Broadside_Shot
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2007 Archery Book Cliffs Elk Hunt
My 2007 Hunt started of course when I drew my tag but it really got serious about a week before. We had (3) spots we wanted to hunt.
We setup a trail camera on what we called the ?King Wallow? the weekend before the hunt opened. We arrived late Tuesday night, two days before the opener, went to sleep and in the morning went in checked the camera.
These were some of the animals that were coming in.
Notice the bull that came in after dark he came in around the same time, every other day.
I was focusing on one of these two bulls, preferably the heavy horned one that came in during the day.
After checking the camera at the King Wallow on the morning of the 22nd, we decided to setup another one later that afternoon on what we called ?Crooked Horn Spring?.
This is the view from Crooked Horn Spring camera.
This is my good hunting friend Scott Weatherspoon posing for the camera.
Being the day before and only knowing what was coming in at the King Wallow that is where we setup our blind.
Opening morning found us in the blind before daylight. After sitting there until 10:00 a.m. we didn't see one animal. We went back to camp, got breakfast, and headed over to Crooked Horn Spring to check that camera.
During the night at Crooked Horn Spring this is what came in.
We immediately setup a tree stand.
From here on out I was going to focus on this spot.
I sat there Thursday evening and did not see one animal. There was a thunder storm brewing across the divide and lightning was striking all around me.
I was able to slip out after dark and make a safe trip back to camp.
It thundered and lightning all night long but rained just a little. It kept the animals from coming in that night.
On Friday morning I was back at my tree stand at 5:39 a.m. And upon arrival this is was the only animal that came in during the night. He sure was a wide one.
Notice the little Fifth and six points on his right side. Remember that for later.
My hopes were up but the only thing that came in that morning was a herd of (9) bucks.
This was one of them.
After sitting in my tree stand until 11:00 a.m. I was so restless and tired I got down and made the trip back to camp for some breakfast. That was my mistake. Because while I was back at camp this is what came in. Look at the time.
Not knowing all of this activity that was going on I finally decided to head back down to my stand. As I was sneaking down to the spring, this big 5 point was drinking.
Here he is looking at me coming down the trail.
When I arrived at the trail camera I had 60 new pictures in the time I was gone. It doesn't pay to be lazy.
I was in good spirits for the upcoming evening. As hot and dry as it was I knew something would be coming in.
At about 6:00 that evening one lone stinking doe came in to get her a drink. They won't just fowl up your deer hunt they can also fowl up your elk hunt.
She stayed at the spring for a half hour just browsing around on the trees and brush.
At About 6:30 I could hear some elk coming up the trail. The way we set up our tree stand was not necessarily so we could view them but setup for the most effective way to shoot them.
I could see only glimpses of the elk as he was coming up the trail, but I could tell he was a good bull. As he came closer to the spring he spotted the doe and stopped to see what she was doing, otherwise I think he would have just B-lined it to the spring.
When He stopped at 40 yards all I could see was the top of his head and his awesome horns. It was the biggest bull I have ever seen out in the Book Cliffs. My heart was pounding and I was breathing really hard but I knew he was going to get a drink and would give me a perfect 30 yard shot.
After a minute of him standing there Mother Nature decided she would change the wind and blow my scent right to him. In two seconds my dreams were shot and my heart sunk.
Just as he got out of sight a bull bugled to my left, I could hear him coming but couldn't see him. All of a sudden I could see him behind a juniper tree 30 yards away. The only part of him I could see was his butt and his fifth and six tines. This is where the other picture comes into play. In looking at his right side there was a little point coming off his main beam which made me think he was the big five by six that came in this morning.
Well with all of the excitement and being in kill mode I wasn?t going to let Mother Nature fowl this up. I drew my bow back and the minute he cleared his front shoulder from the tree my arrow was off. A perfect double lung shot.
Looks like someone handled their business.
After I shot my bull, another bull bugled down below. I quickly went to find my bull as to not be tempted.
As I was gutting out my bull this fellow came in.
After gutting out my bull I left my trail camera and tree stand because I would be back to clean up in the morning.
During the night guess who decided to show up and pay the spring a visit, yep you guessed it ?The Big One?.
One thing I found interesting is these cameras are great but they don't give the animals any justice on their size. The big five point that I snuck in on was the biggest five point I have ever seen and looking at the pictures he looks average at best.
Well the next morning we took some photos of my bull.
Not quite what I expected but a very proportionate six point, just compacted. In some of the pictures you can see the little bump trying to make him a seven on one side.
We quartered him up and were able to haul him out in six loads. He was heading to the freezer before noon.
What beautiful country and magnificent animals to hunt.
After getting ready to leave camp we picked up the rest of our cameras and found some old friends.
Two days after his last photo shoot, here he was again saying goodbye.
And here was the heavy horned bull,
I hope you enjoy, I sure did - Jerry Slaugh
My 2007 Hunt started of course when I drew my tag but it really got serious about a week before. We had (3) spots we wanted to hunt.
We setup a trail camera on what we called the ?King Wallow? the weekend before the hunt opened. We arrived late Tuesday night, two days before the opener, went to sleep and in the morning went in checked the camera.
These were some of the animals that were coming in.
Notice the bull that came in after dark he came in around the same time, every other day.
I was focusing on one of these two bulls, preferably the heavy horned one that came in during the day.
After checking the camera at the King Wallow on the morning of the 22nd, we decided to setup another one later that afternoon on what we called ?Crooked Horn Spring?.
This is the view from Crooked Horn Spring camera.
This is my good hunting friend Scott Weatherspoon posing for the camera.
Being the day before and only knowing what was coming in at the King Wallow that is where we setup our blind.
Opening morning found us in the blind before daylight. After sitting there until 10:00 a.m. we didn't see one animal. We went back to camp, got breakfast, and headed over to Crooked Horn Spring to check that camera.
During the night at Crooked Horn Spring this is what came in.
We immediately setup a tree stand.
From here on out I was going to focus on this spot.
I sat there Thursday evening and did not see one animal. There was a thunder storm brewing across the divide and lightning was striking all around me.
I was able to slip out after dark and make a safe trip back to camp.
It thundered and lightning all night long but rained just a little. It kept the animals from coming in that night.
On Friday morning I was back at my tree stand at 5:39 a.m. And upon arrival this is was the only animal that came in during the night. He sure was a wide one.
Notice the little Fifth and six points on his right side. Remember that for later.
My hopes were up but the only thing that came in that morning was a herd of (9) bucks.
This was one of them.
After sitting in my tree stand until 11:00 a.m. I was so restless and tired I got down and made the trip back to camp for some breakfast. That was my mistake. Because while I was back at camp this is what came in. Look at the time.
Not knowing all of this activity that was going on I finally decided to head back down to my stand. As I was sneaking down to the spring, this big 5 point was drinking.
Here he is looking at me coming down the trail.
When I arrived at the trail camera I had 60 new pictures in the time I was gone. It doesn't pay to be lazy.
I was in good spirits for the upcoming evening. As hot and dry as it was I knew something would be coming in.
At about 6:00 that evening one lone stinking doe came in to get her a drink. They won't just fowl up your deer hunt they can also fowl up your elk hunt.
She stayed at the spring for a half hour just browsing around on the trees and brush.
At About 6:30 I could hear some elk coming up the trail. The way we set up our tree stand was not necessarily so we could view them but setup for the most effective way to shoot them.
I could see only glimpses of the elk as he was coming up the trail, but I could tell he was a good bull. As he came closer to the spring he spotted the doe and stopped to see what she was doing, otherwise I think he would have just B-lined it to the spring.
When He stopped at 40 yards all I could see was the top of his head and his awesome horns. It was the biggest bull I have ever seen out in the Book Cliffs. My heart was pounding and I was breathing really hard but I knew he was going to get a drink and would give me a perfect 30 yard shot.
After a minute of him standing there Mother Nature decided she would change the wind and blow my scent right to him. In two seconds my dreams were shot and my heart sunk.
Just as he got out of sight a bull bugled to my left, I could hear him coming but couldn't see him. All of a sudden I could see him behind a juniper tree 30 yards away. The only part of him I could see was his butt and his fifth and six tines. This is where the other picture comes into play. In looking at his right side there was a little point coming off his main beam which made me think he was the big five by six that came in this morning.
Well with all of the excitement and being in kill mode I wasn?t going to let Mother Nature fowl this up. I drew my bow back and the minute he cleared his front shoulder from the tree my arrow was off. A perfect double lung shot.
Looks like someone handled their business.
After I shot my bull, another bull bugled down below. I quickly went to find my bull as to not be tempted.
As I was gutting out my bull this fellow came in.
After gutting out my bull I left my trail camera and tree stand because I would be back to clean up in the morning.
During the night guess who decided to show up and pay the spring a visit, yep you guessed it ?The Big One?.
One thing I found interesting is these cameras are great but they don't give the animals any justice on their size. The big five point that I snuck in on was the biggest five point I have ever seen and looking at the pictures he looks average at best.
Well the next morning we took some photos of my bull.
Not quite what I expected but a very proportionate six point, just compacted. In some of the pictures you can see the little bump trying to make him a seven on one side.
We quartered him up and were able to haul him out in six loads. He was heading to the freezer before noon.
What beautiful country and magnificent animals to hunt.
After getting ready to leave camp we picked up the rest of our cameras and found some old friends.
Two days after his last photo shoot, here he was again saying goodbye.
And here was the heavy horned bull,
I hope you enjoy, I sure did - Jerry Slaugh
