Originally Posted by
dapesche
It was quiet where we hunted. My friend and I got our 6 pt bull last Saturday. 14.5km day including approach, kill and packout. They were quiet and they were up high. We had to go get him. We found fresh sign and I speculated on where he was bedded. It was an hour hike through a basin and across scree to get into position for my first bugle. He answered right away.
He bugled and chuckled in response to my bugle and chuckle. We started towards him. 4 mins later it was another bugle and chuckle at him. I had concerns he was trying to gather cows and run so I ran at him to the ridge above him. Bugle, chuckle, rake. He seemed to hold up and was growly screaming back. We then dropped down into his bedding area. I stopped halfway down slope. Sent my partner another 1/4 way down the slope. Rake, bugle and chuckle. In came the bull and my buddy shot him at 10 yds. I was about 35-40 yds above him watching it all play out. EPIC!
Moral of the story. Find fresh sign. Develop a plan. Get to a spot where you can bugle that is different from the last 30 bugles he has heard from other people. If you get a reply you need to know what he is saying. Know if he is gathering and running or know if he is holding up. Pressure him. You don't need to bugle every 30 secs when you have him going.
Our bull was dead in about 15 mins from first bugle to last. I stopped in 4 different spots as we closed distance quickly.
Obviously not all situations are the same, but that's how mine played out. My bull last year was very similar, but I was making gathering/locating calls. I called from 3 different spots over a 15-20 min timeline. I heard him the night before and I copied his call. I actually ran away from him when I was calling as it sounded like I was gathering his cows. I killed that bull oct 19th at approx. 10 yds. He walked broadside in front of me facing downside off the FSR looking for the possible cows I was dragging away.
Be strategic. I haven't had a dumb one come in during peak rut with a hot cow where I just called and he ran at me. Looking forward to that day though. My 2 bulls have require me to be a bit more active.