Redemption Archery Bull!!

B

brutusthebuck

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LAST EDITED ON Oct-11-12 AT 01:34AM (MST)[p]Thought you guys might like to read about my redemption bull, and see some pictures. This hunt was so much fun, and I couldn't be happier with the outcome. This is my redemption bull because back in 2010 I actually drew the tag, and ate my tag even after 17 days of hard hunting. This year I was extremely lucky and won the expo tag for the same unit!! I didn't even bother looking up the results, because I'd never win? A few days after the expo I got a call from my friend Kyle, he cussed me out for being so lucky, and I thought he was playing a mean trick on me. I immediately got online to see the expo hunt results for 2012, when I saw my name, I about puked!! I only applied for ten hunts and out of those ten this was the only unit that I knew really well and most of all I wanted a second chance. Well? I got it.
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Soon after I learned that I was going to get a shot at redemption I started replaying those 17 days two years ago. All the shoulda coulda woulda?s? I didn't want to have tag soup for a second time on the same unit. I was out at the archery range so much that I thought my wife was going to try grounding me from my bow. I knew it would be a tough year for her and I am very grateful that she endured the time I was out scouting, practicing, and hunting.

Finally when opening day arrived, my Dad (my best hunting buddy), and I went out to an area where we had seen some nice bulls and sure enough fifteen minutes after the sun came up we were watching a group of seven bulls slowly crossing an opening about 100 yards ahead of us, the biggest was a seven point who had showed up one night on one of my cameras, but he never got closer than 130 yards. Two of the bulls fought only 80 yards away for a minute or two, but before I could get any closer to the big seven point the group had moved on. Funny thing is that I was kind of relieved, I didn't want my hunt to end so soon. I was planning on hunting the first and second weekends of the hunt and then the three day Labor Day weekend and if still no bull, I'd give it the last seven days. Well things didn't go as planned, and I needed to stay home during Labor Day and because of my school classes and other obligations the last seven days of the hunt were not an option anymore. This meant that I'd have only five more days that I could afford to hunt. Unfortunately the sudden change in my plans didn't work out for all who were going to help me out on my hunt so I was going to be on my own for a couple days.
I drove down as soon as I got out of class Wednesday night September the 5th and first thing in the morning on the 6th I was back in the elk. I was watching elk out in a meadow, one of them was a big 7x7, but I couldn't make any magic happen. I wanted the area to cool down so I hunted a different area for the evening but only heard a few bugles. For my Friday hunt I decided to go after 7x7 I saw Thursday morning. I headed to the same meadow that the bull was in the morning before, and believe it or not he was there with about 25-30 cows. I put myself in good position waiting for the bull to come down the direction they did the morning before, but they started going the opposite way. I attempted to work my way around the meadow to get ahead of the herd. With the dry ground I was watching carefully where I stepped and as I raised my head only to see a cow and a calf 40 yards in front of me, and game over, I was busted. All I could do now was follow the bugles and hope to get another chance. Four miles and five hours later I heard him bugle, and this time he was close, I saw a cow bedded 60 yards away, and the bull was right next to her. With all the practice I had done in the last 6 months this should have been an easy shot but it's not easy to think straight when you are 60 yards and seconds from ending your hunt. I drew back with hopes of punching my arrow through a window of branches about thirty yards away and just like a game of pinball my arrow hit the branches at the top of the window and bounced around. The elk ran and I thought that was going to be the only chance I would get. I followed their tracks for about ? of a mile and saw cows but the bull never showed himself again. I could hear him bugle every now and again only getting further and further.
About 5:00 pm I was on top of a ridge about to head to a one of my tree stands when suddenly the bugles started up again. I could hear bugles coming back up the canyon from where the big 7x7 ran to after I shot at him. I quickly moved down to a meadow in the bottom of the canyon where I thought the elk would move to. Only after 15 minutes or so of sitting I could hear bugles on the top of the ridge right where I just was, he sounded like he was right by my tree stand, but I could still hear elk coming towards me in the bottom of the canyon. A cow walked out and I could hear more elk in the trees. I hoped the bull on top of the ridge would come down to the elk in the canyon with me, but just then the cow winded me and took off back into the trees. The bull up on the ridge was still bugling so I started sneaking up to get a look at him to see if he was worthy of my tag. The ridge top the bull was on is bald and the bull was right in the middle, I couldn't see him yet but could see eight cows beyond where his bugles were coming from, 358 yards from me. With 15-20 minutes of day light left I had to move quick, I took off my boots and pack, and started up to the crest of the ridge staying as close to the ground as possible. As soon as I came to crest of the ridge I could see antlers silhouetted in the setting sun and immediately I knew I wanted this bull! I could see the stickers at the base of both royals, he had great fronts and thirds, but he was 250 yards away. I was running out of time and wouldn't be able make a stalk through the trees. I was on a little sheep trail and decided to try stay on it keep low to the ground and move only when he moved. He was moving west towards the group of about 25 cows bugling periodically. I got closer and closer, 120?110?100?90, and at 88 yards he turned broadside and bugled. I set my sight to 85 yards took three more steps, drew my bow, put my pin on his rib cage and THUMP! He ran towards me and curled off into the trees to my right, I heard a few crashes and two grunts then silence. By the time I got back to my boots and backpack it was dark and I had a 45 minute hike back to my truck, I didn't want to put pressure on him, so I marked the area and headed out. My uncle and cousin luckily showed up that night, I told them the news and first thing in the morning we found him less than 200 yards from where my arrow hit him!
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This was the hunt of a lifetime, and I couldn't be any happier with the outcome. I am very grateful for the second chance and I am especially grateful for the help from my Dad, cousin Zak, and my uncle Chris. The Biggest thanks goes to my wife for tolerating me and my passion for hunting! Also to anyone who made it through this longs story... thanks to you too!
 
LAST EDITED ON Oct-11-12 AT 02:29AM (MST)[p]http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos/6540brutus1.jpg

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15" Bases?
30" 5ths?
GOOD GAWD A MIGHTY!
 
>Great bull, pics and story! Did
>you mean 30" inch swords
>though?

Hey Josh!

That is my Signature!

Has nothing to do with Brutus's Bull!:D

15" Bases?
30" 5ths?
GOOD GAWD A MIGHTY!
 

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