My first attempt at pictures, so I am not so sure I will pull it off, but here goes:
I had hunted the first weekend without seeing much. There were a lot of cattle where I went first and the only elk I saw were 3 miles off. I had packed in, so I packed back out to the truck(2 miles) and moved it to another spot and packed back in (3 miles). This put me about a mile below the spot I had seen elk previously. I should have just moved straight to them, but it was so hot that I really wanted to get back to the truck to change pants. Anyway, I did hear a few bugles at sunset, and then again the following morning, but couldn't manage to call one in. On my way back to my tent to pack up and head out I bumped a decent 6X6 and that was the only elk I saw (inside of 3miles) that first weekend.
Headed back up on Thursday night and heard a few bull bugling from McCrystal campground. Heard them again when we got up in the morning and probably should have just gone after them, but I am stubborn and so we headed to my spot. We hiked in the dark starting at 5:15 and I honestly thought we would hear bugles and get sidetracked prior to getting all the way in, but that was not the case. We got 3 miles in before getting one to answer us. But once we did it was on. We moved about 400 yards and setup and he was coming in. This first bull came to 37 yards but I had decided to pass. It was a 5X5, and I had wanted to hold out for a decent 6X6. we had heard another one way off behind us that was now bugling closer and so we turned around and moved about 20 yards and could see this bull within 5 minutes of doing so. I could tell that he was "a shooter." He got to 60 yards and put his head behind several trees, so I drew and then he walked closer. My buddy was feeding me ranges...60...54...42..40. At forty he stopped more broadside than he had been yet, but was still basically quartering. I hit him at the back edge of the shoulder and he ran about 150 then expired. Then we celebrated took some pictures and waited for my dad to get there with the horses. I used the G5 T3 and the results were good.
It happened so fast and easily that part of me wonders how many more we could have called in and looked at over the next 9 days (which I could have utilized), but this was my first with a bow and I have no regrets.
1.5" cut diameter, but not a perfect circle like the packaging shows
I had hunted the first weekend without seeing much. There were a lot of cattle where I went first and the only elk I saw were 3 miles off. I had packed in, so I packed back out to the truck(2 miles) and moved it to another spot and packed back in (3 miles). This put me about a mile below the spot I had seen elk previously. I should have just moved straight to them, but it was so hot that I really wanted to get back to the truck to change pants. Anyway, I did hear a few bugles at sunset, and then again the following morning, but couldn't manage to call one in. On my way back to my tent to pack up and head out I bumped a decent 6X6 and that was the only elk I saw (inside of 3miles) that first weekend.
Headed back up on Thursday night and heard a few bull bugling from McCrystal campground. Heard them again when we got up in the morning and probably should have just gone after them, but I am stubborn and so we headed to my spot. We hiked in the dark starting at 5:15 and I honestly thought we would hear bugles and get sidetracked prior to getting all the way in, but that was not the case. We got 3 miles in before getting one to answer us. But once we did it was on. We moved about 400 yards and setup and he was coming in. This first bull came to 37 yards but I had decided to pass. It was a 5X5, and I had wanted to hold out for a decent 6X6. we had heard another one way off behind us that was now bugling closer and so we turned around and moved about 20 yards and could see this bull within 5 minutes of doing so. I could tell that he was "a shooter." He got to 60 yards and put his head behind several trees, so I drew and then he walked closer. My buddy was feeding me ranges...60...54...42..40. At forty he stopped more broadside than he had been yet, but was still basically quartering. I hit him at the back edge of the shoulder and he ran about 150 then expired. Then we celebrated took some pictures and waited for my dad to get there with the horses. I used the G5 T3 and the results were good.
It happened so fast and easily that part of me wonders how many more we could have called in and looked at over the next 9 days (which I could have utilized), but this was my first with a bow and I have no regrets.
1.5" cut diameter, but not a perfect circle like the packaging shows
