Closing the gap???? Archery

[Huntnchick]

Last year I had my first archery hunt and since I had just given birth to my son, my husband would watch our kids while I went out. I made a ton of mistakes since I had never done archery or hunted during the rut.

 

I learned what I could but for the life of me ... How do you close the gap? The rut wasn't in full swing yet, and I had three herd bulls all around me. One in front and one on either side of me. But in the Cedars, it made it near impossible to close the gap.

 

It seemed that as frequent as they were bugling, that it might be possible that they were all just talk. The last morning of my hunt I was able to see one of them where it was curious of me and walk down towards me. It was my mistake not to step out from behind the Cedartree and take my shot. I replay it over and over in my head and regret not just stepping out.

 

Can anyone help me understand the mannerism of elk as I have another archery hunt this year? It is in a neighboring unit but further up into the mountains. So I hope that it's colder and the rut starts sooner.

[AverageJoe]

Best tool IMO to close the gap is to pick up a big ol branch off the ground and start raking the closest tree to you. Then let the bull close the gap. Dont cow call when in close unless you are well experienced or the bull will just go the oter direction. The branch trick works wonders

[Bragabit]

I know that my approach is a little different than most. I only carry a call to stop a bull. My theory is to sneak in quiet. That way the bull is not looking for you. As long as he is bugling enough to keep track of him. Keep quiet and be aggressive. If a bull is fighting or raking a tree make your move. They don't hear or see well with their head burried in a tree.

[Huntnchick]

Thanks guys! I never thought to rake a tree. I was shaking so bad hearing them bugle that close to me. This year I hope to have my act together.

[ElkDan]

My favorite call is the challenge bugle. Get in close and then halfway through a bulls bugle you cut him off with a very aggressive bugle. Basically you are calling him out to fight. I use this along with raking trees, which is also a show of dominance of a bull. This can really piss a bull off and at times they will forget all about being cautious and come charging in, eyes rolled back looking for a fight. As with all calling this always works best with another person behind the shooter doing all the calling.

 

One thing that I have learned in my many years of bowhunting is to NEVER intentionally set up behind a tree. Set up in front of a tree and let your camo do its job. You can't get away with movement and must choose your draw timing carefully but you will not be stuck behind a tree where you have no shot. Sometimes though you never know where the bull is going to come in at so sometimes no matter how hard you try you can end up behind a tree.

 

Sounds like you have a good hunt in front of you, good luck!

[azelkhunter69]

I love to chase after bugling bulls, but more times than not that is all it is...chasing. It is hard to get close, especially if they have cows with them and/or won't come to a call. A few years back, I ran all over the hills and it seemed I couldn't get closer than about 70 yards. I finally got within 50 yards of one but had a branch in the way and never got a shot. Hunted for 2 weeks and went home with a tag in my pocket. When the season ended, I was already thinking about the mistakes I had made and what I would do different the next time I got a tag. Well, 2 years later I was lucky enough to get the same tag. In the year in between, I had been hunting the area during archery deer season and found a nice wallow. I marked the spot on my GPS so I could check it out the next time I got an elk tag. I went right back to that wallow the year I drew my next tag and it was all torn up and there was a giant track there. I vowed I would try to shoot what laid down that track. I put a camera on the wallow and much to my dismay, got there and the battery was dead and I had no pictures. The camera went in the trash. Still, I HAD to see that bull, so opening morning I was sitting 27 yards from that wallow. Before too long I had bulls bugling all around me, and just as I had planned/hoped, he walked right in to the wallow. A minute or so later, I was able to make a good shot and I had my bull. It's the one in my avatar. He didn't score worth a darn but he was an old bull and had the biggest body I have ever seen.

 

I guess my point is, try different tactics. I know it can be really boring sitting a stand but it can give you a great opportunity if a bull comes your way. Let them come to you. I have been hunting for 35 years and hunting elk for almost 15 and I am constantly learning and trying new things. The guys above gave some excellent advice when you try getting close.

[longshooter]

Dont be afraid. Just run in on him and shoot him. Need to be aggressive.

[Red Sparky]

Anybody use decoys? What I have done since I solo hunt is made partial decoys so it looks like a head or rump sticking out behind a tree. I just painted cloth with fabric paint on both sides and thin spring metal for shape. I can set them up as I need. That way I can cow call with a diaphragm mouth call and bugle with a pack bugle to sound like a little bull. I usually have the "decoys" about 50 yards behind me from where the bull is bugling but remember they like to come in downwind. If they see the "decoys" they think elk are there and will not usually hang up. Put on a show to make the big boys think a youngster might be beating them to the punch. The only problem is don't over call especially in a heavily hunted unit. You might get more hunters than elk.

 

It also depends on what part of the rut you are hunting. If the elk are not rutting it does not work to use calls but this has worked for me pre-rut to rut and what some call the second rut where unbred cows come into heat again. If the bulls have their harems you can't get them to come in in this situation.

[joe hunter]

You arte getting some good advice. Bow hunting seems to be a lot about things that didn't go right. I have killed my share of critters with a bow and I have had my share of disappointments with a bow too it just seems to go hand in hand .I think about all the.... what ifs... that have happened through the years of bow hunting but when it all comes together it is a great feeling !!

 

You just have to do just what you are doing, get another tag and try again and you will be looking back some day on all the great things that happened and you will think about the things that could have happened. Hope you kill a good bull this year. Gotta love bow hunting !!

[Huntnchick]

Thanks for all the great knowledge and advice! I can't wait to have a high number of years of hunting like everyone here. I have only been hunting 5 years and that was only 4 hunts and 2 kids born as well. So I have so much to learn. This hunt will be so fun because the kids will be with their grandparents. . First break in 3 years.

 

My husband knows a wallow in the unit and talked about putting a camera up, so we will do that this weekend or at least hike around some spots. And he has a flying machine so we will do that a bit closer to the hunt.

 

I had chased that bull for over an hour and the cedars were so thick that I was basically always behind some. The bull was up a slight angle and in other trees when I saw him and he saw me move and walked with in 40 yards. But stopped with the tree between us. I thought he would keep walking but instead he went back the way he came. Never again will I not try. I hate that "what if."

 

Also my husband will be there to take turns calling with me and I want to be super good at calling.

 

I wonder if I called too much and so the Bulls knew something was up.

[Swivelhead]

A few things elk have taught me over the years:

 

Calling, yes I do call but sparingly. I have come to believe elk know each others voice and routine. Anything out of the ordinary raises suspicion. If elk are talking, I generally don't. Some hunters are exceptional callers and sound better than elk. Don't sweat getting "called in", happens to all of us eventually.

 

Daytime elk like the thick stuff, shot opportunities tend to be fleeting. It is unusual to get a wide open shot in these conditions. When practicing, place your targets in thick cover and get used to shooting through relatively small openings. You'll learn to judge a legitimate opportunity vs. an unmakeable shot. Broadheads are less forgiving than field points when shooting through any kind of debris, with broadheads, you do need an opening. Practice extensively with broadheads.

 

Never hunt a bad wind, it won't work. Chaps my hide to have a fellow hunter blow out bugling elk because he was too lazy to get the wind first. Pay attention to the wind at all times, note the time of day when thermal shifts occur each morning and evening. Often an unhuntable approach becomes viable if a front(or thunderstorm) disturbs the daily thermal action.

 

Analyze failure, learn from it, then forget about it. Most of us fail often but remain relentless. In the end, win or lose, it's all about the effort.

[Dustin F]

I had my first elk tag last year. It was also archery early bull. I tried everything from sitting water, to chasing bugles to calling. I took me 8 days to finally tag out and it was 8 hard days of many miles a missed shot and a ton of blown stalks to figure them out a bit. I am by no means an experienced caller. My bugle was horrible so I didn't even bring it with me. The one thing I used was a cow call for two reasons, one being that I am an aggressive hunter so I like to charge in on them and catch them off guard but sometimes this means you make mistakes like kicking branches or rocks and making extra noise. I would use the cow call to cover up my mistake when I was in close. The other time I would cow call is when I was physically close enough to hear the chatter back and forth between the actual cows and I would turn my back to them and try to mimick the same thing and same sequence that I could hear them doing. This is what ended up getting me my bull. He was no 350 bull by any means and this was my first time but I have been on other people's hunts so I had some knowledge of the animal, but I did harvest a nice 5/5. My tag was in unit 8 by the way not sure what unit you have but the rut was not as crazy as I have seen on other hunts it was on some days and off on others and I focused on only cedars the entire hunt. Hope this helps good luck to you.

[Guest 300ultramag.]

THe biggest thing is to make certain that your order of protection is current and up-to-date and then sneak up on them critters!!!! Ha ha too soon???

[cactus]

i'm in the minimal calling camp- i don't want them looking for me. keeping the wind in your favor is always priority #1,whether it's in your face,quartering or cross. stay mobile and move aggressively to the sounds. be aware but don't worry too much about the noise you make-elk roll rocks and snap twigs all the time. you can get away with more than you think. no matter what, junipers can be real hard to hunt because windows and lanes are opening and closing with every step,but it's the same from the elk's point of view. good luck and just have fun!

[GreyGhost85]

run and gun type here as well. i don't seem to have too much difficulty getting within range of bulls. just haul @$$ and keep listening for their bugles. get withintheir "bubble", hunker down and let them make a mistake. i'll call to locate on quiet days, other than that, i only call when i stop the bull