A long elk story

[CRS]

This story has it's beginnings way back in  1994.   That is first year I drew an archery elk tag in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

1994 was the year I was switching to traditional, until I drew the elk tag.  I regressed and hunted with a compound.

Without going into details, I have regretted that decision for a very long time.

Since 1994, I have archery hunted elk in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.  Not with much success in the classic sense.

Fast forward to 2015, a very good friend/mentor and I both drew Black Hills archery elk tags.

We both went into this season with absolute resolution that the success of our hunt was not to be determined by punched tags.  We were going to spend as much time as possible in the woods, savor the experience, and let the hunt play out.

One other thing was to shoot whatever came down the trail.  A meat hunt so to speak.

After a summer of scouting, excitement and preparation the season was upon us.

 Our philosophy was to not use trail cams at all.  This was part of "let the hunt unfold".  I did not want to have a black book of pet names for elk.

The bow I chose to use was a Sarrels Blueridge SR 55@28.  I was shooting Beman MFX 340, with a 225gr Zephyr head.  Total arrow weight was 605 grains.

[Ryan Sanpei]

Will be following...    

Ooh, this sounds like it might get good!

I'm in for the rest!

Bisch

[CRS]

With my hunting partner being retired, he planned to hunt the whole season, the month of September.

We set up camp on August 30th, with plans for me to be off the 12th through the 27th.  Adding three days over Labor day, I would get to hunt 19/30 days.

We had very warm weather for almost all of the season.  One exception was a morning of rain/snow.

My son Cade (16yo) was able to hunt with us over Labor Day weekend and get into the woods and experience his first elk hunt.  Besides getting into the elk, we also saw a Mt lion  that weekend.

Then as a great surprise, he got a Friday off from school, so he drove up Thursday after school to spend the weekend hunting.

This was an added bonus for Dad.  Having him spend time hunting with me while I had such a special tag.

[CRS]

Well, it just so happened that the Friday he had off (18th) was the day we had rain/snow.

After hunting the morning and getting cold/wet.  we went back to camp to regroup.  Had some hot soup, dry clothes, and come up with a plan for the evening.

With our plan formulated, we went hunting.  After getting cold in the morning all three of us were overdressed.  The bad weather left and the sun came out.

With the wind in our face we were going to go on a walk about, about a six mile loop hoping to find some elk.  

I mentioned the overdressed part, as we had not gone 3/4 of mile when we stopped in spruce thicket to delayer.

As we broke from the thicket and back into the meadow, we had not gone 20 yards when an unbelievable bugle shook us to our core from the edge of the meadow.  We knew the bugle was close, and we were in the open.  We look up and not 100 yards away we see antlers coming out of the jackpines.

We all immediately hit the ground.  I see a small 8 foot pine ahead of me.  I quickly crawl/scramble the 20 foot to get behind the tree.  My son crawled up behind me, while my hunting partner is caught in the open and acting like a rock.

[CRS]

I quickly nock an arrow, while this bull is bearing down on me.  At this point, I do not know if he will go right or left.

Well, remember the faux rock?  It moves and causes the bull to stop, he does not quite figure out what is going on and starts walking again going to my right.  I draw my bow thinking he will stop, and reached solid anchor.  Realizing he was not going to stop before he walked behind some dog hair pine I let out a mew, while my son and partner said it sounded more like an ugh or even a grunt.

Whatever sound, it stopped the bull at 15 yards.  I had picked my spot and let the string go.

Dang, I need to go to bed..........but I can't as long as you are still typing!!!

Bisch

[CRS]

The string slipped from my fingers and it got caught on my armguard.  This little snafu caused my arrow to not go to the spot.

I watched the arrow fly towards the bull and hit 1/3 up, but 8 inches in front of the rear quarter.

Plain and simple, I botched the shot.  The bull lunged forward and then walked into the jackpines.  He stopped about 50 yards out, then simply disappeared in the trees.

I knew that I gotten good penetration as maybe 6 inches of fletching were sticking out.  Later my hunting partner crawled up and confirmed good penetration as he had seen blood on the offside, 1/3 of the way up at about the last rib.

The rush had hit me and my son, I think he was shaking more than I was. What an experience!

All three of stayed tucked behind by a lone 8 foot pine for 1 hour.  We knew the bull was going to be dead, we just did not know where or how long.

After the hour, we backed out.  Across the meadow an up a hillside so we could watch the opposite hillside where the bull disappeared.

After another uneventful 2.5 hours. The plan was to check for blood and back out for the night.  return in the morning and see what we could find.  Forecast was clear, no precipitation, and cool.  I immediately found blood, then after only 30 yards a pool of blood.  This changed the plan, we had blood, good blood, bright red, did not smell like guts.  After another 40 yards we founds three more pools, clots, blood that looked like it was poured.

Things were looking up, I figured I had hit some mesenteric arteries.  But after another 100 yards, darkness and fading blood we called it for the night.  On the way out we heard a couple of bugles on top of the ridge where he had went. It sounded amazingly similar to the bugle of the bull I had hit.

We moved closer and did some calling, we heard what we thought was a big critter crashing into  trees, then hitting the ground,  Could it be?

Back to camp for a restless night.

As much as I want to read the rest of this story, I'm done for tonight! It's midnight here, and I have to go to bed. I'll be sure to catch up first thing in the a.m. though!

Bisch

[CRS]

Those of you who have been where I am, know exactly what the night was like.  

The following morning found the three of us back on the trail.  After another 120 yards, and encounter with another bull chasing a cow, jumping another bull out of his bed, we hit a dead end.  We had found a splotch of blood 60 yards from the previous spot, we could find no more.

We did a couple of grids, then had to leave as my partner had to go pick up dogs from his wife.

The good news was that his oldest dog had performed many successful blood trails, but had lost interest in blood trailing.  His newest was a dog rescued from the reservation. This dog was only 8 months old and been only trained on 4 mock blood trails.  This dog has a good nose and is very smart.

He did not know how they would do, we had to give them a shot.  We left as soon he returned to camp.

We got the dogs on the trail from the beginning, the older dog had the trail, the younger dog got really excited and at one point took off running obviously distracted.  Once we got the young dog back on the trail he did not waiver.

We followed anxiously and hopeful.

After the dogs went past the last blood we had found, there was another pool of blood.  The older dog suddenly became uninterested, chasing squirrels and watching birds.  The younger dog kept right after it.

Pretty soon, the younger dog got really cautious.

[CRS]

I could not stand it, and had to check back one more time! Glad I waited it out!!!

Wowser!!!!! What an awesome animal. I am soooooooooo glad you were able to find him! Bad shots happen from time to time, and having a good recovery after the blotched shot sure is a stress reliever!

Congrats on a great bull!

Bisch

[CRS]

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect this. Shoot whatever came down the pipe was the goal, have a great time and enjoy the experience.

For my son and friend/mentor be there to experience and share this....words cannot even really begin.

I could not be more proud of my son, his blood trailing abilities far exceed mine, truly a natural.

Per the GPS, the bull had traveled 0.43 miles.  Pretty much in a straight line.

Coyotes had gotten into the rear hams, but the rest was salvaged.

The emotions run the gamut of complete fulfillment, disbelief, pride, and even peace.

[Elkchaser]

Way to stay after it. Very nice bull!!        

[wooddamon1]

   

[Ryan Sanpei]

Awesome!!! Glad you guys were able to recover him!!! Congrats!!!

[Jayrod]

Great work and way to stick with it ....Dandy bull and to be there with your son is fantastic!!  

[Tater]

Congrats on a great bull..nice that your son was there to share the hunt.

[achigan]

Great time all around, congrats!

[tracker12]

Congrats of finding a great bull.