeding Sequence sends an entirely different message! Too, notice the dominance of the bulls sounds with few cow sounds. I've also used this sequence with no cow sounds!

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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby Swede » 07 17, 2018 •  [Post 4]

I have heard and read that Jim Horn had two CDs on calling early. See thread on Elk 101 "Jim Horn-(Early Season Elk Hunting). I have only heard one. In the one I listened to, he described a very early season breeding sequence elk call sequence that was very similar to what you describe. He said it was deadly very early, but I never got it to work, and gave up after a few tries. Another thing your description has in common with what Jim described is the slow part. It has been 15+ years since I tried it, so I may have forgot some, but I seem to remember calling a few minutes (3-4), then waiting in a set up location. This would be repeated several times over about an hour. I really don't remember any stomping or raking either, but it has been a long time now.
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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby ElkNut1 » 07 18, 2018 •  [Post 5]

Yes, I understand where you're coming from, there are similarities but trust me this is very unique & I've used it for many years. It's the Slow Play that is killer & when to use your sounds. This is tailored for calling in bulls, Blind/Cold calling setups will trigger about any elk & it's common for unwanted elk as Cows & Spikes to show up first, the other is the opposite. Thanks!

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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby Wapiti » 07 18, 2018 •  [Post 6]

This is pretty much what I use a lot during the whole season. As I hunt alone much of the time it really passes the time when nothing is going on. I like to be busy trying new things. One thing I can say is be patient and things will happen.

I often will only move a couple hundred yards then set up and do it all over again.

I like raking the grasses with a stick and pulling grass out by the roots ect. The more realistic you can sound like and elk the better.

Thanks Paul for sharing.

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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby ElkNut1 » 07 18, 2018 •  [Post 7]

Travis, thanks! I see I need to re-shape the technique a bit so others understand it's use. This is not a blind calling setup, of course about any method could be applied towards that if so desired!

This is very unique in delivery & timing is everything for sounds used. On lazy lethargic bulls we have to be very careful with them on OTC lands. Let me see if I can find a Story where I used it instead of writing a book here! Ha Ha. In the last 3 years alone we've taken 18 bulls with this method where in years past, (many years past) those bulls would have slipped out of our lives. There's a reason I labeled it Slow Play.

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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 07 18, 2018 •  [Post 8]

Sweet.... in my toolkit now for this fall. I like the idea of this strategy/method being a bit more lower key/subdued in the initial phase (casting a net, creating interest without the need for bigger sounds). I need to learn to keep my big sounds in my pocket until it's time to pull them out, as needed. Very good stuff Paul.
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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby ElkNut1 » 07 19, 2018 •  [Post 9]

Rory, I'll try to explain it later. It's my goto tactic these days. It's tough to explain in writing but not if talking about it. Each bull is different so I tailor this tactic to him! With this tactic you literally expect to call in every bull that will bugle at least once to you or on their own! This tactic is being added to the APP, it will be in video form as it's easier to share that way, thanks!

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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby jmorr » 07 19, 2018 •  [Post 10]

I have a question about this Paul- How close do you think you have to be for a bull to hear the foot stomps and panting? It seems like sound doesn't carry very far in the thick jungles of the panhandle..
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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby ElkNut1 » 07 19, 2018 •  [Post 11]

Good question, close enough that you're fairly sure he can hear your sequence! Usually within a couple hundred yards in the thick stuff! I hunt that stuff too & it will pull a bull in further than you'd think, thanks!

p.s. adding a few voice/popping you lip glunks can add to realism!

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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby Fridaythe13th » 07 22, 2018 •  [Post 12]

I think I have read this post 10 times. Spent the last half hour on YouTube watching your videos on what a pant sounds like, guttural growl and challenge bugle.
We have the perfect valley for this set up. But if it doesn't work the 1st time do you move up a couple of hundred yards and try again or do you switch it up from there?
Way to go Paul!!!!! if you have any more to share I sure well take them all in.
THANK YOU.
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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby ElkNut1 » 07 23, 2018 •  [Post 13]

When generally using the Breeding Sequence I reserve it for elk I know are already around. I either followed them to bedding/feeding area or I heard a bull bugle on his own but won't respond again. I will get the needed distance away & go through this Sequence on Slow Play mode, nothing aggressive! I will start up in conversation mode & go from there to get this bull or bulls interest up. I do not move around & re-setup, I stay put as long as it takes, they will come but it takes patience!

Yes it could be used a Cold Calling Tactic but I generally like knowing there are elk within earshot.

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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby elkaholicid » 07 25, 2018 •  [Post 14]

Weird that Paul and I see eye to eye on this. That NEVER happens! LOL!

The breeding sequence is a highly effective calling tool but must be done in the right situation. The right situation is that you know elk are in the area.

Here is a great way to think about it. You work into a canyon one day and multiple bulls are screaming their heads off for a good portion of the day and there is a ton of elk activity. You go in there the next day and not a peep. Why the change? Simple! The first day you went in there you encountered an area that had a hot cow and it created a lot of excitement that fired up all the bulls in that area. The next day, no hot cow in the area and thus the reason for no or not much bulging or "rutting" action.

The breeding sequence is creating that very same situation. You are replicating that atmosphere of a hot cow and an excited bull. Other bulls in the area recognize this sequence and they become excited and want to scent check the air to confirm that there is a hot cow in the area.

The reason for slow playing is that you have to build the excitement. You can't go from 0-100 with your calling. That's not realistic.

Great topic Paul!
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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby Swede » 07 26, 2018 •  [Post 15]

Thanks Paul and others for the clarification. You have sparked a renewed interest here. I walked away from something similar but want to try it as you describe it with the extra sounds. Realism in fooling an elk is always important.
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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby Indian Summer » 07 27, 2018 •  [Post 16]

Good stuff as always Paul. Guys should practice this out loud at home or out in their yard to remember it instead of just reading. I like all of your pressured elk tactics. After all...How many of us hunt elk that are unpressured and suicidal!
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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby Joe Schmo » 07 28, 2018 •  [Post 17]

Is anybody else concerned that Swede is out there trying this technique with no pants?
Paul, I watched your slow playing video on YouTube and by the end I was pretty much convinced that I’d be calling in like 25 bulls this year, that stuff gets me stoked!!
About this here breeding sequence...still more likely to get satellites coming in than herd bulls? Just wondering. Looking to be in the woods the first week of September and I’m thinking there may be a lotta time for slow playing em... :)
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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby ElkNut1 » 07 30, 2018 •  [Post 18]

Thanks Joe's & others!




The Breeding Sequence in Slow Play form can attract any bull, all depends on the bull you've targeted? Here are some examples! By the way, when done right you will bring nearly every bull in with a good setup & near their destination spots!

#1 - Multiple bulls bugling in one area, this says there's a hot cow in their midst with the herd bull keeping the satellites at bay! A Breeding Sequence here will most likely bring the Satellites in, it's what brought them there in the first place. Get to 150 yards or so, setup & go for it! The herd bull will respond to your Sequence but generally will not come your way & leave his cows!

#2 - You locate a bull with a lethargic/lazy bugle near bedding area, he responded to you or he bugled on his own, it doesn't matter. This bull is not in Challenge Bugle mode, DON'T CHALLENGE HIM! This is a Slow Play situation, it will drag him in as you go through your Raking, Light Stomping, A Few Pants & 2-3 soft cow calls, all this plants the seed you have a cow coming into estrus! Keep repeating it adding a few voice glunks here & there sparingly, you can even trade the Pants for glunks or add the two together at times as you mix it up, do not be predictable in your Sequence! All this will slowly arouse this lethargic bull to showing up silent or turn vocal trying to call the cow his way. If that happens you will notice he is coming your way as he stops to call to her, that's your time for that low level Challenge Bugle!

#3 - Number 2 would also apply to a herd bull that has no hot cows therefore isn't being harassed by satellites. You would treat him the same as a satellite bull in the above info!


These are a couple examples how you would tailor your calling to attract any bull your way! Whatever you try keep your calling/Raking/Displaying as natural & believable as possible! You will find that nearly every bull you target will eventually come over!

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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby Swede » 07 30, 2018 •  [Post 19]

Joe Schmo wrote:Is anybody else concerned that Swede is out there trying this technique with no pants?


It is Swede the animal. I did not think the elk would care, but if Elknut says you need pants, then it is pants they get.
Now I wonder if one pant pattern is better than another? Someone on the forum said it was Optiflage that made the difference. I think I offended them, as I don't see them around now, but I have to admit I forget who they were. I am an equal opportunity harasser. :D
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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby Bowhunt3r » 08 02, 2018 •  [Post 20]

Thanks for the post Paul! Very helpful! Can't wait to try it in 2 weeks here in Utah! Hopefully, I can get those lazy early season bulls talking!
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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby Swede » 08 02, 2018 •  [Post 21]

Welcome to the W.T. campfire Bowhunt3r. Feel free to join in the conversations.
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Re: Slow Playing The Breeding Sequence!

Postby Bowhunt3r » 08 08, 2018 •  [Post 22]

Thanks, Swede! Will do!
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