My week of firsts!! (photo heavy)

[ssliger]

It all started on Friday Sept 20th. My wife had to work Saturday, so me and the kids took off after school and headed out to the camper. We got everything in camp situated then we had some dinner. This would be the first year of taking a week off for archery elk. This would also be the first time I wouldn't hunt over the weekend, I promised my kids i would hang out around camp and go for hikes and play in the creek.


Well the plan was my friend Chris and his family was coming out Saturday along with my wife, we would hang out and all the family would leave Sunday afternoon. Chris and I would drop off my Jeep at a trail head lower in elevation and then go to the higher elevation to backpack in. This was going to be our first backpack hunt. When we got to the upper trail head we had a storm brewing so we came up with plan B, sleep in the camper and start our hike in the morning after the storm passed.

So we woke up early Monday morning to head to the trail head.

Plan C hike in from the lower trail head.

We realized pretty quick that we were in a little over our heads for our first backpack trip. Mark it down as lessons learned. I made the mistake of when making a creek crossing trying to jump off a downed tree to the other side. My left knee sort of buckled. Stayed pretty sore the rest of the week.We set up camp and went for an evening hunt.

to be continued!!!

 

[ssliger]

We see no fresh sign of elk so we decide to leave our camp in place and take a vehicle up to the upper trail head and hunt down the drainage.





We hunt all day Tuesday and no sign of elk, so now onto plan D. So we move to a different part of the unit.

 

[ssliger]

We head out Wednesday afternoon. As we are creeping through some dark timber we see a couple of cows at the same time they see us and then they are gone. We kept working into the wind and found a small depression with a pond in it. We think it would be a good place to hunker down and see if any elk come in to water. As we were heading to the water, we where about 60 yards out and I see a splash. I think to myself holy crap there is already and elk there. Then this large black bear comes across the pond. Wow the first time I have ever seen a black bear in the woods not in my vehicle. Then all the sudden-

and-

Now we are a little worried, a sow and 2 cubs in less than 60 yards. What a night, we end up seeing 2 more cow elk and a large bull moose.
Thursday morning finds us working into this clear cut to the north of a creek. First bugle of the trip comes out of this hole down towards the creek. The wind was bad so we tried to get him to come to our cow calls, no dice. We decide to work up on the ridge and get the wind right and come down to where we heard the bugles. He stopped bugling around 8 am and we were unable to find him. So we spend Thursday evening back where we saw the bears. We headed further out to the end of the ridge and find a huge open park.


and some amazing views

 

[ssliger]

Wake up Friday morning and feel spent, all my muscles are fatigued and both my knees are swelling pretty bad. While I am getting dressed it starts to rain. Then on our way in the dark the higher we get the worse the rain is and then the fog moves in. I am pretty down in the dumps thinking this is last morning of my hunt and the weather was going to suck. We get to where we want to start and with the fog and rain turning to snow, we still cannot see. We where going to try and find the bull that bugled the day before. So it's now 7 and I decide to get out into the weather and try a bugle. Holy crap he answered right away and he was close. So I hurry and get my release on and head out into the clear cut. I was working my way towards him and bugling from time to time. I was hidden behind a tree and he stepped out at around 20 yards and for the first time in my life I watch a bull bugle and see the steam of his breath. I was freaking out. While I was hiding I hear a branch break to my right, the bull takes off. Right then I am pissed thinking my friend was trying to walk and stepped on a branch. Found out later that he had slipped. While the bull was retreating we cow called and got him to stop at the edge of the clear cut. So we continue working our way to him. My friend is to my right and he gets pinned down in the open, so I motion for him to cow call. The bull is behind a tree so I move a little closer and see his back. He starts to turn, so I draw my bow back for the first time on an animal. He steps out and stops, I estimated him at 30 yards, place my pin behind his shoulder and released. I always hear people say they saw the arrow hit, or they her that thwack of a hit. I basically blacked out. My friend came closer to me and said the elk ran towards the dark timber, I said what? He said he just ran that way, I said Chris I shot. He had no idea, then he asked did you hit him? I said I have no idea. Then we figured we should look for my arrow. While looking for the arrow I heard a crash to my right, I am thinking oh great I just pushed him into the dark timber. I was staring at the edge of the clear cut and couldn't help but notice a tan object that looked like a rock.

I stared at the rock for what seemed like and eternity and then I saw his head try and move. I realized he was down and couldn't get up. Holy crap!!!!! We backed out to the jeep and waited the longest 30 minutes of my life.
While at the jeep we got our packs on along with our rain jackets and headed back for my elk.
This is a picture of the first arrow I ever shot at an animal.

First ever archery animal!!!!!!!

 

[ssliger]

Here is a pic of my buddy Chris, couldn't have done it without him. It was his first year archery as well.

And here is the happy hunter, I still can't stop smiling!!!!

 

[lorneparker1]

Fricking awesome man!!!!

 

[MOcluck]

Good story and good job!

 

[Vandal 44]

Nicely done, and a good story

 

[123 4/8 P&Y]

Nice work!

 

[muleman]

Congrats, way to push through the challenges.

 

[IrishnId]

Sweet! Sounds like a week for the books.

 

[a3dhunter]

Congrats!

 

[Randle]

Way to go, looks like a great hunt.

 

[carpssublime]

Awesome hunt, very nice work

 

[Manosteel]

CONGRATS! What an accomplishment! Great story, you had me slowly reading every line and it was great to read you got a bull and a fantastic one at that. Great example of you never know when or where so anytime you are in the bush, be ready and expect an animal to pop up around every bush.

 

[MT_Nate]

HUGE congrats to you. What a great feeling!

 

[Shrek]

Congratulations ! Great story , I particularly like the picture of the elk down with the antlers sticking up from the brush and down timber . Captures the feeling of finding your animal for me.

 

[badkneesbro]

You sir, are an excellent story teller & photographer. Im happy for you, & hope to read & see more of your adventures in the future. Congrats!

 

[IAHNTR]

Dang brother, what a hunt. Great story and GREAT bull. I bet you did jump when he answered you back that close. I know I would have. You go from a feeling of disappointment to "We have a chance". Well done sir.

 

[realunlucky]

Doesn't get much better than that congratulations