Elk in Pinyons/Junipers

[Hornhunter247]

Treemarshal I sometimes fly over units right before shed season. Yes it is beneficial!!! It's not a great way to find that certain animal your looking for, but in general you can find out where the bulls/cows are at. Plus it's a riot just flying!

[Chris]

That's it..... I'm getting a plane.

[dchambers629]

Congrats on the tag! I love hunting the pinyon and juniper country for bulls! Hunting mid-day is usually when the bulls are in their bedding area or have shut down and stopped bugling.

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Great Advice COOSEFAN!!!

 

About the only thing I would add is when you are glassing make sure you can see the shady side of the of all the junipers, and look at the base of them for movement.

 

While I've been out antelope hunting the past few weeks, I kept seeing bulls sitting in the shade of the junipers, usually higher on the little finger ridges trying to catch the breeze that is pretty much constant out here. I would try and spot them, then move to an ambush place that is downwind of the bull and wait for them to get up start moving again. Last Monday evening I saw a monster 6x6 with about 15 cows and 1 definite raghorn and several spikes. All in all over the past few weeks I've seen about 5 nice bulls, including that huge one, and I haven't been hunting them. If you are out there you will find them.

 

Good Luck!

[Chris]

I tried the "raking" once. I was less than 50 from a big bull and about 7 cows that were laying down.

 

It scared the crap out of them! They exploded out of there. I'll never do that again.

[COOSEFAN]

I tried the "raking" once. I was less than 50 from a big bull and about 7 cows that were laying down.

 

It scared the crap out of them! They exploded out of there. I'll never do that again.

 

LOL! Not sure if you did or not, but you gotta first let them know that you are a bull coming in before raking a tree less than 50 yards from them!

 

While sneaking in to do that, I'll let out some lazy short bugles to sound like a bull wondering in to find a bed next to the herd bull and his cows. That way the herd bull is already thinking you are a bull and is intently listening to how close you may come to his girlfriends. When you get in his comfort zone and start raking that usually is the trigger that upsets him and makes him come in to push you away.

 

This also is usually best done when the herd is calm and stationary in the bulls bedroom.

 

Disclaimer…this doesn't always work, but if you play it right it can make for some seriously intense and close action!

[shanehamblin]

I tried the "raking" once. I was less than 50 from a big bull and about 7 cows that were laying down.

 

It scared the crap out of them! They exploded out of there. I'll never do that again.

Just a reminder too. There isn't a statagie I'm aware of the works more often than fail. Your still hunting

[mattys281]

 

I tried the "raking" once. I was less than 50 from a big bull and about 7 cows that were laying down.

 

It scared the crap out of them! They exploded out of there. I'll never do that again.

 

LOL! Not sure if you did or not, but you gotta first let them know that you are a bull coming in before raking a tree less than 50 yards from them!

 

While sneaking in to do that, I'll let out some lazy short bugles to sound like a bull wondering in to find a bed next to the herd bull and his cows. That way the herd bull is already thinking you are a bull and is intently listening to how close you may come to his girlfriends. When you get in his comfort zone and start raking that usually is the trigger that upsets him and makes him come in to push you away.

 

This also is usually best done when the herd is calm and stationary in the bulls bedroom.

 

Disclaimer…this doesn't always work, but if you play it right it can make for some seriously intense and close action!

I killed my first archery mule deer with this tactic. Grunt call and raking brush. Im sure it doesnt work 100% of the time, but it worked that time and put a nice 4x4 muley on my wall.

[ArizonaWildernessHunter]

My Dad got stung once in the foot the day before leaving for a Kaibab hunt. He spent the whole hunt limping around. He fell down really hard and had a 187" deer come trotting up with 6 does. Sometimes strange things will work.

[mattys281]

My Dad got stung once in the foot the day before leaving for a Kaibab hunt. He spent the whole hunt limping around. He fell down really hard and had a 187" deer come trotting up with 6 does. Sometimes strange things will work.

Sometimes you call them in when you're not even calling. January 2011 I hiked into one of my favorite coues spots and was getting my stuff situated. There was some lingering pockets of snow in shadowy areas one of which was where I sit for the ambush. I was kicking the snow away so I wouldnt be crunching it with my boots while I sat and 'called in' a really nice 3x3 with eye guards. Came over the lip of the bowl about 170 yards away and trotted to less than 30 yards like he was a fish on the line. He b usted me drawing back on him and then he managed to duck my arrow and run off unscathed. That guy was just sure I was another buck making a scrape and he was determined to show me the folly of trespassing on his turf.