BASS Report post Posted October 3, 2005 Over this last weekend my dad and I were scouting for his muzzleloader hunt next month. We decided to sit two different water holes, to see if anything would come in. Well on the way to my spot, we jumped a herd of Elk, we cow called to them, and they would call back as they slowly walked down the hill. But one little calf wouldn't follow the rest of the herd. This loner decided he was thirsty, and was going to head to the water instead of over the next ridge. At the time I didn't notice this, but thought that calf was going a different way. So here my dad and I went our seperate ways. As I came to the water, I stepped on a large rock about the size of a tire. Right as I got balanced on it, it gave away. The rock rolled a little ways, I was wobbling around trying to catch my balance, and stepping on every twig in sight. I pulled out my hoochie momma, and gave it a couple pushes for a lost cow call. Immidiatly a brown blur was running down the opposite hill towards me. My first thought was coyote, but it was making calf sounds. I got to a small grove of bushes, and sat down. As soon as I got my pack off, and looked up I was face to face with this little guy. He was no more than five feet from me, looking straight at me. I froze. He would lean towards me, smell, then mew to me. I just sat there trying not to make any movement at all. Then he started moving his head in strange motions. Then all at once this wonderful expiriance came to a sudden wet hault. He sneezed on me. I jerked, and spooked him. He ran back to the water, but never left me alone for the rest of the night. At one point he layed down in the yellow flowers and had a sneezing attack that lasted for some time. But he would sneak back up on me, then run away again, only to come in again from a different direction. Then the fun started. As I was playing cat and mouse with this calf moving from tree to tree I looked up on the ridge to see the big guy. A nice Bull that I would say was around 300 or so. He bugled, and the calf called back. The bull then came running full speed down the hill and into the water. He splashed the water with his rack, then crossed onto my side of the pond. The calf now decided it was time to leave, and started walking back up the hill from which he first came, and the bull went back to the water to drink. I pulled out the Cow Estrus Puffer from Gbow.com (thanks Muskrat!) and checked the wind with it. The wind was blowing right towards the bull, he must have smelt it, as he turned quickly and bugled. Then came walking right towards me. Not knowing what to do I layed down back in the tree. He walked up to the tree and was looking beyond it then bugled from 14 yards away from me. I was a nervous wreck, but the thrill was too much. He then turned around and started following the calf. I puffed the powder again, and gave an estrus bleat from the hoochie momma, and he came running back past where I was sitting and bugled again. He sat there for a while, then walked away. By now it was dark, and I quit calling to let him leave. And once I could hear him on the other side of the mountain I made my quiet retreat back to the quads. I have to get my video camera working right, so next time I can show you all the video. Has anything ever happened to any of you? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted October 3, 2005 Great story! I hope someday I get to have an experience like that! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
az4life Report post Posted October 4, 2005 Spend enough time in the wild and some strange things will happen! I bet you will never forget that one! Sounds like the hoochie moma works great! Thanks for sharing the story. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHT_MTNMAN Report post Posted October 4, 2005 That is a cool experience, i was once archery deer hunting in 4a and saw a group of cow elk headed toward me, i watched as they passed about 20 yards and then got up and headed down the trail they came in on. I saw a lone cow about 100 yards off and I layed down in the tall grass in the trail. She kept coming and walked over the top of me and as she smelled me she turned on a dime and stepped on my thigh and my ankle, then circled around and headed back up the trail, pretty fun. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ernesto C Report post Posted October 4, 2005 That's amazing BASS, this one time at band camp.......... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted October 4, 2005 Wow, what an experience! I hope that calf found his mother again. Sounds like he was desperate for company. I have had several close encounters with elk. Had a cow just about to step on my hand until I moved it and she bolted. Have had bull elk screaming at 5 yards. But I have never been sneezed on! Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TREESTANDMAN Report post Posted October 4, 2005 That is one incredible experience!!! That story can be told to your children and children's children and will be a priceless memory for ages. I had an experience happen last year in Sept. I was sitting in a treestand over a little tank hunting deer. It was evening and the elk were bugling. I was bored so I started cow calilng a little bit to see if I couldn't call in a bull. After about 10 minutes I decided I was sick of sitting so I started climbing down my treesteps. When I was about 5 feet from the ground I heard a sound behind me. I turned my head and there was a calf elk about 10 feet from the base of the tree looking around. I watched it for a few seconds and then gave a little mew w/ my call. It then looked at me and let out a little mew. I was really surprised that it didn't take off running. It's mom was about 40 yds off mewing like crazy trying to get her baby away from danger and her baby was not being very obedient. I stayed there for a while calling to this calf thouroughly enjoying the experience. My hands started getting tired in the position I was in so I decided to climb down figuring the calf would bolt for sure. To my surprise, I dropped to the ground and the calf did not move. It inched it's nose towards me sniffing. I put my hand up to touch it's nose and it backed off just a little bit. It's mom then came in closer and finally the little calf decided it better obey and they both took off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BASS Report post Posted October 4, 2005 Great story treestandman! I thought about putting my hand out, but thought that it may have spooked him too bad, and put us both in danger. I also couldn't believe that even after he smelt me, that he wouldn't leave. In fact I kept moving to different trees to try and loose him, but he would find me in no time. I should have brought him home like they did that little cow in City Slickers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BowhuntCoues Report post Posted October 5, 2005 Cool story Bass. I once had a cow elk stick her head in my blind and blow snot on me. Her nostrils flared out and eyes bugged out and I thought she was going to tear up the place leaving out of there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azhuntsmen Report post Posted October 5, 2005 WOW, those are some great stories. The only thing i have to compare is one night in camp i had to wizz so i walked a few years away(of course) and i heard something so i zipped up and started to walk backwards back to camp when a cow appeared and spooked the heck out of me. She started sniffin and scratchin the ground were i relieved myself she did this for about 10 mins. She was like 5 ft from me and i dont think she saw me. I just droped to a knee and watched it was the weirdest thing. Finally my buddy came yelling wondering if i had "fallen in" and she spooked. When she left we looked at what she was doing she had tore up the ground were i went. i think she as in love. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muskrat Report post Posted October 5, 2005 Very cool story! (and glad the Gbow stuff works, too) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
