Gerbdog
WKR
Fact is.... i just cant pass em up. No self restraint.
Went out yesterday mornin for my 2nd day of hunting this season.... Got into the hunting spot Friday night, had some time to glass some cows up above treeline in the area.
Went to bed, and around 3 am could hear a bull bugling across the valley from me. He kept it up for awhile, i got up eventually made some breakfast and ate, didnt hear him anymore, decided i'd just bugle from right there in camp... sure enough a bull sounded off across the valley so i said "ah well, if he wants to play then i want to play too".
So day starts with a river crossing:
Dont need no coffee with ice cold water first thing in the morning before the lights come up.
I start heading into the direction i heard the bugle come from, i got an idea of where he's at on the mountain although i'd never hunted that section........
If you have time to study your map when you hear a bugle... check that topo .... i knew there was a bench up there.... i should have checked for access to that bench because i decided to just cut a straight line up the mountain... it was a rough decision.... loads of deadfall and at one point crawling up an incline so steep i had to set the bow down and use all 4 limbs to climb up grabbing at roots. Of course the bull is on the bench right above this section.
Manage to climb the awfulness and end up on the bench, i rip off a bugle, get a response on the other side of the bench - sweet he's still here and wants to play, somewhere in the distance there's another bugle but thats neither close nor my goal for that morning. Breakfast is sitting like a lead weight in my gutt .. bleh... completely winded, huffing and puffing from the climb but.... its game on
I move forward probably 50 yards to cut the distance a bit, rake a tree, the bull bugles immediately, i cut him off and move forward 30 yards .... im watching the timber to see if he's making his way towards me but i dont see anything... i let a few minutes pass and the other bull in the distance bugles for me.... the bull in front of me lets loose but he hasnt moved so i move forward another 30 yards.
Still trying to catch my breath from the climb ... i start raking a tree again, the bull in front bugles, hasnt moved but im getting closer to him, and i cut him off.
I move forward another 20 yards and this is where i actually had a little sense this year... previously i am pretty hard charging and push until it breaks.... i'd normally have kept bugling and cutting off until i was in that bulls face but.... its a good way to get busted cause that bull hadnt moved.... he was waiting to see me ... and i had the presence of mind this year to realize that....
So i just waited, i saw a large game trail next to me, i stepped off of it a couple of yards and put some brush behind me.... and i waited about 10 minutes....
Eventually that bull got curious, he started bugling at me and coming down, could see him coming through the trees and i held steady. Kept holding as he got onto his muddy game trail and right down the path.... had a nice large beetle kill about 10 yards in front and as soon as he stepped behind that i came to full draw..... he never spotted the movement.
He came around that big beetle kill and looked at me and went "oh sh@t" .... but i was a little quicker and let that arrow go on a frontal shot at 10 yards....
He spun, walked about 10 yards, turned to look at me, and tipped over.
I have a problem of not breathing during encounters... so between the adrenaline.... cutting off my oxygen after winding myself on the climb.... and breakfast not settling well.... i left breakfast right there in the woods.
Proceeded to take apart a bull solo for the first time.... not at all easy.... tried using ropes to tie off limbs and things but man.... its way easier with another person. Long day and not into bed until midnight last night. But.... good fresh meat! outta taste real good.
Still got a bear tag to fill this year so.... hunting seasons not over yet.... i'm sure i'll see plenty more elk!
Went out yesterday mornin for my 2nd day of hunting this season.... Got into the hunting spot Friday night, had some time to glass some cows up above treeline in the area.
Went to bed, and around 3 am could hear a bull bugling across the valley from me. He kept it up for awhile, i got up eventually made some breakfast and ate, didnt hear him anymore, decided i'd just bugle from right there in camp... sure enough a bull sounded off across the valley so i said "ah well, if he wants to play then i want to play too".
So day starts with a river crossing:
Dont need no coffee with ice cold water first thing in the morning before the lights come up.
I start heading into the direction i heard the bugle come from, i got an idea of where he's at on the mountain although i'd never hunted that section........
If you have time to study your map when you hear a bugle... check that topo .... i knew there was a bench up there.... i should have checked for access to that bench because i decided to just cut a straight line up the mountain... it was a rough decision.... loads of deadfall and at one point crawling up an incline so steep i had to set the bow down and use all 4 limbs to climb up grabbing at roots. Of course the bull is on the bench right above this section.
Manage to climb the awfulness and end up on the bench, i rip off a bugle, get a response on the other side of the bench - sweet he's still here and wants to play, somewhere in the distance there's another bugle but thats neither close nor my goal for that morning. Breakfast is sitting like a lead weight in my gutt .. bleh... completely winded, huffing and puffing from the climb but.... its game on
I move forward probably 50 yards to cut the distance a bit, rake a tree, the bull bugles immediately, i cut him off and move forward 30 yards .... im watching the timber to see if he's making his way towards me but i dont see anything... i let a few minutes pass and the other bull in the distance bugles for me.... the bull in front of me lets loose but he hasnt moved so i move forward another 30 yards.
Still trying to catch my breath from the climb ... i start raking a tree again, the bull in front bugles, hasnt moved but im getting closer to him, and i cut him off.
I move forward another 20 yards and this is where i actually had a little sense this year... previously i am pretty hard charging and push until it breaks.... i'd normally have kept bugling and cutting off until i was in that bulls face but.... its a good way to get busted cause that bull hadnt moved.... he was waiting to see me ... and i had the presence of mind this year to realize that....
So i just waited, i saw a large game trail next to me, i stepped off of it a couple of yards and put some brush behind me.... and i waited about 10 minutes....
Eventually that bull got curious, he started bugling at me and coming down, could see him coming through the trees and i held steady. Kept holding as he got onto his muddy game trail and right down the path.... had a nice large beetle kill about 10 yards in front and as soon as he stepped behind that i came to full draw..... he never spotted the movement.
He came around that big beetle kill and looked at me and went "oh sh@t" .... but i was a little quicker and let that arrow go on a frontal shot at 10 yards....
He spun, walked about 10 yards, turned to look at me, and tipped over.
I have a problem of not breathing during encounters... so between the adrenaline.... cutting off my oxygen after winding myself on the climb.... and breakfast not settling well.... i left breakfast right there in the woods.
Proceeded to take apart a bull solo for the first time.... not at all easy.... tried using ropes to tie off limbs and things but man.... its way easier with another person. Long day and not into bed until midnight last night. But.... good fresh meat! outta taste real good.
Still got a bear tag to fill this year so.... hunting seasons not over yet.... i'm sure i'll see plenty more elk!
