TROPHYHUNTER25

the short version i'm form indiana went to utah, public land self guided first time elk hunting. shot a 6x7 that scores 315 p/y

timwlarsen

These are great. Thank for sharing.

elknut1

Here's a couple of stories I shared on another forum in response to a couple of questions! I thought you might enjoy them!

#-1----My son & I were on the hot trail of a couple cows & 2 or 3 bulls, (we thought) that we had busted 15min earlier resulting in my son missing a raghorn at 25 yds with his bow. The herd blew out of there, they were leaving their feeding area & heading towards bedding. After alotted time we figured they'd settle down & we were off. We'd gone 400-500 yds with me in front. Just ahead 100yds or so I spotted 2 raggies walking ahead of me. I told my son to stay put & I'd get closer to them to see if I could close the distance for a shot. My son was to give a squeal now & then to keep them vocal as I snuck in. Well the plan was short lived as I was sneaking in there was another smaller bull to my left not 20 yds away, he hit me with a popping/nervous grunt, I knew I was busted, before I could react another bull responded with one of his own 40 yds ahead of me, crap!!! The first thing I thought of was Cow In Distress Sounds, hot & heavy. The sec. I did this my son hammered away with a couple grunts followed by a scream, he was over a 100yds behind me, but knew I'd been busted now & was trying to make the best of it. (grin)
Once I hit the cow sounds the woods exploded with another 1/2 doz bulls including the herd bull, I really hammered away with the distress sounds & thrashed around violently, elk came running from everywhere, I arrowed the 5-point than came in, he bolted. I watched him & sec. later here came a 330class herd bull, dang!!! I couldn't do anything about it! I called my son on the radio & told him what happened & for him to get over there quickly. He came & we traded places, he pushed forward hammering the distress calls & the bulls went nuts again, he walked around a pine & there stood the herd bull, the bull saw him walk around the tree & blew out of there, he hit the calls again as I kept using bull sounds to call this cow to me, (my son) my son was now out of sight but I could here him calling & thrashing, it sounded so real!!! Up came another 5-point with 2 cows in tow, the bull stopped as my son stopped him with one nervous grunt at 17yds an arrow put him down in short order! 2 bulls in 5 minutes!
This is one way to handle your similar encounter & question.

#-2---I had taken a guy/friend hunting for his first ever elk hunt, he was from Tennesse. Met him on the internet here! (grin) Anyway, we were cresting a ridge & heard a bull bugle, we slipped in quietly & saw 2 bulls feeding aprox 60 yds away in some low brush, they never saw us. We got down & watched them for 10 min. The bulls fed to about 40 yds & would come no closer, I wanted him to take the shot but he informed me it was too far for him, not wanting these 2 -6 points to wander out of range I told him I could take one, we agreed, so I shot, I caught a branch & my arrow zinged over his back they went running out of there like a herd of buffalo. Not wanting the rest of the herd blowing out of there I started giving a couple nervous grunts to the left & to the right & then hammered a series of cow in distress sounds, we could hear the herd bull both screaming & running at us thrashing everything in his path, it was litterally breathtaking! I set Harold up in front of me for the shot as I kept up the off the charts distress sounds.

Out of nowhere here comes this 4x5 bull in front of the unseen herd bull at a dead run & I mean right at us, this bull stops at no more than 3yds away & harold puts an arrow through both lungs, he was estatic!! The bull fell over in plain sight! Didn't get the herd bull but Harold was happy!

So you can see there's different things one can do to make things happen, all encounters don't call for such aggessivness but many do. In many cases you have to think fast & go with your gut! Lots of hunting experience helps a lot!! (grin)

ElkNut1
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