I had really intended to hunt a few seasons with a bow before drawing out on a LE entry. But I got lucky. I never get lucky in anything else in life, but the hunting gods have smiled down on me with a couple of good tags the last 2 years. I'm still a fairly green hunter. This is my 4th season getting after elk. I shot my first bull in 2021 on a general rifle hunt and have been wanting to get into archery for a few years. But I'd never hunted with a bow before. Just stick 'em with the pointy end, right?
And thanks to Utah posting draw results so late, all potential hunting partners had plans. So I was in this solo.
Ok enough background. Let's fast forward to the good parts.
I had 10 days blocked out for the hunt. Day 1 & 2 turned up nada, so I pulled stakes in Plan A and moved to Plan B. The morning of Day 3 found me on a ridgetop calling across a narrow canyon to a nice north facing slope when I turned up my first bugle. Oh boy! This is my first time EVER calling elk, so let's see if I can handle this without screwing up. I dropped an OnX pin on the general area where he was at and hiked out and around. Spent a few hours trying to work his ridge while keeping the wind favorable but was striking out on getting another response. I finally found the magic spot, and the ridge lit up with bugles. There were 3 bulls answering, but 1 was particularly vocal, and I thought I could get in close on him.
I dropped an updated pin on him and made a big loop to try to get close with the best wind. I bumped some bedded cows (oops), but he wasn't bothered, and when I got within ~300 yds to I set off another bugle. He responded immediately, and this time his bugle carried a bit more emotion. Don't think he liked me being so close. We called back and forth while I worked in closer, and he got more and more fired up. Finally, I cut him off with a challenge bugle, and he became downright pissed. I was around 100 yds away at this point with moderately thick timber between us. I could hear him pacing and raking and... huffing? Didn't know bulls could make some of the noises he made.
He went silent for a minute. I was so close but couldn't quite see him. I was making a plan to cut across a small ravine between us when I saw antler tips coming uphill directly towards me. SHIT! He was inside 50 yards and I didn't even have an arrow nocked. My adrenaline immediately spiked, and despite my fumbling fingers I was able to nock while his eyes were hidden. But he was still coming at me. Inside 20 yards, his head went behind the last tree standing between us and I drew. But he caught movement and froze. I stood at full draw for what felt like forever. I couldn't get my nerves under control and was shaking badly. All I could see were his antlers sticking out from either side of the tree. He was directly upwind, so at least that was in my favor.
He finally stuck his head out to the side to peek around the tree. He was a raghorn, but I'd decided from the outset that I wasn't passing on anything. #1 goal was to make it happen. I had my pin on his neck and was praying for him to just take 1 step forward. Just 1 step. Show me them vitals! But that next step was him bolting. My shaking gave me away.
It was a little after noon, and I stood there thinking about what to do. I knew he didn't smell me, so it was the movement and his instinct that drove him off. And while I stood there, I heard one of the other bulls fire off. But I just had this feeling that I needed to leave and try again tomorrow. Stew on what went right and what went wrong, don't get greedy and push all the elk out. So I left, hunted a different ridge the rest of the afternoon, and made a bee-line for this ridge the next morning.
Several hours of calling, doing many things right, only to have it come apart in the last minute. I figured my #1 mistake was not anticipating him coming to me. I decided that the next time I had a bull within 100 yards or so that I would have an arrow nocked and ready.
Day 4. I got into position and began with some cow calls and location bugles. I was met with silence, but I knew they were in there. This ridge was perfect, and there was no reason for these animals to leave. After some time I finally got a lazy response. Then another. I was there early but they were already bedded. I picked the bull that was higher up the ridge this time and got to work getting into position.
When I was ~200 yards from his estimated position I began calling again. Again, I was met with silence. Ok, maybe they're going to be more shy today, but I was ok with that. I was in a great spot, I knew there were bulls close, and I'd just make myself comfortable until one of them decided they wanted to play. This part of the ridge was largely aspens, and they gave good shooting lanes while offering decent cover. I sat down and ranged everything around me.
Not long after, I caught movement in the meadow below me. Bull! There was a nice 5x5 creeping towards my position. He paused behind a large spruce. Taking advantage of the momentary cover, I stood, nocked, and connected my release. I couldn't see him for several minutes. This guy is going to be cautious. Maybe I can work with that. I finally let out a few cow calls, and that immediately got him moving again. Instead of coming right at me, it looked like he was going to try to circle around. The thermals were coming steadily uphill, so this could work out in my favor.
He was at 60 yards, but behind too much cover. He was working slightly away from me to my right, but then he cut directly uphill. My heart jumped. This might work out if I'm patient. It looked like he'd cross through a wide-open lane directly parallel with me at 40 yards. As he continued uphill, his eyes became momentarily obscured. I drew and gently reset my feet. I had my nerves under control this time, and my hands were steady. He continued uphill. When he reached the open lane, he paused. I put my 40 yard pin on him and squeezed. I watched the arrow fly and hit a little right of where I aimed, but it still looked good.
He whirled and crashed back down the hill and away from me. I immediately sent out some desperate cow calls. He stopped just out of sight. I heard a loud crash, some moans, a cough, and then silence. I marked the time at 10:30am. At 10:45 I creeped towards where I last heard him and was rewarded with the sight of a dead bull.
I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it. My first archery bull. Got him quartered and on ice by 6pm. Home by 9. It's surreal. I just can't describe all the feelings from drawing this tag, to planning the hunt, to finding the first bugle, to screwing up the first encounter, to making a double lung shot on a bull. As much as I love hunting with a rifle, I have little doubt I'll be back out next fall with my bow.
I have to include a few food pics. The best part about hunting, imo. I made osso bucco for the first time and am in love. Never again will shank go into the grind pile.
And thanks to Utah posting draw results so late, all potential hunting partners had plans. So I was in this solo.
Ok enough background. Let's fast forward to the good parts.
I had 10 days blocked out for the hunt. Day 1 & 2 turned up nada, so I pulled stakes in Plan A and moved to Plan B. The morning of Day 3 found me on a ridgetop calling across a narrow canyon to a nice north facing slope when I turned up my first bugle. Oh boy! This is my first time EVER calling elk, so let's see if I can handle this without screwing up. I dropped an OnX pin on the general area where he was at and hiked out and around. Spent a few hours trying to work his ridge while keeping the wind favorable but was striking out on getting another response. I finally found the magic spot, and the ridge lit up with bugles. There were 3 bulls answering, but 1 was particularly vocal, and I thought I could get in close on him.
I dropped an updated pin on him and made a big loop to try to get close with the best wind. I bumped some bedded cows (oops), but he wasn't bothered, and when I got within ~300 yds to I set off another bugle. He responded immediately, and this time his bugle carried a bit more emotion. Don't think he liked me being so close. We called back and forth while I worked in closer, and he got more and more fired up. Finally, I cut him off with a challenge bugle, and he became downright pissed. I was around 100 yds away at this point with moderately thick timber between us. I could hear him pacing and raking and... huffing? Didn't know bulls could make some of the noises he made.
He went silent for a minute. I was so close but couldn't quite see him. I was making a plan to cut across a small ravine between us when I saw antler tips coming uphill directly towards me. SHIT! He was inside 50 yards and I didn't even have an arrow nocked. My adrenaline immediately spiked, and despite my fumbling fingers I was able to nock while his eyes were hidden. But he was still coming at me. Inside 20 yards, his head went behind the last tree standing between us and I drew. But he caught movement and froze. I stood at full draw for what felt like forever. I couldn't get my nerves under control and was shaking badly. All I could see were his antlers sticking out from either side of the tree. He was directly upwind, so at least that was in my favor.
He finally stuck his head out to the side to peek around the tree. He was a raghorn, but I'd decided from the outset that I wasn't passing on anything. #1 goal was to make it happen. I had my pin on his neck and was praying for him to just take 1 step forward. Just 1 step. Show me them vitals! But that next step was him bolting. My shaking gave me away.
It was a little after noon, and I stood there thinking about what to do. I knew he didn't smell me, so it was the movement and his instinct that drove him off. And while I stood there, I heard one of the other bulls fire off. But I just had this feeling that I needed to leave and try again tomorrow. Stew on what went right and what went wrong, don't get greedy and push all the elk out. So I left, hunted a different ridge the rest of the afternoon, and made a bee-line for this ridge the next morning.
Several hours of calling, doing many things right, only to have it come apart in the last minute. I figured my #1 mistake was not anticipating him coming to me. I decided that the next time I had a bull within 100 yards or so that I would have an arrow nocked and ready.
Day 4. I got into position and began with some cow calls and location bugles. I was met with silence, but I knew they were in there. This ridge was perfect, and there was no reason for these animals to leave. After some time I finally got a lazy response. Then another. I was there early but they were already bedded. I picked the bull that was higher up the ridge this time and got to work getting into position.
When I was ~200 yards from his estimated position I began calling again. Again, I was met with silence. Ok, maybe they're going to be more shy today, but I was ok with that. I was in a great spot, I knew there were bulls close, and I'd just make myself comfortable until one of them decided they wanted to play. This part of the ridge was largely aspens, and they gave good shooting lanes while offering decent cover. I sat down and ranged everything around me.
Not long after, I caught movement in the meadow below me. Bull! There was a nice 5x5 creeping towards my position. He paused behind a large spruce. Taking advantage of the momentary cover, I stood, nocked, and connected my release. I couldn't see him for several minutes. This guy is going to be cautious. Maybe I can work with that. I finally let out a few cow calls, and that immediately got him moving again. Instead of coming right at me, it looked like he was going to try to circle around. The thermals were coming steadily uphill, so this could work out in my favor.
He was at 60 yards, but behind too much cover. He was working slightly away from me to my right, but then he cut directly uphill. My heart jumped. This might work out if I'm patient. It looked like he'd cross through a wide-open lane directly parallel with me at 40 yards. As he continued uphill, his eyes became momentarily obscured. I drew and gently reset my feet. I had my nerves under control this time, and my hands were steady. He continued uphill. When he reached the open lane, he paused. I put my 40 yard pin on him and squeezed. I watched the arrow fly and hit a little right of where I aimed, but it still looked good.
He whirled and crashed back down the hill and away from me. I immediately sent out some desperate cow calls. He stopped just out of sight. I heard a loud crash, some moans, a cough, and then silence. I marked the time at 10:30am. At 10:45 I creeped towards where I last heard him and was rewarded with the sight of a dead bull.
I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it. My first archery bull. Got him quartered and on ice by 6pm. Home by 9. It's surreal. I just can't describe all the feelings from drawing this tag, to planning the hunt, to finding the first bugle, to screwing up the first encounter, to making a double lung shot on a bull. As much as I love hunting with a rifle, I have little doubt I'll be back out next fall with my bow.
I have to include a few food pics. The best part about hunting, imo. I made osso bucco for the first time and am in love. Never again will shank go into the grind pile.
Congrats on your success.
