What are Friends for?

[trophyhill]

So in a little known unit in south central NM, a friend drew a muzzy tag. I’ve thought about applying myself for the muzzy tag and hunting with a bow if I draw. But the long wait for October just isn’t in my DNA. Even though this is the very first unit I hunted elk in, and it was also my very first bow hunt. And the hunt that got me addicted. So how could I say no to donning my gear 1 more time before fall gave way to winter?

This is the second year in a row he’s drawn a difficult to draw tag. However other friends of ours have drawn it the 2 years prior to him drawing, and his brother 5 years ago. So needless to say, this is the 5th year in a row I’ve suited up in my camo, strapped on a Kifaru pack, grabbed my Elknut Chuckler, a few calls, and went all in on success or failure side by side with my buddies.

I know what your thinking. October? Calls? Yeah right buddy. But I’m hear to tell ya, I wouldn’t contemplate applying for a 5 day hunt with my bow if we weren’t talking about elk talking.

Last year Harold and I tag team called probably a half dozen bulls into bow range before Jimmy finally had a shot in the black timber and the bull met his demise. This on day 2. The year before that, same thing only our buddy Robert went home with several ice chests full of meat. The year before that it was Michael opening morning. And Harold 5 years ago with his bow.

The common denominators on all hunts were Jimmy tagging along or hunting, and Harold and I tag teaming on the calling. We like to form a moving triangle based on where the bull is calling from always keeping the shooter between us and the bull.

There are certain people who hunt well together, and some who don’t. Leave us 3 off of the “some who don’t” list. The only game plan we need is, where are we starting! I think Spock gave us a Vulcan hunting mind meld somewhere along the line. Typically no talking needed once we exit the truck, atv’s, utv, or just walking out of camp. If we are hunting together, something is dying!

This year was no different! Jimmy had a tag and a brand new Remington muzzleloader, Harold had his external reed cow calls and gen 2 Chuckler, and I had my gen 3 Chuckler, my Carltons brown triple, and a couple external reed cow calls of my own if needed. And I loaned Clarence, our hillbilly non hunting buddy from southern Ohio my Hoodlum/Duplex Light so he could help with the inevitable pack-out

So last night just before dark, eve of opening day, I told them I wanted to go to the canyon that will remain nameless, especially on this forum, and throw out a harmless, not so innocent locate bugle, with the intention of certain death in mind the following opening morning. Yes I am on occasion one of those guys who will bugle from the road off an atv or utv or pick-up. It’s had deadly consequences in this particular unit over the years.

So we shut the utv off and sit quiet for 10 minutes and the anticipation was driving Jimmy crazy and motions or gives the signal for the locate about 10 minutes before dark. And BAM! Just as smooth as one can echo a perfect beautiful sounding bugle off the surrounding ridges, a bull answers back from about 200 yards from one of the ridges. Jimmy wants to hear it again. This time the perfect chuckles from my tube bounced off the thick timber above and that only pissed the bull off enough to come back with some hard hitting grunts of his own and then he raked a tree very aggressively.

Jimmy was all smiles as I told him we need to go before I call this bull in the night before opener. No talking needed! We knew where we were starting in the morning. Harold, Jimmy and I just looked at each other and grinned as we were riding away in the UTV. The mind meld definitely had us in sync when we got back to camp, Clarence showed up Bud Light in one hand, and a can of Copenhagen in the other true to form. But we had a plan for him to work off that Bud Light in the morning

 

[trophyhill]

So at 6am opening morning, as we are pulling into park, a herd of elk are crossing the drainage in front of us. Estimated 30-40 elk. All we saw were eyes in the bright led lights but not close enough to see what they were.

We park and Jimmy shuts the Polaris Ranger 4 seater off. A couple minutes later, the head bull in charge was using “regathering” or “round up” bugles for the next 10 minutes. It was obvious once he had his herd in order because he went silent. Elknut talks about these sounds a lot. Had it been closer to daylight we would have been moving in on this bull before he was able to finish rounding them up and leaving. But recognizing what was happening, we knew it was best to sit tight for another 15 minutes before heading up to our eventual location.

I had named this ridge in 2008, my very first archery Hunt and very first elk hunt. All I had was a hoochie momma. I named it trophy’s ridge. I called a giant 6x6 in only to have him screaming in my face at 20’ and I had no shot. Then he left. Been addicted ever since. So we get up to the ridge, and it was just like I remembered it from 2008. It would be a perfect ridge no matter what state it was in.

I locate bugle, and Harold follows with a couple light cow calls. Just like I’ve seen on the Destination Elk videos. If ya haven’t seen those, ya might want to check them out.

So Clarence was sitting on a stump trying to catch his breath, while Jimmy, Harold and I are intently listening. About 10 minutes go by and boom! A faint bugle in the distance. I bugled right away and Harold followed up right away with a couple quick cow calls. Off to 1 side below we heard the cows talking and another bugle.

Rinse recycle repeat and then 2 more bulls from the opposite surrounding ridges bugle as well as the one below. Jimmy shifts attention to one of the other bugles so Harold and I adjust our moving triangle positions accordingly and I bugle and he gives those 2 cow calls. Now one of the other 2 bulls is coming, and we all 3 adjust positions on the ridge yet again.

The only person who did not shift positions was Clarence. He stayed put on that stump. Not sure if the altitude made him light headed? The Bud Light? Or maybe he swallowed his dip? But as long as he stayed put and no sudden movements, he was fine.

The bull bugles again and Jimmy and Harold start moving to the bugle. The students no longer needed a teacher. I grab a tree branch and instead of bugling, I raked aggressively. The bull was attempted to circle us but the raking stopped him in his tracks momentarily. Now is when Harold and Jimmy has a visual on him.

The bull took a couple steps, and Harold stopped him with a cow call. I saw Jimmy raise his weapon onto the swiveling tripod and aim. Although I couldn’t see the bull, I knew what was about to happen. He squeezed and I heard “click”. He didn’t get the primer pushed in all the way and did it real quick and raised his weapon again onto the tripod. Usually when something like that happens, you can expect the worse. Not this time. The satellite bull remained vigilant looking for that cow trying to figure out what that movement was.

When he squeezed this time, I heard the explosion, watched the smoke clear, and heard the bull crashing through the oak on the side of the ridge. When I walked down to join the 2 brothers and proud to call my friends, I saw the last twitching of the antlers. After a few high fives all the way around, I went and rounded Clarence up a couple hundred yards away and it was time to get to work! Opening day success. Another muzzleloader bull called into bow range! After what I experienced in southern CO this year, I had to question whether my calling had gone to crap since I hunted the Gila last year. Nope still got it!

 

[SteveCNJ]

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

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[Clarence]

Awesome write up man! Sounds like another successful student of the elknut!

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[trophyhill]

Awesome write up man! Sounds like another successful student of the elknut!

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Thanks! Lol yes Paul has been a tremendous teacher and mentor over the years. The stuff he talks about does work! I’m living proof! We have to remember though that “not all encounters are created equal” so these encounters are not all 1 size fits all situations! And Paul has said as much over and over. It’s up to us as hunters to read the encounter correctly. Then hunt accordingly. Knowing what elk are saying when they say it is a HUGE benefit in making split second decisions.

 

[trophyhill]

Just found out that Harold and Jimmy helped Michael their cousin and guy I referred to earlier, kill another satellite bull this morning using similar tactics. They said Michael was within 100 yards of the herd bull but never saw him and shot the first bull that came into his shooting lane at 50 yards. Boy when the elk are talking it’s a whole different ball game than hunting silent elk.

 

[Opah]

Very well written, it was like I was there, I could even see Clarence sitting on the Stump regretting those last Bud lights the night before.
great story and informative to.