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Still trying to figure these critters out. 5 years in.
Got to the edge of an opening at first light. About 150 yards across, active wallow on the other side, plus another wallow and lots of runs in the woods.
Let out a bugle and got a response immediately. My guess was 50 to 100 yards inside the other side and slightly above. Wind is in my favor.
I chose to scoot around the edge staying inside the tree line. Set up just outside the trees in a group of trees. 25 yard shot max. No calling partner. Problem was the bull never answered again. I never heard cows, just a single bugle. He was NOT at either wallow based on sign there. Took me maybe 10 minutes to reposition
Should I have stayed out and tried to pull him across the clearing?
If you never hear from them again, sometimes its because they had a cow(s) and immediately started herding them away and it didn't matter what you did, they were outta there. Often times they're out looking for cows and will respond to a locator, but really can't be bothered otherwise.
Or it could have been a solo bull that had no desire to come fight.
That's why I like to do Lou's herd talk thing with every sound you can make besides bull/cow sounds and including rolling rocks, snapping branches, and farting as you often times at least get engagement.
If they believe there's a cow involved, they may come take a look.
If I am not in a good spot. I shut up and hustle to a good spot. Before I bugle again I will cow call and sit quiet again. So bugle got an answer. Moved in the tress to a better shot location. Set up and let out some herd/cow talk then shut up for a bit. Hopefully the bull thinks the cows are close the bugle was far and they try to sneak in. Then after a few minutes no luck bugle and challenge.
So I read your post 2-3X times trying to envision your scenario. IMO, you are not going to pull him across a 150yd opening. He's not leaving whatever girls he already has to possibly engage in a fight. Maybe you "sounded" bigger than him and he decided to silently slip away, taking the ladies with him. Myself, I do not bugle and only use my hoochie or sceery cow call. I want to sound like a single cow looking for a herd to get with. Sometimes if I'm with my brother, we will separate a bit and do different cow calls, like herd talk. We've had good luck pulling bulls out of nowhere doing that. If the bull responded from 500 yards away, I would have sneaked in about 450yds and started cow calling. I think the fact you were inside his "wheelhouse" when you bugled probably spooked him.
Agree, wouldn’t be able to have him leave his (wooded) location and trot across 150 yards of open range. Try to keep the wind advantage, move around opening and into his area. Get set up and listen, softly cow call and take your time.
Hard to say…elk hunting is filled with curveballs. Danny Moore lived by the get in on him, bugle in his face and take the shot when presented. The only time I’ve called a bull from his cows is midday when they won’t slip away on him. You’re also dealing with sketchy wind then. Idyll has a great point, just thump around for a minute, grab a stick and rub a tree, make elk sounds without actually calling. Just be different. I was slipping in on 3 bulls chasing each other around 20 cows two weeks ago. Wind was perfect, 8:30 am…opening day. 2 definite shooters…got under 80 yds to the point I could see most of ‘em. Then below and behind me I hear absolutely perfect cow calls. Same sound, 17 times in a row about. Shit…face palm. The bulls bugled a bit more but the cows moved directly away immediately. It was just too much I believe. I was able to shadow the herd later that morning but only got in on the smallest of the 3 bulls. Fun and challenging is an understatement.
Still off vid later that morning.
Agree, wouldn’t be able to have him leave his (wooded) location and trot across 150 yards of open range. Try to keep the wind advantage, move around opening and into his area. Get set up and listen, softly cow call and take your time.
When you say: "Let out a bugle" what kind of bugle? Were you threatening or just more of a "hey I'm over here" locator bugle?
I call bulls across the open all the time. But if your bugle was not good and he knew it, his bugle was probably a round up/ lets move type of bugle. And he left with his cows.
Pressured elk will just push their cows over the next ridge 90 percent of the time in that scenario IMHO.
Raking and or bugles (on pressured elk) can be seriously effective inside 75-80ish yards. Not so much if you're not right in their face. And, if there are several vocal bulls in a given drainage, they know eachothers' bugles, so they will shut up if they've been messed with by hunters.
Or it was another hunter that saw you and didn’t call again
Pretty sure it wasn't a hunter, I was the first at the trailhead and any other route to there would be miles. I was just under a mile from trailhead
As to what type of bugle, was a locator bugle, not trying to threaten. His sounded the same back, but I am new to figuring out what they are saying
I agree you can pull some bulls across 150 yards, but probably only the top 20% callers can do it (Like Forest). Doesn't even need to be a bad bugle, bulls with cows that have had to fight off challengers will bugle once to say stay away and also herd up the cows and head away from you. The ole "hammer him when inside his personal space" works, but you better be damn sure it's less than 100 yards or he likely just moves the herd on its way. I have a long running "learn from our mistakes" list and the #1 is "make sure we are close enough" before starting to call when on a bull. Good luck!
You did the right move less chance of calling a bull across 150 meadow to a bugle. But without knowing if the bull had cows with him or not it's hard to say why he never bugled again. Bulls do what they want to do. Couple years ago I hunt 8 straight days. Bulls would never even answer a cow call but would bugle back to our bugles. Go figure.
