BIGOLMULEY
Active Member
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- 525
This is my 2007 archery elk taken in Utah.
I had been guiding on this unit for the past two weeks and the rut had been really slow. A lot of the bulls killed did not have any cows with them.
My family was with me and we went out to see if we could locate a bull for in the morning. A cold front was coming in and it was really cold. My kids were freezing as we drove to the spot I wished to check out.
I dropped off a ridge and listened. Heard a really good bugle, and headed in to see if I could catch sight of the bull. I did and it was a shooter for me.
A little background. About a month ago I dislocated my shoulder and have been unable to draw my bow since then. I attempted to draw it back before this hunt and was able to do with a lot of pain. I was hunting on a CWMU and was allowed to use a rifle if I wanted to, but really wanted to shoot with my bow.
As I left camp the next morning it was raining and windy. Neither of my kids wished to come with me, so off by myself I went. About a quarter of the way there it started to snow, blizzard. I reached the ridge from the night before covered in snow and still snowing. This is when I discovered I had grabbed my target arrows, not my hunting arrows. Luckily I had a package of broadheads in my case. (Rocky Mountain Titanium 100 grain) As I was putting them together in the dark and snow by headlamp, I could hear a bull bugling down the ridge. Of course I was trying to hurry and nearly chopped my finger off with a blade.
I also put my gun in my eberlstock pack and down the ridge I went. I got the wind right, (well as good as I could with it swirling) and headed into the quakies toward the bugling. I saw the cows, and knew he had to be close. I snuck within 50 yards of the cows and waited. I could hear him screaming about every minute or so. He finally showed himself and I knew I had a shot at getting him with my bow.
Took off my pack and waited. It took about an hour and a half for him to finally walk into a lane where I had a shot. A couple of times cows smelled me and knew something was up, but with the bull holding them in such a tight circle, they did not run. I had him at 57 yards broadside, but wanted a closer shot. He eventually ran off a smaller bull and came back to his cows. Fed directly at me unti he hit my 40 yard opening. He slowly fed nearly broadside and I drew my bow. I am fine until I need to raise my elbow to aline my peep, That is when the pain comes. Put the 40 on him and let er go. At the shot he spun and elk ran everywhere. He went up the hill about 60 yards and I could see blood pumping out of him. He went up a bit more, turned around and came back to where he had been shot. Died within 20 of the shot area. Was really a neat experience. So glad I decided to shoot with my bow.(Getting surgery to repair my torn anterior labrum and cartilage damage in Feb. can't miss any hunting you know)
He was bigger than I figured. With 50" main beams and 19" 4ths he taped out at just over 322". This is my 2nd largest elk, and I was pretty excited to get him with my family there. My wife even helped me skin and quarter him up. The kids held legs and my daughter liked to say "yuck" alot. But was a good experience for them.
Where he lay
Front of pic, 17" fronts
My kids and the bull, (snow melted pretty quick)
Was a great time. My buddy killed a 5-point the next morning at 10 yards. I got it on video, but I was 350 yards away, so you see him jump, and run off. Tough to get archery kills on video. Wish someone would have been with me, would have been a good one.
Sorry so long, but it was fun.
Jason "The Big Ol' Muley"
I had been guiding on this unit for the past two weeks and the rut had been really slow. A lot of the bulls killed did not have any cows with them.
My family was with me and we went out to see if we could locate a bull for in the morning. A cold front was coming in and it was really cold. My kids were freezing as we drove to the spot I wished to check out.
I dropped off a ridge and listened. Heard a really good bugle, and headed in to see if I could catch sight of the bull. I did and it was a shooter for me.
A little background. About a month ago I dislocated my shoulder and have been unable to draw my bow since then. I attempted to draw it back before this hunt and was able to do with a lot of pain. I was hunting on a CWMU and was allowed to use a rifle if I wanted to, but really wanted to shoot with my bow.
As I left camp the next morning it was raining and windy. Neither of my kids wished to come with me, so off by myself I went. About a quarter of the way there it started to snow, blizzard. I reached the ridge from the night before covered in snow and still snowing. This is when I discovered I had grabbed my target arrows, not my hunting arrows. Luckily I had a package of broadheads in my case. (Rocky Mountain Titanium 100 grain) As I was putting them together in the dark and snow by headlamp, I could hear a bull bugling down the ridge. Of course I was trying to hurry and nearly chopped my finger off with a blade.
I also put my gun in my eberlstock pack and down the ridge I went. I got the wind right, (well as good as I could with it swirling) and headed into the quakies toward the bugling. I saw the cows, and knew he had to be close. I snuck within 50 yards of the cows and waited. I could hear him screaming about every minute or so. He finally showed himself and I knew I had a shot at getting him with my bow.
Took off my pack and waited. It took about an hour and a half for him to finally walk into a lane where I had a shot. A couple of times cows smelled me and knew something was up, but with the bull holding them in such a tight circle, they did not run. I had him at 57 yards broadside, but wanted a closer shot. He eventually ran off a smaller bull and came back to his cows. Fed directly at me unti he hit my 40 yard opening. He slowly fed nearly broadside and I drew my bow. I am fine until I need to raise my elbow to aline my peep, That is when the pain comes. Put the 40 on him and let er go. At the shot he spun and elk ran everywhere. He went up the hill about 60 yards and I could see blood pumping out of him. He went up a bit more, turned around and came back to where he had been shot. Died within 20 of the shot area. Was really a neat experience. So glad I decided to shoot with my bow.(Getting surgery to repair my torn anterior labrum and cartilage damage in Feb. can't miss any hunting you know)
He was bigger than I figured. With 50" main beams and 19" 4ths he taped out at just over 322". This is my 2nd largest elk, and I was pretty excited to get him with my family there. My wife even helped me skin and quarter him up. The kids held legs and my daughter liked to say "yuck" alot. But was a good experience for them.
Where he lay
Front of pic, 17" fronts
My kids and the bull, (snow melted pretty quick)
Was a great time. My buddy killed a 5-point the next morning at 10 yards. I got it on video, but I was 350 yards away, so you see him jump, and run off. Tough to get archery kills on video. Wish someone would have been with me, would have been a good one.
Sorry so long, but it was fun.
Jason "The Big Ol' Muley"
