Down the hill we slid, through the creek and climbing hand over hand up the other side we found ourselves right in the right spot, with the wind finally moving the right direction. upon coming up the steep slope, it abruptly leveled out fairly well so that I found myself (generally always the caller) in front of the shooter, having climbed the hill quickest. Directly behind my and down wind was a semi-cliff covered in grass and in front of me was a level feeding ground of Aspen, mixed confer and mucho grande elk food.
Still trying to claw his way up the slope, my dad, who was SUPPOSED to be in the front rolled a big rock which made some serious noise all the way into the splash at the creek.
That noise immediately attracted some attention by that bull who had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of those two clumsy cows from across the canyon.
Without thinking, I cow called to cover the noise of the rock and breaking branches. Every cow elk that creation ever dreamed up came off the slope above me, right at me like an single celled avalanche. In no time they were ON me. Cows everywhere, just not behind me in consequence of the cliff, which is great because of the wind. And right behind them was one of the largest elk I have ever had the privelege of seeing on the hoof. He is an absolutely huge bull no matter wear you are from. His body alone seemed to eclipse the sun, with antlers wide enough to frame it in the sky and heavy enough to drag it down to earth were they attached to it. I had had a close call in a call and stalk situation with him ealier this year, in darker timber. This time though I could really see him and I tell you what, my knees were butter.
His bugle too is that of a king. Being that he was singing to those cows mostly, they were long high pitch songs with just the right tone to make my hair stand on end, and loud enough to lift me off my feet. That bull screamed and screamed and screamed. He made such a racket, it was flat unreal, more than worth the price of admission. he pushed and prodded those cows, ran around, raked his antlers on tiny defenseless poplars, glunked until his throat was sore. He peed and rolled in it, tried to mount a couple of wary girls and just flat carried on like a drunk kid in a frat house. All that noise brought several others bulls off the mountain down into the fray, they too trying to sing the song of Love and enticement. A couple of them got too close too him, and he chased them off locking antlers breifly with one of them. When they would yell at each other the loud bass thump off of the trees vibrated to my very soul.
That was the moment that will carry me on wings till next year.
All the while this was going on, that bull got within about 25 yards several times. But, I felt like wile e coyote under one of his own anchors. I created this mess and was pinned down hard by several feeding cows within what seemed like feet, lying in a submissive posture with my knees under me and my belly on top of them. Breathing had to be remembered in order for it to happen at all. but alas, with the cliff being behind me it seemed like it might just work, if my heart could take it.
This whole time my Pop was down the hill about 40 yards, with only the auditory stimulation to go on, not being able to see any of this, though that wasn't anything to complain about.
Topic: A month full of Bull (Read 1224 times)
