Wyo archery elk success

[wyemjohnson]

Just got back from our first week of archery elk hunting in WYO. Here are some money shots of the bull my buddy took yesterday. We called to this guy for 2 and half hours before he came a running to us and Russ was able to make the shot! Story and more pics will come later, as I'm headed back to camp. We have been in bugling bulls each day, only to be busted by swirling winds and just poor choices on our setups and stalks. We missed a 5 point earlier in the hunt and also hit a raghorn in the shoulder blade, the complete arrow fell out after 10 yards! and the bull just walked away.

My buddies bull scores right at 300!

 

[DEERSLAM]

Very cool...congrats!

 

[Kentuck]

Nice bull. Congrats and good luck on the rest of your hunt.

 

[One Track]

Hot diggity. Congrats! Looks like you guys are having a blast. Wish I was hunting bugling bulls right now. Keep us posted.

 

[JNDEER]

looks like a great Bull......congrats to your buddy

 

[MULIES4EVER]

Very cool. Nice bull.

 

[SacFireJT]

Nice bull

 

[hank4elk]

Great bull, great story, keep it up.

 

[wmidbrook]

That's a great archery bull! WTG!!

 

[FTTPOW]

Congrates! He's a keeper for sure.

 

[wyemjohnson]

Just got back from my 2nd stint out there, will try to post up the story and more photos tomorrow. No luck for me, just a good time in the woods! Too many rifle deer hunting camps have quieted the elk down.

 

[2rocky]

headed up the Gros Ventre next week...Leave on Monday, Hit Jackson on Tues afternoon.

drop me a line Wyem...

westernwanderer(at)live(dot) com

 

[Speckmisser]

Go whack 'em, Wyem!

 

[AZ Jim]

Very Nice !

Congrats !!


AZ Jim

 

[Cold1nhand]

Some of the best meat out there, that's fo sho! Good job!!

 

[hntnnut]

Nice and congrats.

Richard

 

[wyemjohnson]

Ok, here is the rest of the story, more of a picture story, none the less, a fun elk hunt DIY style. Sorry for the wait.

view up the road to our hunting area.

our camp, that kept us warm and dry, with plenty of water from the stream.

Up in the high country.

glassing

more glassing

steep country

napping

On the 6th morning we were up early, and up the trail in the dark. We heard a bugle before light from the timber.
We knew exactly where the bull was, and we worked our way around to get the wind in our favor and started into the timber.
Cow calling every so often to make sure of his location. He would bugle right back each time, and we would continue to close the gap.
He was staying put. Finally we got within 100 yards, and we had a small opening in front of us with a steep slope beyond it. He continued to bugle at my cow calls but never would get out of his bed. I motioned Russ to move around to the right, as he appeared to be more to the right of us. At this point, we had been in pursuit of the bull over 2 hours. With the sun starting to filter into the trees, I knew the wind could swirl at anytime and we needed to be more aggressive with the bull. I motioned to Russ to bugle. The bull immediately let out a deeper bugle and then all was silent. I waited 5 minutes then cow called again and he bugled again with a chuckle added about 50 yards to my right. So he was on the move finally! Russ bugled again, and the bull bugled back with a chuckle, and I'm thinking he needs to chuckle back. I cow call again,
the bull bugles and chuckles and he is all worked up! I hear Russ bugle and let out a wimpy chuckle. Then I hear a faint cow mew. Then I hear
timber crashing, then silence, then more crashing, and then silence. I'm thinking ok he winded us and headed out. A minute later a pale shaking Russ comes out of the timber toward me (priceless moment) saying he thinks he gotem. He tells me after he bugled the first time the bull came a running and stopped in the timber, and would move toward my cow calls one way, then move back toward Russ when he bugled.
Finally, when he did the wimpy chuckle, the bull had it and came in closer, and stopped just outside a narrow shooting lane. He came to full draw and waited, waited, waited, and finally the bull turned and moved into the lane and he call cowed with a mouth diaphram and the bull stopped and he let the shot go and it disappeared into the opening and the elk. (All that summer training paid off). The bull crashed off and then all was quiet. We still waited an hour and followed the short trail to this...

Very wide 6x6 scoring right on 300 P&Y. The work begins!

Meat hanging, hopefully the bear we saw the day before won't find it. (The bear found the gut pile 2 days later)

Packing the cape and horns out the hard way. Good lesson to learn about shooting elk in the deep timber. Badlands 2200 only broke one buckle with the heavy load!

Glad we have a friend with horses!


All in all a great hunt. Enjoy the photo's

 

[hatchet1]

that is an awesome story!! and what a hunt

way to D.I.Y. , im off for big muleys come oct.15th up there,
this just gets me pumped.great bull and strong work

 

[Kurtish]

Great story and pics! That's some awesome looking country you fellas were in. Congrats to the both of you

 

[Kentuck]

Sounds and looks like a great hunt. Looks like bears can be a problem up there. Griz or black?