I was watching a video the other day, and they said they are very successful in sneaking into vocal bulls. Last year we had a bull that I bet this technique would have worked on. I could have kept him bugling and watching his every move from above, while my buddy snuck in on him. Just curious if anyone else uses the technique?
Sneaking into vocal bulls
- Thread starter Tank
- Start date
I think many times guys are way too cautious. In September of 2006 my buddy and I were down to the last few hours of his bow hunt in Wyoming where we always hunt. We were up high and spotted a bull with about 20 cows and there was one satellite bull bugging him and trying to get in on the action. We decided to go at him using the available cover and the wind was just perfect. We covered over a mile and did some cow calling that he responded to so we knew he was still there and finally got within a couple hundred yards of him and as we were closing the distance the smaller bull busted us, but took off away from the others. We continued on sneaking right down just to the south of the herd as they were starting to get up and feed away from us out into a meadow to the north. When we got to within about 50 yards of the last available cover we got set up and started a few cow calls that he responded to. We really gave him some excited calls and he actually left the herd and came in for about a 45 yard shot and John drilled him perfect. It got dark and the season was over before we even finished getting him quartered and hung in a tree for the night. John would have gone home empty handed and would have had to wait for the rifle season if we hadn't got aggressive and gone right in within that bull's comfort zone for the kill.
PleaseDear
Long Time Member
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Being a solo elk hunter I have really had only that option of sneaking in on a vocal bull.
If I call to them to get them to come in to me they are locked on me from my calling----
So the silent stalk in on them is best for me.
Exciting too!
Robb
If I call to them to get them to come in to me they are locked on me from my calling----
So the silent stalk in on them is best for me.
Exciting too!
Robb
If you have them located then why bother calling? Either sneak in or get close enough to figure out which way they are moving and set up. If you start calling and they don't buy it then you are just telling them where you're at. I don't call unless I'm desperate. I've always had better luck avoiding the call.
destroyer350
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Absolutely agree with Zigga, we hunt bulls very aggressively without calling. If he'll let me know where he's at, I figure I've got a chance at him. Most of the time it doesn't work, but when it does!
Even if you do bump them you can usually get back on them given a little time and effort.
Even if you do bump them you can usually get back on them given a little time and effort.
In the particular incident I described we were up high and could occasionally see the bull and his cows over a mile away as the crow flies. When we went down off the mountain at him we had a bunch of finger canyons we had to go across on the way down to get at him and we were in thick stuff all the way to him and it was more like 2 1/2 miles on the ground. That's why we continued to call every once in a while wehn we got to the top of each finger canyon as we were closing the distance. If we hadn't done that to keep him located, he could have taken his cows several different ways right out of the country with no time left for us to relocate him. Each incident is definitely a learning experience, but in a lot of instances it's best not to call much, if at all, while at other times I feel it's almost a necessity. A lot of it depends on the country and how much they are being called to. Where we are hunting there is hardly any pressure or calling, so it doesn't bother them too much. A pressured area would be much different.
I was watching a Mossback video, and they said they are very successful sneaking into vocal bulls. Last year my hunting partner and I had a perfect opportunity. We had just climbed out of a meadow, and as we looked back we heard a bull we call the dragon. Then he walked out of the trees about 600 yds below us. Looking back I could have kept the bull calling, while my buddy slipped in on him. Hindsight comes just after you needed it sometimes...
AWHOLELOTTABULL
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I have always elk hunted with the philosophy of, "if he will talk long enough he's dead". If a bull elk didn't bugle, they would be a hell of a lot harder to kill. Get agressive. The biggest problem in sneaking in on a vocal bull is not the bull himself, but the other elk around him.
It's always an adventure!!!
It's always an adventure!!!
1FastGambler
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I've had success in the mornings chasing them down and waiting until they get quiet and start to bed down, then barging in on the herd and intentionally blowing some cows out and then bugling at them. The herd bull WILL come see who's harrassing his cows. Is that agressive enough?
Need to do this with two people. One person to do the calling and the shooter to keep sneeking. I can't say enough about how critical it is to know where he was the last time he bugled, usually he'll still be close to that spot.
This basic method even worked one time when a herd decided to bed on both sides of a road and we drove a 4-wheeler right into them in the middle of the day, not knowing they were there. Some cows went one way and some went the other. I whipped out my bugle and my partner hopped of, grabbed his bow and the bull came running out into the road 40 yards in front of him. He shot & missed (had a bite & blow cow call in his mouth when he came to full draw, spit it out and it wrapped around his string, nearly took his head off when he let the arrow fly!! I kept calling and beleive it or not the bull came back and let let my partner have a 2nd chance. He was so shook up that he missed again!! I'll never let him live that one down!
The bottom line is what was said earlier, most people are not agressive enough. Elk will put up with more than you think... as long as they don't smell you!! Once they smell you, it's over.
Need to do this with two people. One person to do the calling and the shooter to keep sneeking. I can't say enough about how critical it is to know where he was the last time he bugled, usually he'll still be close to that spot.
This basic method even worked one time when a herd decided to bed on both sides of a road and we drove a 4-wheeler right into them in the middle of the day, not knowing they were there. Some cows went one way and some went the other. I whipped out my bugle and my partner hopped of, grabbed his bow and the bull came running out into the road 40 yards in front of him. He shot & missed (had a bite & blow cow call in his mouth when he came to full draw, spit it out and it wrapped around his string, nearly took his head off when he let the arrow fly!! I kept calling and beleive it or not the bull came back and let let my partner have a 2nd chance. He was so shook up that he missed again!! I'll never let him live that one down!
The bottom line is what was said earlier, most people are not agressive enough. Elk will put up with more than you think... as long as they don't smell you!! Once they smell you, it's over.
M
me_rob2011
Guest
I do it all the time and I never make a sound. It is best to just let them make all the noise. There is no need to call if they are bugling. Once you call they are looking for something so it is best to keep quiet if you can. Especially with the big bulls.
http://www.outfitterfocus.com
http://www.outfitterfocus.com
Wailing4Wapiti
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We did it to perfection a few years ago. We had a bull bugling back at us from the opposite ridge but I could tell he wasn't going to come back down the valley and over to us. I told my partner to "go get him, while I keep him talking."
About every 5 minutes I would call at him and he would scream back. After about 45 minutes we saw my neighbor running across the meadow back towards us. Sure enough, he had snuck right in on him and made a 30 yard shot while the bull was bugling back at me. Now if I could just get someone to return the favor.
About every 5 minutes I would call at him and he would scream back. After about 45 minutes we saw my neighbor running across the meadow back towards us. Sure enough, he had snuck right in on him and made a 30 yard shot while the bull was bugling back at me. Now if I could just get someone to return the favor.
It's a great idea, I don't know why I don't do it more. The first year I bow hunted the Uintas, we had a bull who was very vocal until we got too close and then he moved away. I can still remember the 5" tree he broke off, 6" from the ground. Would have loved to have layed eyes on him. Live and learn I guess...
