Contributors to this thread:
I’m all for sharing the woods, but you don’t move in on someone who has a bull going who has done the work on that bull and you are going to shoot his bull and ruin his hunt!
Has this been festering since last fall or are you anticipating such this fall ? In any case, I agree with you as far as you’ve gone.
I’ve just had it happen so many times to me! I think that the overcrowding in some of these units probably has something to do with it. So I’m all for limiting the tags in some units!
I’ve just had it happen so many times to me! I think that the overcrowding in some of these units probably has something to do with it. So I’m all for limiting the tags in some units!
Is there a particular foolproof way of knowing for sure that you (or someone else) is working a bull, and that it’s not another actual bull (or cow) calling back and forth?
Experience I’ve been calling elk for over 35 years. I know if it’s a bull or a hunter.
Have you by chance incorporated whispering, in lieu of calling?
Not sure what to tell you, public land does have some drawbacks.
I've had that happen while turkey hunting, and just thankful I wasn't shot in the process.
Okay, you know the difference but isn't the problem everyone else? Heck, you're camouflaged and sounding like an elk so.............
"you are going to shoot his bull and ruin his hunt!"
Until the tags on the animal it's not anyone's bull. If you hunt public enough it'll happen just like you've probably at least accidentally "ruined" another hunters chance. If you run into a Ahole in one spot try another if you run into Aholes everywhere well you're probably the Ahole.
You can't have that much pressure if your bulls are bungling.
One factor in why many hunters lease land or pay to hunt private.
I hear ya Elk, hunting public land is tough. When I was a newbie to archery elk hunting 14 years ago I couldn’t tell the difference between hunter or real bull. Like all things it takes time to learn, even the etiquette part doesn’t come pre downloaded unfortunately. Definitely not a pro by any means but over the last few years I’ve practiced and become a decent bugler. Last year I called in (according to him) a seasoned veteran elk hunter who was fuming mad And swore there was no way I made the bugles he heard and that I “must’ve busted the bull I was on out of here”. I grabbed my bugle and asked him “this bull?” And repeated what I’d been doing. He kinda chuckled, shook his head and said “yep that’s the one.”
But yes, I agree. If you know someone is in sequence don’t be a jerk and give ‘em space.
"If you run into a Ahole in one spot try another if you run into Aholes everywhere well you're probably the Ahole. "
;-) but true.
Elk Whisperer - "Experience I’ve been calling elk for over 35 years. I know if it’s a bull or a hunter."
I would assume, given that response, you are pretty good at calling. The better you are at calling, the more likely you will call in other hunters. Fooling other hunters has nothing to do with "Ethical hunting!". If someone knows you are already there and attempts to cut you off...different story.
I've been elk hunting 20 years and can only be certain someone intentionally cut me off one time. Bowhunting Colorado on the last day of the combined ML season...had a guide and his ML toting client walk right through my setup and were still standing in bow range when the client made a 75 yard shot on the bull. Fortunately, that was the 50 year old version of myself and not the 30 year old version. I packed up and moved on...no words were exchanged (yes, I called them everything but white men under my breath...LOL!).
How do you know that other hunter was not following and working that bull you stepped into by calling? I've called in plenty of seasoned hunters, you can't always tell which is an elk or a person calling.
Somehow this reminds me of the time that I headed down the hill towards where I could hear some knucklehead practicing his bugling, and doing an absolutely terrible job of it…
It was a spike…. Part of a large herd….. With a nice bull in charge.
Apart from that one time…. Whenever I have heard bugling, I have made it a point to approach on the assumption that I am being called in by another hunter.
It would suck to ruin somebody else’s hunt, but it would suck even more to get shot in the process.
Very hard to know, but I once was working a bull on a fence line. Had guys walk in down the same fence line half mile behind me. I got to a spot, set up decoy with a buddy and was working the bull, he is coming in. In a perfect linear line it goes bull, 120 yards, me, 350 yards idiots. As the bull is coming in, they start calling. Bull packs up and leaves. That's public lol.
I can them idiots in this occasion, because we and the bull were all clearly visible, and they had absolutely no play because the bull would have to come past me to get to them. So that pissed me off. They followed me the whole way in.
My apologies if I walk in on any of you guys. I assume every bugle I hear is a real elk until I can prove otherwise.
Jethro, that’s a wise assumption.
If there's another hunter in position on a bull it's his play. If I'm not 100% sure there's another hunter, then I'm going to try to kill that bull. If at some point I discover another hunter in the sequence, then I will assess who has the better play, who may have been there first, and then make the decision to continue or withdraw. I hope the other hunter has the same consideration for me.
I would never intentionally hone in on someone's hunt. But, I've never been elk hunting and if I ever do I'll be a complete novice at it. I would likely end up screwing someone up out of ignorance.
You guys need to walk in a little farther!
"My apologies if I walk in on any of you guys. I assume every bugle I hear is a real elk until I can prove otherwise." - Jethro I totally agree, I get 5 to 7 days a year to chase bugles if I am lucky. I will chase every one I hear!!! Likewise, I apologize if I booger up your set up.
One thing I learned really fast about real elk. Some of them sound like a kid on a piece of stove pipe. Some of them are "no doubters" but some of them are going through puberty or something. I find for myself it's like 30% you know for sure are elk, and 10% you know for sure are humans and then there's 60% ambiguous. So I chase 90% :) But I am not nearly as seasoned as many on here.
Elk whisper,
A few years ago I was on multiple bulls bugling before daylight. I don't call to bulls that are going off on their own. Probably the worst mistake a lot of novice elk hunters make! Anyway... I stayed with them for about 1.5 hours getting into position. Towards the end as they have moved into a good spot and I'm about in range I hear someone bugling behind me and notice another younger guy on my side in a setup. Of course I'm going to keep on my stalk. I've been on these bulls all morning. These jokers end up spooking the elk and I had positioned myself perfectly and shot a 6 point as it moved from them. They come up on me all hot and pissy and say "We were calling to those elk! You were not even calling" I said "Why The F$%ck would I be calling to bulls that are bugling their heads off on their own!?" Point is... you better not always assume you were on the elk first. Not everyone is out there blowing their horns all day!
Some of you guys are too uptight. Hell most of my fun elk hunting consists of calling in some tool bag that’s blowing a flute and then leading him into a hell hole. When the elk aren’t talking it’s a great source of entertainment. I’ve thought of starting a BRO like YouTube channel except seeing how many Doug Fluties I can call in across the Rocky Mountains. It would be comical. I have had guys throw the book at me, yes the “playbook”. I love when they give you 8 different sounds in less than 2 minutes. It’s like trolling with 18 different lures at the same time. You just have to see what they are biting on. ;)
LINK,
That is a great idea! I would watch it. I usually do my best to get as far away from the fluty boys as possible, but you have provided a new source of entertainment! You could literally just give them a certain response and wait for them to go to play X. Priceless. Don't think I will take it over good elk hunting(as far away as possible from them), but again, I would watch the hell of it on your youtube channel!
