Jaker_cc
WKR
After chasing bulls since what seems like completely in the rain since opening day, we got on one last night by himself and finally put the pieces together. I was hunting with my two friends Forrest and Will who are from up here.
My buddy Will spotted this bull yesterday morning coming up from an alfalfa field while Forrest and I were hunting another nice bull with 30 cows. We were set up above the other bull and somehow they winded us. Being as it was getting later in the hunt I thought about throwing my bow off the mountain as I watched them run up and over the saddle. It had been a tough week with swirling winds and rain showers almost daily. We sat down to gather ourselves and Will sent Forrest a text that he had found this bull all by himself in a drainage way down low in antelope country.
We packed our gear from the cabin we stayed in the night before and headed down to town for a lunch of KFC extra crispy chicken and root beer to drink, then back to the lodge for a nap. Will came over about 4 and we got a plan together to go sit and spot for this bull and try to make a play on him. When we got to the glassing spot the wind was barreling up the hill into the drainage where this bull was last seen. We immediately backed out and Will and I decided to drive around above him as close as we dared and hike down when the wind changed. We listened to Johnny Cash and Colter Wall on the way up and the afternoon just had that feeling, like something incredible was on the way.
We sat under a cedar tree for two hours waiting for this bull to either show himself or sound off to let us know where he was. We watched a nice 3x3 mule deer and 6 does bed in the drainage across from us, this would be dicey later. Finally at 7:15, only 50 min until dark ol mr big made his appearance. He was only two drainages over heading down for the night, so will and I beat feet over to the first one trying to get eyes on him. But we completely forgot about the deer and they blew out running uphill.
I cow called a few times and the bull fired right up but he was headed further away from us. I think the deer caused him to push farther away and use a different drainage. We hustled over one, two, three drainages and he was nowhere to be seen. Breathing hard and legs burning we glasses up and down thinking maybe somehow he beat us down to the fields. Right then he walks out from behind a big cedar at 150 yards walking down hill. Crap!!! We are on top of the ridge so we take off running down the ridge line trying to get in front of him. The wind is blowing down hill as the sun had gone down over the mountain top so we were good there. We made it to a wash out of the ridge top and I got set up behind a tree, Will walked up above and at that very moment the bull walked just below us at 56 yards. Before Will could even see the bull I had him ranged and cow called to stop him. I let fly with the calmest shot I’ve ever put on an animal for some strange reason, and watched my arrow hit home!! All the hard work, all the hiking, all the sitting in the rain listening for bugles, all the sore knees and elbows and back came rushing to the surface at the realization of what just happened. Will barked at him when he realized what happened and I got another arrow ready, but it was all unnecessary, he ran up the hill 60 yards and toppled over.
I had to sit down and just stare in disbelief of what just happened to me, stuff like this doesn’t happened to me. My kegs were jackhammering so hard Will thought I was going to stroke out so out came the flask of Jamo to calm me down. We walked up to the bull about 10 min later after lots of man hugs and fist pumping, he was laying within sight and he was MINE!! For some reason it was my lucky day, I’m not sure I deserve it but dang am I happy it happened to me
My buddy Will spotted this bull yesterday morning coming up from an alfalfa field while Forrest and I were hunting another nice bull with 30 cows. We were set up above the other bull and somehow they winded us. Being as it was getting later in the hunt I thought about throwing my bow off the mountain as I watched them run up and over the saddle. It had been a tough week with swirling winds and rain showers almost daily. We sat down to gather ourselves and Will sent Forrest a text that he had found this bull all by himself in a drainage way down low in antelope country.
We packed our gear from the cabin we stayed in the night before and headed down to town for a lunch of KFC extra crispy chicken and root beer to drink, then back to the lodge for a nap. Will came over about 4 and we got a plan together to go sit and spot for this bull and try to make a play on him. When we got to the glassing spot the wind was barreling up the hill into the drainage where this bull was last seen. We immediately backed out and Will and I decided to drive around above him as close as we dared and hike down when the wind changed. We listened to Johnny Cash and Colter Wall on the way up and the afternoon just had that feeling, like something incredible was on the way.
We sat under a cedar tree for two hours waiting for this bull to either show himself or sound off to let us know where he was. We watched a nice 3x3 mule deer and 6 does bed in the drainage across from us, this would be dicey later. Finally at 7:15, only 50 min until dark ol mr big made his appearance. He was only two drainages over heading down for the night, so will and I beat feet over to the first one trying to get eyes on him. But we completely forgot about the deer and they blew out running uphill.
I cow called a few times and the bull fired right up but he was headed further away from us. I think the deer caused him to push farther away and use a different drainage. We hustled over one, two, three drainages and he was nowhere to be seen. Breathing hard and legs burning we glasses up and down thinking maybe somehow he beat us down to the fields. Right then he walks out from behind a big cedar at 150 yards walking down hill. Crap!!! We are on top of the ridge so we take off running down the ridge line trying to get in front of him. The wind is blowing down hill as the sun had gone down over the mountain top so we were good there. We made it to a wash out of the ridge top and I got set up behind a tree, Will walked up above and at that very moment the bull walked just below us at 56 yards. Before Will could even see the bull I had him ranged and cow called to stop him. I let fly with the calmest shot I’ve ever put on an animal for some strange reason, and watched my arrow hit home!! All the hard work, all the hiking, all the sitting in the rain listening for bugles, all the sore knees and elbows and back came rushing to the surface at the realization of what just happened. Will barked at him when he realized what happened and I got another arrow ready, but it was all unnecessary, he ran up the hill 60 yards and toppled over.
I had to sit down and just stare in disbelief of what just happened to me, stuff like this doesn’t happened to me. My kegs were jackhammering so hard Will thought I was going to stroke out so out came the flask of Jamo to calm me down. We walked up to the bull about 10 min later after lots of man hugs and fist pumping, he was laying within sight and he was MINE!! For some reason it was my lucky day, I’m not sure I deserve it but dang am I happy it happened to me
