What do you do??

[ndbuck09]

I know it's been discussed in all kinds of hunting circles, media and here probably.

You've backpacked in 3 miles and 2000ft up on top of a ridge and set up camp. This scenario plays out on the opposite side of the face you came up. No trails on the side where this situation takes place.

What do you do:

You're on a ridge at 8,000ft with a timbered face dropping to a creek 2000ft below, small benches, steep down to the creek and timbered, not thick but timbered with brush intermixed. It's evening, an hour and a half to sunset. You hear a bugle what sounds like 4-500 yards below you so you start dropping vert to cut the distance. You go 2-300 yards and call to try to get a better pinpoint and the bull bugles back but sounds about the same distance below you as he had been when you were on the top. This process repeats another time and clearly the bull is working downhill away from you, responsive but going away. The wind in this area stays pretty solid up-hill until right at dusk so your wind is solid for a while longer.

What do you do after this pattern plays out once or twice? Keep going all the way to the bottom and run the risk of finally getting down there to have the wind switch or do you do something else? Or just let him go and hope he's coming back in the morning?

 

[MnWildFan]

that late - cut bait (unless last day of hunt) Save legs and get him tomorrow.

 

[spike camp]

First thought is, unless you can turn him around with calling, the time it’ll take you to get close behind him by dogging him..the wind will undoubtedly swirl.

 

[wyogoat]

Is he bugling on his own or only in response to your calls? I think mature branch antlered bulls (especially public land bulls) will keep a buffer that is safe for them. If he’s bugling enough so that you can keep tabs and work your way in, which from that distance is once every few minutes, put the call in your pocket and close distance.
My theory is that I’m hunting on average 21 days for one opportunity (mature bull, at full draw and high percentage shot). That’s my approach and with that, I am going.

 

[butcherboy]

He is steadily moving away from you. You won’t catch up to him and will find yourself a long ways away from camp. Let him go and be where you last heard him the next day or find another one.

 

[Dos Perros]

Unless it's the last day I'm going to figure out how to kill him tomorrow. Save your legs, listen for other bugles until morning.

 

[Ross]

Been in this setting many times, sometimes chased other times waited till morning. Often morning came and he was gone. I’m chasing you have a bull close better to try now than look for another one tomorrow.