My Son & I had been Running & Gunning calling for bulls in hopes of a response, we'd covered several miles on foot up & down some fairly steep timbered terrain. Around noon we'd decided to take a break & a snack. We no more than relaxed a bit & we hear a bull bugle on the opposite drainage we were on. We estimated aprox a 1/2 mile away but because we were high on this mountain with a huge drainage between us we could hear his bugle, then we heard a 2nd bull bugle in the same area. We sat there for 15 minutes & listened we heard 3-4 more bugles from them. One was a bull for sure but at that distance it was hard to tell if the other was a hunter. At any rate the bugling sorta died off but we decided to head over towards them as the area we were in generally had few to no hunters!
As we head over there descending the steep mountain we cut this small stream below us about 15' across & no way to get down to it, on both sides of it were 12' high willows as far as we could see to the left & right of us paralleling the stream & in front of us, it looked nearly impassable & was going to take forever to get through it. 30 minutes had already passed & it was going to take even longer to get around it. It was noisy & we couldn't hear anything plus once down in there we really weren't sure where the bugles had come from! Being hot & afternoon we decide to back out & come back early morning from a different direction where we could slip in under where we heard the bugling. We felt that late in the day they were in their bedding area so we should be able to locate them that next day.
The next morning we park on a dirt road that was well under where we'd heard the bugling. We walk up the steep mountain in hopes of getting to the right area. When on the opposite side of the drainage the day before we'd noticed a huge rock cliff that was just above the bugling bulls; so if possible to see out once high enough we knew we had a landmark to go by. We head up this mountain 3/4 of a mile & hear nothing & we haven't called to this point! After about an hour from the rig we happen on this huge rock mass/cliff we saw the day before. We sit there for about 20 minutes listening in hopes of hearing a bugle. It was a bit iffy since now we were above where we felt these bulls may be & the wind was going down the mountain, we were on a north facing slope.
After the 20 minutes I decide I'm going to give a location bugle & see what happens, I no more than pull the grunt tube out & a bull bugles under us & to our left, we got lucky as he wasn't in our wind pattern. We quickly grab our stuff & hustle down the mountain as quiet as possible but moving quickly, we are getting as close as we can to his same level 300 yards away so no way could he hear us at this point. We get to where we feel we are on his level on a pretty nice timbered bench running east & west; there's a pretty good game trail on it with lots of fresh sign. We sit there 15 minutes as we're not sure exactly where he is from his one & only bugle? We know he's there somewhere but remain patient & do not call! Finally he gives a single bugle, nothing responds to him, it was a lazy type bugle where a bull could be sending out his calling card to attract a cow to his position, it was by no means Challenging. With this in mind I know I cannot get aggressive with this bull, I will need to play on his curiosity & his possible interest in a cow that I got from his his bugle tone! Time for the Slow Play!
First we slip along the bench closing the distance, we are now 175 yards from him but hit another wall of willows, it was a no go so now I need to bring him over to us! There's a game trail of sorts entering the willows & will now attempt to bring him out that way. This bench we're on is 40 yards wide with a 2nd one below us but pretty close, it's kinda like a double stair step where we are on the upper one. My Son sets up 10 yards on the downhill side of the game trail, I setup to call 30 yards behind a dead downfall log from him because it's a bit more open than I like, generally I'd be 20 yards from him to start with. With both in position my Son nocks an arrow, I can clearly see him so can read his body language. -- I start with 2 low mews & one louder mew hoping for a response since this is what it appears he is looking for from his bugle. Nothing happens, 3-4 minutes later I repeat, nothing, 3-4 minutes I do it again, this time he gives a short low bugle showing interest in this cow. I answer with one low mew but I knew he could hear it. 5-6 minutes goes by & nothing, then out of no where he gives the same bugle but it's much closer, I answer him again with one soft mew & one mid range mew with a small whine to it. (I'm using a mouth reed) He responds immediately with a bugle with more intense emotion, I now know it's just a matter of setting him up for a shot opportunity! I feel he's just a bit over a 100 yards away now but cannot see a thing, a few minutes goes by & no bugle, I think he may be slipping in silent? But nope! All of a sudden he bugles from the same spot but this time he added a few chuckles at the end, he wants me coming to him, I feel he's getting nervous because this cow isn't coming his way like he's asking her to do!
I know I need to do something to convince him to cut the distance, he's not fired up at all so do not want to challenge him yet! Instead I start raking the dead downfall I'm behind & snap off a couple dead branches, he bugles instantly, I cow call with 2 sweet drawn out whines, he bugles again & now I can hear him coming, I immediately give him a throaty growl through my bugle tube followed by 2-3 pants! (not a bugle) I can now hear the willows breaking & catch movement as the willows start to sway 30 yards from my Son, the bull is not taking the game trail instead he's slowly heading towards the lower bench, I cannot see him yet but I can see the willows moving. All of a sudden I see my Son get up off his knee & parallel the willows for 20 yards, he too knows the bull is dropping just below us. Just before the bull gets out of the willows I scream a Challenge, that really pisses him off & here he comes, my Son is now looking on the lower bench & I see him come to full draw I see the bulls antlers coming right towards me, he's only 35 yards from me & coming quick, the bull gets to a log & has to step over it, in doing so he slows to a stand still & my Son lets the arrow fly, I call immediately to slow him down as he bolts out of there, the bull is out of my sight now, I look towards my Son to see his reaction & he's smiling, that's a good thing! (grin) He waves me over, I get there & he just points down the hill & doesn't say a word, there lies that bull stone dead not 40 yards from us! It was an awesome hunt & outcome!
You never know exactly what you're going to do until you see things develop & then you still shoot from the hip! Hopefully some of this story can shed some light & aid you on your next elk hunt if faced with a similar situation!
As we head over there descending the steep mountain we cut this small stream below us about 15' across & no way to get down to it, on both sides of it were 12' high willows as far as we could see to the left & right of us paralleling the stream & in front of us, it looked nearly impassable & was going to take forever to get through it. 30 minutes had already passed & it was going to take even longer to get around it. It was noisy & we couldn't hear anything plus once down in there we really weren't sure where the bugles had come from! Being hot & afternoon we decide to back out & come back early morning from a different direction where we could slip in under where we heard the bugling. We felt that late in the day they were in their bedding area so we should be able to locate them that next day.
The next morning we park on a dirt road that was well under where we'd heard the bugling. We walk up the steep mountain in hopes of getting to the right area. When on the opposite side of the drainage the day before we'd noticed a huge rock cliff that was just above the bugling bulls; so if possible to see out once high enough we knew we had a landmark to go by. We head up this mountain 3/4 of a mile & hear nothing & we haven't called to this point! After about an hour from the rig we happen on this huge rock mass/cliff we saw the day before. We sit there for about 20 minutes listening in hopes of hearing a bugle. It was a bit iffy since now we were above where we felt these bulls may be & the wind was going down the mountain, we were on a north facing slope.
After the 20 minutes I decide I'm going to give a location bugle & see what happens, I no more than pull the grunt tube out & a bull bugles under us & to our left, we got lucky as he wasn't in our wind pattern. We quickly grab our stuff & hustle down the mountain as quiet as possible but moving quickly, we are getting as close as we can to his same level 300 yards away so no way could he hear us at this point. We get to where we feel we are on his level on a pretty nice timbered bench running east & west; there's a pretty good game trail on it with lots of fresh sign. We sit there 15 minutes as we're not sure exactly where he is from his one & only bugle? We know he's there somewhere but remain patient & do not call! Finally he gives a single bugle, nothing responds to him, it was a lazy type bugle where a bull could be sending out his calling card to attract a cow to his position, it was by no means Challenging. With this in mind I know I cannot get aggressive with this bull, I will need to play on his curiosity & his possible interest in a cow that I got from his his bugle tone! Time for the Slow Play!
First we slip along the bench closing the distance, we are now 175 yards from him but hit another wall of willows, it was a no go so now I need to bring him over to us! There's a game trail of sorts entering the willows & will now attempt to bring him out that way. This bench we're on is 40 yards wide with a 2nd one below us but pretty close, it's kinda like a double stair step where we are on the upper one. My Son sets up 10 yards on the downhill side of the game trail, I setup to call 30 yards behind a dead downfall log from him because it's a bit more open than I like, generally I'd be 20 yards from him to start with. With both in position my Son nocks an arrow, I can clearly see him so can read his body language. -- I start with 2 low mews & one louder mew hoping for a response since this is what it appears he is looking for from his bugle. Nothing happens, 3-4 minutes later I repeat, nothing, 3-4 minutes I do it again, this time he gives a short low bugle showing interest in this cow. I answer with one low mew but I knew he could hear it. 5-6 minutes goes by & nothing, then out of no where he gives the same bugle but it's much closer, I answer him again with one soft mew & one mid range mew with a small whine to it. (I'm using a mouth reed) He responds immediately with a bugle with more intense emotion, I now know it's just a matter of setting him up for a shot opportunity! I feel he's just a bit over a 100 yards away now but cannot see a thing, a few minutes goes by & no bugle, I think he may be slipping in silent? But nope! All of a sudden he bugles from the same spot but this time he added a few chuckles at the end, he wants me coming to him, I feel he's getting nervous because this cow isn't coming his way like he's asking her to do!
I know I need to do something to convince him to cut the distance, he's not fired up at all so do not want to challenge him yet! Instead I start raking the dead downfall I'm behind & snap off a couple dead branches, he bugles instantly, I cow call with 2 sweet drawn out whines, he bugles again & now I can hear him coming, I immediately give him a throaty growl through my bugle tube followed by 2-3 pants! (not a bugle) I can now hear the willows breaking & catch movement as the willows start to sway 30 yards from my Son, the bull is not taking the game trail instead he's slowly heading towards the lower bench, I cannot see him yet but I can see the willows moving. All of a sudden I see my Son get up off his knee & parallel the willows for 20 yards, he too knows the bull is dropping just below us. Just before the bull gets out of the willows I scream a Challenge, that really pisses him off & here he comes, my Son is now looking on the lower bench & I see him come to full draw I see the bulls antlers coming right towards me, he's only 35 yards from me & coming quick, the bull gets to a log & has to step over it, in doing so he slows to a stand still & my Son lets the arrow fly, I call immediately to slow him down as he bolts out of there, the bull is out of my sight now, I look towards my Son to see his reaction & he's smiling, that's a good thing! (grin) He waves me over, I get there & he just points down the hill & doesn't say a word, there lies that bull stone dead not 40 yards from us! It was an awesome hunt & outcome!
You never know exactly what you're going to do until you see things develop & then you still shoot from the hip! Hopefully some of this story can shed some light & aid you on your next elk hunt if faced with a similar situation!
