Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Timber master gives good advice.

Two days ago I decided to try a different spot, so I called the Rancher who grazes the area.

He told me where he saw elk.

So I went that afternoon on my Polaris quad. ( I rather ride a mule)

I couldn’t get to where he suggested where I rode my Polaris, and I wasn’t sure I could get it back down so
I figured there may be satellites about. I worked the area some and WOW ! I found a beautiful shaded dirt ( not gravel) logging road going into some grassy ( even clover) benches.

I wasn’t in a true stalking mode, ( I often suffer from negativity) Thump, Thump, Thump, a small bodied rather heavy beamed 5 point trotted off. I mashed my butalo cow call a few times , and started foreword.

I should have glassed (they were on my hip), I should have moved SLOWER. Anyways it’s image appeared in some small lodgepole no more than 30 yards. Thump, Thump, Thump, I started calling, down the mountain it went. No more than 100 yards below out of view it started giving warning barks.

So I gathered my Carlton 2,5 reed, and my woods wise hyper hot. And I put on a little session jam.

About 400 yards away maybe more a deep throated bull started whistling!
Then the little bull below me started half ass bugeling. No way could I get to the bigger bull and the thermals were soon to change so I left and walked to where I could listen and look some into the canyon the rancher suggested. There was a bull bugling but I couldn’t get it to come in. ( probably a herd bull) I never saw elk.

This morning I went back and came into the bowl. ( more like a slide)

I knew that I was crazy, and I knew I couldn’t win, but it all seem the thing to do when the bull chimed on in! ( Willie Nelson)

So I was above the bugger, strong down draft thermals. So I waited silently. It went quite, I wondered if I came in too hard and was directly above him. So I bugeled, nuthin, bugeled again, nuthin, mashed the butalo, nuthin. Waited………shucks before I go let’s try the hyper hot.

He answered. He was above me!

I moved as much as I dare……tooted the hyper hot

He answered farther away.

I moved again, this time I tried quite and softer.

He answered , closer!

Then nuthin.

I kept calling.

Should have moved, I didn’t. I went silent.

Rustling above, I see an elks back 40 yards directly above me.

I whispered “ There he is” ( I was amazed how loud I was).

Then nuthin…..

I finally tried to move towards the spot I saw the animal and I nearly fell backwards. It was so steep, and my knees were shaking so bad.

This bull was gone, no sound , like it vanished. I finally lit my bic lighter…….the thermals had changed.

They hear U 3 times.

See you twice.

Smell you only once!

Got only tomorrow left…….gonna try that other bull.

Every encounter is like a clinic. Usually something goes wrong........

Exactly…..

I met an older man from challis….he was getting set up to hunt near the lemhi…..last week

He said he would call em in…he liked a sceery…he liked getting out a 3 am to find them…etc…etc….

“ It rarely would work out…..you know…..they are elk.”

But without toning down the calling like suggested by this forum, I don’t think I could have pulled this one in.

It was magic!

Thanks

John

Thanks Angus and good luck ! Keep at it. Eventually everything will come together and you’ll get a shot.


This ^^ is how you learn

I never had hunted the area before. The last day of season I couldn’t find one bugeling to hunt. So I spent several hours finding more cleared and flatter areas to stage hopefully next years encounters. Calling elk using archery equipment is perhaps my favorite way to hunt.

Sounds like it was alot of fun.

It’s even more fun when you make it back to your mule…..

Instead of a 4 wheeler……

My mules love archery season…….

They relish my stories of failure….

‘“too bad….let’s go home…”

Rifle season not so much….


Too much work.