It was in the fall of 2000. I was hunting several miles south of Pagosa Springs close to the Blanco River basin. We had camp set up at 8500 feet. We were on the last day of our hunt. I was walking out to the area that we had hunted all week, about 1-1/2 miles north of camp. We have seen elk all week. I had even played peek-a-boo with a cow for about 15 minutes. We were both in opposing sides of an island of grass. We must have looked like a couple of mere cats bobbing our heads up and down trying to figure what each other was going to do.
As I was making the 1-1/2 mile march down a ancient logging road to the hunting grounds. I had a spike, large cow and a smaller cow step out in front of me from the uphill side of the road; Pause to try and make sense of what I was and then slip over the edge of the road into the pines below. Weighing my option, I decided to get aggressive and track the animals. As I stepped off the road and down the side of the hill, I saw the north end of the south bound elk paralleling the road. Trying to catch up I quickly lost sight of them. I paused to listen and then reflect. "What an idiot I must have been to think I could have chased them down". I made my way back up the hill to the logging road, walked about 50 yards in my original direction and stopped. I realized that this is where the elk had stepped out in front of me. I curiously stepped into the trees to see where they had come from. Standing on a 3 or 4 foot knoll with three 8 foot pines in a triangle around me, I surveyed the area, looking for signs of a trail or indications that would tell me that this was a well used route.
The silence was broken by the faint sound of a twig breaking. looking across a small hollow over to the ridge south of my position were standing those same 3 elk. Not thinking, not blinking, I carefully placed the arrow nock on the string. I picked a spot on the largest cow, slowly pulled to anchor and released the arrow in her direction. As if in slow motion, the arrow took perfect flight. Straight towards the intended spot. As the arrow reached half way, I saw a slight deflection in the path of the arrow. The arrow changes direction in mid flight and lands squarely in the middle of the cow's ham. The side of the animal turns red, she turns south and all 3 move over the ridge.
As I stand there in total disbelief, I reflect on what happened. growing in the bottom of that hollow were several 6" diameter Aspens. and on those Aspens were some small black twigs just below the main branches, not seen until now. I must have focused right through them. At the point were the arrow deflected, I saw one of those small twigs drop to the ground.
I was sick thinking about the shot placement. I tried to ease my own conscience by thinking that I might have hit the femoral artery and maybe she would bleed out quickly. I decided to wait a while before I walked over to check out the scene.
In the process of waiting, I heard a flutter. I turned to see what the ruckus was and there sitting on a log not 20 yards from me was a grouse. With another arrow in hand and the flick of the finger, I was on target and another arrow was on it's way. The arrow was true and the bird never saw it coming. center punched broadside form 20 yards. I don't think that poor sucker felt a thing. I was elated but my mind quickly turned back to the cow. Moving to the scene, I paced it off. It was 40 yards. That really surprised me. At the time of the shot I never thought about it. The shot looked right and I was confident I could make it.
To make a long story short. My lone grouse and I walked back to camp. I explained to the boys what had happened. We grabbed the game cart and made the mile and a half march back to the scene of the crime. Found the bloodied arrow not 50 yards from where she was standing. tracked her to a spot where she had laid down for a bit and then tracked her up hill for two hours. The blood had slowed to a trickle and then stopped. The light was vanishing quickly and the skies were rolling with black clouds. reluctantly, it was time to call off the search.
Topic: Most memorable miss? (Read 1712 times)
