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Elk Hunting – Tip #3

October 19, 2015 by Jack

(c) Jack Ballard

THAT AIN’T NO BULL – When hunting in the timber the hunter often sees only parts of an elk before viewing its entire body. In the open it’s often advantageous to spot a bull quickly as time to shoot may be limited if animals are moving from a feeding area toward cover. The presence of antlers is obviously the most reliable way to distinguish male elk from females during the fall. But other cues can be helpful.

Bull elk by Jack Ballard.

Once they’ve acquired their winter hair coat, bulls and cows are usually colored quite differently. The bodies of cows appear in shades of light brown, something along the lines of mocha, hot chocolate mixed with coffee. Bulls on the other hand, sport pelage on the body that is lighter. Descriptors for their coloration include: tawny, blonde and yellowish-tan.

On multiple occasions I’ve been able to identify a bull in a herd of elk in the timber long before seeing its antlers. Observing a blonde body in a herd of brown has allowed me to focus on a specific animal instead of glassing a dozen. In most cases, older bulls exhibit even lighter shades of tan than youngsters. You may get fooled occasionally, but unless it’s wearing a tawny hair coat, you can usually conclude in a hurry “that ain’t no bull.”

 

Comments (2)
Categories : Hunting

Comments

  1. Kime Goodrum says:
    December 7, 2017 at 6:45 pm

    Read a good article of yours on Superior Shooting in the Sept/Oct issue of Colorado Outdoors.
    Looked to find it in the Colorado Outdoors online magazine but could not scroll through it though the instructions say I can so I looked to your web site. Can find it here either.

    I could scan it as I want to send it to a couple friends but thought as long as I am here I should let you know I can’t find it. Could you maybe send me a link to it?

    Came to know who you were after you married Lisa. My wife and I used to like her articles 20 or more years ago in Petersen’s hunting. Then some years ago I noticed she had a hyphenated last name which I eventually realized was you.

    Thought you both might get a kick out of that.

    Reply
  2. Michelle says:
    May 16, 2019 at 12:58 pm

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