How To Handle Big Bulls Within Arm's Reach

Ever wonder how to deal with elk that get so dang close that you're trying to take a shot?  Well, Gene, an Oregon Elk Hunting Guide has seen it time and again.  Take note of his tips and you'll be well on your way to taking home a nice trophy bull!

-Michael

In-Your-Face Elk

By John B. Snow

Elk guru Gene Kronberger tells how to handle big bulls when they're within arm's reach.

June 2006

1. Be Patient
Don’t rush going after a bull if the conditions aren’t right. In the mountains especially, the wind can trick you. If I get a bull to bugle on a distant ridge at first light, I may not go after him until late morning, once the wind has settled into a steady updraft.

2. Make Sure the Bull is Ready
If a bull bugles back but doesn’t seem excited, wait for him. However, if he’s thrashing every tree, has a hat full of brush on his horns and is going crazy, he’s ready and it’s time to move in. Your best odds of killing a bull are on the first time you call it in.

3. Call Smart
Don’t cow call the herd bull. You won’t get him. Cow calls work great for satellite bulls if that’s what you’re looking for. Instead, bugle and thrash trees. The key is to hit him with a response at the right time.

If you’re sounding off constantly, there’s no need for him to come looking for you. He knows where you are.

4. Practice Close Shots
Last year the longest shot any of my clients took was 18 yards. Most were 10 yards or less. Practice those close shots. Most hunters have no idea which pin on their bow to use for a 3-yard shot. The same goes for firearms hunters. Know your equipment.

5. Don't Stop Thinking
This is how you help control your adrenaline. It’s very hard to do, especially if the bull is only 3 yards away. You have to force yourself to think about what you’re doing—the shot, the approach, everything. If you let your mind go blank, you’ll shoot over the bull at 4 yards. I’ve seen it happen many times.

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Gene Kronberger has hunted elk throughout the Northwest for more than 30 years. He specializes in guiding bowhunters for big Roosevelt bulls in Oregon’s dense coastal rainforests.
(541-895-2563)

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Wow, this guy is awesome!  Nice job Michael and great name too :)

Read this article to learn all about the secrets of bugling and shooting elk.

Michael's got some great advice for bowhunting elk.

Great Hunting,

Michael

The Truth About Bowhunting Elk

By Michael Hanback

Call maker Will Primos offers his top archery tactics for taking bugling bulls.

June 2006

Mississippi native Will Primos saw his first wild elk on a family vacation to Colorado in 1967. The skinny 15-year-old gawked at the beasts and thought they must be the most majestic animals God had ever put on earth. He vowed to come back and hunt them one day when he had the time and money. It took him 21 years to fulfill that vow.

“I didn’t get a bull,” he admits, “but the bugling, the Rockies, the climbing—it was all I had hoped for and more.” Primos has spent the last two decades turning his fascination into a thriving business. His cow and bugle calls and Truth DVD series dominate the elk-hunting market. He’s as gung-ho as ever, chasing bulls with his bow from New Mexico to Montana each fall. These are his best tactics.

Get Close
Most people call and then hike toward a bull that screams back at them. “Do just the opposite,” says Primos. “Keep watching or listening to an elk and sneak as close as you can to him before making your first call. Climb up or down a mountain, circle a mile, sneak over the back of a ridge, whatever it takes.” Keep veering into the wind, watch the finicky thermals and use terrain for cover. Look for cows up ahead. If you spook one, a whole mountain might blow up with elk. Slip to within 150 or even 100 yards of the animal if there is sufficient cover.

Make some racket as you go. “Elk are huge, noisy animals,” notes Primos. “The more rocks you roll and the more sticks you break, the more you sound like a cow on the move. Bulls like that.”

Level the Field
Upon nearing the bull, look around and study the terrain. “My number-one rule is never to call from a bad or questionable spot,” says Primos. “One of the worst places is above an elk. A bull never wants to approach other elk from below, because if a fight breaks out, the top bull has the advantage.” He points out that if you call a bull from above, the animal will almost always circle to get on your same plane, often moving downwind and busting you. So always level the playing field.

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Today I came across a great article about Grizzly Bears since I know a lot of you big game hunters hunt in areas where these beasts roam.  Whether you're hunting for elk, deer, moose, caribou, or just about any other big game, you need to be aware of how to deal with bears if you're in bear country.

This article by Christopher Batin sheds some light about what to do when you encounter a bear.

Two things I took away from this is to not run, stand your ground, and remember to pack pepper spray.

Enjoy the article...

-Michael

How to Outrun a Grizzly...

By Christopher Batin

What to do when you're face-to-face with North America's most dangerous predator.

June 2006

“That bear is stalking us,” said my friend Larry Suiter as we glassed for Sitka blacktail deer on Alaska’s Sitkalidak Island.

Larry was intently scanning the shrub-laced valley we had walked earlier that morning. An 8-foot Kodiak brown bear was walking the same route we had taken. The bear had its nose to our trail like a beagle on a rabbit track, though we had taken no deer and our hip boots, clothing and packs were clean of deer scent and food. When I watched it pass within 30 yards of two blacktail does without stopping, I knew we had a problem.

“Let’s get to higher ground,” said Larry. We huffed to the next level of alpine tundra, where we had a clear view. I suggested a higher knoll, which would give us a better field of fire and put a massive ravine between us and the bear. Larry looked down just as we reached the top.

The bear, on a dead run, cleared the ridge. It would have bowled us over had we not moved to the higher position. It disappeared into the thicketed ravine, but soon reemerged in the open, on our side, 50 yards from us. We were already in defensive mode. Larry was sitting with his .338 shouldered. I took a step toward the bear, threatening it with all sorts of consequences if it came one step closer.

The bear held its head low, swaying it from side to side, trying to get our scent. It moved forward a few feet and hesitated before slowly backing up. It crouched like a cat, ready to pounce. Seeing we were not deterred, the bear eased sideways into the ravine and disappeared. That put us on alert.

“He’s trying to sneak around and get above us,” Larry said.

Perched on a rocky point overlooking the ravine, I watched the bear weave through the thickets, trying to circle around us. I scurried to an outcrop above it. It stopped, sat down and looked directly at me. The standoff lasted 20 minutes. I waved Larry over to me and we scurried up an opposite hillside out of sight of the bear. We never saw it again.

There's a lot more too this...Click Here To Read The Rest!

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