C
coonhound40
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Sep-12-07 AT 01:31AM (MST)[p]I've been hunting one of Washington's wilderness areas for 6 years with the Bow and couldn't until this year, seal the deal. Every year I had numerous close opportunities and Murphy's law always came into play. Well this year on opening day my luck finally turned and I out did Mr Murphy.
I went into an area that I've hunted on opening day for the last three years that always has bulls that are talking. I hiked in in the dark and hunted the most productive area without seeing or hearing any elk so I decided to move up to my afternoon location. On my way up the ridge I heard a bull bugle, it sounded terrible, I figured it was another hunter, I don't know why, I've never seen another hunter in there before? I bugled back and he answered with even a more pathetic sound. I decided that if it was a hunter I was staying put he could climb down to me. He bugled again so I replied only to hear the bull tearing down the mountain right to me. Well not quite, he was just to the down wind side and off he went but it did get the adrenaline pumping.
I hiked about another 1/2 mile, it was now about noon and getting pretty warm and another bull let out a short deep growl, I could tell he was close. I knocked up an arrow and let out a cow call and in he came. He stopped at 40 Yds but didn't present a shot and what do you know, the wind started swirling and off he went. This was one of the biggest bulls I've seen.
So I decided to continue up the ridge to a couple small ponds that typically hold elk and have a great little meadow for an afternoon nap. Before I could get there another bull bugled down the hill and ahead of me. I took a long hike up and around to get the wind in my favor and let out a bugle to locate and immediatly he answered back. I kept working him from that location but he wouldn't come any closer. I started closing the distance about 50 yds at a time and every time he would answer but wouldn't come any closer. Finally I knew I was right on top of him, I had a little bench that was about 35 yds across right in front of me, I figured the bull had to be just over the break. I got set up, I figured if he came he would come through a little notch in the timber and be at 35 yds. I let out a couple short chuckles with only my mouth reed, instantly I could hear the thumping of his hooves. He came up right where I thought he would...turned broadside...let out a bugle followed by a couple chuckles while wizzing all over himself. I had to take a couple steps to my side to get a clear shot, I gapped my 30 and 40 yd pins right behind the should and touched it off. I couldn't believe it, I watched my arrow dissappear right in the 12 ring. He wheeled and dove over the edge...about 20 seconds later I heard the death crash. I decided I would try to wait for an hour just incase I was wrong. After about 10 minutes I thought I would just look for my arrow, sure enough I found it 20 feet from where he was standing covered in beautiful bright red blood. I attempted to wait the entire hour, I really only made it about 30 minutes. I quickly found the blood trail, followed it a short 60 yds and there he was, my 1st archery bull. Hopefully I've broken the ice and this is the 1st of many to come.
Here are a few pictures.
Coon
PS I was about 5 miles from the road, I was alone when I shot him. I couldn't get out that night, so I took about 80lbs out the next morning. Thanks to some great hunting partners we got the rest of him out the next day.
I went into an area that I've hunted on opening day for the last three years that always has bulls that are talking. I hiked in in the dark and hunted the most productive area without seeing or hearing any elk so I decided to move up to my afternoon location. On my way up the ridge I heard a bull bugle, it sounded terrible, I figured it was another hunter, I don't know why, I've never seen another hunter in there before? I bugled back and he answered with even a more pathetic sound. I decided that if it was a hunter I was staying put he could climb down to me. He bugled again so I replied only to hear the bull tearing down the mountain right to me. Well not quite, he was just to the down wind side and off he went but it did get the adrenaline pumping.
I hiked about another 1/2 mile, it was now about noon and getting pretty warm and another bull let out a short deep growl, I could tell he was close. I knocked up an arrow and let out a cow call and in he came. He stopped at 40 Yds but didn't present a shot and what do you know, the wind started swirling and off he went. This was one of the biggest bulls I've seen.
So I decided to continue up the ridge to a couple small ponds that typically hold elk and have a great little meadow for an afternoon nap. Before I could get there another bull bugled down the hill and ahead of me. I took a long hike up and around to get the wind in my favor and let out a bugle to locate and immediatly he answered back. I kept working him from that location but he wouldn't come any closer. I started closing the distance about 50 yds at a time and every time he would answer but wouldn't come any closer. Finally I knew I was right on top of him, I had a little bench that was about 35 yds across right in front of me, I figured the bull had to be just over the break. I got set up, I figured if he came he would come through a little notch in the timber and be at 35 yds. I let out a couple short chuckles with only my mouth reed, instantly I could hear the thumping of his hooves. He came up right where I thought he would...turned broadside...let out a bugle followed by a couple chuckles while wizzing all over himself. I had to take a couple steps to my side to get a clear shot, I gapped my 30 and 40 yd pins right behind the should and touched it off. I couldn't believe it, I watched my arrow dissappear right in the 12 ring. He wheeled and dove over the edge...about 20 seconds later I heard the death crash. I decided I would try to wait for an hour just incase I was wrong. After about 10 minutes I thought I would just look for my arrow, sure enough I found it 20 feet from where he was standing covered in beautiful bright red blood. I attempted to wait the entire hour, I really only made it about 30 minutes. I quickly found the blood trail, followed it a short 60 yds and there he was, my 1st archery bull. Hopefully I've broken the ice and this is the 1st of many to come.
Here are a few pictures.
Coon
PS I was about 5 miles from the road, I was alone when I shot him. I couldn't get out that night, so I took about 80lbs out the next morning. Thanks to some great hunting partners we got the rest of him out the next day.
