Second Chance Bull - Final Instalment

[Talondale]

Nice bull, where's the story?

[Mr.Vic]

OH my congrads on the elk, thanks i got the shakes now.  :eek:

[Wallcrawler]

Wonderful Bull on a really nice hillside!  Congrats!

[bloodyarrow]

   

[L. E. Carroll]

Beautiful Bull and awesome bow !!!  I have one almost a twin. "A" riser Kudu overlays with finger grooves, Carbon/Foam 56 @ 28 = great preformers.  

[Goke]

I have spent many hours reading stories on the Pow Wow. They almost always make me feel like I was there with the person telling the story and I am very grateful for the ability to come along on the hunt. When I killed my bull this year I definitely wanted to share some pictures and a short story like I have in the past. However, as I started to write the “short version,” I found myself reflecting more and deeper about why it is I enjoy traditional archery and traditional hunting so much, why it is I am driven to it, and why this hunt, like many other successful and unsuccessful hunts, gave me so much personal enjoyment and satisfaction. I also realized that the reflection necessary to write about the hunt causes me to have a deeper appreciation for the hunt, the animals we pursue, the lord who provides them to us and our families who allow us to hunt and/or hunt with us. The net result is a much longer explanation than I ever expected and a story that may or may not effectively communicate just how much joy and personal fulfilment traditional archery and hunting brings to my life. I am by no means an accomplished writer or story teller so pardon the rambling and take it for what its worth.

Here is the beginning of the story. The rest will follow.  

As I slowly extended my head above the ridge line, I saw what appeared to be something pink sticking up through the grass. Peering through my binoculars confirmed that my prayers had been answered. My bull was down within 30 yards of the last place I saw him the night before, only the pink fletching of my “Ella Arrow” buried in his side as evidence of why.

[Steelhead]

So far, so good.

[Bob Morrison]

Nice Bull Sean.

I'm pretty sure that is an ILF with longbow limbs.

[Terry Green]

   

[Shaun]

Uh oh, sounds like another case of Lamb flu, maybe another well thought out and REALLY tell the story about to happen here.

[Gatekeeper]

Outstanding… Congratulations!  

[Goke]

Two of my grade school friends and I have hunted elk together in Montana for many years. About seven years ago we gave up bugling bulls in Western Montana and tried our hand at hunting in the Missouri Breaks area of north central/eastern Montana. We have returned to that area every year since. We are drawn back primarily because of the number of large bulls combined with the spot and stalk nature of the hunting. You can rarely call to these elk without spooking them. I didn’t read that in a book. The inability to successfully call these elk definitely makes hunting them much more challenging but can often make harvesting them much more rewarding.

Over several years of trial and error we have managed to kill a half dozen bulls by spotting them when they move to and from feeding and bedding areas and stalking to intercept them. The likelihood of success using this technique increases significantly when the elk numbers are high. Yes I realize that statement probably deserves the comment, “now you’re a master of the obvious” but it leads to my next point. This year, the weather was hot and the elk numbers were not high.  

Earlier this summer we decided to take our trip in late September instead of early September like normal as we were primarily hoping that the weather would not be as hot. Like many things, that proved to be wrong. We experienced record temps in the 90s during the first two days and, needless to say, we saw very few elk.

[Goke]

Here are some photos of the area we are hunting. These were taken in the spring.

 

 

 

[Shaun]

Looks like great country. Keep it coming Sean.

[Doug in MN]

Good Job!!! very nice Bull!!!!!

Thanks for sharing.

D

[Goke]

The first morning of our hunt found me and my good friend manning our usual posts on two small cliffs glassing for dark specs in the early morning light. This daily ritual of hunting, whether for elk, deer, antelope, turkey or otherwise, is probably my favorite. During those few minutes before you can actually identify what your looking at in the distance your mind is filled with wonder, hope and excitement about what the days hunt will bring. We all know the feeling. The only thing I can relate it to is the anticipation you felt on Christmas morning when you were a kid. I hope that feeling lasts forever.  

On this particular morning we found only mule deer until about 8:00 when one of my hunting partners heard a crunch on the cliff directly behind him. Turning his head slightly revealed a large 6x6 bull in the absolute last place we expected him - 30 yards from the edge of the cliff. Why this bull and his two cows decided to saunter to the top of the ridge and edge of the cliff that morning is something we will never know but it supports a theory I’ve developed over many years of hunting elk - always be prepared to see elk where you least expect them. We have all had these experiences. Perhaps if we had only reminded ourselves of that theory on the first day of our hunt we would have been enjoying back straps for dinner on day one. The very brief encounter with that 6x6 ended with mixed feelings of disappointment and encouragement - disappointment with being unprepared for elk in that particular location at that particular time but encouraged by the fact there were elk in country.

[Shinken]

Thank you for posting the next piece Goke!

(I was beginning to wonder if this story had ground to a dead end....)

Elk certainly do have a tendency to show up when you least expect it!

Keep this good stuff flowin' man!

Shoot straight, Shinken

[Goke]

Sorry for the wait. The rest will have to wait a bit too as I am scheduled to be out of town most of this week for work. Thanks

[Shinken]

I can definitely relate to the "travel thing"....

It happens all the time.

Safe travels!

Shoot straight, Shinken

[wingnut]

Yep an old hunting partner of mine would say after pouring over topomaps "Elk are where you find them"

Probably a truer statement about the critter could not be said.

Mike