Noob questions for you elk gurus out there

[HighCountryBC]

In the okanagan the bulls will still be going hard. Wallows will likely not be worth checking out this time of year but you never know. Go back to those cows, I change up how my bugle sounds all the time to entice an answer. I’ve watched lots of bulls in the okanagan into October and been in some awesome bugling matches.

Zippermouth is right on the money. It's almost like we've hunted together .

Lots of guys will tell you to stick to cow calls. I disagree. We go pretty heavy on the bugle tube and if there is a bull around, we will get him talking. October can be the most action-packed part of the season..

[KBC]

Spotted a bull in the same area but I couldn’t tell if he was a 5 or a 6 point. Spent the last 4 hours sneaking in and doing a mix of calls. He didn’t respond to any of them but I managed to get about 20 yards from him and he spooked. I didn’t see him in the bushes and I thought he was about 70 yards away over the next little rise. After getting that close I’m pretty sure he is a 6 point but who knows it did happen pretty quick.

With me getting so so close into his bedding area, do you think he will come back anytime in the next few days?

Either way I feel pretty pumped about this trip. Other than thinking he was a little further away I did just about everything right to get a chance at him. Only a matter of time now.

[Bugle M In]

Spotted a bull in the same area but I couldn’t tell if he was a 5 or a 6 point. Spent the last 4 hours sneaking in and doing a mix of calls. He didn’t respond to any of them but I managed to get about 20 yards from him and he spooked. I didn’t see him in the bushes and I thought he was about 70 yards away over the next little rise. After getting that close I’m pretty sure he is a 6 point but who knows it did happen pretty quick.

With me getting so so close into his bedding area, do you think he will come back anytime in the next few days?

Either way I feel pretty pumped about this trip. Other than thinking he was a little further away I did just about everything right to get a chance at him. Only a matter of time now.

had that happen before, thought he was there, but instead he was right here...lol.
Too close, too quick to count points, nothing but elbows and an asshole taking off.
Again, I knew he was a 6pt, but had not taken the steps to be 100% sure, so, you did the right thing, good on you!

He could be back, maybe not right there, but chances are he will move away, and if you can find cows near by, that would
be your best bet, but a lone bull after being chased out, and he knows who you are, a hunter, is hard to find again,
especially if you wait for his return.
Best to start from there, and then try to figure out where he would go (but that takes years of hunting the same area).
Unfortunately, the only way we figure out their routes of travel and other bedding areas/wallows, is to have mistakes like this happen, and then do a lot of walking and searching, and in time you will have more knowledge, but it takes time, and it is the way it just goes.
By the time you have it all figured out, your too old to hunt!

[Bugle M In]

Zippermouth is right on the money. It's almost like we've hunted together .

Lots of guys will tell you to stick to cow calls. I disagree. We go pretty heavy on the bugle tube and if there is a bull around, we will get him talking. October can be the most action-packed part of the season..

the bull this past week for me came out probably due to cow calling, but, as soon as he knew I should be insight,
meaning me, the cow elk, should be standing right there, but couldn't see anything, he held up, and was going to walk away,
back the way he came, I decided I had nothing to lose, so I let out a high note whistle, and bingo, he turned around, and started coming straight on over!
So, yes, always try cow calls 1st, but a bugle sometimes works better, but wait til your out of options...IMO.

[Bugle M In]

There are no 6pt bulls left... the locals got what few there were in the first 3 days.

If we are lucky, maybe some of the 5's will grow another point by next year...

or maybe they will be 5's forever

"5's forever"...so true, its not even funny!

[KBC]

Thanks for the advice. I do have to hike back to where I spotted him from and get the white tail shed I found just before I sat down to find him. Maybe I will wait until mid morning when he would be back in bed and bring the spotter and go from there. It’s definitely an isolated pocket as I haven’t seen any fresh sign anywhere else in the 40k I’ve hiked since Friday afternoon.

[albravo2]

Good luck! I bet your heart is still pumping after that close call.

[KBC]

The adrenaline was pumping for awhile after that. No signs of life today and someone found the white tail shed I left to come back for.

[Bugle M In]

It seems like once a bull has you figured out (that you are not an elk), he will move on.
I seen one bull that about 24 hrs later, was appr 8 kms up river from where we saw him the 1st day.
Because he was only a 5pt, we gave ourselves up, but regardless, once they know, they tend to "move over" a bit.

[masoncade1992]

most elk go into a second rut in October. sometimes early sometimes late. Some of the best elk hunting I have had is in October on the second rut. keep at it, all it takes is one cow to go into estrus and your chances for the bulls to get back into it, increase dramatically. I think your on the right page, just don't pressure them to much, or they might leave the area.