9/6/2008
Today was my last real shot at getting an elk. I decided that since this was the bottom of the ninth, and I was down by two, I better swing for the fence and hunt an area that has never let me down.
In fact, the last 4 Utah elk that I have taken with my bow have come from this spot. The travel time to get there is about 1 and ½ hours from camp, so I was awake and off extra early.
Upon arrival, I found the wind was blowing erratic at best. I try to make the best of my current situations, and hunt the best I can. I studied the wind for a good 15 minutes before I started my hike and determined that in order to hunt this local in the most efficient manner, I would need to make a big circle and hunt this area from the opposite direction of normal.
It took me a few hours to get the wind in my favor. As I was hunting back down, I was once again interrupted by the sound of a bull thrashing a tree. I lowly and slowly made my way to where I thought I could get a look. About the time I got close, the darned wind hit me in the back, thundering the bull. I did get a small glimpse of the bull and two cows making a hasty retreat.
I walked over to where the bull was thrashing and found this tree. It’s a hard life for a small pine in these mountains. Imagine how big this bull had to be if his fronts where down at the lower part of the rub and his 5th and 6th point where up top.
I found this ancient wallow about 20 yards from the tree. Every wallow I found was hit, but not real hard. I never heard a bugle I didn’t instigate. The rut is off to a slow start this year.
By now it was mid day, and the wind was swirling really bad. I decided that I had better watch this wallow and see if any more elk would make their way to it. Matt was with me as well and he snapped this pic of Gauge and I. This is a prime example of the diligence one needs in order to watch wallows.
The nap didn’t last to long however, and we were off to the next stand of quakys. We worked real slow. It took us another couple of hours to get to the intended destination. I could smell elk real heavy and the wind finally stabilized. It was a good setup.
I gave a few chirps. Nothing. I gave a few more. After about a half hour of no response, I decided it would be best to move on a little further. When I stood, movement to my right caught my attention.
I gave a few more chirps, and finally the response I was looking for echoed through the canyon causing a tremor to shake my body. What a great feeling. This was the first full hearted bugle of the entire hunt. I could tell it was a young bull, and a few minutes later a 4 point raghorn stumbled from a small clump of oak. A few seconds later, a spike emerged with him.
This is it. This was the last chance I was going to get.
I worked them with my diaphragm, but couldn’t get a clear shot. The raghorn started raking a tree, but that was put in the back of my mind as the spike started circling down wind.
When he was about 25 yards and broadside, I barked to stop him. I eased the bow back, found that my mark, and instead of having thoughts of being armpit deep in his chest cavity, I started having visions of the last two cows I missed. I eased the bow back down, closed my eyes, told myself to make a clean release, pick a spot and follow through.
I opened my eyes drew again, picked a spot, and once again the thoughts of those two clean misses clouded my mind, and the horrible vision of this awesome animal being wounded and un-recovered by my hands was more then I could bare. I eased my bow back down and set it on the ground. I’m not the spray and pray type, and my mind was not right.
I continued to work the spike for Matt. In order for him to take the shot he would have had to shoot directly over me in an unsafe manner. It just wasn’t meant to be but what a wonderful experience none the less.
It’s a weird feeling walking out of the woods on the last hunt of your hunt. Not in a bad way, and other then the P.H.S.D. (Post Hunt Stress Disorder) I can’t help but give thanks for just another breath of that mountain air.
This concludes Utah archery season. Thanks for coming along with Gauge and I.
Chapter two of “For love of the Game”……. Kansas….. HERE WE COME, BABY!!!!!!
Take care and best wishes to you all,
Todd
Topic: For Love of the Game 2008... Update.. (Read 1786 times)
