Monsterbull
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My hunting buds and I had a lot of action the last week of the season, seems we timed it pretty well this time. Normally, the bulls are a bit call-shy, or I should say, bugle-shy. The elk I hunt tend to travel in very small groups; a herd of a dozen is considered a big herd in my area, and they don't talk much. Whenever you hear a bugle, it usually means the bull is gathering his small group of cows and heading out and it can be tough to get him to come into you. This year though it was not the case, we got into animals virtually every day and they came into bugles. Maybe there were more bulls this year versus other years, more competition, I don't know, but they were more responsive than usual. Even so, however, I consider us lucky to get the one we did.....it was a last minute score after too many screwups.
One of the more exciting setups we had was on the morning of the 18th, I got out on the front side of a timbered hogback with my brother on the backside maybe 50-60 yards behind calling. I placed myself behind a large broken tree and soon enough I spotted elk legs in front of me about 60-70 yards out moving to my left coming into the cow/estrus/bugle sequence. I'd already ranged a spot to my left, but I leaned out to the right side of the tree in front of me to range an open spot in front. It was only about 10 seconds, but when I came back up and peaked around my left to see where he (she?) was, I saw a big set of antlers coming right at me. Unfortunately, he saw me move the same time I saw him. He stopped, heavily quartering to me at 20 yards. Cripes, they can close ground in a hurry! My left arm was exposed and I wasn't drawn (IDIOT!!!!!!). He stood there for maybe 5 seconds, wheeled to his right and busted out away from me. A nice 6x6, not huge, but flippin' big enough! I quickly made my way over the direction he went, my brother continued to call, and the next thing I know, a very nice 5-point comes tearing down the hill towards me. He crossed a little meadow like he was being pulled by a string and was heading slightly to my right, I was just about to draw and he pulls up at the edge of the meadow. The breeze shifted and he winded me, spun around and ran back the way he'd come. I stopped him, but at 80 yards. Later that evening, some other guys camped nearby killed a 6x6 which I am convinced was the same boy that came into me.
The next evening, we got set up on a downward sloping hill that butted up against a steeper hill in front. In retrospect, it was not the correct setup (but I didn't know that until it was too late!). It was only about 1/3 of a mile from the 6x6 area the day before. I was in the middle of the hill, which was fairly open timber, hunkered down in some deadfalls. After about 10 minutes, I got a strong bugle over the other side of the hill in front and to the right, so we decided to move up a bit to close the distance. No sooner had I gathered my calls (it looked like a yard sale) than a massive bugle thundered out from the top of the hill! My buddy J had to quickly scramble to another hiding place and I hid myself again. I could not see the hill in front, but I kept up a soft cow call, small bugle sequence. Pretty soon, I heard J's bow twang, a "whack" and heavy hooves running off. I did a few Hoochie Mama's to try and get the bull to stop (I couldn't see anything), gathered up my stuff and, knowing how he shoots, walked down towards J holding my arms up in victory. He didn't seem very enthusiastic though and when I got down to him, he said he thought he saw his arrow make an unnatural turn in the air. Next thing we know, we look up and the bull was standing at the top of the hill! J dove under a tree and I got myself behind a huge snag. I couldn't see the bull so I looked back at J, he's lying flat on the ground trying to tell me which way he's working. He did come down a bit, but he never got close enough again and I saw him trot off down the top of the hill. Actually there were three bulls that came in. The one J shot at was the middle bull, a very big 5-point. There were two others; a raghorn that never made it fully over the hill and a huge 7x? that stayed at the top. The big boy just stood there and watched the other bull, he never even looked at the call. J had to tell himself to stop staring at the big guy because it was giving him the shakes. Evidently, the 5-point finally came down the hill far enough (he kept looking for the noisy "elk" on the open hillside but couldn't see them, then move down when I bugled) and J had a lane in the large V of a broken tree at 50 yards. The bull stopped broadside behind the tree, his vitals exposed, but J's arrow hit a branch about 40 yds out, glanced off the V and stuck in a tree to the bulls left. Denied!
The next morning we got into another setup in a series of little hills in a section of lodgepole. It was absolutely perfect - except for, of course, the shot execution. J was calling and after 5 or 10 minutes I spotted an elk moving fast in my direction. I'd already ranged a bunch of spots and came to full draw. It was a dink raghorn and just like that he was broadside at 25 yds, but walking. Apparently I was a little amp'd up because I winged an arrow over his back that stuck in the dirt at 35 yds. But he didn't bust out, he danced around a bit and then started again toward the call. I'm thinking to myself, "OK Dumba-- (that's "Mr. DooMAHS" to you) calm down and stick him". He walks into another lane, 20 yrds, and instead of stopping him, I drop my 20 pin on him and PUNCH IT while he's walking. As Bob Uecker said in "Major League" when Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn hit the mascot: "Juuuust a bit outside".
I was soooo bummed, I could not believe I'd missed........twice! The worst was the prospect of telling my partners, we all work our butts off to get these kind of opportunities (I think about it all year) and I blew it.
We didn't have anymore good opportunities until the 23rd, the second to last day. This time, J, myself and Two Call (although he didn't have that nickname until later) worked our way into an area fairly high up. It is really steep to get into, but levels out into a series of small alpine ponds where the elk seem to hold. I got set up on the top of a small hill and J did the same but to my right. I had just finished clearing the area around my feet, nocked an arrow, ranged a few spots, and waited for the calls. I swear no more than two soft cow mews were out of Two Call's mouth (thusly: "Two Call") than this bull pokes his head up in front of me no more than 50 yards. Immediately he starts over the hill into a funnel between me an J. I mentally scored his rack, decided he was the "one", drew back and this time I mewed at him to stop him - 40 yds - settled my pin on him and "smack!" He was off like a rocket, almost ran over the caller and tore over the hill. Ultimately, he ran full bore into a small tree (there was a big swatch of hair on the tree and two front hoove prints on either side) stumbled back and expired. Hit a little high, but double lunged nonetheless. I green scored him at about 36" but I haven't had him officially scored yet. I could be wrong, but I don't think he quite makes book.
I think SacFire's got me on "spike-of-the-year" antler-wise, but I think mine outweighs him. Probably just nursed, had to wipe off the milk from his lips.
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One of the more exciting setups we had was on the morning of the 18th, I got out on the front side of a timbered hogback with my brother on the backside maybe 50-60 yards behind calling. I placed myself behind a large broken tree and soon enough I spotted elk legs in front of me about 60-70 yards out moving to my left coming into the cow/estrus/bugle sequence. I'd already ranged a spot to my left, but I leaned out to the right side of the tree in front of me to range an open spot in front. It was only about 10 seconds, but when I came back up and peaked around my left to see where he (she?) was, I saw a big set of antlers coming right at me. Unfortunately, he saw me move the same time I saw him. He stopped, heavily quartering to me at 20 yards. Cripes, they can close ground in a hurry! My left arm was exposed and I wasn't drawn (IDIOT!!!!!!). He stood there for maybe 5 seconds, wheeled to his right and busted out away from me. A nice 6x6, not huge, but flippin' big enough! I quickly made my way over the direction he went, my brother continued to call, and the next thing I know, a very nice 5-point comes tearing down the hill towards me. He crossed a little meadow like he was being pulled by a string and was heading slightly to my right, I was just about to draw and he pulls up at the edge of the meadow. The breeze shifted and he winded me, spun around and ran back the way he'd come. I stopped him, but at 80 yards. Later that evening, some other guys camped nearby killed a 6x6 which I am convinced was the same boy that came into me.
The next evening, we got set up on a downward sloping hill that butted up against a steeper hill in front. In retrospect, it was not the correct setup (but I didn't know that until it was too late!). It was only about 1/3 of a mile from the 6x6 area the day before. I was in the middle of the hill, which was fairly open timber, hunkered down in some deadfalls. After about 10 minutes, I got a strong bugle over the other side of the hill in front and to the right, so we decided to move up a bit to close the distance. No sooner had I gathered my calls (it looked like a yard sale) than a massive bugle thundered out from the top of the hill! My buddy J had to quickly scramble to another hiding place and I hid myself again. I could not see the hill in front, but I kept up a soft cow call, small bugle sequence. Pretty soon, I heard J's bow twang, a "whack" and heavy hooves running off. I did a few Hoochie Mama's to try and get the bull to stop (I couldn't see anything), gathered up my stuff and, knowing how he shoots, walked down towards J holding my arms up in victory. He didn't seem very enthusiastic though and when I got down to him, he said he thought he saw his arrow make an unnatural turn in the air. Next thing we know, we look up and the bull was standing at the top of the hill! J dove under a tree and I got myself behind a huge snag. I couldn't see the bull so I looked back at J, he's lying flat on the ground trying to tell me which way he's working. He did come down a bit, but he never got close enough again and I saw him trot off down the top of the hill. Actually there were three bulls that came in. The one J shot at was the middle bull, a very big 5-point. There were two others; a raghorn that never made it fully over the hill and a huge 7x? that stayed at the top. The big boy just stood there and watched the other bull, he never even looked at the call. J had to tell himself to stop staring at the big guy because it was giving him the shakes. Evidently, the 5-point finally came down the hill far enough (he kept looking for the noisy "elk" on the open hillside but couldn't see them, then move down when I bugled) and J had a lane in the large V of a broken tree at 50 yards. The bull stopped broadside behind the tree, his vitals exposed, but J's arrow hit a branch about 40 yds out, glanced off the V and stuck in a tree to the bulls left. Denied!
The next morning we got into another setup in a series of little hills in a section of lodgepole. It was absolutely perfect - except for, of course, the shot execution. J was calling and after 5 or 10 minutes I spotted an elk moving fast in my direction. I'd already ranged a bunch of spots and came to full draw. It was a dink raghorn and just like that he was broadside at 25 yds, but walking. Apparently I was a little amp'd up because I winged an arrow over his back that stuck in the dirt at 35 yds. But he didn't bust out, he danced around a bit and then started again toward the call. I'm thinking to myself, "OK Dumba-- (that's "Mr. DooMAHS" to you) calm down and stick him". He walks into another lane, 20 yrds, and instead of stopping him, I drop my 20 pin on him and PUNCH IT while he's walking. As Bob Uecker said in "Major League" when Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn hit the mascot: "Juuuust a bit outside".
I was soooo bummed, I could not believe I'd missed........twice! The worst was the prospect of telling my partners, we all work our butts off to get these kind of opportunities (I think about it all year) and I blew it.
We didn't have anymore good opportunities until the 23rd, the second to last day. This time, J, myself and Two Call (although he didn't have that nickname until later) worked our way into an area fairly high up. It is really steep to get into, but levels out into a series of small alpine ponds where the elk seem to hold. I got set up on the top of a small hill and J did the same but to my right. I had just finished clearing the area around my feet, nocked an arrow, ranged a few spots, and waited for the calls. I swear no more than two soft cow mews were out of Two Call's mouth (thusly: "Two Call") than this bull pokes his head up in front of me no more than 50 yards. Immediately he starts over the hill into a funnel between me an J. I mentally scored his rack, decided he was the "one", drew back and this time I mewed at him to stop him - 40 yds - settled my pin on him and "smack!" He was off like a rocket, almost ran over the caller and tore over the hill. Ultimately, he ran full bore into a small tree (there was a big swatch of hair on the tree and two front hoove prints on either side) stumbled back and expired. Hit a little high, but double lunged nonetheless. I green scored him at about 36" but I haven't had him officially scored yet. I could be wrong, but I don't think he quite makes book.
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