My first elk after 11 years
09-24-2006, 06:48 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location:
Posts: 75
My first elk after 11 years
After 11 years of hard hunting for elk I have my 1st elk, and he's a brute.
Killed in Wyoming Medicine Bow National forest 9/16. Rough score 340.
Eye guards 16", 2nd 20".
More story to come
Killed in Wyoming Medicine Bow National forest 9/16. Rough score 340.
Eye guards 16", 2nd 20".
More story to come
09-24-2006, 07:11 AM
#4
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location:
Posts: 75
RE: My first elk after 11 years
The details: arrived at hunting area Fri 9/15 11am, set up camp in rain/sleet/snow. Didn't get tarp over tent. That night I (sleeping by door farthest from stove) woke up at 3am with pillow, sleeping bag, cot and my shoulders wet from water coming in. Got up and set by stove till morning.
Set out hunting at 1hr. prior to sunrise, snowing variably, 25 degrees, started working up a ridge, didn't go to very far and started feeling like elk around (fresh tracks, smell them), stopped and cow called a little, nothing. Move on up to flat in ridge, hear cow calling ahead and to right, nock arrow, cow call couple times, bull above bugles, I cow call again, see elk coming (think its probably spike, my luck), see its a good bull. He comes down to about 15-20 yds., stops facing me, looks at/thru me looking for cow. After a few seconds he circles to my right, staying about 20yds, I have good opening this direction, draw and when he comes into clearing a touch off the release. Now being that it was cold and snowing I'm wearing a lot heavier coat than I like wearing hunting. Needless to say string slaps in sleeve and throws arrow left hitting him in the paunch area, he runs off. Now under normal conditions I would have backed off and gave him several hours, but its snowing harder, covering sign quick. I decide to follow up a little to determine the hit,(actually didn't know paunch hit yet)at that time I had no idea. I start tracking and find arrow shaft broke off 4 inches from broadhead, finding good blood. I continue to follow trail a short distance (100yd), think I hear elk moaning or something, look closely ahead and see him laying 20yd away head up. OH MAN NOT GOOD!! I start looking at a way to get another arrow in him. Can tell now and only now that he's a pretty good bull, I see the sword point and whales tail behind that, OH CHIT BIG BULL!!! Stand and watch him a minute or two, legs start shaking, Man hold your self together, got to finish this. The bull gets up facing to my left, I see an opening a foot wide thru 2 trees 8 yds form mewhere I can get a shot if he moves ahead. He does move ahead and as he comes thru the hole I release, hear a hard smack, but I don't know where I hit. He runs off again. I move ahead to try to find my arrow, jump him again not 75yds away. He goes away and to the right. Still snowing I get on his trail to see if 2nd hit increased blood trail. Find not much difference. Come up on him again bedded down not 75yd from 2nd shot. He gets up and stands there looking around, I can see blood on his back leg and point of the shoulder on his left side, and had seen blood spot in paunch on right side. He stands there looking around for several minutes, he's about 20 yds away, I can see his chest real well, (darn thats a thick chest, I can't get off a shot because of a few limbs, I move some to me left no better. After several minutes he slowly moves off, down and after a ways I think he swings right. I finally decide to back off and give him some time. I mark spot with tape and on gps and back out.
Go back to camp and after a lot of talk decide to let him alone till the next morning.
Go in the next morning and find him dead where I last heard him.
Set out hunting at 1hr. prior to sunrise, snowing variably, 25 degrees, started working up a ridge, didn't go to very far and started feeling like elk around (fresh tracks, smell them), stopped and cow called a little, nothing. Move on up to flat in ridge, hear cow calling ahead and to right, nock arrow, cow call couple times, bull above bugles, I cow call again, see elk coming (think its probably spike, my luck), see its a good bull. He comes down to about 15-20 yds., stops facing me, looks at/thru me looking for cow. After a few seconds he circles to my right, staying about 20yds, I have good opening this direction, draw and when he comes into clearing a touch off the release. Now being that it was cold and snowing I'm wearing a lot heavier coat than I like wearing hunting. Needless to say string slaps in sleeve and throws arrow left hitting him in the paunch area, he runs off. Now under normal conditions I would have backed off and gave him several hours, but its snowing harder, covering sign quick. I decide to follow up a little to determine the hit,(actually didn't know paunch hit yet)at that time I had no idea. I start tracking and find arrow shaft broke off 4 inches from broadhead, finding good blood. I continue to follow trail a short distance (100yd), think I hear elk moaning or something, look closely ahead and see him laying 20yd away head up. OH MAN NOT GOOD!! I start looking at a way to get another arrow in him. Can tell now and only now that he's a pretty good bull, I see the sword point and whales tail behind that, OH CHIT BIG BULL!!! Stand and watch him a minute or two, legs start shaking, Man hold your self together, got to finish this. The bull gets up facing to my left, I see an opening a foot wide thru 2 trees 8 yds form mewhere I can get a shot if he moves ahead. He does move ahead and as he comes thru the hole I release, hear a hard smack, but I don't know where I hit. He runs off again. I move ahead to try to find my arrow, jump him again not 75yds away. He goes away and to the right. Still snowing I get on his trail to see if 2nd hit increased blood trail. Find not much difference. Come up on him again bedded down not 75yd from 2nd shot. He gets up and stands there looking around, I can see blood on his back leg and point of the shoulder on his left side, and had seen blood spot in paunch on right side. He stands there looking around for several minutes, he's about 20 yds away, I can see his chest real well, (darn thats a thick chest, I can't get off a shot because of a few limbs, I move some to me left no better. After several minutes he slowly moves off, down and after a ways I think he swings right. I finally decide to back off and give him some time. I mark spot with tape and on gps and back out.
Go back to camp and after a lot of talk decide to let him alone till the next morning.
Go in the next morning and find him dead where I last heard him.
