Wyo Gen Archery - Are you shooting?

TheViking

WKR
Joined
Mar 2, 2019
Messages
1,681
Location
Colorado
My first bull that I killed with a bow, shot one in the shoulder prior, was a a small 5x6 rag horn. I can still remember cow calling as he came in screaming. I was standing next to a big willow bush. He had to come over a rise about 20 yards from me. I came to full draw when I saw his antler tips coming up the hill. I felt something weird, it was my right leg. It was shaking uncontrollably. That was quite a while ago and I can still give a second by second recap of that encounter, including weather, location, time of day, color of the trees, etc.

What’s the point? The point is, I was shitting my pants over a rag horn to the point I could barely control my legs.

Last year my heart rate didn’t even increase. I killed my bull, looked back at my wife and said “he’s done”.

I’d love to have that same feeling I had on my first bull, but that was a touch and go moment on a rag horn. My mentality now is much more likely to end in a dead bull than my mentality then.

If my first bull was a 300 plus I’m not sure I would have sealed the deal.

Oh and my first bull I shot with my bow? Didn’t aim, 10 feet, hit him a foot from where I should have. 2” of penetration and he ran off.

My wife’s first bull? I was standing behind her. A bull was SCREAMING at her 20 yards away broadside. He probably bugled 100 times and she was a wreck. He stood there, and I said “shoot”. She was at full draw and at the sound “sh…” she jerked that trigger like it was her job. Never looked at the sight, didn’t look through the peep, just fired one off. She hit 6 feet behind the bull and squared up a nice fir tree. The bull bucked and kicked and ran up the hill to our left and stopped again. She then put the next arrow into the dirt 2 feet from her foot at 3/4 draw.

She fired 3 shots that night. The closest she got to killing the bull was 6 feet at 20 yards!

Kill the first bull you have a chance, then you can do it for the gram.

Great stories and absolutely agree! Nerves are a crazy thing!
 
Joined
Jun 17, 2020
Messages
540
Location
Collinsville Oklahoma
Damn guys, is it gang up on Whitey day?? Buncha racists ha.
I’d like to address the Instagram accusations first, because that’s about like being accused of having aids. I’ve never had Instagram or Facebook. Rokslide is the only social media I have.

My first trip got ruined by my partner. My second trip I passed a raghorn a little smaller than the one in the pic. 5 days later I shot a great bull in the knuckle and he was still bugling the next day. And yes, that was absolutely the most intense and terrifying experience I’ve ever had in my 27yrs of bow hunting. Screaming in my face and running down to me from above. I thought that bull might be around 300” but after reading the 270-290” bull thread he definitely was not 300.
Third trip I passed a bull about like the pic, maybe a little smaller at 7yds.
Fourth trip we were in elk and people most of the time. Those elk seemed to be much smarter than us. Had more partner trouble.
So this year I’m going to WY by myself on a gen tag that I want to think is better than my previous otc CO tag and my MT gen tag hunts. I realized that’s all location dependent, but so far I’ve had pretty good success of finding elk. It’s the killing part I’m screwing up. And I’ll figure that out.
On the first hunt of my life I passed up a spike right underneath me hoping the 8pt would walk over to me (he didn’t). I passed on smaller caribou my first trip to AK and killed a bigger one. It took me 6yrs to kill my first whitetail with a bow. During those 6yrs adults would try to get me to take their rifle so I could “get my first one”. I’m so glad I didn’t. I’ve never regretted letting something that didn’t really trip my trigger walk. I get to take the whole hunting season off from work so I’m not in a rush. I know I can do it. I already have, my shot was just a few inches off. And man it’s going to be great when I do!
 

pirogue

WKR
Joined
Jun 28, 2012
Messages
1,149
After waiting 5 years(to get 5 points), you just need to set aside more than 6 days, whether you need them or not.
 

pbaby

FNG
Joined
Jul 29, 2023
Messages
10
Depends on the day, whether I have other tags to fill on the same trip, if I've seen better elk on the same trip, if there's good fishing or small game that needs to be enjoyed, etc.

At face value though... If the question is "would you trade an expensive piece of paper for a decent bull elk?", then yes I would.
 

Gen273

WKR
Joined
Apr 27, 2020
Messages
513
Probably, but not definitely. It would just depend on how I felt at that moment.
 
Joined
Feb 25, 2015
Messages
626
My biggest priority is elk meat in the freezer. I like eating elk too much to let a bull like that go, even if I had a better tag than a Wyoming general tag. My wife and kids would be pissed if I came home without any elk meat because I was being picky ha
 

R_burg

WKR
Joined
Dec 15, 2016
Messages
472
Location
AZ
Lots of people saying not with 5 points - it takes 5 pts to get a NR general tag in WY these days.

I hunted WY for the first time last yr. General tag. 77 miles on my boots in 11 days. Took a smaller bull than that.
 

SD_hunter

FNG
Joined
Jul 7, 2023
Messages
21
Very tempting, but I would like to think I would pass. Hard to know exactly what I would do unless I was in that situation.
 
Joined
Jul 23, 2021
Messages
26
I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot that Bull. Being a NR with 0 boots on the ground scouting is a major factor. The other major factor is the short trip with few days to be picky. I will enjoy the meat and remember the hunt by the horns hung in my garage!
 

GPool1842

WKR
Joined
Feb 26, 2018
Messages
315
Location
OK
You used 5 PPs to draw a Wyo Gen tag.

You can only hunt the archery season and only have 6 days to hunt.

This bull comes in to your calling at 35yds.

Are you shooting?


View attachment 581017
100% I’m shooting. My exact scenario this year: 5pts for general tag in special draw. Never been to WY. I’d smash!
 
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