Elk hunt Recap thread

[canthitbombz]

This weekend was better than last, at least it wasnt 85 degrees in the trees. got about an hour hunt in after work on Friday. had a small rag horn bull come in silent to our " Cow Party ". i heard him walking, got set up and ready. nothing for about 45 minutes. so i relax, take my release of the string....and of course he steps out of the trees. my release starting having issues and locked open and i couldnt get it to close. about 2 minutes i finally got it to close and just then he spun and left. good experience but frustrating. Went to a honey hole the next morning that they are always eager to talk. not a peep, hunted hard most of the day there and never had an encounter. Decided to go up high that afternoon thinking the snow hadnt push them down yet....more of the same...no talk.

yesterday morning i guess i brought the wrong call... called this guy into about 17 yards. i was at full draw ready to lay the hammer down, and then i saw paddles. again frustrated but it was cool to see him. not a lot of Moose in this area.

 

[canthitbombz]

The canyon my bro and I packed into was on fire with bugles all day and night. As soon as we crested the ridge into our spot, we called in a giant 6 point to 15 yards, but he was quartering to me and I wasn't going to take a shot that wasn't 100%. The next morning we walked circles from camp for 30 minutes trying to decide which bugle to chase. "This one is closer, no this one is closer, no this one sounds bigger..."

We got on a bull about noon, who was with a big group of cows, pushing them around and screaming his head off. He was answering every bugle, but didn't want to leave his cows. We got the wind right and slipped in. I stood on the edge of the herd, waiting for my chance. A couple of his cows wandered up to within 15 yards of me and bedded down. Sure enough, a few minutes later he came to check on those cows. I drew and sealed the deal.

Hes a stud!!!! Congrats man

 

[roosiebull]

The canyon my bro and I packed into was on fire with bugles all day and night. As soon as we crested the ridge into our spot, we called in a giant 6 point to 15 yards, but he was quartering to me and I wasn't going to take a shot that wasn't 100%. The next morning we walked circles from camp for 30 minutes trying to decide which bugle to chase. "This one is closer, no this one is closer, no this one sounds bigger..."

We got on a bull about noon, who was with a big group of cows, pushing them around and screaming his head off. He was answering every bugle, but didn't want to leave his cows. We got the wind right and slipped in. I stood on the edge of the herd, waiting for my chance. A couple of his cows wandered up to within 15 yards of me and bedded down. Sure enough, a few minutes later he came to check on those cows. I drew and sealed the deal.

nice work on a great bull! is he a big 5?

 

[tmitty]

nice work on a great bull! is he a big 5?

Yeah, big 5. Honestly, I thought he was a big 6 when I shot him. With his fronts, his width, the way he was pushing around his cows and screaming, I thought he was king of the mountain. No complaints at all though. He's actually my first elk, and my first big game animal, period. Couldn't be happier. And he's delicious!

 

[Lark Bunting]

My son and I were up the 1st through the 5th. Opening morning we stumbled into a small herd with a nice bull and roughly 6-7 cows. We had multiple chances at cows but apparently we needed to work out some kinks because neither of us ever fired an arrow. Still, it was a great encounter as we were only out of the tent for 20 minutes or so. We did a lot of exploring in an area we had been to twice before but never got to explore. Our first trip up there we shot a bull 90 minutes after pitching the tent and after getting meat to the truck the next day we left. We had encounters every day but could never close the deal. One day we called in two spikes, if course our unit is a four point unit. They hung around for 20 minutes. Every time they'd spook we'd call them right back in. We heard bugles every day, some were the sleepy bedded bull bugles, some were full locator bugles. We met up with a couple buddies while there, one got a bull down so we got to help pack meat, a first for my son. I'm heading back up on either the 23rd or 24th solo. Hoping to be bragging about how dumb/sore I am packing one out by myself.

 

[roosiebull]

This weekend was better than last, at least it wasnt 85 degrees in the trees. got about an hour hunt in after work on Friday. had a small rag horn bull come in silent to our " Cow Party ". i heard him walking, got set up and ready. nothing for about 45 minutes. so i relax, take my release of the string....and of course he steps out of the trees. my release starting having issues and locked open and i couldnt get it to close. about 2 minutes i finally got it to close and just then he spun and left. good experience but frustrating. Went to a honey hole the next morning that they are always eager to talk. not a peep, hunted hard most of the day there and never had an encounter. Decided to go up high that afternoon thinking the snow hadnt push them down yet....more of the same...no talk.

yesterday morning i guess i brought the wrong call... called this guy into about 17 yards. i was at full draw ready to lay the hammer down, and then i saw paddles. again frustrated but it was cool to see him. not a lot of Moose in this area.

View attachment 215430

what release were you having problems with? i had the same exact thing happen this year, had a bull at 12ish yds and couldn't get my release to close.... completely froze open... finally got it closed, and somehow the bull didn't see me, he was looking through me and had just kept coming and i ended up shooting him at 7-8yds.... i thought i was screwed, and it certainly upped the anxiety!

 

[roosiebull]

Yeah, big 5. Honestly, I thought he was a big 6 when I shot him. With his fronts, his width, the way he was pushing around his cows and screaming, I thought he was king of the mountain. No complaints at all though. He's actually my first elk, and my first big game animal, period. Couldn't be happier. And he's delicious!

awesome! i like big 5's, they are cool bulls when they are a legit big mature bull. don't see many 5's that big! well done!

he's a super cool bull!

 

[5MilesBack]

Yeah, big 5. Honestly, I thought he was a big 6 when I shot him. With his fronts, his width, the way he was pushing around his cows and screaming, I thought he was king of the mountain.

He might have very well been king of the mountain. He's a great 5 point! Congratulations.

 

[canthitbombz]

what release were you having problems with? i had the same exact thing happen this year, had a bull at 12ish yds and couldn't get my release to close.... completely froze open... finally got it closed, and somehow the bull didn't see me, he was looking through me and had just kept coming and i ended up shooting him at 7-8yds.... i thought i was screwed, and it certainly upped the anxiety!

Using a Scott Caliper. first time it has ever happened with this release. The roads are super dusty here and i had it on in the rzr on our way to the spot. im wondering if the dust had anything to do with it. i blew it out and wiped it down and never had another issue with it the rest of the weekend.

Congrats on the bull by the way

 

[GotDraw?]

Sweet!
You must call that bull the- "Empty Quiver Bull"
Where did all your arrows go?

JL

The canyon my bro and I packed into was on fire with bugles all day and night. As soon as we crested the ridge into our spot, we called in a giant 6 point to 15 yards, but he was quartering to me and I wasn't going to take a shot that wasn't 100%. The next morning we walked circles from camp for 30 minutes trying to decide which bugle to chase. "This one is closer, no this one is closer, no this one sounds bigger..."

We got on a bull about noon, who was with a big group of cows, pushing them around and screaming his head off. He was answering every bugle, but didn't want to leave his cows. We got the wind right and slipped in. I stood on the edge of the herd, waiting for my chance. A couple of his cows wandered up to within 15 yards of me and bedded down. Sure enough, a few minutes later he came to check on those cows. I drew and sealed the deal.

 

[tmitty]

Sweet!
You must call that bull the- "Empty Quiver Bull"
Where did all your arrows go?

JL

Haha... I was wondering if anyone would notice. I abbreviated the story a little. Keep in mind, I had hit a bull high and back about a week earlier and lost it. It got in my head, and I was not going to let it happen again. That story is on another thread... When I said, "I drew and sealed the deal." I meant - I hit him too far back the first shot (through the liver I found out later), he walked down the hill, I crept down and shot him again at 50 yards, which ended up being a good shot through the bottom of the lungs, but I didn't know at the time, and was afraid I hit him in the elbow. He bedded down immediately, but I was still not confident I had hit him well. I snuck in on him bedded and shot him again through both lungs and he died almost immediately after that. The story sounded better without those details...

 

[roosiebull]

I will post a recap tomorrow, it was a fun week as always, and I can still do it with a compound haha. Weird little bull that was a spike x4 last year, so technically he got bigger, haha
First bull I bugled to this season, shot him at 7-8yds

View attachment 213013

here is the rest of the recap

it has been a little tough this year, of course lots of people, but lots of hot dry east wind days, and tons of new logging in some of my favorite areas, and it felt like nothing was "normal" this year. the first few days i mainly spent burning boot leather, just getting a feel for what was what. i had zero time to scout this year, i was literally working 12-18hrs every single day since mid may, which is fine, i usually don't scout much and certainly don't rely on it.... i just like getting in the woods and working out the details.... part of the fun for me, and a lot can change from mid summer to opening day.

the first few days i was just avoiding people and walking areas out looking for sign, and have seen about a bull per day on average the first week. i stalked 2 bulls one night, but they were in a wide open burnt out clear cut and ran out of cover on both stalks, and decided not to blow them out. they were in opposite sides of the cut, and somehow i didn't get busted by either sneaking in on them or away, in the wide open.... fun night, but it wasn't meant to be.

a couple days later i ended up with a really nice bull broadside at 51yds, but after missing 4 last year with my recurve, my main goal was to get a close, easy slam dunk shot opportunity.... i have been shooting really good, but that was not the opportunity i had my sights on for this season.

i knew i was gonna have a great chance of calling that bull in the next morning, so i was very content passing him. the next morning before daylight it was hot first thing, like 65* at daylight with a fairly strong east wind....ugh. not good conditions to call a bull in early season. i messed that up pretty quick that morning between the swirly east wind and crispy dry leaves everywhere... oh well

yesterday was the next morning, and i had a pretty good plan, and it ended up being cooler and south wind (south wind this time of year is messy too, and shuts the bulls up if they are bugling) i wasn't super stoked with the conditions, but i had a theory of what the elk were doing, so i was looking forward to testing that.

i got pinned down by a cow on the way, in a spot i have seen no sign in all season, and that's how it goes. it seemed to just be a small group of cows, but i'm not positive.

i got down into the bottom, a nice swamp runs through this area, but it was really loud and drippy with the wind and drizzle. i thought i heard a distant bugle, but wasn't sure. i worked in that direction and heard it again a few minutes later (a distant bugle on the coast isn't that "distant") i was thinking what i should do, i wasn't really inclined to make a move on him because i didn't trust the wind, and was leaning towards getting out of there for awhile and let the weather improve.

he would bugle every 10-15 minutes... no intensity, just a short round-up bugle getting the cows moving towards bed. he was moving slow and steady away from me and to my left. i was getting ready to walk the 4 miles back to my rig, then had a change of heart.... screw it, i'm gonna move on him, if i mess it up, i'll go find some different elk... i have never killed an elk walking away from them. i had a nasty swamp to cross, and it wasn't gonna be quiet, so i decided to give away my location with a bugle to cover my noise, and check his temperature a little, and start the process of planting the seed on this bull

i decided i would just try to round up his cows, seemed like the best approach, so i gave them a short bugle, and bust through that swamp, making a little extra noise so he knew i was advancing. he didn't answer right away, but he bugled at his cows when i trudged through the thick stuff. i went 30 yds up the ridge they were on (now in like 30yr old reprod) and bugled again. he answered me shortly, and i responded then went racing up the ridge making as much noise as i could, being very intentional.

i had now closed half of the distance to the last place i knew they were, and cruised up quickly another 50ish yds and gave them a short bugle with more intensity and started raking pretty hard, gave a little groan and went up the ridge a bit further. i wasn't gonna go much further if nothing happened, i had dropped my pack in the bottom, and didn't want to have to find it if i got too far. i was on my knees with an arrow nocked just listening (i was on my knees because those young firs make it really thick, and going to your knees opens up a lot of shooting lanes, but it's still like 20yds and in type stuff)

i waited a couple minutes, and it was dead silent... i was just waiting and i hear a snap to my right, look up and that bull comes in at a steady walk at 12-14yds.... crap! i go to clip my release on, and it is completely stuck open and froze, can't close it.... ****!!! now i have to look down with a bull at point blank range, and i'm wiggling the caliper and trigger trying to free it up... after probably 10 seconds i finally get it to break loose and clip it on my string.

i look up and he's gone... dammit!! i kind of lean back and look around the tree in front of me and he's RIGHT THERE... half of the distance of what he was, his eyes behind a tree, and his vitals are in about a 6" opening between 2 trees! i draw my bow, lean back, and put my pin on him, start adding pressure, and the bow goes off.... it hits him with a loud crack, he wheels and takes off!

i saw my arrow (using glory nocks) and he goes busting through the trees the way he came. right before he went over a little drop he paused, then went out of sight, paused again, then about 5 seconds there's the big crash and i hear him running out of air.... holy smokes! how did that work out??!! he didn't go anywhere, from the shot to him crashing was just a few seconds and maybe 30yds. he died super quick. i marked the spot, and went down and grabbed my pack.

by the time i got back, about 35 minutes had passed, i knew he was dead, but i know not to completely trust what we think we see and hear in that moment.

i walked up to where he was standing when i shot, and see a little patch of brown over the rise, put my glass up and sure enough.... dead bull!

the loud crack i heard was the arrow busting through the off side leg bone. the arrow was sticking out the off side, and he broke off the fletching side when he wheeled. i was pretty surprised that arrow made it through the leg bone on the off side, and that kudu contour plus was in really good shape. i'll clean it up later and post a pic or 2 of it, but i'm very impressed with how well that head did, very good arrow performance cutting ribs on both sides then passing through the leg bone on the off side.

this bull was a 4Xspike last year, this year he grew a weird little fork on the other side. curious to see if i find an injury on him from the past, i assume he was injured at some point. he had a herd of cows all of last season, and so far this season which i think is interesting. i was wondering where this bull was.... well, i found him.

i had a couple close calls with him last year, but just couldn't get him killed with the struggle stick. planning on going back to the recurve again next year, but only time will tell..... it's certainly not too easy with a compound for me, still plenty challenging. we'll see if my wife kills a rifle bull this year i guess. if she does, i'll likely shoot a recurve next year regardless.

this was the first bull i bugled at this season. now i'm looking forward to going with a couple buddies the rest of the season, who are always there to help when needed. i packed the bull off of the ridge and below a logging road yesterday, i shot him about 8:20, and was finally walking out around 2:30, then went and got my boat and ran it up the river, they came with me, then we had an easy mile pack to the boat, and loaded him up. finally got done around 10pm, but without those 2 guys it would have been midnight or later.
look forward to returning the favor.

one side of his neck roast was scar tissue and still a small infection, from at least 2 yrs ago... looked like a failed frontal shot someone tried... will go back to the bone pile to try to recover the broadhead... that was my suspicion, but cleaning up the neck meat confirmed that... mystery of goofy rack explained!

 

[Miflatlander91]

Haha... I was wondering if anyone would notice. I abbreviated the story a little. Keep in mind, I had hit a bull high and back about a week earlier and lost it. It got in my head, and I was not going to let it happen again. That story is on another thread... When I said, "I drew and sealed the deal." I meant - I hit him too far back the first shot (through the liver I found out later), he walked down the hill, I crept down and shot him again at 50 yards, which ended up being a good shot through the bottom of the lungs, but I didn't know at the time, and was afraid I hit him in the elbow. He bedded down immediately, but I was still not confident I had hit him well. I snuck in on him bedded and shot him again through both lungs and he died almost immediately after that. The story sounded better without those details...

Idk about sounded better! That sounds like a great story you guys can laugh about for years


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AaronMColeman]

Haha... I was wondering if anyone would notice. I abbreviated the story a little. Keep in mind, I had hit a bull high and back about a week earlier and lost it. It got in my head, and I was not going to let it happen again. That story is on another thread... When I said, "I drew and sealed the deal." I meant - I hit him too far back the first shot (through the liver I found out later), he walked down the hill, I crept down and shot him again at 50 yards, which ended up being a good shot through the bottom of the lungs, but I didn't know at the time, and was afraid I hit him in the elbow. He bedded down immediately, but I was still not confident I had hit him well. I snuck in on him bedded and shot him again through both lungs and he died almost immediately after that. The story sounded better without those details...

It’s sucks when things dont go right. But that’s hunting. I kinda like when people post the failures or things that just don’t go right from the get go.

 

[Rob5589]

Yeah, big 5. Honestly, I thought he was a big 6 when I shot him. With his fronts, his width, the way he was pushing around his cows and screaming, I thought he was king of the mountain. No complaints at all though. He's actually my first elk, and my first big game animal, period. Couldn't be happier. And he's delicious!

That's awesome man, congrats!

 

[tmitty]

It’s sucks when things dont go right. But that’s hunting. I kinda like when people post the failures or things that just don’t go right from the get go.

Check out my thread from a week before this bull if you want to read about failure, haha...

Worst Case Scenario - Bad Shot

I'm relatively new to the hunting scene, been at it for 4 seasons now, archery elk. I drew a LE Bull tag this year. Up until this season I hadn't drawn my bow on an animal. This season, I have been blessed with many exciting encounters, lots of early rutting action, and overall a great...

www.rokslide.com

My biggest take away from this season - I've got some more practice to do on sloped shots, holding draw shots, etc. I was definitely humbled after this season. Hitting a foam target at all my pins on flat ground in my backyard does not mean that I'm proficient with my bow.

 

[Gerbdog]

Check out my thread from a week before this bull if you want to read about failure, haha...

Worst Case Scenario - Bad Shot

I'm relatively new to the hunting scene, been at it for 4 seasons now, archery elk. I drew a LE Bull tag this year. Up until this season I hadn't drawn my bow on an animal. This season, I have been blessed with many exciting encounters, lots of early rutting action, and overall a great...

www.rokslide.com

My biggest take away from this season - I've got some more practice to do on sloped shots, holding draw shots, etc. I was definitely humbled after this season. Hitting a foam target at all my pins on flat ground in my backyard does not mean that I'm proficient with my bow.

At least its a conclusion you came to on your own, that's learning! I had a hunt a couple years back where I held a draw for longer then my muscles would allow me to make an ethical shot (was wobbling all over) and now I train to hold the bow for extended periods of time every day at full draw, there's enough luck involved in hunting that I don't want to add my own failings to it, especially when its something I can train out of the system.

 

[AaronMColeman]

Check out my thread from a week before this bull if you want to read about failure, haha...

Worst Case Scenario - Bad Shot

I'm relatively new to the hunting scene, been at it for 4 seasons now, archery elk. I drew a LE Bull tag this year. Up until this season I hadn't drawn my bow on an animal. This season, I have been blessed with many exciting encounters, lots of early rutting action, and overall a great...

www.rokslide.com

My biggest take away from this season - I've got some more practice to do on sloped shots, holding draw shots, etc. I was definitely humbled after this season. Hitting a foam target at all my pins on flat ground in my backyard does not mean that I'm proficient with my bow.

If you aren't learning, you probably aren't hunting. Every time I go out I feel like I learn something or reenforce something I already knew, or I figure out what training I need to work on. This year I focused largely on conditioning...I worked out a bit at home every day and dropped 20lbs from last season! I can 100% feel the advantage of conditioning. But this was at the expense of working on my archery as much as I'd like. So what I learned was conditioning is worth every second...and find more seconds in life to work on archery . And somehow my calling has gotten worse (which is hard to do because it was never in the "good" category). I learned so much this week, and the next two months will be non-stop learning...and hopefully take a bull and a cow!

 

[cmeyer733]

Well, this isn't the best hunt to recap, but all in all, learned a ton and gained a lot of experience...

Started my backpack hunt on the night of 9/5, packed into an area had found on Google earth. Stopped that night after about 2 miles, stopped in an area I thought i might be able to hear some bugles that night on a full moon, nothing. Next morning finished packing into the area I really wanted to look at. Found tons of sign; tracks, rubs, scat, but nothing fresh. I kept working that whole drainage that day and half of the next before deciding to move to the next.

As i'm packing out to move to the next drainage, a storm starts rolling in (afternoon of 9/7). Rain starts picking up pretty good, so I set up camp and get settled in. Wind really starts picking up and trees begin falling. Rain turns to snow and trees keep falling (some very close) so I decide to get up and move somewhere safer. I keep moving in the directing I was planning to go anyways, closer to a burn. That evening, I spot some cows up feeding in the burn and just sit and watch them for a while. After they feed off, I move up closer to where they were, just sit and watch and listen for a while. As i'm sitting there, I hear my first bugle of the trip; a nice deep, raspy bull. With the amount of wind swirling, getting late in the day, I decide to not even try and call, but just sit and listen and see where they're hanging out. Before I know it, the bugle is getting closer and closer and I suddenly see white antler tips coming over a small ridge at 45 yards. A nice mature 6X6 bull stops at the top of this small ridge broadside at at 45 yards my second evening of hunting, without even calling to him. Again, with the intense winds, this is not a shot I am comfortable with and decide I will not attempt the shot. As he keeps moving, I notice he is chasing a cow that is about 30 yards further down than him. They move out of sight, and I am thrilled I at least found where they are hanging out. As I start moving off the steep face I had been sitting on to head to the bottom, again I suddenly see antler tips coming coming up over the ridge again from the opposite side. I quickly re-knock an arrow and clip in my release. They circled around and surprised me, and now are taking a line 10 yards in front of me, the bull is fired up, drooling, panting and bugling. with no cover, I decide in need to try and draw my bow, the cow busts me and they both bolt down the hill out of sight. With shooting light nearly gone, I head down to an area safe from falling trees and get little sleep all night due to excitement, wind and snow.

Day 3 (9/8) I sleep in a bit from lack of sleep that night, but get up and make it back to the same area from previous evening by 8:30 am. I sneak in pretty quietly, check the area out some more, begin making a few cow calls and shortly after see a smaller raghorn bull come out of the dark timber into the burn area. Hes slowly feeding my direction when I feel the wind on the back of my neck. Sure enough, about 20 seconds later hes back in the timber. With bad residual winds from last nights storm, I decide to use that time to make the trip back to my truck to get more food for the rest of the week, and patch my sleep pad that somehow got a hole in it. I get back into the area for the evening, and get right back into some intense bugling, but no luck in getting anyone to commit.

Day 4 (9/9) I find myself back in the same area just after first light, I am already hearing bugles on my way up the drainage. I keep working up to where I am close to parallel in elevation to the 3 bulls I am hearing screaming. I start with some light hearted bugles and am immediately getting multiple responses. I move about another 100 yards closer to the burn/timber border i've been focusing on and find an area with some good shooting lanes. I get setup and focus on the bull that I hear closest to me. I start mimicking him in every sound he makes, plus throwing in some raking a tree sounds. About 20-30 minutes of that and I notice he is rapidly getting closer. I am hearing branches breaking and suddenly see him working his way through the timber directly at me. As soon as I see this different 6pt bull, I come to full draw as he keep approaching. He works directly towards me before turning broadside at 20 yards, and continues to walk. I see him coming to a shooting lane, so I cow call, and instead of stopping, he keeps walking, looking straight ahead and lets out an aggressive bugle. This same process happens 3 more times at every shooting lane he goes through. Finally at 35 yards, once he is in the complete open, I get him to stop with a cow call, as he is just slightly quartering to me. (maybe 10 degrees max). I have been at full draw for close to 2 minutes now, but I settle my pin and squeeze the trigger of my release. My adrenaline is pumping but my initial thought is the shot seemed low. I wait about an hour and a half, and start tracing everything out. I quickly find some bright red blood, and keep tracking it as it gradually increases. At about 100 yards, it comes to an area with 2 approx 8" pools of dark blood, the best blood I had seen so far. With the amount of small plants still standing perfectly, I determined he did not bed down there. I spent the next 2 hours on my hands and knees searching that immediate area for another speck of blood, and was unsuccessful. He was walking instead of running by this point and the elk have been in the area so thick, I am not able to determine his track from any other. I then begin to grid search the area about 25 yards up and down and 300 yards side to side, looking for anything that might lead in the direction he went. I spent the remainder of the day and about 75% of the next day (day 5) looking for clues, birds circling, and anything that may help, before calling it off. This is a terrible feeling of not knowing, feeling sick to my stomach for making a less than perfect shot and wounding an animal.

Day 6 - I get up early and decide to head up a different drainage, get to the top and circle around to where I had been finding the elk. About half way up, I get a strong downhill thermal carrying the smell of death, and the gut wrenching feeling quickly comes right back to me. I keep working my way up as the smell is getting stronger, and soon see the large tan body laying between some thick patches of trees. I am in complete shock, and quickly begin cursing myself for letting this happen. I get up to the bull, look him over, make a small cut into him and determine by the smell and the heat of the last 2 days, there is no way the meat is salvageable. I search the whole area for any blood leading up to that spot and find nothing. I got to review my shot placement, it wasn't nearly as low as I thought, but about 6"-8" inches further back than i'd like. Without getting into him, i'm not sure exactly what the arrow hit but likely liver and possibly clipped a lung. After beating myself up for a while, and having such disappointment in myself, I take a few photos, notch my tag, remove the head and begin my journey home. As soon as I got to cell service, I called F&G, got a hold of an officer, and explained the whole situation and what happened. I advised that even though he knows it really sucks, to not lose too much sleep over it, as he see this happen once or twice a year; where the perfectly wrong placed arrow, can get sealed up pretty easily and they bleed out on the inside. His words eased my nerves just a little, but know I could've done better on my part to ensure this didn't happen.

I had a nice 16 hour solo drive home to think about everything, come to terms with losing such an amazing animal and know what I am going to work on for next season. Shooting a target with no heart rate, adrenaline, or long draw times is easy, and its easy to get complacent and think that our shooting skills are great. I will get back in the habit of getting an elevated heart rate, drawing and holding my bow and perfecting my archery skills in any way possible. An inch or two could have made all the difference, and I would be eating a beautiful bull right now rather than wasting him. If better is possible, then good is not enough.

Good luck to everyone still out there, don't get too comfortable.

 

[caesAR15]

The canyon my bro and I packed into was on fire with bugles all day and night. As soon as we crested the ridge into our spot, we called in a giant 6 point to 15 yards, but he was quartering to me and I wasn't going to take a shot that wasn't 100%. The next morning we walked circles from camp for 30 minutes trying to decide which bugle to chase. "This one is closer, no this one is closer, no this one sounds bigger..."

We got on a bull about noon, who was with a big group of cows, pushing them around and screaming his head off. He was answering every bugle, but didn't want to leave his cows. We got the wind right and slipped in. I stood on the edge of the herd, waiting for my chance. A couple of his cows wandered up to within 15 yards of me and bedded down. Sure enough, a few minutes later he came to check on those cows. I drew and sealed the deal.

Nicely done!!! Persistence pays off!