Yesterday was the opener for archery elk in Idaho. My father and I have hunted the area for a number of years and set up two treestands at the convergence of several trails and a wallow last weekend. Friday night we hiked up the mountain and spent the night up there.
Early Saturday we made our way into our stands. Before too long we could hear cow calls just on the other said of the finger we were bordering. They probably weren't 150 yards away but we couldn't see any of them. Then just just up the hill, a bull let out an extremely loud chuckle. It was so loud and hollow sounding. He sounded like he was just out of sight.
Out of the corner of my eye I caught movement up the hill. I thought it might be a deer until I saw the dark thick leg through the trees. ELK!! I was so excited. He stepped out and even had antlers. 60 yards out, he started working down a trail that would take him past my fathers stand and then down to mine. I kept expecting to have the elk bolt with my fathers arrow in him and I could get a chance at a running elk. I just kept thinking that I might get a chance at a wounded running elk and was ready. The elk had now turned to side hill a little bit and stopped. I could no longer see his neck or head because it was behind a large tree. As I am watching and waiting for my father to shoot this bull that can't be more than 10 yards from his stand it hits me, I have a slightly quartering away shot at a bull elk that is just under 25 yards! I slowly drew back now fully aware of how much my leather glove seems to be squeaking. Good back tension and the string slid from my fingers. The arrow arched slightly and plowed into the elk high in his lungs. My heart sank as a large portion of my arrow was still sticking out. He spun 180 degrees and stumbled. Regaining his footing he went out of sight after going straight up hill. Out of view we heard some crashing in the brush followed my more breaking branches seconds later. Did he fall or did he spook other elk? I sat down taking it all in and replaying it all over again and again. Several questions raced through my mind like, why didn't the arrow penetrate because better I am shooting #65, why didn't he head downhill like they always do, was the crashing him dying or just spooking other elk?
We waited about two hours to give him plenty of time to bed down and also see if anything else might come in for my dad.
I was elated to finally get out of our stands and on his track. A little blood and then there was lots of of foamy blood sprayed over and over up the hill. The tracking only took us about 60 yards where we found him piled up dead. My first trad elk!! A rag horn that had five points on one side and a single long eye guard with a gnarled knob that looked like the result of an injury on the other. His horns were small but I would have shot a calf if that was the shot that was presented.
I have killed several with my compound over the years but had never seriously gone with a stickbow. Even though I have shot well since I was young. When I purchased my Centaur longbow from Jim Neaves in July, I thought I better give traditional on honest try for big game.
We found my arrow 12 yards from where I shot the bull. It was still my full length shaft but the broadhead was gone. This is scary when you have to gut the animal and you don't know where the broadhead is. We eventually found the broadhead buried in the off shoulder
I shot him at 7:30 AM and we had him all packed out by 8:30 PM. Worst part was, other than packing, that my father and I both forgot our cameras. On one of our trips back up the mountain I brought my phone to take a picture, but now need to figure out how to get it off. What a long wonderful day.
Good luck to everyone this season.
oxnam
Topic: Elk Down!! (Read 5854 times)
