A hunting we shall go, 2009 Colorado elk

[Ben Maher]

good stuff boys !!! this is the stuff dreams are made of !!!
eagerly awaiting more ...

Ben

[Al Kidner]

G'day again all,

Well I'm finally settled back in here at work and sorted out a few things after having 6 weeks off.

So I thought I'd better finish this up as I did not mean to drag it out this long what-so-ever.

Now... back to the hunt of a lifetime...

John and I hunted together a few times -as well as the other lads- but he also wanted to hunt with his son Jacob, as he only was in camp for a week. I also wanted to do some hunting by myself as that is just how I like to hunt, at my own pace and doing my own thing.

I was having (and still having I might add) problems with my shoulder (drawing arm) due to an injury I did in the gym. It was causing me a lot of problems drawing my 66# longbow, but not when at anchor. I may have did some damage to the rotor cuff from all accounts and it put a dint into my love of stump shooting when hunting in the wilds.

Regardless, I had to keep my eye in and I shot a few nasty stumps daily to keep in tune with my style of shooting.

This one stump was a downhill shot 1/4 away and I drilled him!




On this same day I climbed a high mountain peak just short of 12000 ft and I had a ball. I really enjoyed myself that day and on my walk down hill I bumped into two bulls, a 5x5 and a 6x6. I nearly got me a shot off at the 6x6 but the wind swirled just as I was at 1/2 draw. A few more seconds and he was history at 10 odd yards through the timber.





When I climbed that mountain I finally found a jar with a pencil in it and some paper so I had to write the date, my name and where I was from.





More to follow...


ak.

[Doug S]

Al?

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Wow! That is so cool! Ten yards from a bull elk!

[Al Kidner]

Yes Ben and he did not know I was there.... I spent 2+ hours stalking all to be undone buy the afternoon wind changes from uphill to down hill.

Seconds.... is what it came down to, seconds.

John and I spotted a massive bull one day skylinen himself on a ridge 500 odd meters away. From that range even I could tell he was a cracker of a bull, John guessed him a 380 ish and thinks he seen him last year also. So there is some history already for this King of the Mountain.

It all came down to the last day of the hunt really. We'd seen Elk just about everyday and due to the country side, thick timber and the range these animals cover, makes 'em hard for the novice Elk hunter to put together a plan of attack.

As John said in camp on day one, Elk are Elk 365 days a year, we are Elk hunters for 12 of those days.

I had a fair idea where the King lived, so I put a plan together to be up close and personal on his home turf, very early on in the morning. My plan worked and I had three bulls 'talking' to me at nine in the morning on one hell of a steep slope/basin after a hell of a steep climb.

I cow called and moved, done that again to keep these lads guessing and settled into a stable shooting position to do a final call trying to throw the sound away down hill from me.

It worked and before I knew it the King himself bolted over a small rise to my front and came to with 25 yards and stopped behind a small pine, leaven me no shot at all. Typical!

I held off, knowing he'd move back the other way due to a drop off to my right. He waited and tried to sniff out this 'cow' for some 5 to 7 minutes, I held firm and picked a shooting lane out as I knew this was going to be a fast shot through a 3 foot window between the trees and at an uphill angle of 35-40 degrees.

As he turned, I anchored and look at his chest and released. The arrow blew through him, high but right on for line and the Bull looked the other way as the arrow smashed into rocks on the other side of him.

He walked off, un spooked and I cow called again and he pulled up, I was unaware of how my shot affected him. He then walked of as another 6x6 bull walked in and I got mixed up on which bull was which!

I found my arrow and moving to where he stood after my cow call I found some good blood...

[piggy]

Awesome stuff Al!
I would have to say this is without a doubt the best thread I have read in a long time.

[imskippy]

Oh the suspense. That is some beautiful country and as said before, this is the stuff dreams are made of.

[Al Kidner]

So I sat, had my 12th Snickers bar for the trip, followed up buy some jerky and a swig of water. I wanted to give this Bull a good hour plus for him to bed up and bleed out. The last thing I wanted was to push him some and loose him on this mountain side from hell.

After the time spent waiting I started blood traling and looking for spoor. One of these bulls moved up hill and the other moved down. So I made my mind up to track up hill on a 'Natural line of drift' as it is call in the Infantry. I found no more blood and cover a lot of steep country and a few wallows, but no blood what-so-ever.

Maybe the bull I hit went down hill? Was my thoughts. So with that I went back to the last place I found blood and moved in a patteren down hill covering all angles of approched that an animal walk walk.

Nothing.

I walked game trails, moved back and forth along the face for hours cover just about most of the mountain face but I did not see one speck of blood or smear. A dread set in... it was now 1 pm after I hit him just after 9 in the morning.

Replaying the shot in my mind a guessed the shot not to have hit high lungs like I hoped but went through the meaty area about the spine. It was just the Blood that threw me off. It was not a lot of blood... just good blood if your hearing what I'm saying.

Nothing fills my heart with dread then loosing an animal... more so then one like the Bull I got a shot at. But I know in my heart of hearts that I put in a 100% effort looking for him and consider myself no slouch when it comes to rough terrain or tracking.

So in all I made the hard point of view to make my way back to camp, head hung low.

This is what the face of someone looks like who looses a fine bull...





I have to thank John again for this trip of a lifetime. He mentioned that many a hunter never have the 2 weeks hunting we've had on elk. And looking back on it I 'd have to agree.


Thanks for all the kind words to the thread fellas.


ak.

[Missouri Sherpa]

Al,

We were starting to wonder about you, whether something bad had happened to keep you from your keyboard, just busy or maybe you have been taking storytellin' lessons from Charlie Lamb.

I am sorry we didn't get to send that big rack home with you or put any meat on the pole but I had a grand time hosting you this year and would do it again in a minute.  As it is I know where that big brute lives.  You and Jacob have both been within spitting distance of him the past two years, so he does let his guard down once in a while and has been leading a charmed life.  This bull doesn't know it but if he makes it through the winter, he and I have an appoinment together next fall.   I will have to hold off shooting at a lesser bull, but I think I can do that for another chance at a once in a lifetime bull.

[Over&Under]

Al , John

I think we have all been in your shoes in one way or another in the past and can feel a sense of your pain on loosing an animal.  To have a chance at such mighty creatures and the skill and savoy to get in close for a shot are a testimate to you both.  Elk hunting is truly a grand adventure not able to be had by all, glad you both were able to experience the joys, triumphs and dissapointments that come with it yet again.  

If it makes you feel any better, my elk season is bust so far with very little action...Take the good with the bad I suppose...

Great story and again thanks for taking the time to share it with us all.

Jake

[Doug S]

Sounds like a great trip. If we got one every time we probably wouldn't do it.

Are you scheduling a rematch Al?

[Al Kidner]

Not anytime soon Doug. I've got take a few family trips now as I really owe 'em all for letting me do what I do, that being work away and hunt away.


But one day I'll get back into the rockies again. Might just walk in myself...

ak.

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Sorry to hear it, Al. As Guru said on another thread, that may well be muscle blood. Hopefully that fellow's tough enough to survive it (afterall, they give each other hell's own time fighting, I s'pose). All the best, Ben

[Joseph]

Sounds like you had a really good hunt and then some!  I wouldn't worry about that elk either, they are really tough, I have seen several that others have killed with some really good wounds from fighting with other bulls that didn't even slow them down.

[Guru]

Dang Al......With the hit you described, the look of that blood(I know it's a little dried aready, but it's dark)and the uphill angle, I'd bet there was no lungs involved at all. I'm thinking he'll be just fine...

Of course that doesn't help that with the fact that you didn't get to bring him home....most of us have been there brother. You did everything right....

[FlyFixer]

Awsome trip. That bull will most likely be bigger next year. It still hurts to lose an animal. Anyone that hunts long enough will lose one. Come back and get him next time.

[Ben Maher]

Thanks again for a great post .
Al, that critter is hopefully chasing girls and wondering where abouts he can buy a lottery ticket...
And as for next time ... " just walkin' in myself " ...that sounds like the very plan to keep you going mate .
thanks again to the both of you for a great post . its getting me pumped for my trip chasing elk next year !
ben

[piggy]

Mate great to see you put in the extra effort looking for the Critter. I to will spend as long as it takes to satisfy myself that the critter is ok or down.
Your one lucky man to have spent the time there.

Cheers Mate

[Al Kidner]

Cheers for all the kind words fellas again.

Thought I'd post up this pic on just how 'not' to look after your feet in Elk Mountains...





ak.

[wapiti792]

Yowsa...Ingrown nail, pal. Soak it in Warm salt water to "tenderize" it. May need to get someone to dig that one out. Great pics and story!