Calling mature bulls early rut

[squirrel]

Old bulls, like old gobblers are about impossible to kill by calling them in. They well. know that the rules are: I call and them wimmen come arunnin. You have to catch them on exactly the right day/circumstance or better yet adapt. One thing is for certain you cannot un-ring a bell, once you call you will live; or most likely die by calling.

But you said "older" not old, and it can be done if things fall in line, they seldom do when solo, but when they do it is great. Archery aint easy, that's why all the new nimrods have 120 yard pins on their bows, in case he hangs up just outside of muzzleloader range.

 

[antlerradar]

I can not count the number of times I have heard people calling and thought "what the F are you doing" If I can tell you are not an elk, you can be sure that an older bull can too.

 

[SAJ-99]

Most of the larger bulls I have witnessed calling (don’t know how old they were) were calling at other bulls they could see. It compared it to trash talk on the play ground. If they hear a call, don’t see the other bull, they just picked up their cows and left. The scenario may play out different in a different time of the rut or in thick timber or with higher bull densities. Really, I think you just need a little good luck to close the deal. The more chances you have, the better the odds.

 

[TheTone]

My two biggest bulls were each called in early in the season. One had a few cows and the other was alone as far as I know. Neither were giant bulls but they were also probably in the top percent of bulls in the unit. I’ve started liking the early parts of archery season more and more

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

When calling elk I’ve come to expect them to circle downwind of the caller. First time I learned this in the damndest way. Was once out with a buddy on last day of his early archery hunt (only tag holder in the group). He had crept up in a wallow area in late afternoon. I was back with a friend on a downed log making a racket with bad calling. We had a Hoochie Mama, a Cow Talk, bugle tube and a bota bag with scotch. Used all indiscriminately.

Buddy got up to piss so we stopped talking and moving. In those moments a young bull crept up behind us downwind and busted out 30yd away when the pisser moved to return. We learned that day to put the caller upwind of the hunter.

 

[SAJ-99]

When calling elk I’ve come to expect them to circle downwind of the caller. First time I learned this in the damndest way. Was once out with a buddy on last day of his early archery hunt (only tag holder in the group). He had crept up in a wallow area in late afternoon. I was back with a friend on a downed log making a racket with bad calling. We had a Hoochie Mama, a Cow Talk, bugle tube and a bota bag with scotch. Used all indiscriminately.

Buddy got up to piss so we stopped talking and moving. In those moments a young bull crept up behind us downwind and busted out 30yd away when the pisser moved to return. We learned that day to put the caller upwind of the hunter.

Have seen the same from younger bulls. It is all anecdotal, but I wonder if the younger bulls are trying to see if the cows are alone or if there is a bigger bull with them. Who knows what an elk thinks. In the calling setups we had last year, the young bulls went for the wind advantage, the bigger bulls were on a more direct line but chose to stay upslope even if it meant the wind wasn't to their advantage. That said, they were cautious and spent more time looking for the source of the call.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

the bigger bulls were on a more direct line but chose to stay upslope even if it meant the wind wasn't to their advantage. That said, they were cautious and spent more time looking for the source of the call.

Was this also early in the season? You’re right, I too have seen MB take a direct approach though that has been in later rut phase. I’ve not seen a MB react at all to pre-rut daytime calling be it cow calls or bugles.

 

[SAJ-99]

Was this also early in the season? You’re right, I too have seen MB take a direct approach though that has been in later rut phase. I’ve not seen a MB react at all to pre-rut daytime calling be it cow calls or bugles.

Yes, say 12-14th. I’m not sure it was direct as in b-line to the call. More like that they chose to loop around with cover to approach the call from a higher level. Maybe call it choosing gravitational advantage over wind advantage. They were clearly responding to calling but by no means did they look rut-stupid.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Yes, say 12-14th. I’m not sure it was direct as in b-line to the call. More like that they chose to loop around with cover to approach the call from a higher level. Maybe call it choosing gravitational advantage over wind advantage. They were clearly responding to calling but by no means did they look rut-stupid.

And that’s why I take the stairs in the office.

 

[mtmuley]

SAJ-99 posted about hunting. Weird. mtmuley

 

[SAJ-99]

SAJ-99 posted about hunting. Weird. mtmuley

And got zero useful information from a guy who professes to kill a bunch of elk. Par for the course.

 

[mtmuley]

And got zero useful information from a guy who professes to kill a bunch of elk. Par for the course.

I don't archery hunt. I like to kill them with big fast bullets. mtmuley

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

I don't archery hunt. I like to kill them with big fast bullets. mtmuley

 

[SAJ-99]

I don't archery hunt. I like to kill them with big fast bullets. mtmuley

 

[Montan'n]

I’ve had some luck calling in mature bulls early September, with either cow calls or bugles, but they almost always come in silent

 

[FREAK]

When I first started archery hunting, I'd have a lot of close calls but had a hard time closing the deal. My main issue was I would just call for a response vs. actually being intentional with what sounds I used and when I used them. I started listening to Paul Medel (Elk Nut) and really believe the "slow play" as he describes it is the way to go. The last couple rag horns i've killed came in the first week of September to just cow calls. I've also had some really close calls early with some really nice bulls. Usually consists of finding them before they see me, getting into a good position and making some non-aggressive bull sounds to get them to come check it out. I usually always will start with a couple soft cow calls. If I don't get any response for 10 minutes or so I'll switch it up to some bull noises.

 

[Stocker]

Take my opinions for what they’re worth considering I’ve killed a grand total of 1 bull with my bow.

Judging a bulls attitude is key. If they’re just kinda lazy or soft bugles, I’ll basically stop calling and try to sneak in on them. There’s a chance they’re leery of other bulls, or think you could be a hunter and calling more could drive them off.

If they’re bugling aggressively I’ll call enough to piss them off then setup and shut up, let them come close, bulls have a pretty good idea where a call comes from. He’ll come in your general area. If you keep calling he’ll pinpoint you and be looking. I think this hangs up a lot of bulls, them pinpointing a call and looking. If they’re 200 yards out they may have you pegged into a 75 yard area, if you call when they’re 80-100 yards out. They know exactly where an elk would be and if they don’t see one they know something is up.


It’s the same for any critter you call, if you grunt at a buck and he knows he should be able to see it, his warning light starts flashing.


I’ve learned all of this from the school of hard knocks. I’m the most impatient person in the world, if I had a bull coming in, and he hadn’t bugled for a while, I’d call and he’d be right there looking for me, or I’d pressure a bull that wasn’t interested in a fight.

Slow playing has its pitfalls in that a bull may not hit your setup right, but that’s better than having a staring match with a bull out of range that’s about to blow out of the territory.

The other thing I’ve found calling all kinds of animals is the volume of your call. Sometimes toning down a bugle and blowing it the opposite way of the bull makes him think you’re further away, and he’ll close more ground.


15% of the time, my tips work every time.

 

[MtnElk]

Take my opinions for what they’re worth considering I’ve killed a grand total of 1 bull with my bow.

Judging a bulls attitude is key. If they’re just kinda lazy or soft bugles, I’ll basically stop calling and try to sneak in on them. There’s a chance they’re leery of other bulls, or think you could be a hunter and calling more could drive them off.

If they’re bugling aggressively I’ll call enough to piss them off then setup and shut up, let them come close, bulls have a pretty good idea where a call comes from. He’ll come in your general area. If you keep calling he’ll pinpoint you and be looking. I think this hangs up a lot of bulls, them pinpointing a call and looking. If they’re 200 yards out they may have you pegged into a 75 yard area, if you call when they’re 80-100 yards out. They know exactly where an elk would be and if they don’t see one they know something is up.


It’s the same for any critter you call, if you grunt at a buck and he knows he should be able to see it, his warning light starts flashing.


I’ve learned all of this from the school of hard knocks. I’m the most impatient person in the world, if I had a bull coming in, and he hadn’t bugled for a while, I’d call and he’d be right there looking for me, or I’d pressure a bull that wasn’t interested in a fight.

Slow playing has its pitfalls in that a bull may not hit your setup right, but that’s better than having a staring match with a bull out of range that’s about to blow out of the territory.

The other thing I’ve found calling all kinds of animals is the volume of your call. Sometimes toning down a bugle and blowing it the opposite way of the bull makes him think you’re further away, and he’ll close more ground.


15% of the time, my tips work every time.

to be fair to you... it was one hell of a bull!

 

[Stocker]

to be fair to you... it was one hell of a bull!

A blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.

 

[Doublecluck]

When I first started archery hunting, I'd have a lot of close calls but had a hard time closing the deal. My main issue was I would just call for a response vs. actually being intentional with what sounds I used and when I used them. I started listening to Paul Medel (Elk Nut) and really believe the "slow play" as he describes it is the way to go. The last couple rag horns i've killed came in the first week of September to just cow calls. I've also had some really close calls early with some really nice bulls. Usually consists of finding them before they see me, getting into a good position and making some non-aggressive bull sounds to get them to come check it out. I usually always will start with a couple soft cow calls. If I don't get any response for 10 minutes or so I'll switch it up to some bull noises.

Long ago (In my 20’s) when I first started duck and goose calling the thought came to my mind that rather than just making duck and goose sounds that I should actually be saying something. I went to parks and listened to waterfowl, very quickly I realized that there was a wide range of sounds but they were always backed by emotions and behaviors. Fast forward to moving to Montana 10 years ago. The things Paul said made a lot of sense to me. I’ve built even further on that foundation calling elk and now turkeys. One of my favorite ways to trick a cowed up bull or Hened up gobbler is let em know you’re there with some girl sounds. Then introduce a bull or gobbler sound or two or three even but coming in to it from a distance rather than already being at the same location as the girl.