I took my son elk hunting on the last day of the season when he was 5, so 2002. We left after kindergarten and had a drive, so we got there late, had about and hour of daylight left. As soon as I parked and opened the door, a bull bugled pretty close by.
I jumped out, got him out and strung my longbow up. He had his bite n blow cow call around his neck, and I told him to give it a whirl. He called, the bull answered. I picked him up and ran about 100 yards up an old logging road and tucked in some jack pines and told him to have at it. He’d call, the bull would answer, closer. Then I could see his antlers, a thin 6, bobbing through this old clear cut full of jack pine. I told him the bull was going to circle behind us to try and smell the cow( him), and I was going to the next clump 15 yards away and try to find an opening to shoot him before he could.
I go, and see those antlers heading to an opening, but I have to move around a tree a bit. He has 2 steps to go, I come to anchor, and then DAAAAADDDDYYYYYYYY!!!!!! The bull stops and I can see his antlers radar my direction. At the time I was shooting a 64# Sky, so I wasn’t staying at full draw long so I let down. Here comes the boy, crying and yelling for me. Now, I was 15 yards and a step to the right away, but for a five year old, in the woods and close to dark, I may as well have been a mile. I picked him up and we watched the bull run off. About as happy and as disappointed as I’ve ever been.
I was guiding a ton, he got older, wrestling, work, girls. So he’s been building points. He’s out of college, married, baby on the way, and ready to go now. So he spent his points this year, and I’m taking him. I’ve waited 20 years to call a bull in for him, and he is going…. to be……PISSED! Payback is hell, son
