2018 Elk Meat Pole

[crazyhawksfan]

My Colorado otc bull. Shot him 3 days into a 9 day hunt with some buddies. Bugled him in mid day. 4.5 mile pack out.. best of times! 2 more tags to fill so back at it

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[Disco14]

Awesome- congrats everyone!

 

[GregB]

First archery bull

I know it's a long story but maybe it will help someone in a similar situation.
So I decided to put up the rifle and try archery hunting for the first time this year. I hadn’t seen or heard anything the first day and a half of hunting and decided to relocate to a different area. The next morning, I started walking an old, barely there sneaker road, bugling and cow calling occasionally. I stopped mid-morning to take a break and have a snack. I was sitting next to a wall of trees and brush on my left practicing my calling. Right after I let off on a call I heard something moving towards me down the hill to my left. I jumped up grabbed my bow, nocked an arrow and checked the wind. I realized at that point I was an idiot an didn’t plan for the possibility of an animal coming in silently. The wind was wrong, and I couldn’t even see the animal because of the trees and brush I had sat by. The animal stopped on the other side, so I tried a couple of cow calls to see if it would poke its head through. He a huff and took off the way he came. I grabbed all my stuff and went around to the other side where, sure enough, there was a set of elk tracks. I decided to hurry around to the backside of the finger ridge and head uphill to get behind and above where I thought the elk had run off to. I found a bench that had some open area and set up there. A couple of bugles and cow calls later I could hear something moving towards me. I had hoped he would come out below where I had multiple shooting lanes, but he went above and started moving behind me. I only had one shot window before he would be able to wind me. I tried to range it but I kept getting a bad return, so I estimated it at 35yds, and drew my bow. As soon as I saw the white tips and full frame come into view I got an adrenaline dump and it was everything I could do to keep from shaking. When he was where I wanted him, I cow called and he stopped and looked at me. I released the arrow, the shot felt good, and he turned and ran back where he came from. Forty-five minutes later I went up to look for my arrow and blood, and I could not find a trace of either. I spent the next two hours searching and as time passed I started to get a sinking feeling this wasn’t going to end well. I was mad at myself for possibly injuring/killing and not recovering the animal. After about 2 hours I decided the arrow was still in the bull and plugging the hole which is why I could not find either. I started walking back the way he ran out hoping the arrow broke off and I could pick up the blood trail. I figured he would stick to what was familiar, so I followed a game trail I had found while searching. The buck brush had red all over the leaves, so I rubbed a lot of leaves looking around that day. I zig zagged along the trail looking for a piece of arrow or some blood. At some point I looked up and 10 or 15 feet in front of me was a dead elk on the game trail, not 100 yards from where I had shot him. The broke end of my arrow was dangling from his side with a small trickle of blood coming down. I was so surprised and relieved I had to sit down for a few minutes to collect myself.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

DIY muzzleloader tag in CO. Got him on Friday.

 

[BrentLaBere]

Archery 6 point. View attachment 79285View attachment 79286

 

[Jqualls]

OTC archery solo. Luckily I had help packing him out.

 

[shader112]

First elk with my bow. Cow in New Mexico. (Not letting me upload photos at the moment)

The day before I had seen several small bulls, but wasn't able to get within range. The two call ins I had, the bulls came from upwind, circled around and got my wind.

It was early afternoon and I hadn't seen an elk. I had made a 4-5 mile hike stopping every half mile to call and wait. No luck. I eventually ended up on the downwind side of a north facing slope with thick cover. I had seen lots of elk sign in the area so I though they may be bedded down there. I did some cow calling and made a ruckus starting about 400 yards out and slowly moved to the edge of the thick hillside. I stopped calling and moved another 100 yards and sat down under a fallen tree. I could only see 40 yards to either side and 20 yards below me. 45 min goes by and I hadn't seen or heard a thing. I decide to munch on some jerky and flip through my elknut playbook.

All of a sudden I hear some sticks breaking upwind in the brush. After a few minutes I see a cow come into view about 35 yards to my right. I didn't have a good shot and heard more movement behind her, so I opted to sit tight and see what else was with her. Eventually another cow comes through the same opening and moves downhill out of sight behind the first cow. Another 30 min goes by, and my hopes of a bull following diminished. I decided that if one of the cows gave me a good shot that I would try to take it.

I gave out a few light cow calls behind me and immediately hear sticks breaking right below me. I get on my knees and range the furthest tree i can see at 19 yards, 33 degree angle down. She came into view moving slowly with her head down. I drew back and she stepped right in front of the 19 yard tree. I though I should shoot a little high, just above mid body due to the angle. The shot was good and she stormed back the way she came and within seconds I heard her fall and start rolling....and rolling. She rolled almost 80 yards before she came to rest against a tree.

It was my first time doing the gutless method. A lot less blood and mess! I was about 2 miles from my truck, which was up over the ridge and 800 feet down. After getting the first load back, I decided I could probably get one more load before dark so I started making the climb back up the ridge. Once I made it to the top I decided I didn't want to make this climb 2 more times! I was tired. I made it over the ridge and came down the other side about 200 feet to where I had the quarters hung up. Bees and flys were everywhere. I grabbed a front shoulder and rear quarter and made it back to my truck right at dark. My feet were starting to get blisters from sliding in my boot going downhill with all the weight. I figured in the morning I would be a lot more sore, so I took off to get the last load and made it back to camp around midnight. Exhausted and sore I just couldn't fall asleep! I sat on my tailgate and popped open my bottle of makers that I had saved for this moment. I drank a few small cups under the stars with a big smile on my face.

 

[Bigfeet]

Alberta 5X5. 30 yard shot and I watched him go down. Getting down to him I sat down, to regain my composure, and admired him for a while. They are beautiful, fantastic and big animals! I took a few pictures and then got to work. Shortly after I started I heard a noise from the timber. It was like a deer snort, but unlike any snort I have heard. I looked around and, despite the relatively open timber, didn’t see anything. The contours of the area hid whatever was making the noise. I have read of Grizzlies making a wheeze/snort sound, and this is good Griz country, but have never heard them make that sound so wasn’t sure what I heard. Regardless of the noise, it made me hurry a little more. Partway through the process I looked down through the timber and spotted a dark object 100 yards away. I moved to see better and spotted a Black Bear with 3 cubs watching me. I’m not certain that is what made the snorting I heard, as I’ve never heard nor read of Black Bears making that specific noise, but it may have been. Talking to them only sent the cubs up a tree, but the sow retreated. My only choice was to ignore the bears and continue with the work. I worked quickly and within a couple of hours had the elk deboned and started leapfrogging loads off the mountain. I could occasionally hear the bears moving around in the timber during that time but, thankfully, never had any issues with them approaching.View attachment 79665

 

[541hunter]

Oregon otc


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[AGPank]

Oregon otc


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Great mass throughout, symmetry and tine length. Pretty bull. Congrats!


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[Bigfeet]

View attachment 79676

The picture doesn't show up in my original post, at least on my computer. Trying again.

 

[541hunter]

Great mass throughout, symmetry and tine length. Pretty bull. Congrats!


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Thank you!


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[JLH208]

2 Idaho bulls down in our group, one left, hopefully tomorrow!


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[KHNC]

View attachment 79722

Wyoming weirdo 4x3

 

[KHNC]

Wyoming General Unit


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[danarnold]

 

[rackcity24]

View attachment 79910

 

[Jordan Budd]

2018 Wyoming bull. 9/29. Day 8 solo. Stalked in on him and his cows. Found another broadhead in his backstrap! Probably a couple weeks old.

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[Mark]

Nice bull, Jordan. Congratulations!

 

[JLH208]

Nice!!!


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