To be aggressive or patient
Elk
So you have a bull on a steep slope in the open. He is being very vocal. There are a few cows in the meadow as well. You are positioned across a small creak about 200 yards away in some timber. Light is fading fast you maybe have 20 to 30 minutes left of light.
What would you do?
This was my partner and mine situation last year on our first night in CO. We elected to slip out and go back to camp. Everyday since then we have second guessed our decision.
What is the wind like? Other hunters? I always will push if I can. You will seldom get a shot if you do not make a move to get to,at least 80 yards before just sitting.
On OTC public land you never know when someone else will bump them out.
What is the wind like? Other hunters? I always will push if I can. You will seldom get a shot if you do not make a move to get to,at least 80 yards before just sitting.
On OTC public land you never know when someone else will bump them out.
Depends; if its a limited entry unit i am always more aggressive in those- you just can.
If Co OTC later in the season, those elk are a little more skittish and call shy.
I think its always a good idea to get closer if you can as all calling strategies seem to work better if I'm inside 150yds vs much further. it seems like when you are closer the challenges work better- cutting off their bugles...and also the subtle cow calls too.
You gotta catch a fish when it's mouth is open.
The unit is draw but very easy to draw. There were 4 other guys in the general area. The wind was drifting down slope and we were below them. At the time we were afraid of blowing them off the mtn. Hind sight we were wishing we would have been more aggresive.
All depends. If the wind was wrong, I would have backed out as well. If the wind was good, I would have done one of two things. If there was little to no cover between me and the bull, I would have tried my best to coax him closer. More than likely this wouldn't have worked since you weren't real close to him, and the fact he had cows, but I sure would have tried like heck. If there was enough cover to get in close, I'd have done that and then thrown everything in the book at him, since I wouldn't have time to pussyfoot around. The fact you had very little time to work with meant you were fighting an uphill battle to begin with, but I sure would have tried if the wind had let me.
IMO, there are far more great opportunities gone to waste by being too timid, as opposed to being too aggressive. If the wind's wrong, that's one thing. Obviously you don't want to do something stupid. However, if the odds are in your favor, then ya gotta go all in.
In my early days I was patient... too patient.
Now I go for it and never regret it. I would play the wind/thermals and try to get closer than 200 yards before calling. If he doesn't come in chances are he won't be spooked either and may be responsive in the morning. He might even be more responsive in the morning because he may recognize your bugles from the night before and think you are the same bull that pestered him the night before.
Old friend of mine who has killed more animals than anyone I know gave me this advice on elk and moose. "just walk up and stick em". He is more aggressive than I am comfortable with but it works for him.
The last bull he killed was in the middle of a huge park sparring with a smaller bull. He got the wind and crawled to the only 2 ft high bush in the middle of the park, shook the bush and flagged him with his hat. Bull charged over and he stuck em:)
Probably go after it. The exception would be when hunting an area where the elk have shown to be predictable and the odds of a repeat set-up tomorrow are decent.
Where I usually hunt, tomorrow usually looks nothing like today did so I hunt whats there when its there.
If the wind is good and at last light you can usually count on it staying good...get aggressive and throw the kitchen sink at him. In Colorado if its not muzzy season, I always have a Montana decoy in my pack. It wont work every time but when it does they run at it like a goofy dog chasing a ball.
Similar post a couple of days ago, "elk in the meadow now what"...
Be aggressive!!! I no longer wait to see what happens, I make something happen. Quickly make a plan, check the wind, see what the elk behavior/ movement is... And Close the distance...
Another plan is to have one of you stay put while the other one sneaks around to come in from a different angle . After 5 minutes or so the hunter who stayed put gives a weeney bugle to divert the elk attention in his direction. This will probably keep the bull bugling and allow the hunter to sneak in from a different direction undetected...
Be aggressive, better to be a participant for a moment than a spectator for a lifetime....
Here is the layout. We figured we pissed away a golden chance. Just wanted to make sure. Lol.
I agree with What sfiremedic said
What time of year, early or later rut? On the first night with little to no cover I would have done the same thing and started there with little sleep. Did you get back on him or did he vanish?
Funny that you can get 4 miles back, Wilderness, Draw unit and still be around guys...
With the wind coming down that mountain your only move was to the left in your picture, but that brings you more upwind. No cover to the right means you watch him till dark and get back on him EARLY.
Oh yeah, one more thing. Was he very big? How was there rest of your hunt?
Same situation I was in five years ago in an OTC Colorado Unit. Easily a 300 bull. I pulled out and came back early. Never again! Last year is a good reason why. Got in a similar situation and got my wind right. Hit him with a bugle for location then moved in quick. Once within 70 yards I hit him again with a very aggressive bugle. He came in quickly and took a shaft. Things worked out last year so you never know but I will choose to take advantage of the moment. All the best this fall!
Swamp buck, the date of that encounter was September 14th. He was a 5x5 As far as how big, if I had to guess low 200's area. It would have been either my partners or myself first archery elk.
Ever since last year we have been telling ourselves we need to be more aggressive.
6 days later we broke a cardinal sin. We were calling to a bull that was a good 200+ yards away. After about 20 minutes we tried moving in on him. He ended up picking us off after 10 steps. He was coming the whole time. Lol Hind sight we should have got in close after we heard his first bugle before trying to pull him in.
Lessons learned last year for sure.
If there was any way to get closer, you get closer. Even if you can't close the final yardage the closer you get the better something good can happen.
Being closer and calling may have worked out. Sometimes it's just get close as you can and hope to get lucky and they make a mistake.
The wind is the first thing though.
Biggest problem is only 20 min of light.... tough to make the distance unless you have the cover to move fast, get in there and make much happen. Possible for sure, but tough.
I rather be sorry for something I did rather than something I didn't do. Go for if the wind is right
I rather be sorry for something I did rather than something I didn't do. Go for if the wind is right
I'd make a move for the creek, your scent should stay down in it. Cross it, then move up or down it according to wind direction to get the best advantage. Have a shooter crawl to as far toward the bull as possible, then have the caller do a hot cow/ immature bull scenario from behind the SLIP Decoy back in the timber a ways (just far enough in so the bull could catch sight of the decoy).
Here today, gone tomorrow. Aggressive action is needed IMHO.
Best of Luck, Jeff (Bowsite Sponsor)
I am a very aggressive elk hunter. It's pays off more for me then being patient
