Chopperman
FNG
This story was written on 19th......
So the last three days have been action packed elk hunting with 2 out of 3 tags filled. Opening day saw a hunter get his first elk a nice 5x5 young bull. We watched him, a spiker and 8 cow calf pairs for over an hour until they came out of the trees to go for water where he put two well placed shots that put him down where he stood. We were able to drive right up to him with the quads and a quad tub trailer and haul him out.
That evening hunt had lots of bugling which let us know where to go in the morning. Morning found us locating a respectable 6x6 bull and 4 cows in a hay field, I put the stalk on him which involved a lot of belly crawling to try and get within range, but he chased his cows into the bush before I could get into range. Man I love elk hunting! After some more bugling back and forth we headed back for some lunch and then a afternoon walk through the hills in the beautiful peace river valley which had a few mule deer sightings and some great scenery.
For the evening hunt I choose to hunt the field where the bull I stalked that morning was feeding.
Shortly after arriving I heard bugles coming from the creek canyon (which is very steep and has some ugly country) so I started cow calling and threw in the odd bugle which had 4 bulls calling back and making their way up out of the canyon towards me.
The first to come into the field was a 2x2 bull (who sounded much bigger lol) that started to feed. I watched from behind a round bale when a whitetail doe with two fawns came up behind me and started to blow steadily at me, the bull would look at her but because she did it over and over and he couldn't see anything he went back to eating. The next two bulls that came in were both spikers that joined in the feeding. Meanwhile the last bull making his way up had that deep growling call with lots of force that just says "I'm the king" he came into view just over 600 yards and there was no question he was the one.....
At first he didn't seem interested in my calls and daylight was fading fast, then I gave a bugle and that got him revved up and he started coming to me like he was on a string! When he got under 275 yards I said to myself as soon as he turns broadside he's getting one. At what I figured to be 250 yards he turned broadside and I heard the thwap of the first shot..... He headed for the field edge (where it drops quickly into the canyon so I gave him two more of which both were hits. I knew the shots were good but I also had a bow shot elk in the same field go over the edge at the end of the day which I recovered the next morning ( no spoilage). I gave him about 40 minutes then went to ten area he went over and started to look for blood with my headlamp.
Not long after I found blood at the fence line! My hunting partner should up with a spot light and we followed a trail into a treed drainage where we found him about 50 yards in and down (pretty steep).
I was one happy and proud hunter when I walked up on him!!!!
So the last three days have been action packed elk hunting with 2 out of 3 tags filled. Opening day saw a hunter get his first elk a nice 5x5 young bull. We watched him, a spiker and 8 cow calf pairs for over an hour until they came out of the trees to go for water where he put two well placed shots that put him down where he stood. We were able to drive right up to him with the quads and a quad tub trailer and haul him out.
That evening hunt had lots of bugling which let us know where to go in the morning. Morning found us locating a respectable 6x6 bull and 4 cows in a hay field, I put the stalk on him which involved a lot of belly crawling to try and get within range, but he chased his cows into the bush before I could get into range. Man I love elk hunting! After some more bugling back and forth we headed back for some lunch and then a afternoon walk through the hills in the beautiful peace river valley which had a few mule deer sightings and some great scenery.
For the evening hunt I choose to hunt the field where the bull I stalked that morning was feeding.
Shortly after arriving I heard bugles coming from the creek canyon (which is very steep and has some ugly country) so I started cow calling and threw in the odd bugle which had 4 bulls calling back and making their way up out of the canyon towards me.
The first to come into the field was a 2x2 bull (who sounded much bigger lol) that started to feed. I watched from behind a round bale when a whitetail doe with two fawns came up behind me and started to blow steadily at me, the bull would look at her but because she did it over and over and he couldn't see anything he went back to eating. The next two bulls that came in were both spikers that joined in the feeding. Meanwhile the last bull making his way up had that deep growling call with lots of force that just says "I'm the king" he came into view just over 600 yards and there was no question he was the one.....
At first he didn't seem interested in my calls and daylight was fading fast, then I gave a bugle and that got him revved up and he started coming to me like he was on a string! When he got under 275 yards I said to myself as soon as he turns broadside he's getting one. At what I figured to be 250 yards he turned broadside and I heard the thwap of the first shot..... He headed for the field edge (where it drops quickly into the canyon so I gave him two more of which both were hits. I knew the shots were good but I also had a bow shot elk in the same field go over the edge at the end of the day which I recovered the next morning ( no spoilage). I gave him about 40 minutes then went to ten area he went over and started to look for blood with my headlamp.
Not long after I found blood at the fence line! My hunting partner should up with a spot light and we followed a trail into a treed drainage where we found him about 50 yards in and down (pretty steep).
I was one happy and proud hunter when I walked up on him!!!!
