OP, I have another tale for your”calling” file. Out this morning and I hear a faint bugle. I return the call but do not get a response. It was a ways off so I decided to close the distance. After a couple hundred yards I bugled again. This time there is a response. I hunkered down behind a stump and tried to match the call. Short pause, another response followed by a series of short whistles. He may have been trying to chuckle, but didn’t really pull that off. This last response was closer and as I’m bringing my binos up I can see movement in the timber 60 or 70 yds out. Up with the glass and I see a bull beelining for my stump. He’s tall and fairly wide, but straight on I can’t count squat. Inside 40 yds now and hasn’t faultered once. I switch from binocular to rifle feeling that the if the time comes, there won’t be time to switch later. Probably at 30 or less now and still hasn’t paused once. He’s at a slight angle now,… left side1,.2,.3,.4,.5,..shit. 12345, shit. Right side 1,.2,.3,.4,.5,..shit! 12345, SHIT!!! Inside 10 yds now and I don’t need glass of any sort. Raise my head to see the whites of his eyes and the snot on his nose. He got to 6 or 7 yds just abeam me, before he got the “oh shit” look, wheeled and trotted out to about 40 yds. A quiet chirp was all he needed to hear to convince him it was time to leave. He was having none of that.
Can’t say there’s much of a teaching point to the story (it was just so damned fun I thought I’d share it), other than maybe ALWAYS set up, listen and watch after a call, whether you sent out a locator or are responding to a call. They may announce themselves they may not. They may hang up and never show themselves, or they may come in on a mission. If they’re on a mission and you’re just standing there things happen way too fast to duck, hide, assess and shoot.
I hope you’re having more good luck and getting the hook set hard!!
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Originally Posted by HarryToolips
