Contributors to this thread:
What is your preferred technique for hunting solo as I am hunting solo this year. Thanks in advance for any help!!
What are you hunting for? I'm sure people's preferred way to hunt solo changes depending on the game.
Since it's on the Elk Forum, I'll go out on a limb and guess he's not asking about moose? ;-)
Seriously, it all depends. When I'm on the ground running and gunning, I'll use locator bugles and mews until I get a bull to respond. Once I do, I won't make another sound until I get as close as I think I dare. Obviously, you have to be aware of cows and satellite bulls. Once I get in tight, I'll hit a couple soft mews to get a response. From that point on, I'll let the bull tell me what he wants to hear. The overwhelming majority of bulls I've called in have been with mews. However if I can't get him to commit, then I'll hit a young bull squeal. Once he responds, I'll cut him off with another squeal. Providing you're in tight enough, this is normally all it takes to pi$$ him off enough to come in. If all else fails, I'll go into a full blown calling sequence, including raspy bugles, grunts, tree raking, and stomping. Not knowing what the mind-set of the bull is, I'll always start out with the least aggressive calling, then increase the aggression if needed. If he's the least bit timid, I don't want to blow him out of there at the get-go.
For evening hunts, I've hunted exclusively out of a treestand for over a dozen years with great success. I'd guess at least 90% of the bulls I've called into my stand have been done so using strictly mews.
I hunt all day long on the ground kill most bulls about 10 am to 2 in there bedrooms ,i have great encounters with bull in the afternoons while calling .My last 4 bulls were all bugled in i limit my cow calling trying to get into the herd to challenge the dominate bull with the most aggressive bugle i can dish out. My logic is the herd bull is challenged by sat bulls all day long during the rut . The dominant bull can keep most sat bulls at bay with just his bugles ive seen it done many times , But if the dominate bull is challenged with another dominate type bull then this herd bull has no choice but to show up and fight ! i try and get him so pissed off that he drops his guard and walks right in looking for his challenger , raking trees snapping twigs,even running at him .Too many hunters try and sound like a elk without legs that just floats in the timber :> bulls make a lot of noise . Cutting a bull off is the best way to get instant results . I also call then move forward in hopes the bull will come in and look right past me and walk right past me . In there bedding area the cows are stationary the herd bull gets little time to rest if sat bulls are near he is always on his feet keeping them at bay . I force the bull into a corner so to speak !
I see so many youtube videos with hunters walking on eggshells to timid afraid of screwing it up blowing a perfect opportunity.
Elk hunting during the rut is very easy when u figure them out it then becomes instinct to the hunter as to the next move .
This bull was called in for a chip shot with just 4 very aggressive type bugles. Last year i gave less then 12 total bugles and killed 2 bulls last year. So many make this a lot harder then it is .
I play the wind game move only when its in your favor. I stay in front of trees or rocks never behind I draw my bow as soon as i see a flash of tan moving towards me im at full draw way before the bull walks into bow range or clears himself for the shot .
2013 bull T This bull i found had walked away from the main herd i assume he was a dominate type bull that got his butt kicked ,, he was walking away from me i dogged him and dogged him with bugles following him for over a half mile . He was calling back at me but moving away i kept dogging him with restlessness bugles !! I kept moving towards him ,while he moved away I assume he finally had enough of my annoying challenges and next thing i know he was full bore blowing snot and smoke at 25 yards , caught me totally by surprise , he saw me move he went to my right i bugled at him and drew my bow and ran towards him he stopped and turned around i was at full draw less then 25 yards . . If i wasnt so aggressive i would have never tagged this bull . He wasnt looking for a fight but i gave him no choice .
no cow calls were used !!
Hunting solo you better be willing and able to use the frontal shot.
I recall years ago before i used the bugle calls i was inside a bedded herd about 5 bulls total , i had a great herd bull at 60 yards i was blowing my cow calls to no avail, he would scream at me but never come in close enough for a a shot , I had a sat bull coming in only to get attacked by the dominate bull i had a cow come in about 5 yards , i was sure that herd bull was going to come into my cow calls but he did not. I stayed with that herd all day long finally they got up and were moving towards water feed i followed but got busted by his cows this broke the herd up . I used this to my advantage , i gave some cow calls after the dust settled and sure enough i had 28 cows at 22 yards all on the same trail i saw the big bulls antlers moving in my direction wow its goin to happen i thought he should follow his cows :> but im waiting and waiting and catch moment to my left the herd bull went behind a large rock outcrop and came out past bow range :< if i had more knowledge back then and confidence i should have killed that bull .. i did witness some great herd interaction while being inside the herd all day long.
I'm actually hunting pygmies in Africa !!! Yes I'm hunting elk!!
"so many make this a lot harder than it is"
Rarely a truer statement hits the forums
I do the absolutely minimum calling to keep them talking and try to move in on them. That said, it all depends on the elk. I've also gone through call sequences that made me tired trying to coax one in...
My preferred method is to do it by myself! I think a decoy is a big help and this year I'll be adding some Ever Calm Elk Herd in a Stick, had great luck with the same stuff but for deer and have a good buddy tell me the elk version is great too! Ambush works good too if you can pattern them or get lucky and see them first! Find the elk and hunt!
I hunt solo most of the time. I usually listen and sneak.