The adenaline is finally shutting down after being wide open since I found out I drew the tag. Planning, preparing, practicing, scouting with my family.....a truly great experience.
I had been watching the elk on the weekends since July and had a few picked out that were really nice. As with many hunts, things change up as the hunt actually occurs. The evening before the opener, some guys actually drove out into the feeding elk in the desert and scattered them all to hell.....I had them patterned to a certain water hole prior to that. And...I was very surprised to see archery road hunters, driving around at prime time, but enough of that.
On day 4 I finally relocated some elk in the flats and decided to stalk just for fun, since I didnlt think one of my choice bulls was there. Well, as I get abut 400 yds from them, a truck pulls into the two track and gets them up. There he is, the #1 bull I wanted. They saw the truck, they also saw me....this was kinda like antelope hunting in the short brush. They moved off and bedded again further away, but this time, I saw the bull bed next to the tallest sage visible......game on.
I took off the shoes, undershirt and other stuff and went in sox. Crawled hands and knees until I saw his antlers in front of me. Ranged at 53 yds....too far....I slowly moved another 10 or so yards and tried to re-range, when all of a sudden 12 cows get up and stare a hole thru me.....uh oh....this is it. I try to draw, but am weak from the 2.5 hr crawl and adrenaline rushing thru me. The arrow slips off the rest......"relax I tell myself....relax.....I raise the bow, come to full draw......and stand up. The bull didnlt see me stand as I was behind and downwind of him.....hup!....he jumps up, turns broadside to see what made the noise......too late, the arrow is gone.....the shot was good and he fell withing 100 yds of me.......then the shaking started........holy crap.....I did it...My first bow kill and once in a lifetime Tule Elk in the Owens Valley.
I thank my parents, wife and 3 boys for putting up with and helping me for the last 3 months....I also want to thank Don Nichols, Finder of Tasty Animals- he is a guide in Lone Pine and knows he area better than anyone I have ever met. Although he did not guide me, he was one heck of a lot of help with information about the ungulates, where to stay, eat and have meat cut. Don is a one-in-a-million guy and offers a huge array of wildlife services and help if needed.
I had been watching the elk on the weekends since July and had a few picked out that were really nice. As with many hunts, things change up as the hunt actually occurs. The evening before the opener, some guys actually drove out into the feeding elk in the desert and scattered them all to hell.....I had them patterned to a certain water hole prior to that. And...I was very surprised to see archery road hunters, driving around at prime time, but enough of that.
On day 4 I finally relocated some elk in the flats and decided to stalk just for fun, since I didnlt think one of my choice bulls was there. Well, as I get abut 400 yds from them, a truck pulls into the two track and gets them up. There he is, the #1 bull I wanted. They saw the truck, they also saw me....this was kinda like antelope hunting in the short brush. They moved off and bedded again further away, but this time, I saw the bull bed next to the tallest sage visible......game on.
I took off the shoes, undershirt and other stuff and went in sox. Crawled hands and knees until I saw his antlers in front of me. Ranged at 53 yds....too far....I slowly moved another 10 or so yards and tried to re-range, when all of a sudden 12 cows get up and stare a hole thru me.....uh oh....this is it. I try to draw, but am weak from the 2.5 hr crawl and adrenaline rushing thru me. The arrow slips off the rest......"relax I tell myself....relax.....I raise the bow, come to full draw......and stand up. The bull didnlt see me stand as I was behind and downwind of him.....hup!....he jumps up, turns broadside to see what made the noise......too late, the arrow is gone.....the shot was good and he fell withing 100 yds of me.......then the shaking started........holy crap.....I did it...My first bow kill and once in a lifetime Tule Elk in the Owens Valley.
I thank my parents, wife and 3 boys for putting up with and helping me for the last 3 months....I also want to thank Don Nichols, Finder of Tasty Animals- he is a guide in Lone Pine and knows he area better than anyone I have ever met. Although he did not guide me, he was one heck of a lot of help with information about the ungulates, where to stay, eat and have meat cut. Don is a one-in-a-million guy and offers a huge array of wildlife services and help if needed.
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