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Topic Archives => Memorable Hunts => Topic started by: njstykbow on September 28, 2005, 07:59:00 PM

Title: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: njstykbow on September 28, 2005, 07:59:00 PM: I just returned from a ten day, self-guided, public land elk hunt in Southern Idaho and had to do a little bragging! My partner and I had been taking turns setting up and calling this bull for one and one-half days, but he would never get into range. On the morning of the 8th day, we were again chasing this bull and it was my turn as the shooter. This bull would continually move away from cow calls, but came almost immediately to a bugle.

He started to circle around to my partner who was about 100 yards behind me and I had to cow call to him to turn him back toward me. He came in looking for the stray cow and stood at fifteen yards for ten minutes in the wide open except for a single pine which was coincidentally located over his shoulder.

He finally took the two steps forward and I was able to take the shot. The bull was quartered slightly toward me and the arrow went through the rear of the near shoulder blade, took out both lungs and buried in the off-side. He started to run and I called to him immediately. He stopped, then walked away slowly.

Six minutes later, I heard him coughing and falling on a log. When I found him, he'd only traveled 60 yards, but I was amazed at how long he lived. If he had decided to run, it wouldn't have been much fun trying to find him.

The bull's teeth were worn down to the gums from age. He rough green scored 365 & 5/8". The main beams were 61" and the inside spread was 44".

The bow was a Robertson Vision Falcon, 68# @ 29" and the arrow was a Beeman .340 Max 4 HD with a 100 grain brass insert and 150 grain RazorCap. Total arrow weight was 610 grains.

I haven't stopped smiling since 9/22/05!!!

(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/njstykbow/2005Elk0043.jpg)
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Slasher on September 28, 2005, 08:35:00 PM: WOWSERS!!!! Nice job and one fine elk!!
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: kennym on September 28, 2005, 08:37:00 PM: Thats a bbbbbig elk! Congrats! :thumbsup:
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Dirteater on September 28, 2005, 08:42:00 PM: Man! Dat's a big'un!
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Whip on September 28, 2005, 08:43:00 PM: WHOA! What a monster! And a great story to go with it. Congratulations on a great bull. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: gregg dudley on September 28, 2005, 09:00:00 PM: Good on ya!
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: AZStickman on September 28, 2005, 09:17:00 PM: :D :thumbsup: That's a beauty congrats... Terry
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: wingnut on September 28, 2005, 10:06:00 PM: Now that's what I'm talkin about.

Nothing like a big bull to make your year.

Mike
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Doug Campbell on September 28, 2005, 10:06:00 PM: Don't get no better than that, congrats! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Timo on September 28, 2005, 10:09:00 PM: Believe I'd call that one a "Thumper"! :thumbsup:
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Jason R. Wesbrock on September 28, 2005, 11:20:00 PM: Wow! Congrats.
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: cjones on September 28, 2005, 11:30:00 PM: Nice! Congrats, thats a super bull.
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Brute killer on September 28, 2005, 11:45:00 PM: Ooooooh, nice! :notworthy:
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: StanM on September 29, 2005, 12:43:00 AM: Awesome! I'm happy for you.

Stan :thumbsup:
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: RobJ on September 29, 2005, 01:38:00 AM: That's a fantastic animal njstykbow! Well done indeed.

:notworthy:
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Larry Yien on September 29, 2005, 02:21:00 AM: That's a dandy bull! I enjoyed the story of the hunt too. I was hunting the southern part of Idaho this year, great country!

Larry
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Tom on September 29, 2005, 06:05:00 AM: Great bull and good story! What a monster.
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Ray Hammond on September 29, 2005, 06:23:00 AM: Congratulations....the longer you are around that bull's headgear, the more you will come to realize just how immense he really is....thats a bull of a lifetime - and you have a lot of life left to get another one bigger too!!!!

And you did it the hard way ...in a state that is nearly straight up and down! Very very cool.
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Yohon on September 29, 2005, 06:35:00 AM: I read the story and thought "worn to the gum line" must be a good bull" moved down the page and see the picture and at 6:30 in the AM in a very quiet house I say out loud S.O.B!!!! :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl: :thumbsup:

That is one beautiful bull!!!.... :notworthy:
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: nick_the_tinkerer on September 29, 2005, 06:41:00 AM: Sweet :bigsmyl: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: J from Denmark on September 29, 2005, 06:42:00 AM: Yeehaa
YESSIR
:thumbsup: :notworthy:
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Killdeer on September 29, 2005, 06:49:00 AM: Magnificent bull, perfect game management! Congratulations on retiring this old sire.

Killdeer :thumbsup:
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: the Ferret on September 29, 2005, 07:04:00 AM: HOLY SMOLY that is some elk. Congrats nj. Bet your heart was doing about 100 and your breathing too when that bad boy was 15 yards from you for that long.

WOW, congrats :thumbsup: :notworthy:
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: SteveD on September 29, 2005, 07:32:00 AM: Great Bull. Congrats
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Orso on September 29, 2005, 08:27:00 AM: Awesome bull... Congrats!!

Does everyone know that an Elk's back teeth are Ivory? I just learned that. I've never heard anyone discuss this before.
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Stalker58 on September 29, 2005, 08:35:00 AM: WOW!That's a fantastic Bull.
Congradulations!
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: TexMex on September 29, 2005, 08:39:00 AM: Muy bien!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: elk ninja on September 29, 2005, 10:41:00 AM: Thats an absolute TOAD! Congrats, I came up empty this year, but there is still mulies!
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: elk ninja on September 29, 2005, 10:42:00 AM: Orso, I think most of us up in elk country know that elk have "ivories" which aren't "real" ivory, but they make some pretty unusual (pretty for some but not my cup of tea) jewelry.
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Ray Lyon on September 29, 2005, 10:55:00 AM: Keep smiling; you deserve to be smiling. :D :D

Congratulations! :thumbsup:
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: njstykbow on September 29, 2005, 10:58:00 AM: elk ninja,

Another interesting thing about this bull was the fact that it had NO ivories. There were large lumps in the upper gums where they should have been, but it appeared that this bull never had them. Never seen or heard of it before. I was really looking forward to getting the ivories out of this bull to make necklaces for my two daughters. Maybe next year.

Joe
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Orso on September 29, 2005, 12:24:00 PM: Very interesting about the Ivories.... Great Bull!!
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: chri5917 on September 29, 2005, 06:26:00 PM: Congrats, man, that's a nice lookin' Bull! Where about in Souther Idaho were you huntin'?
On the Ivories, around here from time to time you'll spot a woman whose husband must REALLY love her wearin around a neckless or ring with a big old swirly lookin' ivory on it. Not sure how true it is, but I've heard that long, long ago elk used to have tusks. That'd be sight on an early morning!
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: Guru on September 29, 2005, 06:31:00 PM: NJ, That's an AWESOME BULL!!!!

Congrats man!!!
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: blackbearhunter on September 29, 2005, 06:42:00 PM: Fantastic! :thumbsup:
Title: Re: 2005 Idaho Elk
Post by: njstykbow on September 29, 2005, 07:14:00 PM: Chris,

I was hunting in the Teton zone. If they used to have tusks, I'm glad they got rid of them...it would detract from their headgear!