Trad Gang
Topic Archives => Memorable Hunts => Topic started by: Butts2 on September 30, 2008, 11:11:00 AM
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The Colorado season starts out and my son and I both have tags for Elk and Mule Deer. But, I also have a tag for Bear, all of which for the most part coincide at the same time. The place we plan on doing the majority of our hunting is a scant 2 miles from the pickup according to the GPS. Of course this being Colorado it being rather flat with minor hilly obstacles we can make it in trying to take our time so we are not stinking up the environment sweating in just about 2 hours flat. The previous year I had seen a Bear in the area so this summer I made numerous (6)trips in and found a water hole on a small bench with about 300 square feet of water with some Bear tracks...yahoo. Each time we went in there appeared to be a different Bear had come for a drink but it could have been the Bear was excited to find the water and jumped in the mud to increase his print size. of course the surrounding ground around the water had Mule Deer and Elk print and various other paw prints. Opening morning sitting at the water hole behind a brush blind that I had previously built up was a clear star filled morning. After about 2 hours of watching numerous birds come to water I hear brush snap to my left and a black shape coming in. Heart rate a pumping Oh Gosh!! I did mention the water was on a bench didn't I? I wa seeing Half of bossy the moo cow as she was walking the edge.
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(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/027.jpg)
This should be a picture of my Bovine friends. First time I have attempted to post a picture and I will continue on after taking a peek
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Keep it coming... :readit:
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Good it worked
I ended up sitting at this water hole for over 9 hours. This was the first time I had ever attempted to sit water in all my years. It is very enjoyable as the numerous birds and squirrels keep you very entertained. Those moo cows 6 in all stuck around almost all day. They would come in go out come in go out. Lay next to the water, do there thing right in the water. Don't believe I will use my water purifier in there I prefer the creek. We had to cross a small creek of course both in and out by flashlight and we both went in once. My son fell rear end right in the drink and me just one foot over the boot. I did say are you okay but as he was going down it was watch your bow watch your bow. (http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/Rick_Little_Klein_Hunting_2_011-1.jpg)
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Numerous times the moo cows would get within 20 foot of me and stare unsure of what I was due to my excellent application of camo paint on my mug. Can't shoot worth a hoot with a mask and I feel as if I get good mojo wearing the camo paint anyway. At this time of year it gets dark between 7 and 7:30 in the evening. All throughout the day I think to myself on and off maybe I should push the moo cows out of here. BUT, they have been there probably all summer and all other creatures are use to them. About 5:30 the moo cows mosey away and I do not see nor hear them for any length of time and it is getting near final shooting light. Quicker than you can say Traditional Archer I look up and I get to say to myself "oh My God here comes a Bear to my water hole" Not 25 yards away. (http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/Preston_sunset_on_Big_Klein_Hunt-1.jpg)
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I think the bear got him. Hope everything is OK. :jumper:
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:coffee:
Love the hunting stories
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Dude! Did you get ate up, or what? Can't leave us hangin!
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Rick, come on, we need to hear about the rest. Some of have to live our hunts through others, this wasn't a good year for me. I want to hear how everyone else is doing.
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ah come on :D he's fallen asleep at the computer someone phone him quike! :readit:
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Before I go on towards the end of the tale you WILL need to know about my equipment. Shooting a Jerry Barr "Lobo" Recurve pulling 60@28 with compressed Cedar arrows spined 60-65 with a flat blade Stos @ 160 grains. Jerry Barr was one of the founding fathers of CTAS "Colorado Traditional Archery Society. (http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/043.jpg)This first photo is looking back to my brush blind from the location the Bear was coming.
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The blind is to the right of the large tree that is on the left of the prior photo. This photo is taken from the blind of my dog during the summer. The dog is standing almost exactly where the first full body sighting of the Bear took place. (http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/041.jpg)
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In the photo with the dog about 20 feet to the left of the dog is a darker mass of greenery where I first saw the Bear. All I could see was his head for a brief 2 seconds. His head was nose in the air and going left and right of course trying to take in the smell of anything out of the ordinary. Immediately I say to myself Bear Bear and I go to my knee's. I was sitting on a log with the diameter of about 7". My bow was 3 feet in front of me with an arrow on the string. While down on my knees with my head below the brush that you can see in the photo I take a breath or 2 can't remember exactly. I peak "through" the brush pile and the Bear is already at the water drinking.He is also now less than 20 yards from me.
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I have the brush piled up about 30" in height for the blind. The Bear is in the corner facing right at me while he drinks so I can't pick up my head above the limbs. The Bear backs up and starts walking to my left or my dogs left in the above photo. He is not walking slow at all. He is on a mission. The area that I am staged at is about 6' X 8'. I rise up from my buddest praying mode to both knees and realize I am to freaking close to the brush to come to full draw. I have to lean to my right slightly for full extension of my left drawing arm. While all this is taking place the Bear is still on his mission to go somewhere.So again look at the photo with the my dog in it. The bear is now past the darn green limbs that I neglected to cut. I now have to also lean forword to shoot way over to my left while leaning to my right because of the close brush. Pull back to anchor........release and fall on my chest due to being so off balance. Before I hit the ground I see my arrow fly off into the great unknown about 2" over his back.
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the end???? :biglaugh:
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He roars for whatever reason and runs straight away from me and stops at 40 yards looking in the direction that the arrow sailed. I would assume he heard the arrow clanging and knocking into the various trees and was looking for me down there. Kicked myself 7000 times since. I have read they see so-so. I have read noise doesn't bother them as much as we assume since they think they are the baddest in the forest. BUT, he really never found the source of what started the commotion in the begginning so I still have a chance. (http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/040.jpg) This was the size of his print. I have a Delta Bear 3D that is suppose to be about a 250# Bear.......dwarf.I will be back after awhile, my son will soon be here and we have to do some more cutting and wrapping this evening.
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bbassi...............Not even close to the end. the best is yet to come
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Keep telling, Sir!
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this is way funny!!! good story
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Buttsy I like your style! Keep it coming. :thumbsup:
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For the next two weekend I took fridays off and would travel the 30-35 miles south of my house set up camp 1/4 mile from the pickup hike in the 2 miles and sit the same water hole and take an excursion once in a while for any wildlife available. I would see tracks at the water hole but not the ghosts that put them there. So 6 more days of hunting and I am hearing and seeing nothing. It is also suppose to be time for Elk rutting but I have not heard squat one there either. When I would head home late Sunday I would pass numerous camps of course and I came to a traffic jam in the middle of the forest. (2 ATV's and a pickup). I knew one of the hunters and he flagged me over. Never see you at your camp how come? "Go in at dark, come out at dark" was my response. He said I heard you had a Bear tag and "I dropped a monster Bear last weekend not 1.5 miles from your pickup. It green scored 21 11/16". Holy smokes etc etc.went the conversation. He said "wanted to tell you there is a huge Cinnamon Bear been spotted in the same area 3 times by other archers you should give it a try." No, I am seeing tracks and the Bear I saw looked real sweet to me so I will stick with that area. Talked with my son that night and told him maybe we should give the water hole a longer break and go somewhere else and at least see more game....hopefully. So we decide to drive about 110 miles southeast of home and camp at about 10,000 foot where the big Mulies like to bust mere mortals lungs. This picture is of the first view of the pond that you see when you come off the main trail. (http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/044.jpg)
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Arriving in the new area we set up our camp on the side of a wicked steep hill that someone else had previously excavated for a tent. A little rock kicking and earth moving with our boots and we were set. (http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/031.jpg)
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Great story keep it comming.
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We had previously looked at a topo map and found this dead end road where we were camping. Further looking at the map we decide to hike along the ridge line according to the map which would have little gain in altitude. As soon as my son and I entered the forest at the end of the road a good trail lead us off and up in altitude. Over the course of the next 90 minutes we gained about 600 foot in elevation and traveled 0.6 miles. Found a Primos mouth call right beside a stump and some toilet tissue. Found the call first then the paper thought it strange, anyway. At the top of the trail we find a gate which on the opposite side of it is a sign stating that the road is closed, there was no road. To the left of that is another gate with another sign stating the road is closed. This is a very old road. These roads came to a T. My son and I sit there tin the sun for awhile as it is about 2 pm so nothing is probably moving. Told him "Why don't you take a walk down that other closed road see if there is any better terrain for us to glass". Off he goes. About 30 minutes later I hear putputput and an ATV drives by me within 20 yards while I am leaning against my backpack and a tree waiting for my son. These 2 guys drive to the closed gate and then drive to the other closed gat all the time within 50 yards of me still sitting there. They are not talking quitely as you could imagine. They then proceed to head back the way they came but stop now only 15 yards from me. I stand up and it is easily 20 seconds before they see me. First thing out of their mouths was you want a beer. "No< got a 6 pack down at our campsite appreciate it though" If I was an animal you fellows sure would have missed me. "Well they said sorry about messing up your hunt. You know you could see a lot more Elk off of the deck of this yurt that is about a mile away down this road." I thought this road was closed. Nope you can take it up to these 10Th MT Division yurts if you want. You should get in and we will take you up there. They must have asked me 2/3 more times to go up to the yurt because there was alot of people up there and they kept arguing about the distance and then they roared away.This was the top of the mountain where my son and I were discovered by the ATV dudes. (http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/033.jpg)
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Not 5 minutes later my son comes out from the tree's. As you can see I am 5"10 on the right, so he is somewhat bigger. (I keep telling him remind me to smack your mom in the head because you ain't mine LOL).I said did you hear that crap etc.. He said "yeah, I was there almost the entire time I thought I was going to have to pull some Burt Reynolds "Deliverence" on those guys and bail you out!" He stated that he had indeed found a better spot and had actually seen 4 mule deer but was uncertain as to their sex. So off we go to see this new field to glass....and then it starts .....his coughing!!This is the field we were glassing. (http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/035.jpg)
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We walked further and further until we had a good vantage of the "park". We would cow call every 20 minutes only 2X but no Elk ever showed. In the end of it all we saw, if I remember correctly 12 deer. In one hour the temperature dropped 15 degrees on us by dusk. The next morning when the alarm went off my son said "I never slept at all cough, cough, I feel terrible lets go home. So, we packed up and headed home.....and back to the water hole. Here is a photo of my son glassing the area. I actually was glassing everywhere else. (http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/034.jpg)
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I like this so far, keep it coming.
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Went back to the water hole area the next time out. Hardly ever hear of archer's shooting Bear in the early morning so my son with his intermitten cough and I walked on by until later in the evening we would return. Crested the top of the mountain he went right I went left. I decided to really get into the stalking mood for myself. There was a pond about 200 yards to the west of me. It took me just over one hour to go that distance. When I was 35 yards from the pond out flushes 4 Turkeys. That is still pretty far but I showed a pretty good effort. I had told my son I was going to try the "dieing fawn" distress calls for Bear so he would know where I was at. Backed my body up to 3 trees and proceeded to squeel like crazy for 4 minutes rest 1 minute and continue this for one hour. Instantly 2 Does take off that I had not seen. The woods seem to go deadly silent when you are doing this type calling. I beleive they all know another creature is getting torn to shreads. At pretty close to one hour I hear brush snap behind me I jerk my head around and "nope" its my son trying to get me to throw something at him for startling me. Then the rain hit us so we hunkered under a tree for a couple hours. Finally said to him I am going to go sit the water until dark "what you going to do?" I will sit with you I don't still feel well. Okay lets go.
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We sat there about 3 hours with him coughing now and again. He would bury his head in the cold weather coat that he had packed in case the Colordao weather took a turn for the worst. He fell asleep numerous times sitting up leaning against a 1' diameter log. I could hear him wheezing to breath while he slept. When he woke up I said "I got an idea you have wanted to go in the direction where the Bear came from ever since that first day, back there in that dark tinmber. Why don't you do it? Go to the top of the mountain walk about 300 yards to the south then turn east towords the fence and stalk your way through the area. Either go to the truck or wait for me at the bottom (which is 500 yards down this hill" 10 minutes later he takes off, smiling. I sit down on my log and await the darkness as it is now 4:30 pm. in the evening. 15 minutes later I hear something brush snap or whatever you just know it is a noise that does not belong. I look up the hillside opposite of where the first Bear came in and I see a tiny flash of brown go behind a bush and numerous trees. My mind instantly goes back to to my conversation with the other hunter and I say "Cinnamon Bear Bear Cinnamon Bear"
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It seemed like forever and nothing happened. No movement whatso ever from behind the bush and the trees. Did I take my eyes away and miss something? Then I hear an extremely large branch break 30-50 yards to the left of where I have had my attention focused. Looked to the area of the sound and there walking towards the bush and trees is the monarch of the forest... a bull ELK. He is limping pretty good and heading right to the bush/trees and out from the brush/trees runs a cow Elk with his nose right in her rear. She runs maybe 20 yards and this happens 2 more times with him nudging her rear and she trots the short distance. Soon they are out of view and I need to make a decision quick. Hit the trail and attempt to get there quietly before them or start cow calling to let them know there are more readily available females in the area. 1 minute later the decision is made for me the cow is now only 40 yards away, she came down the hill 30 yards and is heading back in the direction that they originally came from. The bull Elk decides not to follow her this time he is coming for some WATER. At 20 yards he stops and stares right at me. I have my bow up ready for the opportunity. He turns to go back up the hill but stays right where he is right in the thick of some small Aspen trees. He takes one step maybe two and stops again. There is an opening through the Aspens about the size of a basketball. Sopt, anchor, follow through. Instaed of hearing the clanging of an arrow like with the Bear I hear a sound similar to a person hitting themselves in the chest. He runs in the direction of the cow and with my voice I meo meo twice and he stops to look back for probably 4 seconds and then runs off. Seconds later i hear a big time crash. It took me 1/2 to find him. (http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/2Field.jpg)
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(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/3field.jpg)
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:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
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Fan-freaking-tastic!
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Congrats Butts! One heck of a stroy and a great great outcome. Thanks for taking me along, I felt like I was there. Hope your son is feeling better. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Now thats a memorable hunt. Awesome!!! :bigsmyl:
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Thanks for the story! Congrats on the Elk!
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You should be writing articles!!!!!Congratulations
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(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/3house.jpg)
He green scored a bit over 310 with only 4.6 in deductions. We found him at 7:12 and our rear ends hit the pickup seat for the ride home with all the meat/ horns etc at 4:30 a.m.
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(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/2House.jpg)
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(http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/tradbutts2/4house.jpg)
Little more to the story. My son found in the forest when he took off on that last stalk a Compound bow. We are on the Colorado Bowhunters Association trying to find the rightfull owner. Enjoyed telling the Gang the story
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Cool.
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Congrats :thumbsup:
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Nice....great bull.
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Nice bull, congrats!!!
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Good stuff, well told and nice bull.
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:bigsmyl: :thumbsup: :notworthy:
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Good stag, well-done! Many happy returns of the day to you!
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That was a fun story to follow, thanks a bunch and congratulations. Hunting with a son has to be the best
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Nice job :thumbsup:
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:thumbsup: :archer:
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Really great! Nice build up and all!
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Butts!!!, do not move a muscle...I think you are being stalked by a monster bull elk. I cant tell for certain but I think I can just make out his head above the tops of the grass!! :eek: Don't move I'm on my way! :D
Awesome story, felt like I was there with you.
Nathan
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Great stuff! Thanks and congrats!
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Wonderful way of storytelling you have there, Butts! What a fun read!
Question: Was there tolet paper near the compound bow, too? That would have led to MORE wondering.
Best wishes for your son and his wheezing. Any chance of using that for a call?
Killdeer :archer:
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Good story great ending. :bigsmyl:
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Excellent story and a great Elk! Thanks for taking the time to share it with us>>>>-------> Mike
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Rick,
I just found this story. I'm not sure why I didn't see it before. Awesome story! Wish I could have been there. Congrads on a nice bull!
Cya at the High Country Shoot if not sooner ;)
Ray ;)
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Congrats :thumbsup:
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Great story! I felt like I was right there.
Mel
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Hey Butts, great story and congratulations on a fantastic bull!
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Great stuff....Very well done recollection also. Nice bull
Jer Bear