I've hunted elk 3 years. Although I have plenty success calling them within range, it seems that getting a good shot is the hardest part. They always seem to be coming head on. Just wondered how you guys with more experience handle this. I know some guys that take the head on shot, but I don't feel like this is a good shot and won't take it. Thanks
Do NOT shoot an elk in the chest.... the best way to do this is team calling where you put your shooter out front.... when the elk circles arounf to the call they come by the shooter....
You can use decoys when you are hunting solo too. that works well if you have an opening to put your decoy in that up wind of you. these elk will always try to come in with the wind in their face.
try and make em walk by your blind heading towards the decoy..... try a small spike bull decoy some time. it's a hoot when they are in full rut!
I have had success with using a grunt tube and directing the sound behind or to the side of my position.
Just keep trying to get them in the right position, had to pass on a monster last year cause of the coming straight in thing.
If you're serious about hunting by yourself, scents and decoys can help. I feel partner calling has the highest rate of success other than finding something or someplace the elk want to be and set up an ambush point. No matter what you try, most times, the elk will seem to be 2 steps ahead of you. Good luck and just stay with it. :archer:
This just took a very un tradgangy turn. Take it somewhere else.
I will stick with what they teach in the International Bowhunting Education Program...seems to me those people may know a thing or two...we are not subsistence hunters
DDave
having never drawn on an elk with my trad gear i can't add much from the perspective specifically. I can add a few things though.
If you're in the sun... at all. you're busted.
if you have to move your bow other than the drawing arm... you're busted.
If you've picked a shooting lane... pick 2 or 3 more.
if your hips are facing the spot you think he's going to stop the rotation will be too much motion... and again you're busted.
If you ever loose the wind... of course...
I have learned all of these lessons from experience. I believe that I had to learn these things for a reason... so I take the right shot at the right time.
QuoteOriginally posted by Knotter:
having never drawn on an elk with my trad gear i can't add much from the perspective specifically. I can add a few things though.
If you're in the sun... at all. you're busted.
if you have to move your bow other than the drawing arm... you're busted.
If you've picked a shooting lane... pick 2 or 3 more.
if your hips are facing the spot you think he's going to stop the rotation will be too much motion... and again you're busted.
If you ever loose the wind... of course...
I have learned all of these lessons from experience. I believe that I had to learn these things for a reason... so I take the right shot at the right time.
All these experiences and a hundred more and "your busted"!!!!!!!!! good post
I have alwsys hunted with a team of one and preferable 2 hunter that either know the drill or are willing to listen. You set them out at angles downwind of the caller or where an elk will circle to get the wind of the caller. We have taken elk every year we have hunted them. With one man you need a distraction or you need to know exactly what to do as you work a bull. For the inexperienced I recommend Elknuts tapes. Good stuff that will actually work in the field.
God bless, Steve
Respect the animal. We are not at war with the elk. I am not out practicing putting controled pairs into the elks chest. We are sportsmen. Pursue your game with the highest of ethics and take high percentage shots.
I took a frontal shot on a rabbit that worked great! On anything else no way. LOL!
Frontal shot on an Elk? Only with a powerful fire-stick!
I'll second the suggestion of the Elknut tapes. Yes, when hunting alone a frontal shot is often what is offered. But there are ways to deal with it to attempt to get a better angle.
The straight on frontal shot can be very deadly, no doubt about that. But it takes perfect arrow placement and with trad bows in particular that is never a given. Our choice of equipment forces us to get a little closer and also to take only the highest percentage shots that we can that allow for some margin of error. A frontal shot is not one of those high percentage shots.
Sixby, I don't know if you got your screen names confused but perry said he wouldn't take that shot and was asking for calling setup advise.
Rob
My personal opinion is I would pass on the frontal shot. It takes perfect arrow placement and I am not a perfect shot. The other intangible is the Elk must not move at the shot or guess what??
In my experience Elk seldom stand still my 2 cents worth from 30+ years of Elk hunting.
My experience has been that when a bull comes in he is usually hiding behind a tree anyway - how many times have you seen a bull facing you when all you can see are his ears and rack an both sides of a tree :dunno:
Best advice I can give is to not over call so they have less of a chance of pinpointing you - one or two cow calls at the right time and then shut up and wait.
You really want to try to setup if you can where the elk has to approach/pass your hide from one side. Poor set ups are IMO one big reason that shots can't happen on an otherwise incoming elk.
All it might take is a small, low downfall to turn them a little. I also learned you won't pull a bull across much of an opening, say meadow, unless you are very fortunate.
Lay the odds in your favor- set up in ways that do that if you can. Its a woods skill for sure.
Joshua
When you have them heated up, make your last best call, then move forward 30 yards or so and a little downwind. They can pinpoint the location of your last call and that is where they will be going/looking.
Good luck, if you can call them, you will eventually get a good shot.
Perhaps I worded my question wrong. I thought I said that I wouldn't take a frontal shot. Maybe I didn't, I'm looking for tips on how to get a better shot angle when most elk come in head on. Also, when set-up, are you normally behind something, beside something, etc?? Again, I didn't mean to suggest I would take a frontal shot, but I do know guys that have. I have never shot an elk because the shots that have been presented were less than favorable, and there have been many. I did miss the one broadside shot that I had... Go figure.
Perry, You have my apology, I was addressing Stickbow Drew and I went back and edited my post to reflect that.
You got some real good tips and I use them all except I have never tried the deke yet. Will possibly do that this year.
I especially agree with the one that said that you should make a last call and then move downwind./ I go more than thirty yards though . usually about twice to three times that far and I do it as fast as I can with as little noise as I can.
God bless, Steve
Now to the original posters questions. Elknut talks a little about this in his field manual. Something like a bait and switch. Dont call as long. Move from the original spot if you are alone. Up hill and/or downwind and forward. Be carful not to get busted. Try locating and stalking over just brining them to you. Remember when you are calling you took him from where he was comfortable to where he is now on alert and looking for something he is not going to find. Elk go and hang out where they are most comfortable meaning they can and sometimes do let the gaurd down just a little giving you the chance to make a move.
I hope this helps perry
Just like what was said I took Elknuts advice last year and it worked like a champ. I made my last call moved over and up real quick so I would have him broadside he walked 15 yrds broadside right by me now if that branch had not jumped out and swatted my arrow I would have had elk steaks and lots of different memories. Widow
I have used a Montana Decoy and had good results both alone and team calling. I tie one end of some parachute cord to the head and the other to the rear and just hang it over a branch at the right heigth and then call from the up and downwind side. When you are done just fold it up and strap it to your daypack and go to the next spot. Good luck.
I saw that episode of BHM where curt wells takes that shot. He then explains the circumstances of it very clearly. same program but a different episode where dwight Shuh shot a bull elk perfectly broadside. no explanation required.
Be patient... your shot will come. ...I hope mine does some day.
Here is another tip that I haven't seen posted yet... Get above the elk and "Play the folds".
1) In my neck of the woods you have three types of approaches
a) suicidal young bulls
b) lookers
c) fighters
2) A and C are pretty easy if you have a partner. B is the real challenge and frankly 90% of the bulls we see.
3) The lookers will go to the first place they can SEE the call location... comfortably as Randy put it. Guessing that is the game. In some country thats 300 yards out, in lodgepole blowdowns that may be 15 yards.
4) Our trick... Use folds of land to hide the calls and then move to the lip of the fold. Once you are at the lip crest it move downwind. Very often the bull will come to that lip and freeze. He will then scan to see where the calls are coming from. THOSE ARE THE PLACES TO KILL YOUR ELK. Some country is awesome for this... other areas are more of a challenge to get the right set up.
5) Again being above the elk makes a huge difference. Elk can see along way downhill but must crest lips to see uphill.
6) In our honey holes, we often just locate and follow elk until we see the situation developing in a spot we can play hide and seek. Then we lay into them and get them coming to our trap.
7) With two callers it is more straightforward. The caller just stays out of sight behind the lip and judges the approach based on the bugles. If the bull is going off coarse, the caller moves laterally hidden by the lip to adjust the bulls approach.
If you are solo, its harder to adjust after you crest the lip. But depending on the terrain it can still be done. I know because I have done it.
A second type of "looker" we see every season is the "circler". These are perhaps the most frustrating of all. They usually don't follow a straight path and thus guessing their approach to the lip is tough. The problem is the bull will circle and crest the lip in a funky position and then freeze on the wrong side of the lip.
Our solution to the circler is to switch roles mid play. Once the bull crests the lip ,the shooter starts moving on the other side of the lip and assumes the role of the original caller. He moves aggressively away and laterally (hidden by the lip) to suck the bull to the original caller (now the shooter). I have killed two of my last 4 bulls on the circler switch up. One was a nice 6 pt herd bull.
Luckily my partner recognized the scenario and picked up where I left off. Also luckily my buddy and I are comparable callers and both good at moving elk. If I had one real pearl it would be find a caller to team up with. Its tough but it makes the game 50times easier. Not to say killing elk is easy. Just easier.
Hope that helps. Good luck. I am pumped just thinking about it.
Jeff
ps Here is a classic looker... We called in this herd bull... from camp. Notice the lip. oh and turn up the volume, I'm whispering.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPMwK15oXT0
Jeff, great post!
So, from the pointers we've read, we have use the land (stay above them), obstacles, and moving quickly after calling. All good stuff that I've seen work. The throwing your voice thing works to a degree, but they are never off by more than a few yards if your calls have any real volume.
Another thing that is dynamite and easy that we can add to all this, and I use it when calling for other folks too, is to throw stuff. When you see that bull coming head on and within 70 yards or less, ears up and eyes open, wait till he's hidden and throw two rocks at the same time as far as you can to the correct side, depending on wind, usually in the timber that's about 30 yards. do it again if you have a chance. if hes coming good, that sounds like elk hooves and he'll head that way. Elk make all kinds of noises when together in the woods, he's expecting it to a degree. This works for me pretty much every time.
one last thing is to just shut up. Those dudes are bird dog anxious to find that cow. If you have the wind right and hes coming good, and your worried over the head on thing, then just let him look without saying much. If hes not spooked, he'll spend some time looking, especially if hes not buglin in response to cow calls. Learn to cow call with your mouth closed, so its super quiet and muted, like a content cow on her belly or with a mouth full, in order to not help him out with loud calls. When cows are hearded up, they talk in whisper all the time. The bull will hear it if hes looking for you, but it wont be so easy to pin down and sounds very natural, nasally.
good luck