The last eight days !

BIGJOHNT

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LAST EDITED ON Sep-09-11 AT 12:06PM (MST)[p]We are heading up to Fish lake. Only eight more days to get a bull killed for my son chad.This will be his first bull and first archery animal. He is 20 and i hope we can close the deal on a good one. This archery stuff can be tough ! Only smaller bulls in bow range so far.But with the cooler whether and the bulls starting to talk. Hope he get s snot blown all over him :p
Good luck to the rest of you aswell !!
 
Good luck to you guys. Hopefully he can arrow him a nice bull. Getting excited for Fishlake in less than 3 weeks!
 
Hey Big John,
I am trying to help my son kill a wasatch archery elk. We have had a tough time as well. It is especially tough on the "old man" to not just make it happen. Anyway, good luck to you both.
 
little big horn how old is your son and where have you guys been hunting been seeing anything good maybe i could be of some help i have been watching elk on the wasatch since the spring i have a muzzleloader tag and know where a lot of elk are what are you guys looking to kill?
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-09-11 AT 01:41PM (MST)[p]Atleast the spike hunters will be gone. That should be a help for everyone. Not as many folks running the herd around.
Nice of you callemn to help out !!
 
Good luck out there... I have been busting my butt on the Wasatch since the hunt started and am hoping I have put in my time and can connect in the next week! Tough hunt for sure, but that just means that when we all connect it will be that much more worth it!
 
John,
If being alone is making you feel bad, I can come up and run around and make some noise so you feel at home like the last 3 weeks. ;-)

I hope you can find Chad a decent bull to drill. Don't get too picky and pass on something you should kill. Opportunities sometimes are rare on the archery hunt!
Good Luck!!!!!
 
I was on the Wasatch yesterday, one of them "lousy" spike hunters. LOL The bulls were bugling until 10:30am. Lots of action and it seems like the rut is picking up. Saw a couple of good bulls and was able to connect!

"Half of being smart, is knowing what you're dumb about."
 
Ya I know what you mean . Dont want to settle with a whole week left ? We will more than likely shoot the first nice 6 x 6 we see. Is that being to picky ....still ?lol
You got a spike dr hunter ? I thought you where down on the dutton?
 
BigJohn, I keep trying to tell you- THERE ARE NO ELK ON FISHLAKE!!!


Lol. Good luck, I hope Chad gets a good'un!
 
I hear ya predator !! We had three bulls bugling around us this morning. we kept move in on them quiet.Then it started raining and then the fog rolled in. Just about got everyones rain gear and boots dry and its starting again rain and fog.
 
John, Get Chad to go kill that bull I sent you the text about. He would be a dandy with a rifle. He had 4 or 5 cows but I think if you got over at the bottom of the sage flat you could coax him down to you. He is one of te prettiest bulls I have seen up there in a few years!
Good Luck the rest of the hunt!
 
Thanks Rick !! We got on him. He got into the thick stuff. We didn't bump him and we are going after him in the morning. I got a little video of him but its so thick you can only see his horns and head.Thank goodness I have a Wilson cell phone booster or I wouldn't have got your message. My daughter is calling him the Willy Wonka bull Because of his dark coco horns . We watch Chad put the stalk on him. We will do it again in the morning.
 
That's great, hope to hear good things in the morning then.

Bulls on the Wasatch are bugling first and last 10 minutes and then going quiet. Not there yet!
 
John, I hope he gets a crack at him. He is a gorgeous bull..and Willy Wonka fits him very well...
I don't think he will go anywhere if he isn't bumped so tell Chad to be patient and if things are not perfect, back out and regroup. You have another 5-6 days so do all you can to make it work.
Good luck guys! I want to hold those antlers and see him in person....
 
If you don't get on him in the mornings, be up on that ridge by 3pm or so. He came out at 5 yesterday so I think he better be in place in plenty of time for things to calm down.
Call me if you get him! I will run back up!
 
Well we found a bull this morning just the wrong one !!!!! :p
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Well!

They told BIGJOHN about a big Bull!

Didn't tell him it was a Moose!:D

Good Luck JOHN!

We are waiting,IMPATIENTLY!

For GAWDS Sakes Guys,We Got Kids on this Site,Some of them are 65 years Old!:D

I don't care if they're big or small!
If they throw lead I like em all!
:p
 
Pred, they relocated some moose down to the Fishlake years ago. I think I have only seen less than a dozen in all those years...
I have been up a few times this last couple of weeks looking for this moose, but never have seen him, but everyone else sees him..

B_Bop, I did tell BigJohn about a big bull, and it was a big stinky. Hopefully they can get a shot at him...
Would love to see him on the ground!
 
Hey Rick!

Ya,I was just RAZZIN Ya!:D

Hopeing the weather in the southern part of the state is cooling off a bit?

There's a bunch of Stick Flippers with not much time left!

Good Luck guys!

For GAWDS Sakes Guys,We Got Kids on this Site,Some of them are 65 years Old!:D

I don't care if they're big or small!
If they throw lead I like em all!
:p
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-11-11 AT 11:13PM (MST)[p]John, I was on the Dutton until last week. My friend has a big bull tag. We had quite a few chances at smaller bulls but decided to hold out for the bigger one. . . assuming their is a bigger one. I did a day trip on the Wasatch and shot a young cow. It was just a meat hunt. My wife is convinced that their is going to be a disaster soon, so she wants the freezer full. So I keep encouraging her that she is right. I figure the more I encourage it, the more I get to hunt! Right? :)
 
After the rain stopped and the fog lifted we got on two differn't bulls tonight. Both had cows with them. We moved in and couldn't get them to leave there cows.
Rick, We got on willy wonka tonight. He was bugleing up in the timber above his cows. We couldn't get him to come out into the meadow,up high and to the south of the stream tonight.
Chad found a shed up there in the stream . So we got one side of a six point.;) I can't believe a bull shed a horn up that high on the mountain.
We ran into a MMer member up here this afternoon . Travis he got a nice 6 x 6 . Hopefully he posts some pictures up !!! Nice to meet you today Trav.
Going to bed !! Roughin it up here on the mountain !!!
 
Hey....would you guys hurry and get it done already so you can concentrate on finding a bull for us on Saturday!!

It sounds like if you dont kill Willy Wonka...we just may have to kill him on Saturday!!!

I am glad that Travis killed!! Cant wait to see pictures!
 
We Got'er done!!!
My son killed a nice bull Saturday evening! It was quite a deal, but he did his part and the bull only went 100 yds and tipped over. It is a nice 5 by 6...looks to be an old bull on the way down. I ache all over from hauling that beast out. I am a techno-idiot so I don't know how to post pictures, but we will get something up soon. Thanks for the offers of help from some of you, and good luck to the rest!
 
Keep at it guys...this week should be smoking..
Rode up last night for the last hour and seen 10 bulls and they were getting pretty frisky..
Good to see a few people are getting it done!
Good luck!
 
>Travis,
>you need to start your own
>post with that bull...
>Too impressive not to share it!

+1

Incredible bull!!!
 
Travis, it is hard to call that lucky after all your hiking and hard work sticking with it.
When preparation, and hard work come together, it is not called luck..
You deserve what you got...and should be proud of that bull!!!!
 
I'll start a new post so we don't keep posting on BIGJOHN's topic.

By the way it was good to meet you John, Wish you guys the best of luck.
 
Thanks Travis !!!! Your bull picture looks great !! That should help Keep Chad Motavated !! It been a tough few days hiking and get wet every day.
 
We have been on elk every day . The bulls with cows we couldn't get to come in close to 60 to 100 yards. The bulls with the cows for the last fews days have been quite.
Except for today.... Chad was 20 yards from a 380 bull. He had to cows in his way and couldn't get a shot. The bull was screaming in his face. Called in by my brother in law. After his cows got nervous and the walked off. Thats what it all about !!! We are going to try and keep on him.
After that two smaller six's where locking horns and a smaller 5. Bulls screaming and frighting in his face. They are starting to get hot.
After that there where 16 cows with a good 340 6 x 6. His was keeping his cows in the middle of a meadow and running around them. we started getting set up on him and 3 spikes came out and the 6 started pushing his cows right to chad. We had to make a few moves to keep on him and his girls. This is all happening fast. The cows are coming in front of him and 20 yards and are getting nervous and push the bull out to forty yards and a steap down hill. Chad shoots at the 340 6 and shoots over him . He couldn't believe he missed !! But he got excited and is looking to get back on that 380 bull. It has been raining all day and foggy. So hopefully he comes out early, if not where on him again in the morning.Having fun and glad there are fired up !!!!
 
The time is ticking. . . I hope he gets it done! Good luck John. Thanks for the update.

"Half of being smart, is knowing what you're dumb about."
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-14-11 AT 06:48PM (MST)[p]BIGJOHNT This post is one of the reasons I check MM everyday. I love to hear the updates and the story to go along with this hunt. I have hunted fishlake for a ton of years and love seeing the elk on the mountain. Good luck to you and your boy and I hope you guys can put a big one in the dirt.
 
John...go kill that thing will ya please!....but if you just can not get close enough.....well then...watch him REAL close and we will go in and kill him with a rifle on Saturday morning!!!! Then you and Chad can come spit in his eye if ya want! :)

I will be up soon and can come help spot...
 
When Chad was next that bull when he bugled. He said when he let out that big nasty bugle he shook the ground. So we named him Big Naste !!
This morning he got into the dark timber and we only heard his big naste bugle. We went into the dark timber after him then pulled out. He has moved a little south on us. I did get some video of the smaller 5 x 5 that was dogging him. He managed to steal three cows away from the big guy.
One of the 6 x 6's had a few cows aswell and was out in the open for a little bit as the sun came up. Allthough it isn't dark with the full moon.
Jason I hope we can get on him again but......he already gave us once chance. Will he give us another ? He has pushed up into some thick stuff. So he wont be easy to get at. A rifle may even up the playing field ????
Every thing has to come togther for a bow to work out. But we our having a good time working these bulls. It's a honor to get that close to this stud. We got on him a couple of weekends ago and he went where we couldn't go. :)
 
John, Don't give up till it is completely dark tomorrow night!
Good things come to those who are patient. I had pretty much written my tag off, but decided to give it one more crack the last afternoon and boy did things click. Shot mine 10 minutes before dark the last night...
Good Luck...will try to get up there tomorrow afternoon...
And Jason, I can come help spot Saturday morning in you need some more eyes!
 
I thought it would take me weeks to want to go back into the hills, but reading your comments makes me want to go back now. Keep up the hard work and it will pay off. Good luck to you guys.
 
>...makes me
>want to go back now.

Ain't that the truth!!! I was back down glassing for my buddy Curtis 5 days after I got home with my bull last year :)

This year I miss the LE hunt and all the critters something fierce. General bull units just don't hold much appeal after you've been in the thick of things like that for sure :)

Cheers,
Pete
 
man o' man, is this post bringin' back some really GOOD MEMORIES!!

Just remember, John, C3 and others......THERE ARE NO ELK ON FISHLAKE.

I'm sure Travis' was just a fluke of some sort; like that moose. :)))
 
Awesome bull! One of my favorites on the site thus far.. those fronts are sick, and the sixes are great as well. Nice work
 
I hope they are busy hauling him out.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
 
Well sorry we haven't got back to you guys sooner. We are a little tired and sore. We got back to St. George last night and haven't recovered yet.
Lets just start by saying we had a awesome hunt. It started off with some big bulls we found and got video on. If i new how to make them smaller I would down load a few clips.
We got some smaller bulls that we got on trail cameras that we kept as back ups.
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We had a blind set up on this spot and a camera on this one.
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So with our scouting and trail cameras we where feeling pretty good.Then the opener came and we had this guy in front of our blind a 30 yards.
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He had a bunch of cows and he thought he was the man. He is a smaller 5 x 6 . We new as soon as the big boys left there bachelor groups he would be run off.
The bigger bulls we had been watching had been run into the wood work by all of the spike hunters.
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Anyone know this guy ? haha He was just doing his thing ! No harm no foul.
We knew the last week was going to be the best chance for Chad to get a good bull to come in. So thats why we hunted the weekends unless we got on a hot one and stayed on him. So this is how" the last eight days came about "
 
You got more Story John?

I think that Guy is "noluck" LOL!:D

Just Kiddin noluck,I do believe it to be no other than hossblur!:D

As mad as I get at the SPIKE Hunters in LE Elk Units I'm not mad at anybody Personally,but yes I'm not happy at all with the UDWR Allowing it!

Carry on BIGJOHN,I always like the Stories!



For "GOSH" Sakes,We got "TARDS" on this Site that can't handle a Damn,I Mean DANG thing,maybe MM should add a Church/Biblical Forum for the MM'ers that can't handle the Hunting Forums?
Pfffffffffff............!!!

I don't care if they're big or small!
If they throw lead I like em all!
:p
 
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John you will have to show these to chad sorry i didnt make it up there my hunter came in early i will show more pics later tell me if you guys recognize him 64 inches of mass
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-19-11 AT 09:35AM (MST)[p]Let me try to finish while I work.
The three day weekend we got on Big nasty . He was heading down a canyon towards refuge. ( a cwmu) We got up to the fench line to cut him off but he got around us with his cows.
Saturday of the last eight days we where working 3 bulls in a dlffernt area. They were bugling but moving away from us. Sunday Antlerrick told about a differnt bull with dark coco horns (willy wonka)We got right on him. Chad got with in 50 to 60 yards of him in the thick stuff....but couldn't get a shot he would just bugle at us and not come any closer. The next morning he was gone, but we found him again that evening to the south a little.I found his cows bedded at the edge of a clearing and it was late. With the full moon it never got dark. This cows stayed bedded with chad bellow them.He started to call and the bull bugled back but would not come down threw his cows. He just stayed up in the timber.
We where wet every day it rained on us .If not in the morning in the evening or both.We got on some smaller 6 x's but they would come closer than the 90 yard mark. We would only bugle to locate or not at all if we heard them. Wednesday morning we got on big naste again. My brother in law took chad in and i was the eye in the sky. Just at dark ( not really) First thing in the morningas they moved threw the trees big nasty bugled. Chad moves up on point. Uncle kenny bugles and he answers. Moving up a saddle just below chad. Then he bugles again in chads face at 20 yards. All he can see is big royals and thirds. Chad said when he bugles the ground shook. His words where "when he let out the big old nasty bugle the groung shook " Thats how he got his name.The bull had a cow beside him so no shot. The another cow walked up right next to chad at five yards. Chad has a cow tag , I was like shoot the cow out of the way.But he thought she might clear him as he watched big nasty walk into the meadow 300 yards across. He would bugle and then turn into some thick dark pines.
Now there was a few satelite bulls. Two 6 x 6 's fighting and a good five. So they are finaly starting to get fired up !!!
As the fog clears from above. I can see still in the meadow 17 cows and a big 6. I call down to the boys bellow. You can't see that bull and cows? There where in a low spot. As they move on them the fog rolls in again on me. Three spikes come out of the timber and the bull starts pushing his cows to chad. They get set up...but then they move to the north west of them and catch the cows at 20 yards .Chad is standing on a side hill above them as they roll down and start to push out to 40 yards. Then he comes, the bull a nice 340ish 6 x 6. Chad left his range finder on the ground at the other set up. So a cow call stops the bull and guess 40 yards? Shoots over the bulls back. With the steep down hill and the bull was only at 35 yards he couldn't believe he missed.They shot the range later after the fact.They looked for blood just incase nothing. The arrow sailed way off the steep hill.
We went back to the same area the next morning and big nasty was already in the timber about a mile to the south. I was above again and did see the 5 by with three cows come out to the south of the big bull . That evening we jumped a nice little 6 at 50 yards with no cows. But he busted us and moved off.This is thursday night. One day left to get him !!
Will this big bull make a mistake again ? Will he let us get close ?
 
I forgot a few others bulls we where working. While working a nice 6 x 6 with cows that woulndn't bugle in the middle of the week . Chad was getting pushed to get up a big steap hill side by uncle kenny as I spotted below. The bull push above them to the north. Then this awesome buck came out.
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They jumped him at 30 yards and he stopped at eighty to look at them. Now remeber this Kid is 20 years old . And has so far had a bull moose at 90 yards, A 380 bull in his face and now a 200ish buck at 30 yards!
All in one week.
Most of my later pictures are videos. So this is a video of this buck that I made into a picture.
 
I didn't think their were any bucks like that left at Fishlake. Was he in the Grazing Pasture or at Johnsons?? Let's see the video. . .and hurry and finish the story!!!

"Half of being smart, is knowing what you're dumb about."
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-19-11 AT 11:59AM (MST)[p]Dr hunter "no big bucks on fish lake". We ran this guy into the next county !!!
 
Seriously, can we now get the rest of the elk story? You're killing us. I can only check this thread so many times.
 
Ok ...Well now its the last day. We say to Chad lets go after one of the smaller bulls and get one killed !
He says no.
He wants big naste. Ok so we go back into big naste's bed room friday morning the last day. Well we get up in there and there is nothing its quite. We spend the morning up there glassing. What we see are atleast eight bulls on the cwmu with cows bulgling. We push most of the bulls accross the canyon. On well, so we leave that area and go after another bull we lost early in the hunt. The Banana bull . We go into the timber ,listening for bugles working deeper into the timber and waiting for the bulls to make a move. When it starts to rain,then slete and snow on us. Then the fog rolls in. We are setting it out hoping it lifts. At about 7 o clock soak to the bone and cold we pull out and call it. Tag soup !!!! Were done !:-(
But with one shed horn. A tag to cook up and eat. We had a great time . Met some nice folks on the mountain. Ran accross several MMer's. Got some great help made some new friends .Got close to some of the biggest elk,deer and moose that we have ever seen.Made some memories with friends and family.
Thanks for the opportunity to hunt big elk in Utah in the beatiful rocky mountains. The bow hunt was tough this year.But bow hunting in general can be tough. We new that going in and had fun doing it !!:) :)
 
Well John, It can happen to the best. No shame in eating tag soup, especially with archery. He still has the memories of all the miles, all the bugles, all the tough, wet times, and of being with family throughout the hunt. He got to see some good animals, and sounds like he had an opportunity or two...
Sound like to me there was some success that he will remember forever!
 
Congrats to you guys on a great hunt. You guys put in the time and effort and hopefully feel good about the hunt. I'm sure you had a blast. Those will be memories talked about for a long time.

Hope to see you on the hill again in the future.
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-23-11 AT 10:28AM (MST)[p]I think I may have that bulls sheds from two years ago. I found them up near Fish Lake while helping family on the spike elk hunt.
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I looked at those photos of you guys on the ridge and thought "wow, they hiked their butts off to get up there" and then there you are sitting in the razor a couple of photos later... Shouldn't have posted that picture...haha!!!! :)
 
Two differnt days rick ! Up on the ridge was in the wildlife no travel area so that was a hike ! Then the fog rolled in on us tight. I had my daughter with me. Had her hike us back and she would have got us lost. Thing change a little when you can only see 3 feet at a time.
I hate to keep bring this thread back up. But...so you guys know. There where no animals injured or harmed during this hunt. Well except the doe I hit with my truck.lol
 

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