Beaver Archery Bull

S

sneekem

Guest
Well I finally drew out for my Utah Archery tag and it was going to be an exciting hunt.

With the help of some great friends and also some new friends that I met during scouting trips my hunt was on. Many of my buddies had only the time before or after work to help me but for the most part I usually had someone with me to help call or spot.

Throughout the hunt, I hunted 19 hard days and saw more bulls that I have ever seen in all my hunting years all added together. I also passed up several bulls that many rifle hunters would have considered shooter bulls. With as much time as I had committed myself too, I figured that I was willing to take the chance. I had been putting in since I was 16 years old and I am now 33. I messed up a few years by putting in for deer and wasted points on the AR301 that never resulted in a tag. With that many years I was not going to settle for anything less than a great hunt even if it meant going home with nothing. Who knows, I will probably be 50 by the time I get to hunt limited entry elk again.

The Tushar Mountain in the Beaver Unit is some of the toughest country I had ever hunted. It ranges from about 4,000 feet to around 12,000 feet. I started in the high country thinking with how warm it has been this summer that it would most likely contain most of the elk. This later would prove me wrong. The high country was very green with lots of springs, streams and creeks so hunting water would not work. Some of the area is above timber line but most is thick fallen timber with lots of deep canyons.


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I hunted up high for the first 10 days of my hunt. I had seen many bulls at great distances but they were extremely quite. Any bulls we did get on was by spot and stock method or still hunting. I did pass on some good bulls by using these methods but it sure would have been nice to hear them talk.

As many bowhunters know in Utah we get the shaft with a decent rut hunt during the time of the bowhunt. We dont get bulls handed to us on a silver platter. The hunt was proving to be a very difficult one, much harder than I ever planned on.

While hunting this high country I was lucky enough to walk up on a Rocky Mountain Goat. This was very cool and I think the goat should be the one named the Big Stinky because it was disgusting with how bad he smelled.

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I decided to try hunting lower as I had heard several reports that the bulls in the lower regions were being more vocal. I couldn't figure that out but it did prove to be true. When I did move down to lower country it was weird. Hardly any cows but a lot of bulls. They were talking much more than up high, although they did not really come to the calls but at least you knew where they were.

I hunted this lower elevation for about 7 days. By hunting the Sage, Oaks and Junipers it was much easier walking, so my legs welcomed that. On several occasions I did pass up several nice bulls again, but still had to rely on the spot and stalk methods in order to get in on them. The biggest bulls that I saw, several being over the 380 and 390 mark was at those times when I was by myself and it made getting on those bulls much more difficult without the team effort.

At one time I got caught in the moment and passed on a toad bull thinking that the other one with him was the bigger bull but I was wrong and messed up an easy 20 yard shot at a 395+ bull. I was even pulled back on him before I second guessed myself. I guess that is what bowhunting is all about. You have seconds to make the decision, but I still dont regret my choice as it added to my experience. The talking didn't seem to be progressing to the next level of actually come to calls.

By the 3rd to last day I decided to go back up high to try my luck and see if the high bulls where coming to calls.

That night I messed up on an easy 58 yard shot in the wide open. I was on a very steep ravine below a 6 x 7 bull. I took into account the rate of drop at such a steep angle but I gave way to much credit and missed the bull. The great thing about this bull is he was on the skyline and had all blue sky behind him, he had no idea I was there even though his cows had busted me. I have always dreamed of a skyline shot. He was the first bull that actually seemed to be in the rut. His main focus was just to bugle on the hillside to let everyone know that he was the king of that ridge. Even after that miss I was excited for the next day.

The next evening we got on the same canyon as the bull the night before and immediately heard several bugling bulls coming out of the canyon below. We started heading down into the canyon and walked right up on a cow at 10 yards. She didn't bust and we thought that was weird. We waited for her to gradully move off. We went another 30 yards and saw quite a few more cows and the bulls were going crazy below us. I could see a bull below through the thick trees but he didn't seem to be the herd bull. All the cows were to the left of us on a ridge line and what seemed to be the herd bull was to the right of the ridge line. He was probably getting a drink at a creek in the bottom while his cows were feeding.

We decided to bust the cows on purpose to move them out of the area so we could get into position if the bull decided to come find his cows that we just busted. After they started to run we counted about 45 cows. We ran as fast as we could making lots of noise just like the running cows, down the steep ravine to a open area of mohogany's in between the pines. It had a rocky ledge about 100 yards below us at that point. We figured that the bull would have to come somewhere in between us and the ledge or circle around above us. The wind was in our favor for once.

After about 10 minutes we could here the bull coming with him whistling every so often. He slowly came into position, my arms and fingers went completely numb. I had never had that much adrenaline going through my sytem at one time. I was worried if my numb arms could pull back. As he went behind a bush I drew back, my buddy told me he was at 21 yard but for some reason I decided to use a different pin after asking him several time if he was sure about the distance. Despite my numb body parts, I was rock solid on the bull and let the arrow fly and it stuck him right behind the front shoulder. He ran off and was very excited. After ranging again he was really at 31 yards so I was glad I used my other pin. The range finder was picking up the bush in front of him.

We went down to check for blood, followed it for 20 yards or so and saw the bull at about 80 yards standing under a tree. He then came crashing down and after rolling for about 30 yards head over heels on the steep raving he came to rest at the bottom.

It was over and my stress was finally relieved. Even though I had passed up several bulls that were bigger than the one I got I wouldn't trade him for the experience that I got in those 19 days.

We packed him out the next morning with the help of several friends and the torture that we endured for those 8 hours of packing him out of the canyon made it all worth it.

My bull was a 6 x 7, and taking into the account of his second that was completely busted off and about 4 inches of his fifth was broken he would of scored about 364.

Thanks for all those who helped out and sacrificed your time and efforts this year.

Heath Burchinal - COO/Co-Owner
Sneekee Inc.

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Looks like you had an awesome adventure! Cool pics and congrats on a great bull!
__________________________
"Life's tough, it's even tougher if you're stupid." - John Wayne
 
Heath,

Congrats on your sweet bull. Loved reading about your hunt and the pics are awesome! Congrats again!
 
ongrats! You did well. The Beaver unit can be very tuff when elk are not vocal.
 
WTG Class of 92'! That's another Basin Boy, folks (we'll still claim ya even if you don't live here anymore, Heath lol). Nicley done, man! You look great w/the beard too (and OMH! Look at the grey in it! LOL) What...no mooning this camera? (don't think I've forgotten you mooning the camera at GC ;-) )

Awesome bull, Heath & great story.

Jenn (the COOLEST Jenn from your graduating class. And you better pick the right one or I'll kick your a** ;-) )
 
Great bull and story. You really worked your butt off for that one. I hope to do that one day.

On your 58 yard downhill shot, what were you accounting for? I hope it was that when shooting up or down hill, the drop will be less than what you are thinking based on your range finder. Gravity works on the horizontal distance, not the distance of the flight path of the arrow or bullet.

Congrats again. :)
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-24-07 AT 10:04PM (MST)[p]Jenn, Just sent you a PM. Did you get it?
 
Thats exactly what I did. I took off about 10 yards and should have maybe taken off only a few yards.
 
Nice bull Heath. Were you able to see this one from Curtis' Cessna or was it in the timber at the time? J/K,
Hey, I thought you were gonna tie up a big buck for me up there so I could fill my tag tomorrow.
 
Nope. Never saw any bulls from above. Did see a few good bucks during the hunt. Tons of little bucks so looks like the 5 day rifle hunt is making a difference.
 
Nice Bull Great Picture's. Now lets get our big Buck. I happened to leave before he got his elk. But he worked his but off for this Bull or any other one he would have taken.I would smile all the way to town with this Bull in my truck. (Most hunters never throw an arrow.)
 
Congrats on the super bull! Thanks for sharing it , you have some great pictures! Again congrats on your elk hunt and thanks for posting the pics....Darned good bull...Larry
 

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