BOAL encounter…what would have you done?

[Ucsdryder]

This is my short story about the bull of a lifetime. Each of us have a few memories that are etched in our minds, this one has been added. I’ll skip the last part to give people an opportunity to chime in with what their final move would have been, then I’ll finish the story with our move and the final outcome.

This was on an archery hunt that I was part of this year. It was the first evening of the hunt in a new area. After a mad dash to arrive in time for an afternoon hunt we threw on our clothes and headed up the ridge. Once on top of the ridge, it was fairly flat and went for multiple miles.

At the top I threw out the first bugle. I always dream about that first bugle and the bull that will answer. The bugle was great, and as it echoed through the timber I strained my ears for the response that never came. On we went, finding the path of least resistance, fighting the urge to bugle every 40 yards. This went on for 300 yards and 4-5 bugle sessions. The evil thoughts started to creep into my mind… “they aren’t bugling yet.” “There are no elk here.” “My bugling sucks.” Then it happened.

A gnarly response far enough away that I couldn’t pinpoint the direction. We looked at each other and pointed in opposite directions. I bugled again and I got a response. I think it was ahead of us on the edge of the ridge we climbed.

We headed that way, 100 yards later the bugling was still 200 yards ahead of us but we were on the right track. We made it another 50 yards and the single bugle turned into 5-6 bugles from different bulls. “Here we go”, I remember thinking, this is what elk hunting dreams are made of.

 

[sndmn11]

Quotes from @Ucsdryder that day:

"There's too many vehicles"
"There's no elk here"
"That's a hunter"
"There's no elk here, I always get a response if there is"
"That's a hunter"
"That one's a hunter too"
*Gunshot*
"One might not have been a hunter"

 

[Ucsdryder]

Funny guy…

The wind was blowing from behind me and to my left. Basically exactly where the elk were. I made a hard left and tried to get slightly below them so the wind would be blowing at a 45. Now I was within 50-100 yards of the main bull and he was directly in front of me but 20 yards below me still, wind blowing from my right to left and slightly at my back, call it a 45. I wanted to work down the hill another 20 yards so we were on the same level.


The cows were calling all over the place, the other bulls were going crazy and I could hear the main bull running back and forth. Mayhem.

As I went to take a step, I saw 2 cows emerge directly below me. My wind was now blowing from me to them, 50 yards away. The herd bull was still 75 yards out in front of me, the same level as the cows. He was in the timber and the cows and I were at the edge of a big meadow with broken timber. I froze with indecision.

I hadn’t called since I was 300 yards away. They didn’t know I was there, minus the 2 cows that were now staring in my direction.

So, what’s your next move?

 

[Hnthrdr]

Super hard, if cows have you pinned… you are pinned. I guess try to find nearest cover to get in front of, knock and arrow and pray like hell you don’t hear those cows barking at you… also be ready to bark back or selfish mew, need that bull to cover like 15-20 yards for a reasonable shot. Also nothing beats noses… sometimes you get lucky on a bull that lost his mind, but can’t really trick a cows nose

Since we are in fantasy elk league, I would love to sprint full speed at said bull while ripping a gnarly bugle just to see what happens, but realistically I would go with what I said above.

 

[Geewhiz]

If you've got cows staring at you and directly down wind my experience says you've got a matter of seconds until they wind you and take the rest of the herd with them. If by some miraculous work they don't wind you and continue on, Id sit tight (if youve still got cows all around) and if that bull is as active as you say its a matter of time before he comes cruising by.

 

[sodaksooner]

Similar to what happened to me last year. Bull(320ish) circled down wind till he got my scent and away he went. Had him at 80 yards but too far for me to shoot. Saw him the whole time but couldn't move as they had me located. Thankfully the herd stayed in the area. Although we never had him close again, we had several close calls with satellites and cows over the next week. We did have him at 150 yards the last night of the hunt but no closer and we couldn't close the distance either. Wind is a finicky bitch.....

 

[Ucsdryder]

Similar to what happened to me last year. Bull(320ish) circled down wind till he got my scent and away he went. 80 yards but too far to shoot. Saw him the whole time but couldn't move as they had me located. Thankfully the herd stayed in the area, although we never had him close again, we had several close calls with satellites and cows over the next week. We did have him at 150 yards the last night of the hunt but no closer and we couldn't close the distance either. Wind is a finicky bitch.....

Wind was terrible up there. The only thing consistent about the wind was that it was always changing. No thermals in the morning or evening, just changing directions every few seconds to minutes.

I’ll post the outcome this evening.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Wind was terrible up there. The only thing consistent about the wind was that it was always changing. No thermals in the morning or evening, just changing directions every few seconds to minutes.

I’ll post the outcome this evening.

If you were with the sherpa, I know exactly what you mean, have had days where it was chilly on a north slope and thermals were headed up hill at 7am… but also had a lot of magical days where I have heard 150 plus bugles in one afternoon. I have a theory that lots of bulls live due to such inconsistent winds

 

[Ucsdryder]

If you were with the sherpa, I know exactly what you mean, have had days where it was chilly on a north slope and thermals were headed up hill at 7am… but also had a lot of magical days where I have heard 150 plus bugles in one afternoon. I have a theory that lots of bulls live due to such inconsistent winds

Sherpa? I said a BOAL not a spike.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Sherpa? I said a BOAL not a spike.

Hahahahaha ouch…. But elk veal is nothing to laugh at… ask me how I know

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

If you thought it was going to be your only shot at this bull/herd, likely not going to be able to get back on them in days to come, I would probably of just ripped the most aggressive bugle I could and hope being so close and wound up he would rush out. If anything barked, bark back.

 

[sndmn11]

Sherpa? I said a BOAL not a spike.

The jealousy over not having a bull in velvet is thick coming from Commerce City.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Do we have a timeline for the exciting conclusion?

 

[Lurch12]

Tagging this for the ending!

Let’s go!

 

[Billy Goat]

I honestly laid down up against a log in a similar situation.




Don't know how, but it seemed to trap my scent.

When you have that situation where the wind hits the back of your neck you usually have seconds.

 

[Ucsdryder]

To finish this story….

The 2 cows stared in our direction for 20 seconds and stampeded down the hill. The bull came at full speed and hit the meadow, directly down wind of me, basically the exact spot I wanted to be. There was a little drop between me and him and all I could see was the top of his back. He was a giant. 370? 380? More? Bigger than any elk I’ve seen, Estes park included. I remember thinking his whales must have been 2 feet long. He spooked and ran. I bugled and he stopped broadside at 90. There was a tree between us and the shooter didn’t have a 90 yard pin. He took off down the hill along with the rest of the herd and the satellites. We dogged them until dark, calling in a couple of satellite bulls but never within range. Unfortunately he kept going and as it got dark I could hear him bugling all the way down the valley. We never saw him again.


Looking back and analyzing that encounter and the whole weekend, we were way too timid. usually I’m the aggressive guy, but I found myself sitting back unsure what to do. I know what I should have done and what I’d do in the future. The cows were far enough to the side that I should have rushed them, blowing them out of the country. As soon as I got to the “spot” I should have bugled the loudest, most aggressive bugle I could muster and then been ready. I guess next time I have a 380” bull 50-75 yards away I’ll know what to do!

The next morning I found this broken antler. Not sure if this was the bulls antler from the previous year or another bull, but when I saw it laying there my first thought was “this is exactly what his whales looked like”.

Moral of story, be aggressive, no ragerts!

 

[Ucsdryder]

Having killed bulls in the 290 range, I’m confident I’ll have that 320-330” chance. But being well inside of archery range of a Boone and Crockett giant is truly once in a lifetime. I keep going over the encounter and kicking myself. it would have been special to be a part of that kill, but it wasn’t meant to be. Or it was meant to be and I effed it up!

 

[Hnthrdr]

To finish this story….

The 2 cows stared in our direction for 20 seconds and stampeded down the hill. The bull came at full speed and hit the meadow, directly down wind of me, basically the exact spot I wanted to be. There was a little drop between me and him and all I could see was the top of his back. He was a giant. 370? 380? More? Bigger than any elk I’ve seen, Estes park included. I remember thinking his whales must have been 2 feet long. He spooked and ran. I bugled and he stopped broadside at 90. There was a tree between us and the shooter didn’t have a 90 yard pin. He took off down the hill along with the rest of the herd and the satellites. We dogged them until dark, calling in a couple of satellite bulls but never within range. Unfortunately he kept going and as it got dark I could hear him bugling all the way down the valley. We never saw him again.


Looking back and analyzing that encounter and the whole weekend, we were way too timid. usually I’m the aggressive guy, but I found myself sitting back unsure what to do. I know what I should have done and what I’d do in the future. The cows were far enough to the side that I should have rushed them, blowing them out of the country. As soon as I got to the “spot” I should have bugled the loudest, most aggressive bugle I could muster and then been ready. I guess next time I have a 380” bull 50-75 yards away I’ll know what to do!

The next morning I found this broken antler. Not sure if this was the bulls antler from the previous year or another bull, but when I saw it laying there my first thought was “this is exactly what his whales looked like”.

Moral of story, be aggressive, no ragerts!
View attachment 607332

I tend to play it safe as well, with the thought that maybe I can get another chance later… but I rarely do. I agree I think the play is risk it all. Gotta remember to play it that way next time, but always easier said than done with hindsight.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I tend to play it safe as well, with the thought that maybe I can get another chance later… but I rarely do. I agree I think the play is risk it all. Gotta remember to play it that way next time, but always easier said than done with hindsight.

My next chance will be a 180” bull that’s so stupid he’ll see me, smell me, and hear me and still come check me out.

 

[fngTony]

My next chance will be a 180” bull that’s so stupid he’ll see me, smell me, and hear me and still come check me out.

Then you can pet him first