Bowhunt 06' Snake River Style

[Kentuck]

Nice. Looks like a great adventure. I really like the look on your face in that pic with the head and one quarter on your back. I know exactly what you were feeling right then!

Do you all completely skin them out before quartering or leave the skin on for now?

 

[Shay Mann]

Tagged Out on Bulls !!!

So on the evening of the 4th day, we were tagged out for elk. What an experience. We still had 5 days to go for mule deer or bear.

We were very very thrilled. 2 good 5 X 5 bulls in a wilderness setting. No pressure, no other hunters, and a gob of critters.

Well we headed back to base camp and on the way, we jumped the big herd with the BIG BULL, only a quarter mile from our camp.

We had pushed them up the creek to the head and on top.

 

[Shay Mann]

I wish there was someone else with us with an elk tag...... ARROWSLINGER

It was getting late, and from base camp we could hear that big bull bugling about 300 - 400 yards away from us.

After taking care of our equipment, and putting on dry clothes. I decided to take the video camera out, and see if I could get some footage of the herd, and especially the bull that we were chasing for the last 2 days.....

I didn't expect to have the experience that I did.

 

[Shay Mann]

Up Close and Personal

I took off by myself with bow in one hand (Bear and Mule deer Tag in my pocket), camera in the other, and a elk reed in my mouth.

I set off to find the bull.

He was bugling on his own, so finding him wasn't too hard.

But getting close, that could be tougher. We tried to get close for 2 days, and couldn't, why would this be any different....

OH BUT IT WAS !!!!!!!

 

[Shay Mann]

BULL LOCATED !

With camera rolling. I spotted the bull on an open hillside about 300 -400 yards away. He was bedded, and bugling.

I moved in closer, and began cow calling.

I got in the jack pine thicket and began moving in.

Everytime I called, he bugled, and then I moved.

Finally, I figured he was real close.

 

[Shay Mann]

Camera Rollin'

He would answer my cow calls.

But when I did a small spike / rag bull squeal. He had enough. He was coming in to kick some butt.

But little did he know, he was tricked, and if we would have had a tag, would have been dead.

I ended up calling him straight into me at 8 yards.

Then he turned and offered up a quartering away shot at 12 yards.

Then he offered up another quartering away shot at 35 yards,

Then he went to the top of the ridge, and offered multiple shots at 45 yards.

I had him within bow range for over 7 minutes.

 

[Shay Mann]

SMILE - You are on Camera

Figure to be about a 320 bull.
Great main beam length. Incredible 4ths. Great 3rds. A little weak in the 5ths. And not all that massive.

But for Oregon public land, general over the counter tag. A GREAT BULL !!!!!!!


These photos are pulled off of my video camera. Some are a little blurry because of the motion.

 

[Shay Mann]

MORE PHOTOS FROM 12 Yards !

 

[Shay Mann]

Skyline at 45 Yards

I had him up in the skyline for about 7 minutes.

Everytime he would move, I would call and he would freeze. He would then bugle at me.

Here is about 45 - 50 yards away.

 

[Arrowslinger]

This was a trip that i was supposed to be on.....but switching jobs a month prior and having to travel out of town for business, made for a very tough phone call to Shay and cancel.

You guys took two very nice bulls, either one i would have been more than happy to hang a tag on....but i'm really greatful that you guys didn't shoot the 6x6 (above bull), 'cause come September '07, he's dead~!

 

[Shay Mann]

We had a little conversation

He had a herd of about 40 head behind him on the ridge.

He barked once at them, and then turned my way and bugled my eardrums out.

 

[Kentuck]

DANG! That must have been mega exciting!

 

[Arrowslinger]

Kentuck, you should see the video....absolutely amazing!!!

 

[BDB]

Wow, that is a hellova hunt. Congrats. Hopefuly there is more to come with those tags left to fill

 

[Kentuck]

AS,

I watched an Elk tape I got while in Idaho last month last night and didn't get to sleep until 1 am! Already trying to figure out where to go next year!

Kentuck

 

[Shay Mann]

Here is a clearer pic

 

[tmoniz]

Great job guys. Your story and pics have got to be the coolest I've ever seen posted around here. What a hunt.

 

[Shay Mann]

Can't get enough of this bull

To the best of my knowledge he made it through the rifle season. A.S. He is MINE !!!

 

[Shay Mann]

Back at Camp

I was thrilled when I showed back up at camp.

Showing my best poker face, I told Kevin that I got about 80 yards, and only saw some tines, when a cow busted me. I asked if he could hear him bugling, he said "of-course".

So I said, "Listen to him bugle on film, sounds real nice."

I then turned on the camera, and on the little 2 inch screen, he couldn't believe his eyes.

A bull that we were after for 2 days, and busted 2 different times. And was giving us fits, came screaming into the camera.

He was kicking himself for shooting the smaller 5. But after he thought about it, who would have known. And with the weather conditions that we were about to have. Killing early was a GOOD GOOD thing.

Evening of day 4 = Coal cooked TENDERLOINS !!!

 

[Shay Mann]

Time to Eat !

Kevin's bull had not been dead for 7 hours, so I would consider these tenderloins fairly fresh.

I think they were still quivering.