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
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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!
