2024 LE archery elk hunt x3

Silentstalker

Silentstalker

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Going into the draws this past winter I was debating on an archery tag or holding out for a muzzy. I grew up with a bow in my hand and having already successfully taken 3 LE bulls with my bow, I finally decided to do archery one more time! My son only had 2 points so I told him to apply “just in case”. My buddies daughter also applied. She and I both had enough points to draw.

Well, all 3 of us drew…. Archery elk is a tough hunt especially in Utah but being very familiar with the unit and having great friends who know it better than I do, I was apprehensive of 3 tags but very excited!

We scouted the unit all summer and found some familiar bulls and even a few new ones. It seemed antler growth was exceptional.

I created a mental hit list and we had no less than 1/2 dozen first day shooters picked out including a few we had trail camera and live pics of for years.

The monsoons hit and made hunting pretty tough the first week. Thankfully the storms broke and hunting slowly picked up for us.

This past Sunday night I had the humbling opportunity to arrow a bull we have kept track of since 2018. He was a big 5 point that year. He has been hunted by our group for years to no avail. He was even missed 4x on the muzzy hunt a couple years ago. We think he is probably 12-13 years old. Could be older as his teeth are nearly worn out. He has regressed the last couple of years but always carried the 5 pt gene.

He is honestly the largest bodied elk I have ever been a part of killing. An absolute toad. I am so grateful for my friends and family who helped me out on this hunt. They have put in a ton of time scouting and had a huge impact in the success of this hunt.

This all happened when “Big 5” appeared in the draw below me. I had him at 35 yards and wasted no time in sending an arrow. A couple hundred yards later we stood over a magnificent bull. We celebrated, took a few pics and got to work.

Here are a few pics to get this thread started.

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The monsoons had created mud puddles and water in every depression point in the area. The elk had scattered with the ability to find new feed and the freshest of water supplies.

Although this displaced the bulls we were targeting it created an opportunity. As we spread out to hunt we finally started finding elk after a few days. Their activity centered around a couple canyons. One evening our friend Scott witness a young 5 point come in and wallow it up in style! He got great video but I can’t figure out how to post a video on here.

Back at camp we watched the video over and over and after discussing it at length we decided I would put up a ground blind and sit that mud hole. I was a bit worried as the water was almost gone but figured it was a great opportunity that would not hurt my chances any as I had all but 2 days of the hunt off.
Here is what it looked like peering out of my blind.

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With it being hot and dry the last few days we hit the blinds early in the afternoon hoping to catch a bull slipping in for a mud bath. Well, as most plans go while elk hunting that was a bust. But, at 7:06 pm a light “wimpy” bugle caught my attention. It came from down the draw and sounded close.

I told myself that sounded like a little raghorn bull. I didn’t even get set up or ready. I just pulled my phone out and prepared to film the youngster playing in the water. 😂

I was sitting in my blind in a spot that I couldn’t be seen by any approaching elk - which meant that I couldn’t see them either.

I heard the hooves on rocks and dirt then the sucking sound of hooves in the mud as he walked into the mud.

I casually peered out the corner of the shooting lane in the blind and this is what I saw.

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At first glance my thoughts were- well that’s not a rag horn! I didn’t immediately recognize him as his head was down but he picked his head up and I instantly recognized his distinct curvature to his right side. At that point I shifted gears quickly! I grabbed my bow and knelt down in the dirt. I had him head on as he drank for 15 minutes!! Talk about torture!

I kept telling myself “wait until he turns broadside or lays down”. When he finished drinking he did the unthinkable and turned and briskly walked to my right. I only had about 5 yards before he disappeared out of view.

I drew my bow back settled and released. The thwack of arrow hitting elk turned him into a wrecking ball as he exploded up the draw. Then all went silent.

I text my Son, Wife, Jerry and Scott. It was decided my son Dustin would finish his hunt then head over. Jerry and Scott headed my way to help with the blood trailing.

At first it was tracks with a few drops of blood. Then we found my arrow. It had come out in one piece and although the blood trail was not massive it was steady.

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Sorry guys. Not meaning to draw this out but gotta get a few things done after being gone most of 2 weeks…

Even at 35 yards I didn’t not get an exit hole on the bull so blood was mostly coming out his right side and the majority staying internal.

After about 200 yards or less we walked up in this. It’s always a relief to find your prey at the end of a blood trail. It’s at this point I was able to breath full breaths and feel the relief of the finality of the hunt.

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Some grip and grin pics. To put this bull in perspective - his first two tines are 16+” and 18” on both sides. He has regressed from 2 years ago when he was probably his very biggest. But score doesn’t matter to me as much as killing bulls with some age on them. I am super humbled to have taken this old warrior and indebted to my friends and Son for all their help.

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Also here is a pretty crappy pic of my last big 5 point (2010) and this years. I know you all will look at the size of both antlers, but look at the size of the skulls. This bull was a tank.

And one last thing, this hunt sounds like it may have been a piece of cake but it was tough. I sat morning and or night for 14 hunts. I sat through monsoon rain storms and sweltering heat - and loved every minute of it!

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Last edited:
Justhunt14 said:
What a bull! nice work! Im sucker for big 5s I would shout that bull all day long.

How's the hunt going for the other 2 tags? Didn't you say you had 3 tags in camp?
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Funny you should ask! I’m not going to post about my friend’s daughter’s hunt. If and when he wants to he can jump in or start his own. She is still hunting.

As for Dustin, He joined us the second week. We had set him up on a nearby water source in hopes a good bull would come in. He had killed his first bull elk in Wy in ‘22 and was excited to get his second!

He immediately had action but just cows coming in. Right at dark the first evening he sat he heard a bull bugle. It was behind him and was real spooky. It came up to the waterhole 5 times and never drank. Light was fading fast and due to the nature of the tree line he never actually saw the rack. Not sure 100% if it was the bull that bugled or another lone cow but either way it created some excitement to close out the night!
 
Dustin had a lot less time off to hunt so I gave him first choice of where to sit or first shot if we were running and gunning. The day we set up my blind on the mud wallow I offered it to him. He declined saying “if there is a big bull in this area I want you to get him. I will be happy with just about any bull that comes in.” He is the most unselfish young men you will ever meet.

After his first sit at the pond he didn’t see another elk for 2 days. He heard bugles but nothing came in.

The morning of his fourth day he changed it up and went and sat the mud wallow where I killed my bull. At this point the elk seemed to have vanished. We had not seen any since I shot mine and we were talking about relocating to another area.

The plan as usual was to sit until 9 or 9:30 and then he would come back to camp. At about 8:50 I sent him a text asking him if he wanted to ride over to another location to check for elk sign with me. I said I would pick him up about 9:30. I asked him to just stay in the blind cause I wanted to walk in and mark the blood trail of my bull in my OnX for old times sake and to see how far he had gone. The night if my kill I was too excited to even think about that.

I was walking in about 9:22 I was cresting the ridge line overlooking the blind. I text him “On my way down”. He replied see you soon.
Then instantly multiple texts came in.

Wait!
Wait!
Bull!
Small 5
 
Phone service is spotty at best but thankfully the texts were working pretty well that morning. I paused and read the texts. I asked him, you going to shoot him? He replied, I might. I said Go for it!!

Moments later I here the release of the arrow and the thwack of arrow hitting the elk then the clattering of hooves as it ran down the canyon.

Then a text - got him. Arrow is still in him.

Here is a pic Dustin snapped of his bull before he got the shot. Compare it to where my bull was standing. They were in virtually the same exact spot!

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We waited 1/2 hour and then started the bills trailing. The blood trail was good. We trailed him about 150 yards and bumped him. We decided to back out - unsure of the shot due to him still being alive. The blood trail told us he should be dead. The bull showed us otherwise.

Here is what we found where he stood after we jumped him from his bed.

This was the time to be patient and let nature take its course. We went back to camp and got hydrated and ate breakfast. We had a long hot day ahead of us.

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We picked the blood trail back up and found him just 50 yards further down the trail. The shot turned out to be perfect. Elk are just built different. They are built to live.

Dustin had his 2nd bull elk, and both with a bow.

It was the heat of the day and we got right to work getting him on ice and on the way to the meat locker.

Any bull with a bow is a trophy in my book. To get 2 in one week was a week I don’t soon forget. I’m hoping to hear soon that a 3rd has hit the dirt!

Thanks for coming along for the adventure.

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Silentstalker said:
We picked the blood trail back up and found him just 50 yards further down the trail. The shot turned out to be perfect. Elk are just built different. They are built to live.

Dustin had his 2nd bull elk, and both with a bow.

It was the heat of the day and we got right to work getting him on ice and on the way to the meat locker.

Any bull with a bow is a trophy in my book. To get 2 in one week was a week I don’t soon forget. I’m hoping to hear soon that a 3rd has hit the dirt!

Thanks for coming along for the adventure.

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So awesome for you and your son! And who needs Sitka and Kuiu when you can just wear a soccer jersey and sweatpants and still put down bulls!
 
Silentstalker said:
Those are actually shorts 😂
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Gotta be comfortable in the ground blind and that heat :ROFLMAO:

I do need to get him a new hat though ;)

So happy for both you guys!! I have to admit, I was a little skeptical when you both drew tags in the same year and 1 additional tag in camp. Killing one elk is hard enough with a bow. Way to adapt to the conditions/circumstances (monsoon rains, limited elk activity, etc.) to get it done on 2 great bulls so quickly!! Only bad part is that I wasn't able to be there - kicking myself for that!
 

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