Run and Gun Calling

Who likes to focus on covering a lot of ground in the rut to find bulls that are hot?

Do you bugle mostly from ridges or dropping into basins/canyons? I think that ridge calling allows you to cover the most ground but can be a bit too far from elk locations to draw responses. Thermals also can be an issue with early morning ridges.

Do you incorporate some spot and stalk during prime times also? I like to have some nice vantage points to glass, even if it's a short time, so all my eggs aren't in the calling basket. I'm thinking about doing more run-and-gun though. Randy Newburg on his q and a said he mostly doesn't worry about glassing during the archery season.

Thanks for your thoughts.

The ridge thing is a double edge sword, yes you will hear, see, and walk better but the wind will cost you sooner or later walking high at first and last light.

When I walk thru the woods I blow on a cow call softly and use a Hoochie Mama in my pocket that use now and then.
I have had calves run up on me with their mommy right behind them. I bugle just here and there, seem to work pretty good.
We use not one decoy but several them around water seem to calm the bulls when they see a herd of cows as they come into drink.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

I do a lot of constant moving during archery season. I like to go at it slow though, and deliberately work thicker timber and aspen areas known to hold small bedded elk herds.

When the occasional aggressive bull responds then the tough part is working into a good set-up position. All the rules like paying attention to the wind, sun at your back... apply. One key thing to recognize is, when its "right" to go after the bull... and when to let him come to you.

2f350s: Hunt hard, hunt ethically.

It all depends on how pressured of elk im hunting. On limited tags where the elk arent as pressured i will break out the bugle more often in order to locate bulls. I have been the most successful in rut situations on otc/general tags by staying primary silent and letting the elk talk to allow me to move in. Once i feel i am in their bubble i will use a mix of cow calling sequences and spike bugles to drag a bull off his cows. As most of us know when dealing with educated elk a herd bull will seldom leave his cows, thus you have to get inside his bubble and challenge him. (About the only time i really will get on the grunt tube) However in the early stages of archery season when bulls are still trying to split cows i will do alot of cold cow calling sequences (run and gun) to drag a bull in who is looking for cows. It seems every year and every scenario is different when it comes to calling elk. The best advice i can give is success often comes with time spent in the woods and placing yourself in those scenarios over the years that ultimately allows you to learn what worked and what didn't.

Coloradoboy