trouthunter

This is my first season of hunting with a traditional bow, and I can tell you that I just LOVE it. The main reason is the bow is just soooooo much lighter to pack around than my compound. That came into play this year as I covered a lot of ground in new country. My Martin Savannah longbow felt so light in my hands during the hunt I had to check sometimes to make sure I still had it J. The Cat Quiver slung over my shoulder held my Easton 2117’s tipped with Steel Force broad heads quite well, and was much nicer than having a quiver full of arrows hanging from a bow. Only quirk to the Cat quiver is that the open end gets caught on brush from time to time.
After a month of hunting I had finally found a good travel area to try and get a bull elk. It was a heavy traveled funnel and had great cover to set up in. Problem is I was just not getting any elk to talk to me. Reports were in that “the elk were just not talking much this year”. Some blamed the unusual higher temperatures; others blamed a wolf pack that had just made this area a recent home. (I follow the latter theory)
The last day of the hunt I got into my spot as day was beginning to break. I let out a locator bugle and heard the low guttural sound of a bull above me on a heavily timbered ridge. I decided to just cow talk from then on, hoping to entice the bull to me. I moved up to a natural blind I set up earlier on in a spot I liked. It offered a great angle on a travel path with two main shooting lanes; one about 40 yards and the other at 15. The 15 yarder of course being my main choice.
It wasn’t long and I heard the snap of a branch above me about 100 yards away. I looked and spotted a cow coming down the trail feeding to my ambush spot. As she filtered thru the trees, I then spotted two more cows following her. It was the last day of the hunt, and the tag was for either sex. I began to think that I was going to be eating some tender back straps that evening from one of the cows. Just then a young 6 point bull came out above the cows, following their same path. (we count just one side out here, so it would be a 12 point for you eastern deer hunters J) I then forgot about the cow elk stew, and zoned in on the bull.
The wind was right, the setup seemed great, and everything seemed to be falling in place. It wasn’t long and each elk had crossed past my 40 yard window. The rest of the trail was covered by thick brush, then wrapped around my position and came out behind a large pine.
The first cow soon appeared in front of me from behind the pine. She continued on past, offering a great quartering away angle. Each cow followed suit, and settled into a small clearing about 30 yards below my position. The bull then came into view thru the thick brush, stepping ever so closer to my shooting lane. Just as I seen his head disappeared behind the pine, I slightly elevated my bow to get ready for the shot. He then froze, and all I could see was his big nostrils sticking out from behind the pine. I waited, anxious for the shot the three cows had offered me, but he wasn’t committing. I slowly took a glance to my left thru my head net and spotted one of the cows looking straight at me. She had to have spotted my slight movement, and now she was fixed on my position.
She took a step toward me, wondering what the heck I was. I could almost make out the inquisitive look in her eyes. She slowly came closer, closer, closer. Each step a timid tippy toe towards me. The Bull was dead still behind the tree. He obviously was watching her, watching me. I noticed the other two cows were zoned in on her as well. She came to within 20 yards and then the game was up. She knew something wasn’t right and she had enough. Turning, she gave one big SNORT-WHEEZE and the forest erupted in the sounds of clambering hooves as the four elk made a bee-line straight up the ridge. GAME OVER!
I tracked them for a while, but to no avail. I made my way back to the truck, stomach growling to the sound of what tag soup will taste like, but my head was high. I had a great opportunity and wonderful experience. It would have been the icing on the cake to take a nice bull elk like that as my first traditional bow harvest.
My attention is now turning to deer season, and I’m hoping a well placed tree stand in November may allow the Savannah to draw first blood, and put those many hours of target practice to the test.

BobCo19-65

That had to get the blood pumpin. Sounds like an exciting hunt. Thanks for sharing and good luck in the deer season.

Redneck Bowhunter

Wow, that was a great story and yes thank you for sharing. Just one question though? Doesn't cow elk meat taste the same as bull elk meat?[8D] Why didn't you shootone of the cows?

trouthunter

two words... antler fever

and in all truthfulness, cows generally taste better than bulls (more tender). If I needed the meat, I may have shot the cow..BUT, I guess it is just a manly thing to go for the bull

rybohunter

Great story, I finally got over here to read it. Hopefully things work out in deer season for ya. I know that elk encounter there had to be nuts.