He guys. Let’s use this post to discuss Elk hunting topics regarding calling, scouting, vocals, and strategy. Here’s a few ways you can tell if the elk is coming in when you are using a location bugle. 1. Sneaky Bulls. You got no response and are sitting quietly waiting to hear a bull bugle back and all of sudden you see movement or hear a branch snap and it can be as close as 30 yards. Allot of big and small bulls are going to come in quietly to location bugle and not bugle back. They want to see/smell you first. I’ve had a situation this year where I was bugling my way down through timber and almost stepped a 2 raghorns (30-40 yards) they never responded, never made a sound, until I got super close. And another situation was when I was bugling downhill and hiking back to my car. I sat down and was looking at OnX for a few minutes, then I got up and a bull jumped out no more than 30 yards from behind me. He was following me downhill, stepping into my tracks, but never bugling back. if you did not get a response to your location bugle, it actually could be a sign that one is coming in, especially if you know this area holds elk and there is fresh sign. 2. The Raker! This type of bull often does not bugle back but then moment you let out a soft half volume location bugle he will stand up and start racking a tree aggressively. You can hear it rake from a few hundred yards away, at first it sounds like something is running through the forest but you will realize sound is coming from the same location. If you bugles and instead got allot of thrashing raking sound it’s time to close the distance to where the time is coming from. 3. The lazy bugle. This type of bull will often bugle a short 1 second bugle that sounds so laze and short you will most likely not be able to pin point him because he is bedded, lazy, and is not wanting to talk. but if you can hear it, than he can hear you also. It’s time to move slowly and watch ahead with your binoculars because he might have cows with him and they will have more eyes and ears than you. Pls the wind. Look ahead. When you get within a few hundred yards you can set up for a calling sequence.

If you have been hunting elk for a few years and still have not shot your first bull then you belong here. 90% of hunters don't even see a legal animal during the season. But this year you have to put a bull on the ground.