Rocky Mountain High

[bz_711]

A few supporting pics... great trip and glad I could help.

The blood pic was the largest of the lot and within 50' of the initial hit. Most of the rest of the trail, a single drop every 5-10yds for nearly 1/4 mile. I would mark last blood and Matt start searching for the next speck.

Bill - I appreciate the extra pics and vids...BUT MORESO appreciate all your hard work packing two full loads off the mountain!!! You have a couple "pack credits" on account with me...

I'll never forget that day...and I sure won't forget that fist pump after I shot the bull...pretty cool you caught that moment

 

[njdoxie]

Enjoyed that

 

[MtnHunter]

Congratulations, and thanks for the great write-up! The time between the shot and finding him is always so nerve wracking!

 

[Bl704]

Congratulations, and thanks for the great write-up! The time between the shot and finding him is always so nerve wracking!

I can't speak for Matt, but definately a bit of an emotional roller-coaster with as little blood as there was. Trying to follow tracks on a mountainside, already riddled with random tracks, had us looking in all the wrong places (to low) for a good hour. Once we got on some kind of blood trail I think the spirits started lifting a tad, but we're still coupled with confusion as to how little blood we were seeing...till Matt crested the rise and said "Bill, I think I see him"...

 

[Mtslackcountry]

Congrats and what broadhead?

 

[Bails-UK]

Great write up Matt, so happy for you my friend, you deserve all the success you get and earn it everytime. My only regret is not being there to share the moment #gettinerdone

 

[AKHUNTER]

That's a great write-up and a really nice bull! Good job with all of it and thanks for sharing.

 

[bozeman]

Great Read! Thx for sharing. Maybe one day. Can't find anyone in Bama that wants to give it a try. Trying to build up the courage to try it on my own.

 

[sharpshooter269]

Great shot! What was the broadhead?


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[bz_711]

I can't speak for Matt, but definately a bit of an emotional roller-coaster with as little blood as there was. Trying to follow tracks on a mountainside, already riddled with random tracks, had us looking in all the wrong places (to low) for a good hour. Once we got on some kind of blood trail I think the spirits started lifting a tad, but we're still coupled with confusion as to how little blood we were seeing...till Matt crested the rise and said "Bill, I think I see him"...

Roller Coaster for sure...I have to say about an hour in I got a little nervous...but honestly never felt that we would not find him, I knew the shot looked good, and I was 99% sure he was dead...I was just thinking this could be a long night because I'm not sure I would have given up

Congrats and what broadhead?

Carbon Express Torrid SS broadheads. I don't blame any of this on the broadhead, I think it was just a perfect storm of going through the meaty part of leg and some kind of flesh plugged the hole. I started shooting these heads in 2011 and have shot multiple elk, deer, and a turkey...and this was the first animal I had to track, I have seen or heard all the others fall...I love these heads (although they are cheap in price and might not be strongest ferrule).

Great write up Matt, so happy for you my friend, you deserve all the success you get and earn it everytime. My only regret is not being there to share the moment #gettinerdone

Thanks Dave! You were there when it all started...You, Mark, and I climbing those boulders up the mountain on my first morning out...didn't see any elk that 1st day but I was hooked

Great Read! Thx for sharing. Maybe one day. Can't find anyone in Bama that wants to give it a try. Trying to build up the courage to try it on my own.

Don't give up...you'll love it. I highly recommend teaming up if possible, makes the journey more enjoyable and almost a necessity should you get one. Good Luck - plenty of info on this site to help you get it all arranged.

 

[Finch]

Congrats Matt! Loved the story and great pics. Maybe it was best that you did miss that satellite!

 

[IdahoElk]

Nice Backstrap!

 

[COLOelkman]

"Unfortunately his best encounter did not end up with the arrow being released…he was able to come to full draw on a spike bull at 25 yards and as often happens with archery gear, the vitals were behind a tree and he needed the bull to take 1 more step…which did not happen."
Congrats on a great hunt and nice writeup. I noticed you mentioned an encounter with a spike early in your story and saw you'd mentioned previously in another thread that this was a general unit. Not trying to be critical but was this a unit that allowed spikes as most of the units where you can shoot a spike are limited draw units and not ones that can be hunted with an OTC tag unless I'm misunderstanding something. Just wanted to be sure you were aware of that for future hunts. Perhaps this was one of the limited units?

 

[bz_711]

"Unfortunately his best encounter did not end up with the arrow being released…he was able to come to full draw on a spike bull at 25 yards and as often happens with archery gear, the vitals were behind a tree and he needed the bull to take 1 more step…which did not happen."
Congrats on a great hunt and nice writeup. I noticed you mentioned an encounter with a spike early in your story and saw you'd mentioned previously in another thread that this was a general unit. Not trying to be critical but was this a unit that allowed spikes as most of the units where you can shoot a spike are limited draw units and not ones that can be hunted with an OTC tag unless I'm misunderstanding something. Just wanted to be sure you were aware of that for future hunts. Perhaps this was one of the limited units?

Yes, LE unit that allows spikes...i believe I mentioned "DIY public land " in other thread...not general/OTC...

 

[tzimm007]

Great story!! Congratulations!!


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[Northernpiker]

The highs and lows of hunting makes a person feel alive. Great story and Congratulations!

 

[AdamW]

Great story, pics and bull! What an adventure.

 

[ColoradoV]

Cool deal congrats!