Q n A?s

manny15 · Sep 28, 2009

I gotta say after 9 days of elk hunting (not consecutive) trying to stick a bull, I got a new found respect for you boys who connected on bulls this year, I only saw two elk and jumped a bull that I never seen, just heard his rack slapping in the trees after I scared the crap out of him, by blowing my cow call.

So, in hope?s of edugumacating myself a bit more, I have a few Q?s, ?FOR YOU LUCKY SOB?s? (sorry anger issues not under check yet) LOL?.

Seriously though, I think Oregon elk are a bit different creature then Colorado or Utah elk,? Not sure, but apparently my calling sucked, I felt it sounded a lot like the vids I've watched, but I'm on the wrong end of the call to tell for sure.

Anyways I have a few Q?s for any you Lucky, O.K, Skill-full guys?

1; did you just spot an stalk,?, wait, or is it stock?lol
2; did you just find fresh sign n call till you got an answer?
3; did you just use your cow call or did you bugle, also?
4; due to the heat, were you above 5000 elevation or did it matter?

Thankx: Manny

Hunting_Oregon · Sep 28, 2009

Well I'm far from an expert. Just happen to be in the right place, right time a lot this season. called in a total of 13 bulls into bow range this season. most of the elk we spotted first then set up on, I would cow called while raking a tree and that would bring them right in, towards the later part of the season i would throw in a bugle. All but 5 came in silently

killed my bull at 4800 feet elevation he was bugling alot and that is how we located him. it was also in the 90s. the bugle, cow call and raking a tree brought him right in.

called in a bull that a fiend killed a 5400 feet elevation and another one around that elevation.

Raking a tree was the most important thing in my mind. Most of the bulls would just stare at us until i started raking then they would commit.

Oh and if you own one of these THROW IT AWAY!!! They are garbage!!

"Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid."
- John Wayne

muleyman · Sep 28, 2009

LAST EDITED ON Sep-28-09 AT 07:46PM (MST)[p]Well Mr. Manny ~

It must have been "Big Bob" I told you about! LOL! Were you on the benches behind the green gate or across from Blood Rock? ( Dont worry guys about looking for this area we call blood rock, its a "family name" for the 70+ mule deer we have killed there since the 70's...no kidding) Most guys I have talked to this season were pretty upset with calling in bulls. even in remote area's that we pack 18-20 miles into with no other hunters around it seemed the bulls were pretty scared of all the cow calling! The only thing I can think of the resaon why is the first 3 weeks all the other hunters that may have been in the area were probly calling non-stop and it ruins for all the others. I personally will only cow call when a bull is HOT and bothered, otherwise I dont make a sound from a call. I have found that if I have jumped a bull that if I make ALOT of noise like an elk they seem to calm down, unless it was the wind that busted me.

I will let you know how my rifle 1st season elk hunt goes in ***** unit. I have watched 14 bulls these past few weeks, 3 over 300 and one close to 360. Funny thing is it was during archery and the other archery hunters I ran into while headin up to the area I will be hunting seemed frustrated for not seeing much! GET OUT AND HIKE DOWN INTO THE "HELL HOLES" AND YOU WILL GET INTO THEM!!! GO WHERE IT MAKES YOUR STOMACH UPSET THINKING ABOUT THE HIKE IN AND OUT. That is where the biggin's are...

Sorry Manny for another season of disappointment. Maybe next yr we should hook up. We have horses and mules for your "bum leg" LOL. Taker easy

muleyman

whuppinstick · Sep 28, 2009

HuntingOregon,
Do you rake a tree with a branch? And you said you would rake the tree with the bulls looking at you - is that true? How far away were they?

Congratulations on your bull.

KILLERBEE · Sep 28, 2009

rule out elevation. it was hot everywhere. but poeple killed bulls at all elevations.

it does help to be in good elk sign. but sometimes that good elk sign is just down the hill a ways. so where your standing might not look as good as what it is.

as far as cow calling or bugleing? it's what each individual bull will respond to. there is no way to say what will work everytime.

it was hot this year and that always slows it down a bit. but remeber they are still going to rut. you will just see less signs of it.

it sucks to wait for the 4th week just to have it be that kind of weather. now their talking snow in the mountains this weekend---- wouldn't you know it!

keep after it

Hunting_Oregon · Sep 28, 2009

yes I would use a branch. The bulls actually couldn't see me, so when I say looking at me I mean my direction, I wasn't some monkey banging on a tree in plain sight.

The furthest bull I got to come in that we saw first was about 250 yards away. The rest of them were either closer or I have no clue how far they came from.

"Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid."
- John Wayne

WapitiBob · Sep 29, 2009

Don't know about CO and UT but they Elk here in OR are totally different acting than NM Elk.
OR Elk don't like people and don't like too much calling.

koyote · Sep 29, 2009

Hunting_Oregon, So what's your issue with the hand operated cow call, It looks like a Carlton type.

Koyote

manny15 · Sep 29, 2009

LAST EDITED ON Sep-29-09 AT 12:37PM (MST)[p]>LAST EDITED ON Sep-28-09
>AT 07:46?PM (MST)
>
>Well Mr. Manny ~
>
>It must have been "Big Bob"
>I told you about! LOL!
> Were you on the
>benches behind the green gate
>or across from Blood Rock?
>( Dont worry guys about
>looking for this area we
>call blood rock, its a
>"family name" for the 70+
>mule deer we have killed
>there since the 70's...no kidding)
>Most guys I have talked
>to this season were pretty
>upset with calling in bulls.
>even in remote area's that
>we pack 18-20 miles into
>with no other hunters around
>it seemed the bulls were
>pretty scared of all the
>cow calling! The only thing
>I can think of the
>resaon why is the first
>3 weeks all the other
>hunters that may have been
>in the area were probly
>calling non-stop and it ruins
>for all the others. I
>personally will only cow call
>when a bull is HOT
>and bothered, otherwise I dont
>make a sound from a
>call. I have found that
>if I have jumped a
>bull that if I make
>ALOT of noise like an
>elk they seem to calm
>down, unless it was the
>wind that busted me.
>
>I will let you know how
>my rifle 1st season elk
>hunt goes in ***** unit.
>I have watched 14 bulls
>these past few weeks, 3
>over 300 and one close
>to 360. Funny thing is
>it was during archery and
>the other archery hunters I
>ran into while headin up
>to the area I will
>be hunting seemed frustrated for
>not seeing much! GET OUT
>AND HIKE DOWN INTO THE
>"HELL HOLES" AND YOU WILL
>GET INTO THEM!!! GO WHERE
>IT MAKES YOUR STOMACH UPSET
>THINKING ABOUT THE HIKE IN
>AND OUT. That is where
>the biggin's are...
>
>Sorry Manny for another season of
>disappointment. Maybe next yr we
>should hook up. We have
>horses and mules for your
>"bum leg" LOL. Taker
>easy
>
>muleyman

=======

It was the benches behind the green gate, I like that spot, all I know is the crashing sounded more like a moose then an elk, but i did hear horn slapping the braches as he ran thru the trees...

now I'm gearing up for the rifle deer hunt down here, hey isn't there a unit that has a late elk bow hunt?....

it was fun though learning new country!

tmbr_hntr · Sep 29, 2009

Oregon is different because there is now a hunter behind every tree. When I started archery hunting 7 years ago it was relatively easy to call in bugling bulls. For perspective I called in 3 bulls(2 six points and 1 four point) the first year in 4 days of hunting. This year I hunted 3 weeks. I was able to call in about a dozen bulls only six of them would come into range and only one came in bugling. The best bugling of the season was from Labor day till the 12th, but they were not really that fired up to come in then. Ended up passing up shots on a few smaller bulls and a six point at 12 yards that turned straight on when I drew. There are just sooo many people in the woods calling elk from opening day that they are just scared and skittish. Even in the backcountry it's crowded anymore. It's not going to get any better until Oregon goes to a draw.

I still have less crowded places to hunt and I will, but it's because they don't hold many elk. Sorry to you out of state guys, but the time has come to limit your tags. Nothing personal.

muleyman · Sep 29, 2009

western oregon has a second season cow elk season in November.

muleyman

manny15 · Sep 29, 2009

thanks for all your A's, its been logged into my journal.....Manny

tmbr_hntr · Sep 30, 2009

LAST EDITED ON Sep-30-09 AT 07:07AM (MST)[p]Probably the biggest reason Oregon elk are not very vocal in many areas is because the bull to cow ratios are so low. Oregon has MOs of 10 bulls to 100 cows in many eastside units and in many the MOs are not met. With bull to cow ratios so low the bulls just don't get that aggressive. It is very evident when you go to a unit with high bull to cow ratios and older age class bulls compared to units where 3-5 points are running groups of cows.

Not my words but a quote form another site:
"The perfect storm of the elk rut happens when the weather is cold, the new moon is out and the elk are experiencing their biological time. And if the bull to cow ratio for your area is high then you'll experience the elk frenzy we occasional talk about. High bull to cow ratios in the 30 to 50:100 range are perfect. High bull to cow ratios create such intense competition among bulls that they completely ignore their instincts for safety and will come running in to any cow sound you make"