Well, last year was my first attempt at elk hunting and I threw together a spur of the moment trip and while I didn't kill I had a good hunt, came close, passed on some cows and learned a lot!
Fast forward to this year. Had since last year to plan and planned for a 3 week solo trip to hunt Wyoming on a general tag.
So here's the story. Left on Sunday the 11th and arrived at midnight of the 12th. Slept in truck till light and decided to not hunt and just setup camp. Got all setup by lunch time and decide to head out for an evening hunt.
Climb up to a spot I though would be a good listening spot. It's now 4:30 and I decide to let out a location bugle. Instantly get two Bulls to respond. Game on. Now they keep talking on their own and I'm stalking in on the closest one who is also the most vocal. I get setup and cow call and when he responds I cut him off with a bugle. Shortly after I can see movement out maybe 200yds. Shortly after I get a nervous grunt. Damn! This ain't going good. So I grunt back and follow it with a short intense bugle. Nothing. I wait maybe a minute and get another grunt but now he's probly only 80-100yds. It's thick and I can't see him. So I try it again and wait. After a minute or two he bugles but now he's prob 300+ yds away. I figure that gig is up and I'm losing light with a good trek back to the truck so I head out. One hell of a first day! This is looking good!
I'm taking off boots at the truck right at dark and there's a bull across the draw screaming his head off so I make note of where he's at to go after on an evening hunt as the area he is in will need to be hunted from the top down so I figured I will need the evening thermals.
Next morning, second hunt, I hit a trail at about 4:30, start covering ground bugling every 1/2 mile. After about three miles I get a response! Game on but he's below me so I have to circle around and get below him and hunt up. I'm stalking in Everytime he bugles without saying a word. I get about 200 yds away and stop to listen for his next bugle to make my move. As im standing there I see movement 10yds away behind some thick stuff. It's an elk. I figured it's a cow or something as I know it isn't the bull im closing in on because of where he's at vs where I heard the last bugle. So I don't pay it any mind and then bam, the bull bugles again and sounds like he's just around a bend from me, so I'm slowly creeping around to get a peak of the open area I think he's in when I look back at the elk that I was standing on side of to see if I'm gonna spook it while trying to get a peak of the bull, when I look back I now have a good view and HOLY COW, it's a BIG 6pt just standing there looking around! New plan, forget the bull that bugled, try to get a shot on this one. I find a small opening right in front of him and am now waiting for him to take a step so I can get a shot. He starts moving, I draw, he's passing through the only small area I have that I can make a shot. I have to squat down for a clear shot but I do, put the pin on the spot and release, this all happened within a split second! The arrow smacks him and omg, it's way high and forward, I have no idea what happened! I see it hit and stop like I shot a steel plate and the bull peels out and I'm already down because I just KNOW it's not fatal. The other bull is still bugling and I want to knock another arrow and try to get him but tell myself no way, even though I'm sure the bull I shot isn't hurt I feel I have to try and hope for the best. To finish this off, after a while and finding my arrow broke off and only missing 3" of it and not a single drop of blood anywhere I head back to to the truck sick! I just had a chip shot on a nice big bull and I blew it at 10yds. Thinking now I missed my only chance I'll prob get!
I'm back at camp trying to get over the pain and decide ok it's time to head out again. Gotta keep my head high! So I head out to see if that bull I mentioned bugling at dark the first day is still in that area. I get to my listening spot around 3:30 and fig id sit and just see if he bugles on his own. If not I'll bugle at 5 and hope for a response. I'm not there 15min and he bugles. Game on. I'm stalking in, I get to about 6-700yds away never saying a word, and now another bull back behind me up the mountain starts bugling and the bull I'm closing in on gets pissed. He dnt like the idea of that bull sounding off. I'm thinking this is good, I'll get this bull to commit to some cow talk to hook me up before the other bull can. Now I'm 100yds or less. I give a lost mew and he answers instantly, so I instantly respond with some excited cow pleading. The other bull is bugling to but I never answer him, but Everytime the one I'm after bugles I cut him off again with pleading and a contact buzz of two. It's not a whole minute and he rounds a turn 20 yds away screaming a bugle to me, I'm already drawn as I can tell he was coming and as soon as he gets in an opening I shoot him at 20yds, it's a frontal shot. Arrow finds its mark and buries to the fletchings! Great! I knock another instantly giving some calls to hopefully stop him for another shot but before I can I see him crash!
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