Well the Rut is AZ is not quite in full swing yet so I decided to sit a tree stand in a natural funnel that has produced for me in the past. A friend of mine was sitting in a stand about 60 yards from me in order to cover the whole area. We sat the stand for three days and had lots of action. Saw many small bulls and passes a few spikes and small radhorn bulls (didnt want to end the hunt too early, I had two weeks off for the hunt). Anyway, after having small bulls, cows, mule deer, and coyotes under my stand it had been a good few days.
Sunday morning we climbed into the stands about 5 and waited til sunup. It was a slow morning the first few hours. About 7 a small 4x4 and a cow came in behind me in a thicket, but never presented a shot. About a half hour later we heard a few bugles, but then nothing. A few minutes later the bugles were on the ridge above us and they were getting closer. A cow came up on the ridge and surveyed the little bowl before heading right to my tree and smelling the Elk Wizz I sprayed at the base of the tree that morn. I was standing up with an arrow nocked and shaking like a leaf. We heard 2 bulls sparring a little and pretty soon a 5x5 wondered in and was standing about 5 yards behind me. He bugled and I about fell out of the tree! I was unable to turn to get a shot at him due to the cow below me.
Another bull bugled above us and the other elk started filtering in. I saw a bull coming out of the trees and heading right to me. He was heading right at me and turned broadside at 18 yards. I went into auto pilot mode at that point. Picked a spot and sent an arrow on its way. I saw, and heard it hit the bull a litte farther forward. Then the guessing games started and I watched the heard of about 20 run into a large thicket of locust bushes next to my buddies tree. When they all ran out I didnt see my bull with them.
Pretty soon I see a bull trying to run out of the thicket and go down. He got up and went down again for good. He died about 25 yrds behind my friends tree and didnt move. It was an incredible feeling. From the time I shot to the time he went down could not have been more than a minute. We stayed in the tree for a few minutes then slowly made our way to the bull. I finally got to put my hands on him and we took some pics. The arrow had hit a little farther forward and struck the bone in the leg low in the shoulder. It hit the bone so hard it broke the rib behind it, then the broadhead broke two ribs going in and buried in the heart. It was a great hunt and Im going back up to help the other guys in camp to fill their tags. Being able to harvest this bull as my first bull is totally a dream come true. Thanks for reading the long post and the positive comments. Good luck this season everyone.
Topic: First Archery Bull (Read 3009 times)
