Archer18

Elk hunting is one of best things that has happened to me. I am 18 and started hunting before I could walk. hah maybe not that early, but I have a dad who is great, he took me into the great outdoors at an early age, and had me hunting elk, I have to be quite honest, I think at 18 I have experienced more elk close encounters than most elk hunters will, only because we put 130% effort into getting into the big boys out there, but this story that I am going to share with doesn't involve that great big 6, just a big, fat, beautiful cow.

This was about 2 years ago...
It was probably about 9- 9:30ish in the morning, we had already been hiking, stalking, calling for about 3 hours now, when we heard what sounded like an elk casually walking along a game trail, my dad hurriedly set me up about 30 yards in front of him, he started softly cow calling, and the walking seemed to get faster, my heart was beating about 140 miles an hour and my adrenaline was maxing out, I had an arrow ready and my release on my bowstring, the foot steps were coming in fast and I was getting ready to pull my bow back, when the elk was finally in my view I saw that it was a cow, she hadnt spotted me yet and I didn't bother to pull my bow back, but as I watching her coming in I noticed she was locked onto me and moving my way fast, I froze up, I didnt anticipate this from her, shes still coming for me and I thought she was going to run me over, and then she stops inches from me, sticks her nose out and starts rubbing it up and down my muzzy broadhead, I sat there in complete shock, I could actually see the very bristles on her nose, finally she stops makes a couple snort like noises and trots off. I ran back to my dad in amazement, he told me he saw the whole thing. Scince then I have been very close to cows and bulls, within 5 yards, but never inches again. I am looking forward to the day it happens again because these Elk never cease to amaze me.

we think what attracted her was anice oil, this sweet smelling scent, I showed it to my uncle that morning and he rubbed it onto his fingers to smell it, then afterwards checked my broadheads before he went off into his spot, so we think the scent was on the broadhead, amazing nose if you ask me, and thats what were all up against!

I just wish we had a video camera to record that, I bet some of the big company brands I was wearing would have liked to use that for a comercial

Do you have any close encounters you would like to share?

Elkcrazy8

That is way cool. I was eye to eye with a cow a couple of years ago. She walked up from behind me and glared around the tree I was sitting at. She never did figure me out and bedded not 20 yards from me for about an hour. You are correct. There is noting like a close encounter.

elknut1

Great Story Archer18!!!! Almost hard to believe, but yet believable, <grin> I've been pretty close once or twice, but will admit I've never had one smell my BH.

I used to feed a herd of elk come winter several years back right behind our home, did it for 5 years. I feed them morning and evening, about 50 on average. At first they were pretty standofish, as time went by they started getting used to me and would come closer during feeding time. (throwing flakes of hay around) This one morning they were really kicking it up, calling like crazy and some half hearted squeals by the bulls. Well I must not have been moving fast enough for this one yearling, (about 250lbs) as I turned around dragging a bale out of the temporary high elk fence it was on its back legs with its front legs high in the air swinging away, he was right on me and smacked me solidly right behind the top of my wrist. Ouch!!! That sure smarted me right up I'll tell you that!!
Thought I'd share my closest & painful encounter!! <grin> ElkNut1

gselkhunter

I was watching a herd of cows, hoping there was a bull with them, NOT THAT LUCKY! So I sat down by a tree and watched the girls. The calves were kicking up there heals having a good ole time. The herd was moving up the hill right at me. They started getting a little to close and I begain to worry. I sat real tight, afraid if I moved the cows would defend the little ones. Any way this one big old girl walks right up to the tree I am sitting at and starts using it as a scratching post. Let me tell you what, a cow elk can push on a tree real hard when she wants to. She got done and started to walk away, then got my scent and crash bang boom happened. Boy am I glad it happened that way. I am glad I didn't get stepped on or kicked, but I don't have the guts to let one get that close again.
Gselkhunter

Bullkllr

I had a whole herd moving toward me in the timber as I walked down a new logging road. I knew they would cross in a draw about 20 yards from me so I hunkered down behind a stump that had been pushed to the road side and waited with an arrow knocked for a legal bull. From where I was I couldn't see the elk until they were on the road or almost there. The first couple came out the draw right where I thought they would. The sides of the road had been seeded with grass to prevent erosion and the grass was green and succulent, so they started feeding immediately. As the rest of the herd approached one cow first appeared and crossed immediately next to the stump I was next to. Range was about 2 feet from my eyeball. I thought that was pretty cool. Then about half of the 60 animals in the herd followed her- all passing about 2 feet from me. Several loked me dead in the eye, like they knew something was wrong but the elk already there must have gave them the ok. And they proceeded to stop and feed, some within 1-2feet of me. I figure I had about 50 animals within 20 yards for about 15 min. until one cow worked her way in behind me and winded me. I was actually afraid o getting stepped on. There were 4-5 bulls, but somehow they stayed in the timber.

idahoelkinstructor

Awesome stories everyone! In 2001 I had my closest experience yet with a cow elk. We were working a big herd of elk early in the morning and were 40 yards away to some of the satelite bulls. We were hoping to have a chance at the herd bull. To make a long story short some hunters were packing in their camp on horses and came by us, not through us, but above us on a less known trail. I was surprised to even see anyone else because we were 4 miles away from any major trail. The elk scattered slowly and dispersed. I regrouped with my friend and we decided to give those elk a break until afternoon because they were not really scared and we knew they'd be back in the same place feeding. We decided to hunt a little drainage about a half a mile away from where we were and in the opposite direction that the herd of elk went. We also split up and hunted slowly to this drainage. I got to the edge of this little drainage and I thought I heard a lost/distresssed cow elk. So I mimic the same call I thought I heard. Sure enough I got an answer right back and this time a small bull called as well. I just kept talking back and forth to these elk and they got closer and closer. A small 3 point bull popped out of the trees at about 15 yards away, and he walked right by me at about 7 yards without knowing I was there. I called and he stopped but I didn't have a good shot. The next elk, a cow, comes into the same path as the bull and she does the same. She almost stopped in the same place as the small bull, but I was in the same place with a bad angle. After she disappeared I heard more elk coming, so I quickly moved about 5 yards to a tree, close to where the elk had stopped. Another cow elk pops out in the same place and she walks to the other side of tree and stops, like she knew something wasn't right. She is on one side of the tree me on the other, at that point we were about a yard apart. I was wanting to shoot a bull but at that moment I decided to take this cow, besides it was so cool that I was that close. I drew back my bow and she cought the movement and started to bolt, but a call from me stopped her progress. She was square broadside at 3 yards and I just pointed the arrow at her chest. The shot was perfect but she bolted so fast that I didn't know where I'd hit her. I was calling and she stopped again at 60 yards down the hill from me. Knowing she was hit, but not knowing where, I decided to let another arrow fly. That arrow, too, hit her perfectly in the chest. She turned, took another 5 steps and tumbled to the ground, dead. Both arrows went completely through her and were within 2 inches of each other in her chest cavity. That wasn't a big bull, but it sure was exciting.

DUCKSTAMPEDE

A friend of mine hunted Wyoming for years and could never get a good place or enough time off so hadn't put one in the freezer. He then had an accident that left his right eye with only periphereal vision so he was despondent and decided to sell all his guns. I talked him into keeping them and promised him that we would go Elk Hunting that fall. He always told me the secret was to 'rent horses, pack in about 10 miles, and hunt all week". So I rented horses and got all the gear ready. We drove out to the jump off site around 4:00 AM in the morning. I began to unload the horses, fired up the chain saw and dropped two lodge poles and made the travois. About the time I got the thing made and began to load it I walked around the truck to pick up some gear and right beside the truck was a 6 looking at himself in the rear view mirror. funniest thing I had ever seen-he would look at the mirror and then let out such a fuss and then go back and look again. My buddy was sleeping in the front seat of the truck and it was almost new shorts time for him the first time the bull bellowed. He popped up and the bull never paid him a bit of attention but just kept after the bull in the mirror. Finally he rammed the mirror and broke not only the mirror but the side window of the truck as well. When the mirror hit the ground he looked down at it like he had just vanquished a big bad enemy and then quickly and quietly retreated to the woods. We laughed so hard we about died!!

RobinHood36

I had a close encounter this year while bowhunting. I was working myself along a ridge, moving along and cow calling, when a bull suddenly bugled up ahead of me. I quickly moved in close and could make out a 5pt. bull standing in some thick pines about 30 yards away. I blew my cow call and he let out another bugle, I could hear some commotion coming down the hill in front of me, it was a cow and calf and they were coming straight at me, I knelt down and did'nt have time to take cover. The cow and calf was literally on top of me at 1 yard away. She had her nose up in the air sucking in air and blowing it out as though she knew something was'nt quite right, she lowered her head and just stared at me for about a minute, then she lowered her nose to the ground and started grazing on grass, she raised her head up and kinda did this squat thing and showered the ground ( peepeed), there was a slight wind blowing into my face and I could surely smell the aroma of elk now, I pretty much knew I was doomed because there was no way I could even move a muscle to shoot the bull that stood 30 yards away in the timber, if and when he would offer a shot. After what seemed like an eternity, but probably was less than 5 minutes, her head shot straight up and she backed up a bit and bolted up the hill. I knew the cow and calf finally caught wind of me. I seen the bull come out of the timber and he was charging in the direction of the cow and calf, I blew on my cow call, but he would not stop, as instinct told him to get the BLANK out of there!!! But it was sure a hair raising experience to see a huge elk standing in front of you so close you can reach out and touch them-- let me tell you they seem to be alot bigger standing than laying on the ground. I am just glad the big cow did not see me as a threat to her calf, because she could of easily made sushi out of me real quick with her front hooves!!!

RobinHood36

In the ten days I was bowhunting elk for the 04 season I had another adrnaline rusher, heres the story:

It was a cold september morning as I crawled out of the tent, and it began to snow, I grabbed a bite to eat and headed for the timber. The snow was really coming down now as I was making my way to a sidehill where i figured there were elk, as I had seen rubs and quite a bit of sign 2 days prior. The snow was a really wet snow and I was getting really cold now, especially my hands, I was now on the sidehill and I took cover under a big pine tree. I decided to build a little fire, so I reached up and began breaking some dry twigs under the canopy of the pine, and started a small fire, every few minutes I would stand up and I kept breaking twigs from the pine and would sit back down and feed the dry twigs on the fire, I stood back up and was gathering more dry twigs from the pine tree when the silence of the morning was awakened with the scream of one of the loudest bugles I have ever heard, this bulls bugle sounded like he was so close to me-- I just froze in my tracks, I looked around with my eyes but could not see the bull, I quickly stomped out the fire and covered it up with dirt, I grabbed my bow and decided to move down the hill--- BIG MISTAKE--I went about 10 yards and through the trees I could see the bulls head with a massive set of horns, he just stood there staring at me from 20 yards away, I slowly nocked an arrow and began to raise my bow, the big bull had seen enough, turned, and crashed off through the timber. When I made it back to elkcamp I began to think about why the bull just bugled out of the blue, and I think when I kept breaking the dry branches under the pine tree, I am pretty sure he thought there was another bull rubbing his horns and breaking branches with his rack and he was coming in to size up his opponent. Only if I would of just stayed put and never moved, I feel I would of had an excellent opportunity to tag this bull, I will never forget this bulls bugle, everytime I think back how the events unfolded it still gives me goosebumps...RobinHood36>>>============== =====>

Come-on guys\gals---I know theres more stories out there!!!

RobinHood36

Back to the top -----with all the elkoholics, theres gotta be some stories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!