Scenario 2

The herd bull is responding to your cow calling and is coming in. He has just crossed a meadow 200 yards away when two rag horns emerge from the trees and are heading in as well. They are 100 yards closer than the herd bull. What would you do?

Danny Moore

I would let the smaller bulls pass, making sure that they don’t wind me. Then I would work the herd bull with my bugle and whip stick. NOTE - I don't own a cow call.

Paul Medel

On an OTC hunt near end of season I'd kill the raghorn, well maybe--(grin)! On a good LE Unit with days of hunting left & my sights set on a quality bull I'd hold out for the herd bull. I'd wait for the right time as the herd bull was in a bit of cover & couldn't see & scatter the raggies by running them off. As soon as they bolt the other way I'd give a short course scream with an immediate growl with raking & stomping followed up with 3-4 rapid cow whines making the herd bull feel the raghorns ran off from this bulls' presence. This normally will get the real herd bull in "pronto" to check things out.

BTW - It's a rare day a herd bull crosses a 200 yard opening.

Paul Medel II

In this situation the rag horns are most likely to make it in much faster than the herd bull. If you are not willing to shoot a rag horn you need to move so you do not get busted by them. Circle around down wind from them and try to get closer to the herd bull. I would stay with the cow call at first but if the situation is not happening fast enough I would act as if one of those rag horns is trying to get the cow before the herd bull can get to her. This should make the herd bull come in faster and try to get a shot at him before the rag horns make it to me. With this I would make a lot of noise as if the rag horns are trying to take the cow. Throw in some chuckles and nervous cow calls.

Al Morris

Stay in my location and continue to call, with the same calls that got them coming in the first place. If all I want is the herd bull I will only pay attention to him and I will forget about the rag horns. If they spook or get too close, I will deal with that and the result 80-90% of the time is they will ruin the chance for the herd bull. I didn't get this way by eating salad, chances are one of them will get arrowed if they come right in.

Corey Jacobsen

This is where a 2-person set-up comes in handy. Set up as a caller 50-60 yards behind the shooter, I would keep working the big bull, hoping to get the rag horns to pass by without detecting the shooter. This would hopefully give him just enough time for the big bull to come into range before the rag horns lock onto my calling location and hang up. Often times the rag horns won't come all the way in to the set-up and they'll hang up off to the side, knowing there is a bigger bull right behind them. In that case, I'll keep calling to the big bull and pull him past the rag horns and into the set-up. Or if you're like me, just shoot one of the rag horns and consider it a successful hunt!

Rob Sherman

Unless there is good cover, you're pretty well stuck.  If you have enough cover to move without being seen, then do so, at least 20-30 yards if possible.  At this point I wouldn't make a sound.  Since the bulls would be honed in on where they heard the cow calls, I would hope that the raghorns would investigate that area without winding me.  It won't take the herd bull long to make up the extra 100 yds to get to the point the raghorns are.  He won't tolerate their presence and will run them off.  If he presents a shot while this is going on, great.  If not, once he runs the raghorns off, then I would again give a few cow calls and try to work the herd bull without having to worry about the raghorns.