I am extremely happy with this bull do not get me wrong. I missed this same bull a week ago.
Here is the story to help explain it better to some.
I know an area about as well as anyone can. Some of you have an area that is as special to you as well which just seems magic and abundant with game.
I have scouted hard and worked my tail off learning every aspect of where the elk bed,travel,eat,drink and go to when pressured.
Last year after hunting extremely hard I missed a shot at a bull that would score 340 and he is very much still alive this year. I got close on a number of other occasions but I am not a 70-80 yard archer by my own set of standards so I let him walk rather than risk wounding him knowing it would make me sick if I did.
It was him or nothing for me so I ate tag soup at the end of the season passing many other easy opportunities at other bulls.
Fast forward to this year.
My wife and I had our beautiful daughter Crystal in August. Talk about feeling as proud as anyone can about anything.
She is our little miracle bundle of joy. Every time I look at her everything is right in the world.
Just when I started hunting my wife needed help with Crystal because she had some usual problems that little ones have. I stayed home much of my time off like any good father would do helping out.
On one day that I made it out I found the 6x6 I ended up taking latter. I figured we can use the meat for sure now with all the bills plus he definitely is a nice bull. I shot low somehow completely missing him. I thanked god it was a clean miss and knew I may meet up with him or hopefully the bigger bull if I got more time to hunt.
Fast forward a week-
Packed my gear and things were going well and I was looking forward to 4-5 days up in the hills.
Got back from work the day before I was supposed to leave and my wife and the baby are not home....I am ready to head to the hospital when my wife drives up...
She tells me Crystal stopped breathing for a short time when she was on her way home from her mothers with her in her truck.
Of course she immediately sped to the hospital "police officer following her"- She told the police officer when she got out of the truck "You can deal with me latter" as she ran into emergency .............
Her comment to the officer now since things are well still make me smile.
Come to find out our daughter had a reaction to her many shots and it is supposedly relatively common to happen. My wife and I had a hard time swallowing that explanation.
So I decide it would be best if I stick around a few days to make sure if anything happens I am there.
My wife after a few days tells me to go ahead and head to the hills. I wait another day on my own and even when I leave I am understandably worried and not as excited about going as I normally would be.Would you?
The first day I see a few cows and a couple smaller bulls trying to herd them up. The bulls were together and still play fighting not really serious yet about the rut.
I thought to myself that these younger bulls work hard at trying to get it right but when the rut kicks in the big bulls just come in and take the cows like snapping your fingers.
I had seen a few bigger bulls scouting before the season and as usual on public land they are seen last light and before sunup.
It would be a week or so more before I could get a chance at one of them.
My mind continued drifting back and forth from my daughter to trying to keep my focus on the hunt. It was hard to stay focused.
The second day I was loosing my drive....My worries for my daughter and thinking my wife needed me were more important. I decided I would leave that day instead of staying one more like I had planned. Besides I still had part of the season to hunt.
Something told me after I packed up camp " It can happen at any time or any minute on the hunt" try just one more evening jaunt.
I arrived to another area I hunt within the "zone" as I call it around 3pm and decided to try a little cow calling while moving through heavy Cedars and Pinion's hoping a early love sick bull would respond. None did.
Later I came to a slight meadow that I had seen bulls use before and decided to set up where I had seen many elk come through just before last shooting light.
My thoughts still drifted to my daughter and part of me wanted to just head back to my ATV a few miles away and go home but something inside me said "Hey your here and it can happen and time or any minute"...Until last shooting light you always have a chance.
I heard some rustling in the sage and tall oakbrush and was amused as I saw two coyotes come out only yards from me. Yep my planning was working I thought. If Yotes cannot smell me I have the wind dopped well and no elk has a chance at smelling me.
I heard loud crunching and from more than one animal and the unmistakeable smell of MOO Cows as they entered the meadow..I thought just great but knew from earlier scouting that elk really don't give a crap if MOO Cows are there or not.
I stood up and spooked the cows to the other end of the meadow.
At 7:20pm I heard a fainter crunching and this time it was hesitating every few steps or so. Could this be a bull I thought or just another Moo Cow.......As I was thinking about it a rack appeared out of the oakbrush and the bull elk was staring right at me from time to time as he scanned the opening.
He took a step forward as his vitals were exposed. Still from the angle I could not move or he would see me and be gone.
My eyes looked up at his rack and I decided he was a shooter for me and only 25 yards away.
One more step and he was slightly angled away broadside "Perfect I thought" as I slowly pulled back my bow.
I kept telling myself "take your time breathe just like practice" as the string left my release I knew he was mine.
The bull laid his head back and he crashed off along the edge of the clearing obviously hit hard...Then he came to a sliding nosedive only 50 yards from where I had stuck him.
My mind raced as I sat there looking at the rack above the sage still as can be...The Moo Cows looking on in wide eyed horror brought a smile to my face. If you could have only seen it.
I walked over just at dark and thanked God for this bull and for the stength I now needed by myself to get him out.
I busted my butt getting him back to the ATV a few miles distant by dark. Even knowing the area it took me from 7:24pm till 6:14a.m. the next day to get back to the truck.
I was exhausted as I rolled into the driveway later in the day but full of pride in what I had accomplished.
Then again as my wife and my beautiful daughter in her arms came out to greet me that is what it really is all about.
Tears came to my eye's as I hugged them both.
Best,
Jerry
For all you measure freaks she is 22 inches long.LOL 
