2024 OFFICIAL ELK MEAT POLE

[Gpw]

Nice bulls guys! Keep em coming!

 

[BigCam47]

This thread is energizing. We hit the road Friday for the mountains!

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Colorado opening day 5x6, hunting solo. 18 yard broadside shot, 30 yard blood trail.

 

[Mcribs]

First archery elk. Smallish but should be tasty!

 

[sasquatch]

Solo trip, 3rd day hunting. Crazy day of action chasing bulls from before first light to arrowing this one at 6pm

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Rich.maes]

WY general tag. Buddy called him for me to 16 yards.

 

[BTLowry]

Congrats to all of you who have filled your tag so far

 

[Pramo]

Colorado DIY biggest bull to date, shot at 12 yards he went 70 yards and crashed. For reference I’m 6’2’’ he’s a big fella in a crappy unit

 

[Shotgunman28]

Well dots have finally connected after a month and a half of driving 2 1/2 hours at 3am.
OTC is pretty hard but man was I blessed today. First elk, first year hunting them.

 

[Hondo0925]

Colorado. 2nd day of the season and my brothers first with a recurve

 

[Jared Bloomgren]

After a 19 year wait in my home state of SD I was finally able hunt elk locally!

 

[nmarchr]

This is my 16 year old son’s first archery elk. New Mexico. 24 yard shot. Mathews V3, goldtip pro 400, slick trick magnum.

 

[Twitch]

Some of you may have seen some of my previous posts referencing a lucky arrow;
Post from 2022
And
2023 bull

So this year I set out to try for a 5th bull with ol’ Lucky #13

Had a few opportunities the first few days of the season, passing on 4 different 5 points from 10-24 yards. Having spent the entirety of this summer continuing the house work mentioned in the 2023 Bull link above…. I just wanted to be out hunting, and decided if it wasn’t a truly special bull, I’m not going to shoot.

Evening of the 6th day I accidentally walked right into a bedded herd. I don’t know how they didn’t see me or spook as I was within 18 yards of 2 small bulls and a handful of cows. With no other option, I just sat on the ground and waited them out. After about 45 minutes they got up and started their evening activities, and once again, I had nice 5pts raking trees and nosing cows under 20 yards. But this time there were big bugles coming from deeper in the timber. Cows started walking single file past me on a trail at 16 yards. As more and more passed, the bugles were getting closer. Just as a nice bull started into the open on the trail, some cows doubled back and he followed them back the way he had come.

The next day I was eager to hit a tree stand I had near some water the direction the bull had headed the night before. After sitting for about 2 hours, elk started filtering my way through the timber. Over 30 cows and calves soon surrounded me. Then one of the small 5pts from the evening before came out, but as he passed downwind of my stand, he paused, then did a funny jump to his side like he had seen a snake or something (we don’t have rattlesnakes here in the coast range of Oregon). Well, when he jumped, the whole group spooked and went back there they came from.

I sat for about 3.5 more hours, wondering if he had smelled me, and if this stand location was going to work. Then a calf came practically running towards me, calling like crazy. Shortly behind it came all the other cows and calves. Just as before, they soon surrounded my tree, one cow even rubbing on my climbing steps, and a calf bedded at the base of my tree.
Then I see another cow coming through the trees, but right on her butt was a big set of antlers. The bull from the evening before.
He glunked non stop for about 75 yards as he pushed her right to me.
He stopped directly behind my tree. I could hear him panting. As I saw movement out of my peripheral vision, I glanced over my shoulder to check his location. He was in the open, just steps from my tree. Figuring it was now or never, I drew.

Immediately, multiple cows looked up at me. But the bull was facing almost straight towards my tree, with antlers and spine obscuring any shot opportunity. I kept holding, and finally the cow he was pushing started to walk, and as he turned to follow her, he took a step and I fired.

The hit looked good, midway up behind the shoulder, but the arrow didn’t pass through. As he lunged away, blood gushing with every step, I saw my lighted nock drop from his side. Had the arrow worked its way out? He went about 75 yards, stopped and crashed!

Climbing down from my stand, I walked over and picked up half of my lucky arrow
It had done its job, and killed bull #5.
After breaking him down, I retrieved the tip section from inside the chest cavity. It had lodged into the off side shoulder knuckle. Ironically, lucky #13 fell to a bull with Devil tines.

So here he is, 2024 Oregon coast range Roosevelt

 

[Bigborealaska]

Well dots have finally connected after a month and a half of driving 2 1/2 hours at 3am.
OTC is pretty hard but man was I blessed today. First elk, first year hunting them.

Glad you got it done brother. I like seeing all these bulls and it would be awesome to bag one but any animal taken with a bow is a trophy to me. Archery is a skill and it's hard to get an animal. You cant reach out 500 hards with a bow to bag one. And meat in the freezer is better than tag soup in my opinion. We'll done.

 

[cnelk]

Punched my Southern Colorado ML Bull tag last night.
Used a few PPs to draw.

1 mi from the road.