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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: Mad Max on September 03, 2023, 07:25:21 PM
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I see Bigfoot holding your bow and some arrows. Tell us the story, he came by your house?? ect.
How did all that go?? :campfire:
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The legend of Bigfoot
It was a dark and stormy night, high in the coastal mountains on the Oregon coast where i had my first encounter with this legendary creature. I was hunting elk from a base camp, but i hunted solo a lot down there. There are areas down there that are so steep, and full of shear cliffs, that you would be a fool to travel at night. I always carried a 30# pack with enough food to last a couple days, and a water filtration unit. So when i got on a herd of elk, it wasn't uncommon for me to bed down with the herd, and continue my hunt the next day vs hiking several miles back to where i parked my ATV.
On this particular evening i finally spotted the huge 7 X 7 Roosevelt elk i had been hunting for years. I was back into the steep country 2 miles when i recognized that unique bugle that sounded more like a growl than an elk bugle. This big boy sounded like he was gargling gravel when he went off, and was as loud as thunder rolling.....i could see him busting off trees about 300 yards across a deep canyon, and he had a herd of at least 30-40 cows. To say i was excited would be an understatement. But.... Getting closer to that herd would take much more time than i had daylight left that late afternoon/ evening, and there was a rain storm blowing in. I could feel the electricity in the air watching those giant thunderheads boiling across the mountain tops. So i needed to find a place to take cover before dark, and hopefully before the storm hit my location.
(To be continued) .........Kirk
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:scared:
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Hey kirk is this going to take as long as Roys build alongs?
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Not that story, but keep going :campfire:
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I can cut to the chase if you don't want to hear the rest of the story....
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I can cut to the chase if you don't want to hear the rest of the story....
No need, that was me that you saw. :o
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Keep it going :campfire:
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Great Kirk, you just keep our suspenders on :thumbsup:.
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Cut to the chase? Don't you dare! I've been waiting on the rest of the story and don't leave out a thing!
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So here i am watching this bull round up his cows, and at the same time the wind is picking up and i smell that rain in the air. The dark thunderheads had taken over the whole western view of the 3000-3300' high mountain tops and were pitch black in color with a shade of green mixed in. I was sitting in a saddle at about 2500' looking down a shear cliff in front of me. I had to back track around the knob and look for the game trail that went off the edge. I could see it below zig zagging below me about 50 yards at one point. But there are no short cuts in this country. You follow the game trails carefully watching your step, or it could end up in a fatal fall.
Fortunately i found the main trail carved into the side of the mountain before it got too dark and slipped down it hugging the side of the hill. As it curled around this giant bowl of rim rock i could see several shallow caves below on the other side about half way down..... Perfect! just what i was looking for! As i came into the bend of the turn a small stream of water was flowing out of the rocks above like a little water fall. Knowing fully well i was here for the night i took the opportunity to fill my water bag that i kept in my pack, and topped off my canteen too. These springs that came out of the mountain side needed no filtering at all or treatment. This stuff was like the champagne of water....
As i shouldered my pack again i was feeling pretty optimistic about getting settled in before the storm hit. I didn't have far to go to reach the first overhang that i'd spotted. But it was wishful thinking, because about right then was when the first bolt of lightning crashed into the mountains above me, and the sky opened up like a river.... I'm talking serious down pour. I quickened my steps on the rocky trail thanking god that it wasn't mud. or i'd be in trouble for sure. I wasn't worried about getting wet. You don't hunt the Oregon coast without top of the line rain gear, or you are miserable most of the time. Gore Tex boots are a must have too. Clumsy rubber boots just don't cut it climbing these mountain down here.
When i finally reached the overhang that looked like a cave in the shadows, i was sorely disappointed. There just wasn't enough room in this ledge to get fully out of the rain with the direction the wind was blowing, but i was able to step back out of the down pour and hunker down for a few minutes. I figured i still had about an hour of daylight left, so i pulled out my tobacco pouch and fished out my old pipe and just watched that storm for a bit......
Some folks go to church to strengthen their spiritual beliefs and pray. Well my church doesn't include people, nor does it have a roof. To say i was in Gods country hunkered down on the side of a cliff in the rain, miles away from any roads, would be an understatement. The thing i noticed over the years is that God isn't much of a conversationalist, but he can make a believer out of you
in a lightning storm in the mountain tops... :o :o :o
The elk herd below me had moved up into the trees, and i hadn't see anything since leaving the saddle, but i noticed movement in the shadows below me, and what ever it was.... it was big!
To be continued.....
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After sitting for about 20 minutes huddled up under that rock overhang, the rain seemed to ease up a bit, and the lightning was moving north of my position. So i thought i better move on while i had the chance. The trail was nothing more than a ledge along a solid rock face that angled downward at about 20 degrees, and sometimes no more that 18' wide in some stretches. it never ceases to amaze me how these huge elk run effortlessly down these narrow trails that i was carefully holding my back to in spots. One slip and you were looking at 50-60' free fall to the next ledge down...But the beauty of it is breath taking. Adds a whole new understanding to the term "living on the edge".
After two more switch backs the ledge widened out to a regular trail with trees here and there providing a bit of cover, and i considered a big root wad of a fallen tree for building a lean too as the light started to dim. but the wind direction was totally wrong. i needed to circle to the south side to get a wind break. So i worked my way downward until the trail split. The one going down was the wrong way to find a wind block, So i continued south on the main trail seeing that it wrapped around another shear cliff with more cave like shadows that looked promising.
The first one i came upon was definitely a cave. But the opening was rather small, and it reeked of bear. I didn't even bother shinning a light into that one. If it was occupied, i didn't want to disturb what ever critter was holed up in there... No place to run, or climbable trees close enough. So i quickly and quietly passed that one up, and judging by the bear scat on the trail, i think it was a wise decision..... The next deep shadow was just what i was looking for. The opening in the side of the cliff was tall enough to walk right into and it was about 10' deep , and circled around to the west a bit giving a perfect wind block. It was bone dry in there too! Bonus! So i shrugged off my pack and headed back to that last batch of trees to bust off some branches with my hawk, and used a pruning saw for a couple more big pieces of dead wood full of pitch. Good score on the pitch wood too. That stuff burns hot and is easy to get going....
By the time i returned with a couple arm loads of firewood it was getting almost too dark to see and the wind had almost totally stopped....... It was kind of an eerie feeling after all the lightning, wind, and pouring rain to have it become dead calm like that... It was too early for the moon to be up, but i could see lighter colored breaks in the swirling clouds over head and i figured that the eye of the storm was almost here. All i could hope for was that the wind direction didn't switch directions too much and blow into my covered area as the tail of the storm moved through. In my experience with these fast moving rain storms we get on the coast, the tail of the storm is sometimes the worst part and we often get higher winds than the leading edge. but i was in a great spot if things got really bad.....
Building a fire in a cave sounds like a great way to stay warm in a rain storm, but depending on the height of it , the depth,and the air flow, the smoke can run you out of there too. This one i found had been used before for a shelter. Using my head lamp i could see the soot on the ceiling running deeper into the mountain as i explored, and found the old fire pit a little bit deeper than i really wanted to go inside. What looked to be just a big room , actually went much deeper into the mountain, and the roof of the cave got much higher too as it narrowed and turned off to the west.... There were no overwhelming scents of bear in this cave, and no bear sign at all. So i settled in and got a fire going.... This was late September, and low temps were getting down into the high 40's at night. So it wasnt getting seriously cold. But trying to sleep on solid rock is not a good idea. Makes for a long sleepless night. So after i got my fire going, i slipped back out to cut some fir bows. I always keep a set of rose pruning clippers in my pack for getting into really brushy spots down there. These made short work of collecting some bedding material. I shook off the water and scattered them in the cave to dry while i went about making coffee first thing. With the warmth of the fire and a cuppa Joe in hand i started to relax a bit, but still needed to change out my long john top that had wicked in water at the neck line. I don't care how good your rain gear is, you still get wet in this crazy oregon rain. For that reason i always kept a thin wool shirt and a long john top in a plastic bag at the bottom of my day pack. Ya never know when you'll need it, and it was going to get used that night..... A flask of brandy isn't a bad thing to keep on reserve too.... :biglaugh:
To be continued......
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Time out for a day…. Gone fishing….
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After getting a dry shirt on and warming up a bit, It had become pitch black in the mouth of the cave. The wind was still dead calm, and the rain hadn't returned yet. So i decided on going back out for one more arm load of firewood before the tail end of that storm hit. There was one more dead log i had cut earlier i wanted to retrieve. As i slipped back down the trail with my head lamp guiding the way, i picked up a strange scent on the wind that stopped me dead in my tracks. it was like nothing i'd ever encountered before., but reminded me of an elk wallow scent in a way, but different. a thick smelling musky smell, but only for a moment.... I looked around, and over the edge, but could see nothing but a pitch black abyss. So i shrugged it off and finished my last chore for the day. i was getting hungry now....
Sitting back at the edge of my fire i opened my food box. i use a Tupper ware container that fits in my day pack nicely. and had a variety of trail mix, chocolate bars, & packages of deer jerky in zip lock bags. Grabbing a piece of jerky, i set the box aside and dug further into my pack to find my freeze dried meal packages. I had my choice of Chicken and rice, or the beef barely stew tonight. It never ceased to amaze me how much food comes out of these small freeze dried packages just adding boiling water, and some of these are really tasty!
By the time i had finished eating i could hear that thunder rolling in, and the wind beginning to pick up. It was probably about 8:30 pm by this time. The sun had set about 7 pm. With a full belly, and being warm and dry, i wouldn't be up much longer. So i set about gathering up the fir bows i had scattered around and made a pile to bed down on for the night. the branches were mostly dry by now, but i spread a small 4X8' tarp over them i keep in the bottom of my pack anyway to help keep my body heat in my body while i slept. That thing has come in handy many times building a small shelter from the rain using parachute cord. Its ultra light and doesn't take up any space in your pack either... It was surprisingly warm in there at the time, and not even needing my rain coat. But i'd put that coat back on before wrapping up in that tarp for the night.
Having everything set up, and ready for some rest, i put a couple more branches on the small fire that was mostly red coals now, and treated myself to a splash of brandy. i thought about that big bull elk i saw at sundown, and was hoping they had bedded down in this drainage somewhere. i couldn't wait until the crack of dawn came around. i was pretty jazzed about finally finding this big boy again. He had escaped 3 years of rifle hunters and archery hunters since i first saw this magnificent creature. And considering where i was right then, i knew why.... Nobody else is crazy enough to hike way into this blind canyon with no road access at all hunting a 1200-1400 pound animal.... This thing was HUGE!
to be continued ......
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:campfire:
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As my fire burned low, i could hear the wind picking up outside, and the far off sound of thunder echoed off the canyon walls like a base drum. I wrapped myself up in my drop cloth like a big red burrito quite pleased that my rain coat had dried completely. the fir bows made a comfortable cushion over the rocky floor of the cave. It didn't take me long at all to fall asleep either after the long day of hiking...
I'm not really sure how long i'd been cutting Zzzzz's but i was rudely awoken by a brilliant flash of lightning, and the crack of thunder was instantly following. The wind gusts outside had to be running 40-50 mph as it howled through the canyon walls, and it was so dark i couldn't see my hands in front of my face after that searing flash of lightning. The coals in my fire pit were completely dead, and there was a damp chill in the air. i was already awake , so i figured id take a peak outside and empty my bladder while i was up.
I was fumbling around looking for my head lamp, when i caught that strange scent i had smelled earlier that evening, only it was much stronger this time. I felt the hair on the back of my neck tingling a bit as i took in that musky scent, wondering if i wasn't alone in the cave any longer. But before i could turn on my head lamp, the lightning flashed again and i saw movement in the front of the cave opening......
My blood ran cold for a moment trying to comprehend what i just saw.... Finding my head lamp i switched it on and there was nothing but the pitch black opening of the cave looking like a large mouth getting ready to swallow me whole, and the moaning sound of the wind blowing into the cave reeked like something dead.... At this stage to say that fear had taken a hold of me was an understatement. I reached across the fire pit and grabbed up my hawk as my head lamp danced around like a jitter bug. I wasn't so sure i really wanted to go out on that ledge right then. The urge to pee was replaced with a ball of anxiety in the pit of my stomach, because i knew i saw something move in that cave opening.... But as a few moments went by, the strange scent was whisked away by the wind, and was gone....
So without taking my eyes off the opening i slowly fumbled with my fire wood stash and loaded another pile of sticks into the fireplace and pulled out the ball of pitch i had found in a cedar tree earlier the day before. That stuff is hands down the best natural fire starter there is. It didn't take long at all to have a friendly blaze going again and the flickering reflection dancing brightly on the walls of the cave seemed to calm my nerves...... But man i really needed to pee! So i dug out my extra flashlight, and with my head lamp on, I ventured out onto the ledge once the wind had died down a bit..... The lightning had moved away, but was still flashing behind the mountains in the distance, and i could taste the rain in the air that would surely follow. But for the moment it was almost calm between the gusty wind puffs, and i could see nothing moving at all out there....
Going back inside i checked my phone for the time, and found it to be 3:20 Am. I had gotten almost 6 hours sleep, but i wouldn't be getting any more that night.... That was too spooky for this kid... As i built the fire up a bit, the rain finally came in huge sheets making the cave opening look like being behind a water fall at times..... and while setting there watching it, i couldn't help wonder if some other creature wanted to share the comfort of the dry refuge i had claimed.... That thought ripped it! I grabbed up my bow, and nocked an arrow and positioned it at arms length away trying to shake off the tingling in my spine again.... It was going to be a long 3 hours before the crack of dawn.....
To be continued......
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this is fun thanks Kirk
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Someone please pass the popcorn? :scared:
:campfire:
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The hours passed much quicker than i thought they would as the storm moved through and the winds died to a whisper. I was really glad i had made that last run for more firewood last night and had enough to keep it going as long as i did. I passed the time reading an old Louis Lamour novel that i'm quite sure i had read 20 years ago. But there was a lot of good books written by him. Someone not familiar with tracking animals would be amazed what they could learn reading those old novels. I love those old books.... It was definitely not a good time for Stephen King novels the way my night had developed.
I typically love the solitude of the mountains, and am quite comfortable hunting solo. Even though the black bear population as well as mountain lions had increased significantly in the last 10 years, i was rarely intimidated by their presence or numbers. Years ago they used to hunt the big cats and bears alike with dogs, and you never saw the big cats at all while archery hunting in September. The occasional black bear encounter was inevitable though. But if you use your head, they pretty much don't want anything to do with humans. But after they outlawed the use of dogs to hunt these animals, the population exploded. I knew a lot of archery hunters that carried a side arm after running into the large cats and too many bears for their comfort level, but i never felt the need personally. But there were a few times i came across bear cubs playing, and couldn't locate the mama bear that spooked me pretty bad.... On one occasion the bear cubs had spotted me and were coming closer to me to check it out. I was down wind and they hadn't caught my scent yet, and were just being curious.... Mama bear was nowhere in sight and these cute little guys got within 20 yards of me before i could even blink. I was frozen solid looking around hoping like hell mama bear didn't circle down wind of me. I finally got seriously spooked and grabbed the police whistle i had hanging from my pack and gave a couple sharp blasts. This stopped the little cubs dead in their tracks, and they both stood up on their hind legs, cocking their heads like a dog. It was cute as hell, and If I wasn't so concerned with getting between those cubs and mama bear i would have laughed out loud. Quite honestly I was looking for the best tree to climb at this point....
Fortunately I heard mama bear coming running through the brush huffing loudly from down wind, and the little guys turned and ran towards her. When i finally saw the Mama she was about 35 yards out and standing on her hind legs sniffing the air with her cubs practically attached to her powerful legs...... I have never been a bear hunter even though there were other members of my hunting party that were. But i've been around a lot of them. At that particular moment, i was thinking survival, not hunting....So i very slowly nocked and arrow, and unhooked the flap on my bowie knife too... There is nothing i know more vicious than a mama bear protecting her cubs, and if she charged me the odds weren't good i wasn't going to get mauled, and having a pistol wouldn't change the outcome much either. after about 5 minutes staying frozen, the bears moved off, and i took a deep breath... That one was touch and go, and i've never experienced another moment quite like that.... The mama bear was about 400 pounds id say. Nice sized black bear. Most of the bears we see down here are 200-300 pounds and are seen running away from you.
Getting back to my story.... I could see the sky line getting lighter outside and it was time to get
my pack put back together in preparation for the upcoming hunt. Its amazing how much stuff i could put in that day pack of mine, and i was constantly razzed by my hunting partners for carrying a 30# day pack every where i hunted down there. But you just never know when you are going to need to spend the night in the woods in that jungle down there. It's very easy to get turned around after dark, and very dangerous to try stumbling around in the dark with a flashlight trying to get back to the road again. I learned the hard way a couple times, and spent some miserable sleepless nights in some rough country.
I was setting on the ledge outside the cave entrance watching that sky turn from black to a deep color maroon while a sliver of a crescent moon was peaking out between the clouds..... The only noise was the dripping of the water coming off the mountain side, and I could hear the small waterfalls in the distance too. That storm had dropped a ton of water that night, and as it got light enough to see 20 yards i could see the puddles that were pooled on the path leading across the face of the cliff i was on..... So i got to my feet and secured my pack while testing the scent of the still predawn morning. I tried to detect wind direction, but it was dead calm. I'm thinking this isn't a bad thing because i needed to get down off this hill side before the sun came up and the morning thermal winds started moving. As the temperature climbs that wind direction changes 180 degrees coming up and down those canyon walls. The key to success is being at the right place at the right time without getting winded and hunting downward into the canyon is always best at first light...... But as i turned to head down the trail i stepped into a puddle right outside the cave, and froze solid..... Right next to my size 11 boot in the bottom of that puddle was a huge foot print....I'm talking twice the length of my boot and 2-3" wider...... Yes.... it was a BIG foot print.....
To be continued....
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:scared:
:campfire:
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:dunno: ....and then?!!!
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:dunno: ....and then?!!!
Yeah, I'm burning a lot of wood over here :campfire:
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Right? I'm almost out of popcorn.
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He may have been abducted by the ol girl... :biglaugh:
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Sorry guys.... I had an emergency trip to the coast that had to be done that had nothing to do with the story....
Ok.... Where were we?..........
I'm standing there in this puddle looking at this track thinking this can't be real.... . Someone else came by last night and made this imprint just to spook me... This foot print was HUGE! So i shook off that tingly sensation, and headed down the trail. But i still couldn't help looking over my shoulder now and then checking my back trail. That shadow i saw crossing the cave opening wasn't a figment of my imagination, and what ever it was, it was large.....
I spent the next 20-30 minutes in the pre dawn twilight picking my way back and forth on a series of switch backs dropping a good 800' into this canyon before it flattened out. as i got towards the bottom, the little stream of water that was trickling down through into that small meadow was like a small river now. That storm had brought a lot of water with it, and All the moss hanging off the rocks above me were dripping like soggy dish rags too. Couldn't ask for better sound cover and easy quiet walking. but i was concerned with the wind once i got down to the stream. It typically flows down hill in the same direction the water is flowing. At the moment it was dead calm. I needed to get to the bottom side of this meadow before it got too light and the elk started moving again , or i was going to get caught out in the open. There was very little cover on the trail i was traveling and i need to get off it as quickly and quietly as possible.
Going down stream the meadow started opening up, and i was able to get off that main trail as it made a sharp bend to the north. The steep rocky cliffs on either side of the gorge were replaced by stands of beautiful alder trees painted in shades of orange and yellow, And even the vine maple was starting to show signs of brilliant red leaves. But the amazing beauty was momentarily washed away by that unique scent of Roosevelt elk..... I froze solid, and took in the scent..... There was no doubt now that heard was still in the valley. The fact that i could smell them. and the first noticeable breese was in my face was excellent! This increased my odds of pulling off a good stalk unnoticed.
By this time my visibility was up to about 40 yards, and i could see a lot of trails coming and going from the meadow edges at the south end. The big question was... Where did the herd bed down for the night? Then i spotted a huge wind fall up ahead with the root wad reaching towards the sky like wicked fingers silhouetted in the sky line. This might be a good place to set up and do some calling to locate the elk without getting busted. What i learned the hard way about calling elk in heavily wooded areas is to cover your back more so than hiding behind something. You never know where they are, and how quickly they will come in... if at all. But the biggest mistake is moving too quickly after you start calling. These big bulls will circle down wind if they can every time. So i like to back into a spot where i cannot be winded easily if possible. I cannot count the number of times i've had bulls come in dead silent right behind me and have no chance for a shot.
This root wad was big enough to give me what i was looking for, and i tucked myself back against that big log that had to be 5' in diameter at the butt. It was a big Douglas fir that had been undermined by the high waters coming down that gorge i had just climbed down. it looked to have been dead for many years by the look of it, and it had fallen clear across the stream and snapped off on some boulders on the other side and had to have been 200+ feet high when standing. Believe it or not, those 200' trees you still see standing down there in areas on the coast are all second growth trees. The old growth stumps still speckle the forest standing 12' high and are running from 8-12' at the base. You scan till see these monster stumps with spring board notches that were chopped into the base with hand axes, so the loggers could stand on them while using two man falling handsaws.... These big stumps make great elevated stands for hunting too. Its mind boggling how big they are and some of the big cedar stumps are very , very old.
With daylight finally here, i pulled out my grunt tube and whispered a few cow calls to break the morning silence, and waited for a response for several minutes.... Nothing but was rewarded with only the sound of running water .... So i turned up the volume and tried again with a cow in heat squeal.....Now THAT woke up the chickens! I immediately got an elk bugle that echoed down the valley, followed by another high pitched squealy bugle obviously from a young bull across the other side... I could not tell the direction of the mature bull, but just knew he was farther north up on the hill side somewhere. I also knew that neither of these early morning talkers were the bull i was hunting. That big 7X7 had a deep rumble to his bugle that was almost like a growl. The first time i heard him bugle two years ago i almost wet my long johns.... And.... i knew he was in this canyon .... I just knew he was.....
To be continued......
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Once you get more than one bull bugling back and forth, i've always found its best to just stick with cow calls and see how it plays out. The fact that i didn't hear any other cows calling told me i was still well away from the herd, and the younger bulls that were calling back and forth were the satellite bulls..... Time to move and try and locate the herd before the sun comes over the hill, and the wind shifts.
So i slipped my pack over my shoulder and slipped back into the tree line and headed north. the ground was soft with the recent rain fall and made it easy to move without making much sound. I had traveled about 300 yards when i got another whiff of musky elk, and could see a brown patch along the edge of the stream that looked like a wallow, and matted down grass in large circles spotting the other side of the stream. It was quite obvious the elk had been bedding down at some time in this spot, but they were not here right now. I could also see a main trail heading west up the steep bank, but it leveled off into a bench that followed the stream bed at a higher elevation... Looking at the way it cut through the trees, id say it was most likely a very old logging road leading up to a landing. This type of trail is excellent hunting if it isn't too over grown and littered with too many wind fall trees..... Unfortunately the stream was moving to fast and too deep to cross at this point. So i made a mental note to hunt that on my way back once the wind shifted as the thermals of the warmer air rising changed the direction of the flow....
After another 200 yards , the canyon opened up even wider as it turned to the west following the creek, and i spotted movement about 100 yards ahead..... Using my reed, i made a soft cow call and was rewarded instantly with a number of replies.... Bingo! I found the herd..... But i desperately needed more elevation so i could see better and make a plan of attack. So rather than heading towards them any further, i slowly back tracked up one of the trails going up the hill behind me until i could look down into that meadow. Reaching a little switch back in the trail i cut back to the edge and belly crawled so i could peak over without notice.... Wow! The herd i saw last night looked like 30 head. This group was 50-60 cows at least, and about half were still bedded down. Along the edge of one side there were two small bulls on the same side of the creek i was on kind of off on their own, and i couldn't see the herd bull anywhere. But my bets were that he was closer to those cows than the two satellite bulls i could see, and standing or bedded down in the shadows somewhere. I needed to get across that creek and get in closer to the herd before making my play. The cow calls i had made had the smaller bulls attention, and i was quite certain i could call them in pretty close. But i didn't come this far looking for an average bull. I have taken many of those as well as cows in the past, and i really wanted a shot at the monster bull if i could get it.....
So i eased myself back into the timber, and back tracked back the way i had come at a bit quicker pace than i arrived. i needed to get back to that huge wind fall to cross the creek without swimming. I wasn't too concerned with getting wet at this point, but it was moving to fast to try and wade it up where i was out of site of the herd location. My adrenaline was pumping a bit now that i knew where they were.... Now i just needed them to stay put for awhile longer so i could get closer, and the thermal wind clock was ticking.....
The stream crossing was uneventful and the main trail on the other side looked like a freshly plowed field with deep ruts. This trail had been used for many years, and not a human track in sight. So i hot footed it down to the bend before going into stalk mode again. As i saw the meadow open up i took a side trail going up the other side that wrapped around the bend about 30 yards higher than the meadow floor. The smell of the herd was like a slap in the face as i peeked over the edge. It was time to nock an arrow.... I could see the cows 50 yards below me, but still no sign of that 7X7..... So the question was... Do i let my presence be known and throw out a young bull call? or try getting closer? This is the tricky part of elk hunting... To get a herd bull to come to you, you have to be close to his cows and present a threat. To get between him and his cows if possible is even better, but very difficult to pull off without getting busted by the cows...... But i had no idea where he was.... So i played it safe and did some cow in heat calls as i inched my way further along the trail above them..... This instantly got bugles from the smaller bulls across the creek, as well as more cow calls from the herd.
About that time all hell broke loose... One of the smaller bulls with a 3X4 rack came charging across the creek into the herd. Cows started jumping up everywhere as he approached, and the thunderous roar of the herd bull bellowing a full bugle about stopped my heart.... He was CLOSE!
REAL CLOSE!!!!!
To be continued......
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:archer2:
:campfire:
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:archer:
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Dang, this is a great narrative. Off to get another cup of coffee. :-)
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For the readers out there that have never experienced calling in a bull elk before, i can't really express the emotions mixed with adrenaline flowing through you the moment that 1200-1500 pound animal comes in running in close and starts tearing trees out of the ground that are 4" at the butt and throwing them over their shoulder like it was nothing right in front of you.... It goes well beyond fear, and touches a very primitive part of your survival instincts clear down to your core. It gives me chills every time i think of it....
Getting back to the moment..... The first wave of adrenaline mixed with excitement had my full attention, and I slowly sunk to a kneeling position and froze solid with the bellow of that bull still ringing in my ears. The old predator camo i commonly wear in the jungles of the Oregon coast does a real good job of breaking up my pattern, but when calling in elk i use a grease type face paint in jagged lines of green and black, not forgetting the ears. This particular morning i had taken care of that as i made my hike back across the stream. So i was feeling pretty ghostie hunkered down trying to get my breathing under control.
I could smell this bull BIG time! How those cows put up with that raunchy stench is beyond comprehension. But that was the last thing on my mind at the moment as i heard the bull crashing through the brush in front of me heading back toward his cows. It sounded like a bull dozer pushing trees over, and i could actually see the tree tops dancing as he passed through that dense thicket he was hiding in. Once i realized he was moving away from me i decided it make a move myself where i could see what was going on. So i slipped down the next trail leading down into the meadow below in a slow two step movement.... Two steps, pause.... two steps pause. When running with elk, you need to sound like an elk. None of that steady walking crap... When i had almost reached the bottom of the trail it started opening up a bit causing me to slow to almost dead stop. I could see the elk herd up on their feet now and starting to mill around. My first sight of the big bull didn't happen until he bellowed another half bugle/ half growl and i turned my head to the left. He was in a slow trot running around the far side of the herd rounding them up and pushing them away from the edge of stream where the 3X4 stood rooted. I think the big bull had intimidated him too much to go much further, but he was stlll making a chuckling sound, almost like a whining noise...You cannot believe the strange sounds these elk actually make sometimes.... As the big bull started prodding his cows away from the creek, they had turned in my direction, but pretty much were staying in the meadow abot 30 yards out.... As the bull reached the far side of the heard i thought this was going to be my best shot, and i ripped off with my first bugle of the morning.I didnt do the little squeally bugle of a young bull either, i hit him with a short , but pretty full bugle of a mature bull.... i was on the other side of his cows, and pretty close too.... The response was instant, and it was a blood curdling scream.... Yup... i woke up da chickens with that call...
The next thing i see is this big boy come charging right through the herd with his head laid back and those huge antlers wrapping almost around his hindquarters. He was grunting with every step he made. My soul for a video camera at that moment... Incredible sight to see. But as soon as he cleared the cows he came sliding to a stop and did another full bugle looking right in my direction.
There was another decision to make on my part now. There was no good shot available with him facing me dead on at about 30-35 yards. and bugling again would only cause him to push his cows away from me like he did the other bull down the valley a bit. So i chose silence for a few minutes and just watched him... But he didn't stand still for long and instantly started pushing his cows away trotting back and forth swinging his massive horns with authority. I had tension on the string as he first turned broadside, and confidence in 35-40 yard arrow placement.... But a moving target at that distance wasn't something i felt good about at all, and froze up at about half draw and did a soft cow call trying to get his attention or stop him.... But he wasn't having any of it and pushed the cows away from me further.... Damn.... So close.... But no shot opportunity.
But what happened next was awesome.... While i had distracted the bull, that little 3X4 swooped into the back of the heard and cut about a dozen out of his herd and was pushing them up the hill on the other side of the creek.... When the big bull spotted it was when i figured out what was going on myself. He let off another monster bugle and took off in a dead run after that other bull scattering cows in his wake.... I'm thinking ALRIGHT! I get a second chance here. But I'm going to have to move quickly to pull this off..... I needed to get around this herd and get between the cows and the big bull and call him into me, or ambush him as he returned to the herd with cow calls if he got by me.... The heard had scattered and he would be trying to round up strays now...
This could be exactly what i was looking for....
To be continued.....
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:archer:
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Pass the popcorn, please...go on! We're waiting! :campfire:
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Now that the herd is scattered a bit, it going to be more difficult getting around them, but judging by the direction most were walking, I’m betting they will eventually move north again back to that main trail I followed getting down here. The meadow funneled down quite a bit at one point and could be a good spot for an ambush…. But I’m seriously considering just going the other direction after the bull and try to get him to come back and fight…. Damn… What to do here?.... Too many eyeballs out there to cross that opening going after the bull without being spotted, so I turned back up the trail and hot footed it back the way I had come trying to get back to the narrows before the herd arrived.
After getting around the corner , I dropped back down closer to the edge of the flats just above the main trail and started searching for an elevated position 15-20 yards from the trail to set up. The sun was going to come over that ridge soon, and I needed to be tucked back in a shaded spot asap. But…. My time was up as I saw the first bunch of cows coming around the bend in a trot. So I hunkered down beside the first clump of brush next to me, and slipped off my pack. I was in no hurry to nock another arrow , because I had no intention of shooting a cow. But something had spooked these cows….. They we not running, but were definitely in a slow trot with their heads on a swivel and noses in the air. If they wind me at this point, it’s game over…. So I sat frozen with my eyes looking down as they passed my position praying I had enough elevation so the wouldn’t catch my scent. There were about a dozen in this first batch, and a couple of calves too….. Then nothing….
At this point I figured this was going to be as good as it gets, and slipped my grunt tube around into position and wet the reed with my tongue as I positioned it just right. I started out with a deep bull chuckle and paused. Then a series of cow calls….. The dead silence that follows those first calls is maddening…. I’m always temped to bugle again. But I know better…. After 5 minutes I started the cow calling again, and got some responses above me now… Damn! That first batch of cows had circled back on a trail above me, and now the main portion of the herd was cautiously rounding the bend below me. So I thought I’d try a young bull squealy call next…. Nothing fancy, or long and drawn out…. Just a squeal or two with no chuckles…. THAT did the trick right there… There was another bugle above me, and a second one behind the main herd. Hard telling the size of these bulls from their sound, but they were not the big bull…. Then they started bugling back and forth and the main herd picked up the pace heading towards me…. It was time to nock an arrow and see how this plays out. As the herd came onto the main trail in single file past me I was watching the rear of the column looking for horns, and sure enough, two small forks and a spike were bringing up the rear. But they looked too young to be a threat to a herd bull. Those big boys will often let the little ones hang on the outer part of the herd untouched, and they were not making any noise back there. There was a different bull screaming somewhere else back there that I couldn’t see, but he sounded fairly close. So here I set right in the middle of all these elk with two bulls bugling I cant see, So I figured I might as well get in on the action and I bugled again myself just as that herd passed me with a deep full bugle of a mature bull. I could still see the two young bulls at the back of the column, and they freaked out and bolted away from me….. But it really got things going now… I could here the bull above me thrashing trees, but couldn’t see movement, but finally the other bull showed himself coming up the same trail in a trot after the herd….. Nice looking animal in the 1000-1200 pound range with the ragged looking horns of a fighter. He had one tip broken off one side of his rack leaving a jagged edge that looked lethal. The other side had 5 points that were not symmetrical at all…. Scary looking bull to be honest…. As he approached about 35 yards, I chuckled at him a few times and gave another short squeal….. He stopped dead in his tracks and just screamed out a nasty bugle that echoed down the canyon walls… I’m talking very loud! THIS was a serious challenge here….. The bull above me came crashing down through the brush in a dead run passing by me no more than 15 yards to my left…. Absolutely beautiful 4X4 with very long tines polished white at the tips. His body size was pretty close to the raging bull on the trail, and wasn’t intimidated in the least….. The rag horn came charging up the trail and when those two bulls locked horns it was like two freight trains colliding about 25 yards in front of me…. Once again…. My soul for a video camera set up right then.
Watching two bull elk fight is an incredible experience. But to have them so close and hear their grunts , the grinding of their horns, and smell their musk was beyond anything you can imagine without being there yourself. This was brutal!
After a couple minutes of thrashing back and forth everything came to a sudden stand still as the far off sound of that monster bull bugled…. Both bulls I was watching disentangled their horns, stopped dead and turned their heads in the same direction and just stood there a moment….. Then the 4x4 spun like a top and headed back up the hill behind me, while the older fighter with the battle scared body and horns turned his back on me, and screamed a challenging bugle to the incoming monster bull…..
To be continued……
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:archer:
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I had some time to catch up on here while on my way home from a Colorado elk hunt and came across this thread, wow, perfect timing Kirk, and a great story so far. Now I’m back to work and find myself checking in more often than I should just to see how it all ends. You have me on the edge of my seat. Thanks for a great read so far.
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After watching two bull elk mixing it up at close range, you would think it doesn’t get much more exciting than that….. You would be wrong though. Getting one glimpse of the monster bull I have been hunting for the last few years is breath taking. In all my years of hunting elk I’ve never seen such an animal before.
So watching this old bull with the busted up horns trotting away from me screaming a challenge to the monster, made me wonder if these two had tangled before, and this was yet another rematch. As the bull disappeared around the bend, I didn’t hesitate a moment. I went after him in a trot myself. I knew damn well he wasn’t going to be looking over his shoulder right now. He had a lock on the incoming 7X7 and planned on kicking his arse!
I did slow down as I rounded the corner, hugging the steep bank and peeking through the tall ferns that were almost chest high. When I use the term “The jungles of the Oregon coast” I do not use it lightly. Its literally like a rain forest in spots down there with huge ferns and big leafed plants that seem out of proportion to the rest of the world. The huge tree stumps with 4-6” of moss hanging off them is awesome to behold too…. But what was more awe inspiring at the moment was watching that huge bull come out of the trees about 150 yards ahead of me across the creek. The old bull had taken a position next to some alder trees ahead of me about 75 yards and was screaming his lungs out, and trying to tear out a few trees by the roots from the look of it, and in his way saying “Bring it on big boy! I’m going to kick yer arse!”
Well I’m all out of places to go without being spotted, and cannot move up any further on this trail, so I back tracked until I found another trail angling up the steep bank, and went into serious stalk mode moving like a ghost up that trail above the old bull tearing up the trees. I didn’t have far to travel and I had pretty good cover in this forest of ferns in this area… There was a big moss covered wind fall I could see ahead of me just above the raging bull to slip in behind, and all I could do was pray for a shooting lane…..
The last 20 yards of my stalk, I was on my hands and knees behind the log and had almost reached the end when I heard the clash of horns and heavy grunts of the two bulls as they engaged. Damn…. I sure wish I could have watched that first hook up. It cracked like a rifle it was so loud….. As I peeked around the windfall the bulls were about 30 yards below me and spinning around like tops. If the old bull was 1200 pounds, id estimate the big boy at 1500#s if not more… But the old bull was seriously thick through the shoulders and neck, and had no problem holding his own in strength, but the shear mass of the 7&7 was pushing deep ruts in the ground pushing the old bull around….. I watched as they went back and forth twisting and turning trying to gain an advantage. Their eyes were wild with rage and both were foaming at the mouth…. It was an incredible site to see so close.
After about 5 full minutes of battle, I could see the older bull getting tired. At this time I nocked an arrow and waited for an opening. Their movements were slower now, but still fully engaged. As they turned broad side and paused for a moment I put tension on the string and raised my bow to a shooting position, but the big log in front of me wouldn’t allow the right angle shooting down hill at 45 degrees. So I shifted into a better position at the end of the log, and the moment was lost as they spun away again. That old bull actually flipped that big bull on his side with the twist of his massive neck. The shear power of these animals is incredible. At that moment I could have taken the shot at the old bull in a perfect quartered away stance, but I waited…. I didn’t have to wait long either as the younger bull jumped back to his feet and charged in again. This was an epic battle, but I just couldn’t get a clear shot at the 7X7 with him constantly moving…….
It was about that time that everything came to a complete halt….. That strange musky smell I had experienced on the edge of the cliff outside the cave was back, and it was much stronger now…. The two bulls had disengaged their horns and were both looking up the hill not far from where I was hiding, but further south a bit. The wind was coming from the southeast, and I know damn well the elk were not getting my sent, and that strange musky smell had the hair on the back of my neck rising too…….
The world was dead silent for a moment with everything frozen in time….. It’s as if all the creatures of the forest were holding their breath…… Then there was a half growl half scream that ripped the silence like an explosion….It was like nothing I’ve ever heard before…..I believe my heart stopped for a moment……
To be continued…….
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:scared:
YOU CAN'T STOP NOW!!!!!
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:o
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I'm not real sure what just happened here.... But the sound of that ungodly half growl , half scream chilled me to the bone. The shear volume alone was uncanny...... As the silence that followed settled, i glanced back down the hill where the battle of these two bulls was taking place, and they both were still standing rock solid looking back to my left up the hill with their noses in the air... That was the only movement i could see was their nostrils flexing, and the slight shaking of my arrow on the string. By the time i started to draw my bow, it was too late. Both bulls spun like a top and took off like the devil himself was on their heels, leaving me standing alone. I think that was the moment the shock turned to raw fear.....
I'm not easily spooked, and have faced a lot of different animals in the woods before. But the fear of the unknown had a death grip on me right now, and i was at a loss of what to do next. i had no idea what was up there on that hill side with me, but i could hear the branches snapping as it approached my location..... then i spotted something moving through the trees…. And it wasn’t elk, or a bear… but it was BIG…. At about 40 yards straight up the hill from me it stopped. All I could see is a very large dark shadow. The heavy musky scent was gone, and at that moment I got another chill down my spine realizing what ever that was up there, it just got a full blast of my own scent as I felt the breeze blowing on the back of my neck that was thoroughly drenched in sweat ….. This was it… If this thing charged down the hill, my bow isn’t going to stop it. I’m toast…. So I licked my lips and slid my hand down to my belt line and unhooked the leather thong I had holding my bowie knife in its sheath. Dropping my bow I unsheathed the 10’’ blade with the elk horn handle. If I was going down, it wasn’t going to be without drawing blood of my own. Anger replaced my fear, and I let out a scream of my own as loud as I could yell….. “Bring it on you SOB! You want a piece of me? Come take it!”
Another moment of silence followed as my scream echoed through the valley, then the shadow disappeared without a sound…. I mean nothing…. Not a bush moving or a snapping twig, or anything at all. The silence was deafening…. I stood there for 5 minutes with all my senses alert, and still nothing but the sound of my own heartbeat in my ears…. Then the adrenaline dump came on, and I started to noticeably shake, and felt my knees weaken a bit…. I sheathed my big knife, and pretty much collapsed to the ground. My legs could no longer carry my own body weight. Yup…. I was rattled pretty good….
For the next 30 minutes I didn’t move a muscle. I just sat there trying to get myself back together and listened intently to the sounds of the forest as they came back on line again resembling something more familiar to me again. I kept playing what happened over in my head and nothing made sense of it at all…. The realization that I finally had an opportunity to get that monster bull elk withing bow range, and didn’t make the shot, sat in a lump in my guts. But the close encounter with this very large other unknown creature pushed that lump of disappointment aside as I shouldered my pack, and started back tracking again….
After getting back along side the creek again a good ½ mile away from the encounter, I was feeling pretty cowardly about back tracking not going up that hill side looking for tracks…. But to be honest about it, I didn’t want to hunt whatever it was that was hunting me…. I can live with it, I told myself. Nobody is going to believe what I saw anyway, and if I go the rest of my life without seeing one of those big foot prints again, much less hear that ungodly scream. It will be fine by me………. But do not kid yourself …. There are creatures out there they have named Big Foot for good reason…. I’m a believer now……
The End
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Wow Kirk that was an incredible story. I’m sure like most that read it we’re thoroughly entertained. Awesome job :notworthy: see I knew you should’ve been a writer. Very well done.
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Nice story
Back to the original question
"I see Bigfoot holding your bow and some arrows. Tell us the story, he came by your house?? ect.
How did all that go?? " :dunno:
You know the Jack Links guy ??
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Great story! Even better ending! Did you ever do any follow-up on it? Search for tracks? Go back in the bush better armed...with a couple friends? That would have shaken me to my core.
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Nice story
Back to the original question
"I see Bigfoot holding your bow and some arrows. Tell us the story, he came by your house?? ect.
How did all that go?? " :dunno:
You know the Jack Links guy ??
Actually…… The name “Big Foot Bows” originated from a heart breaking experience with a beautiful piece of black walnut on one of my first prototypes of the Sasquatch hybrid long bow…..
I had built a one piece bow out of a single block of black walnut, and had it completely finish sanded and almost ready for clear coating. I was shooting the bow when it developed a compression crack right at the back of the shelf cut out…
I was sick…. This thing shot beautifully…..
So being the die hard that I am, rather than throwing in the towel, I decided to put a footing in that finished riser and try and save it. So I took it over to the band saw and cut a radius out of that bow free hand, and hand fit that footing into the walnut…. Believe it or not… I pulled it off and saved the bow….
It was. BIG FOOTING job…… Hence forth, and towitt…. Two words Big Foot Bows…
Of course my Sasquatch buddy had to get some PR time, and…. I did get a photo release contract signed……. :biglaugh:
Now you know “The rest of the story”….. (Paul Harvey). I know, I know,,, I’m dating myself. Kirk
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:archer: Really enjoyed this thread.
Thanks a bunch. :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
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Cool Thanks
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Wow! What a story!
Kirk is currently beginning to build two sister Saquatch hybrids to my granddaughter and myself. I was sondering about the name, but now I know!
Thank´s Kirk
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Wow! What a story!
Kirk is currently beginning to build two sister Saquatch hybrids to my granddaughter and myself. I was sondering about the name, but now I know!
Thank´s Kirk
Here are the footed riser blocks Trond... You are next on my list after i get done with a 1 piece Flatliner....
https://photos.app.goo.gl/yyeQoRDg15V45xH58
Btw.... After i finish your bows and get some pictures of you and your grand daughter shooting together i'd like to write the whole story of Thea being born with a bow in her hand to date. it's been very cool watching her grow up and get into archery thanks to grandpa.... Kirk
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The story will be told, my friend. And when I have read the story you have just told, I know it will be good. I’ll supply you with the keywords, and leave the rest to you. I knew you where an artist in the workshop, but now I see that you’re a brilliant storyteller as well.
You’re awesome, buddy!
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Great storytelling! Kirk paints a picture so clearly that I feel like I am right there with him. I'm hooked..