It all came together for me yesterday morning at first light. I had been out a half a dozen times already this season: one 3 day hunt and a couple evening/morning hunts. I'd been in and seen elk every time but just wasn't close enough.
I'm very fortunate to live in prime elk country. I get jealous of those that have turkeys strutting in their yard and others that can hunt hogs any day they like, but being able to hunt elk essentially out my door is a blessing.
One thing is for sure, there are more and more out of town and out of state hunters here than ever before. Gone is golden age of bowhunting elk in the Western US; back when most elk hunters hunted with a rifle and the woods in archery season of September were quiet except for sounds of bugling bulls and mewing cows...
These days, I find the best scouting is done during the season, where I'll drive around to parking spots for terrain and see if other hunters are there or have been there. Then I'll hunt it the following day of it looks undisturbed.
That's exactly what I did yesterday morning. I drove to an area only about 4 miles from my home by the way the crow flies. But the round about rugged road in the dark took me a little more than 30 minutes. After parking I hoofed it up a steep 600' slope, the beginning of which was chewed up by some boneheads trying to drive their side-by-side up it! Come one folks... "Use the Quads God gave You!" I was prepared for an overnight, bringing a light bivi and small stove. I wanted to be able to pursue the elk and remain in the terrain.
My plan was to get to the ridge and listen, maybe throw out a locator call if needed. It was just light enough that I didn't need my headlamp as I crested the ridge. Immediately I heard some thrashing and breaking branches in the aspens about 100 yards away. My first thought was I'd spooked a small heard. I gave couple cow calls and it got real quite...
Standing in the open on the ridge top, I wasn't in a good position, so I decided to relocate. I crawled on my hands and knees to a pine about 20' away, took my pack off and backed up against the tree.
Now that it was quiet I pictured a rag horn by himself thrashing the trees rather than the small herd I had originally imagined. On my knees with my bow raised I gave a few more mews... silence... then I heard what sounded like branches moving, then a stick broke... he was getting close and coming my way! It was just getting to be shooting light and the eastern sky was pink and rose colored. Another stick broke and I could tell he was close! Just then I could see the tips of his antlers crest the horrizon less than 20 yards away. He paused with just his 5x5 rack showing and I'll never forget the dramatic beauty of that sight...
With my heart racing I remained stone still, and finally he continued to the top of the ridge, broadside from me at 24 yards... then he turned his head and stared bullets right me. He stood behind a sage brush that covered the lower half of his vitals and at first I thought I'd wait and try and get a quarrying away shot... After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably less than a minute, I thought I'd draw and see what he'd do. I knew that I could send an arrow just over the top of the sage and it'd be solid, but I wasn't committed to the shot yet because I didn't know how he'd react to my movement.
I took 2 slow deep breaths and drew... He didn't even flinch. With the wind in my favor, I'm sure he was trying to identify my odd form before the tree as the cow he'd just heard... At full draw I kept telling myself "keep pulling, keep pulling" (Joel Turner), got the fletching to my nose and let the arrow fly!
The shot whizzed through the tips of the sage and looked a bit low, but the sound was of a good solid hit. In fact, it's a testament to how big these animals are, because I actually was instinctively shooting as if he was 18 yards away. It was only later when I paced it off that I realized he was 24! The bull whirled and ran along the ridge out of view. I cow called to try and stop him but I heard nothing by crashing and thrashing and maybe the sounds of him piling up!
I waited a minute but the thrashing continued and was close. I pulled another arrow out of the quiver thinking he may need a follow up shot, but when I crested the ridge I could see he was only 30 yards away giving the final kicks of life.
My arms and shoulders went slack, all the tension in my body faded. I laid down the bow I had crafted myself just a month earlier and slowly made my way to where the bull lay. I put my hand one his warm mane and said I was sorry for taking his life, but forever grateful for his sacrifice...
After a moments pause in respect of the animal I snapped a couple pics, called my wife and few friends. 2.5 hours of bent over work with a knife and I had the quarters, backdrops, tenderloins, liver and skull ready for packing. Thankfully a couple friends showed up to help and 5 loads later I had a cold beer at the car waiting just for me...
What a day.
Tackle Details: Bow - my personal custom 3 piece hybrid longbow 58#@29". Arrows - GT Trads 400 spine. Broadhead - 200gr Cutthroats. Total arrow weight - 585gr.
Topic: Bull Down! (Read 8601 times)
