Hey everyone, I am out hitting it hard in unit 17 and I bumped an absolute monster bull with 6 cows. I only have a cow tag, so I can't shoot him unfortunately. However the spot is really solid with tons of sign everywhere. After I bumped them I am pretty sure they bedded down in this patch of dark timber surrounded by beetle kill. Would it be foolish to go back to the same area tomorrow or are they long gone? Thanks for the help!
Bumped a big bull, what now
- Thread starter VinnyG
- Start date
Slugz
Veteran member
Depends on the bump Vinny G. Did they run at a sprint ? Trot off calm? Just walk off like they didn't know what was going on but heads high ?
As a general rule of thumb if that group winded you then they may have went over to the next ridge. If they didn't wind you then you just never know. They could be close or at least within glassing/hiking range. If there is good sign then maybe another group is coming though there also.
This year we got in on a herd with the correct wind. The boys shot two cows, one arrow, one muzzle loader. It was thick timber and the arrow cow went down within 65 yards. The muzzle loader shot rang out and that cow instantly went down. I think the rest of the animals thought the muzzle shot was a tree falling and they all just went about their business and fed off. The entire time we had good wind and they never smelled us. Next am we went in to pack the rest of the meat out and the guy with the lone tag didn't want to take his bow. I convinced him we didn't wind those animals and there is no reason for them not to be right back there feeding in the am. They were less than 100 yards from one of the carcasses feeding the next am. We had two set ups but couldn't make it work.
Hope that helps some in your decision. Good luck!!
As a general rule of thumb if that group winded you then they may have went over to the next ridge. If they didn't wind you then you just never know. They could be close or at least within glassing/hiking range. If there is good sign then maybe another group is coming though there also.
This year we got in on a herd with the correct wind. The boys shot two cows, one arrow, one muzzle loader. It was thick timber and the arrow cow went down within 65 yards. The muzzle loader shot rang out and that cow instantly went down. I think the rest of the animals thought the muzzle shot was a tree falling and they all just went about their business and fed off. The entire time we had good wind and they never smelled us. Next am we went in to pack the rest of the meat out and the guy with the lone tag didn't want to take his bow. I convinced him we didn't wind those animals and there is no reason for them not to be right back there feeding in the am. They were less than 100 yards from one of the carcasses feeding the next am. We had two set ups but couldn't make it work.
Hope that helps some in your decision. Good luck!!
elk do what elk do when elk choose to do it.
that said,it is not unrealistic to expect they will still be in the area and most likely ,they are not the only elk around. go check it out
that said,it is not unrealistic to expect they will still be in the area and most likely ,they are not the only elk around. go check it out
tim
Veteran member
I shot a bull out of a herd. the herd was 400 yards as the crow flies from where I shot the bull, later in the afternoon when I went back to get some stuff that I had cached in there.
Elky spots are elky spots, sometimes its not the same elk that are there but they like the same spots.