My 2010 hunt Challenge

By the way, here is my dad's Pahvant bull. Taxidermist measured it out to be 309. I will have to admit, it happens to be one of the smallest ones we called in. The bigger bulls kept tricking us and we passed on all the other nicer 330 class bulls until it was too late. Still, looks good on his wall

LAST EDITED ON Jul-27-10 AT 05:04PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jul-27-10 AT 03:49?PM (MST) by Founder (admin)

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2009 was for me, a poor hunting year, but a great year personally. I was finishing my last classes of my MBA degree and had a required MBA international trip planned to Hong Kong and China for two weeks in October. In August, our third daughter was born, so much for the bow hunt... In September, my dad had a Pahvant Muzzy Elk tag, which I was the main "guide." Sufficient to say, I would not be doing much hunting for myself this year. December, I graduated with my degree and finally finished two years of little hunting and lots of studying. It was a long fall.

The only consolation, was I also had a muzzy deer tag for the same area and would be able to take one, if a good one showed up.

The elk hunt ending up being entirely different than planned, hunted hard the whole hunt and my dad finally took a consolation bull on one of the last days. Saw lots of big bulls, never could quite get every thing to work to get my dad a respectable Pahvant bull. Really changed my mind on the muzzy tags, not sure if they are worth the points anymore. Me, never saw a deer over two points.

2010 rolls around, the Hunting Expo is calling and I plan on doing my usual $100 donation to the tag gods. I make the contribution of $100 on Wednesday while on a quick visit to the expo. I happen to work in SLC, about two blocks from where the expo is held. On Thursday morning, while being bored at work, I decide to go through the hunts again. I noticed some good archery units that I had passed on my first donation. So, being the sucker that I am, I put in for five more LE Archery elk hunts. Long story short, I drew the Book Cliffs Archery Elk tag, which was one of those five extra hunts I applied for. I guess the tag gods finally thought it was my turn. The best part, I still have all of my elk points saved.

So far, I have bought a new bow for the hunt, lost 20 lbs and shot more arrows than I ever had in my life. I feel great out to 70 yards, which is my last sight pin. I will be down scouting the next few weekends and will post those results later.

Goal: 320-350 bull.

I have from September 2-17 off to hunt, thanks to my loving wife, who may never forgive me. I plan on taking my first bull with archery equipment. More to come later...

LAST EDITED ON Jul-28-10 AT 10:40AM (MST)[p]Here is the picture...

++Scouting Report++

Made it down to the books scouting this last weekend. Loaded the wheeler and brother in the truck and headed out Wednesday night about 8 pm. Pulled into "camp" at 2 am Thursday and set up a quick camp. The sun came up early and we were out at dawn with binos and spotting scopes. Sent my brother up the road on the wheeler to scout while I headed down a ridge. After stopping at a couple of promising spots to glass, the third spot was a charm. Had an answer on from my cow call and then the elk started appearing.

Overall, we spotted a little over 100 cows in the 1.5 day scouting trip. Unfortunately, my plan to take a picture of a big bull did not materialize since we didn't find any. However, did get some pictures of some decent bucks. I will load them later.

It was great to scout the areas I have heard other recommend. I really enjoyed seeing all those deer, saw lots of bucks in the 20-24 range. The only dissapointment was not finding any of the bachelor herd bulls. But, I was thrilled to find that many cows and calves. Once the rut hits, I would be very suprised if the bulls were not right around where I located all those cows...

To be continued...

I know many people are dying to get out on the opener. Me, I am crazy just like the rest of you. I am leaving tonight, after work and driving 6 hours to the cliffs. Probably pull in around 12 am to 1 am if everything goes right Thursday morning. Unlike many of you guys, I am using this first weekend to do some more serious scouting. Have a buddy who showed me four water holes to check out for the opening morning and some areas to hunt once the rut starts. Here is the kicker, I have to be back to work at 7 am Sunday morning...I bet I will be really tired Sunday...

Anyways, to be continued with some pics of the scouting and opening morning. Good luck to all...

Back from the opening weekend scouting, hunting trip. I was able to see a few bulls, but not any shooters. Again, spotted over 100 cows on different ridges and saw some really nice bucks.

Unfortuately, I did not get any pics of the bigger deer, but here are a few pictures of some smaller bucks and of the book cliffs in general...

These last pictures are of the books, my camp and of course, the twins helping me get ready to go and my brother in camo at camp...

On a side note, I did hit Flaming Gorge in June. I meant to post these earlier, but here are some pictures of the big game fish we caught...








The average fish caught was 19-20 lbs with the largest being 24 lbs. Almost as good as hunting big game...

Day 2, Sunday September 5th

My dad and brother had made the six hour drive after a football game to elk camp. They arrived at the early hour of 2 am. Luckily, they were able to set up beds in the trailer with out disturbing the sleeping angels much. This was the first year the twins and the youngest have come out camping for the hunting season. So far, so good?

I could not sleep at all; we had three bulls bugling all night long with one of them being within 100 yards of the trailer. Even after my dad and brother showed up, the concert continued.

My dad and brother were not in any shape to get up early, so I headed out solo. Bulls were still bugling close to the trailer, so I headed down into the canyon after the closest one. I sneak up to a meadow in the bottom and can hear cows chirping and a bull bugling. I have to stop and hold still because there are cow elk every where. There he is, a hundred yards on a small knoll. Looks like a decent bull, but can't seem to get a good look at him. Suddenly, some cows I did not see winded me in the swirling wind and the meadow erupts into a stampede of buckskin leaving the area. I am not sure how many there were, but there had to be close to 50 head of elk there. I walk into the small meadow in the bottom of the canyon and now I know why there were some many elk, it contains the best water hole I have seen to date in the books. I sit on the water and watch 10-15 cow elk come into water. Finally, I give up and hike back up to the trailer and get a warm Mountain Man breakfast that my wife was kind enough to cook.


Took my dad and brother glassing after lunch (first time my dad has been to the books). Found a huge bull with 30+ cows on a far ridge. We watched him for a good hour through the 80 mm spotting scope. What a hog, he had huge whale tip sixes. I originally thought he would be a 340-360 class bull. In hindsight, he is an easy 360+ class bull. He had mass, length, main beams, etc. A plan was formed to go after him in the evening. Headed back to spend some time with the family since I was planning on staying the rest of the hunt or until I tagged out?

Headed out around 5 pm again to hike over to where we last seen the big bull and his harem. My dad was going to using the spotting scope on the far ridge while I hiked out. The idea was that he could motion me over to the big bull. Of course, some ideas did not work. I could not find him, did run into my first and really only other archery elk hunter that night. Had a good talk with inarcher from Indiana on the trail in. I did find some elk. I had been call calling on top of the ridge, decided to sneak over to the edge to glass the next ridge since I was not getting any responses. About ten feet from the edge, a cow elk materializes and I become like a tree. Soon another head and another head pops, soon I had 15-20 cow elk from 15 to 40 feet all grazing and looking at me. All I can remember is my leg going to sleep and the cows just eating and staring. Only bull in sight was a rag horn. But it wouldn't have mattered; no way could I have gotten a shot off with that many eyes staring at me. About 10 minutes into the examination, I could see the big bull on the far ridge with his huge harem. He had changed ridges during the day, the sucker had tricked me. After what seemed like an eternity, the cows got a swirling wind scent of me and headed out of there. Hunt over for the evening.

Day 3, Monday September 6th

We woke up on time for the first time, breaking the trend. Headed out to the ridge we had last seen big one on. While starting down the ridge, the wind kept changing on us. How frustrating, you can hear elk out in front of you, but the wind keeps changing from my side (south) to my back. It is also a 15-30 mile an hour wind, not a breeze that is causing all the problems. After about an hour of trying to work with the wind, I left my dad and brother to do some glassing and headed down the ridge on the far side to try and get around the bulls. The gusting wind was making it hard to even hear them bugle. Lot story short could not get ahead of them. Trying to skirt around a moving herd was too difficult of a task. Gave up around noon and headed back. Never did get a good look at the bulls.

Around noon, headed back 90 miles to Roosevelt to drop off the kids at the parked car. Sad good bye; the 2 year old twins were not happy about going home from ?camping? and leaving their truck and trailer?

Evening hunt was interesting, had some good bugling and found some good sized herds of cows, but the bulls with them were small 250 class five points. Too early in the hunt to even think about a small bull. We did watch two bears play on hill side right next to the elk until dusk. It was really neat the see them and I was surprised a how close they could come to the elk with out even spooking them. Apparently black bears are not much of a threat to a herd of elk. Love the books?

Day 4, Tuesday September 7th

We headed down to the same ridge we had found the big one on with his harem. A few bugles in the morning, but nothing bigger than a rag horn spotting. The big guy with his ladies seems to have disappeared. We did find a really nice water hole to sit on in the after noon in the canyon bottom. We came back after lunch and sat on the water hole until around 6 pm. We did have several deer; a few cow elk and one rag horn come into water.

Around 6 pm, it started raining and I could hear a few bugles on top. I decided to use the rain to my advantage and headed up the lung buster to the top. My dad and brother decided to head back on the wheelers to get a truck. Once I finally made it on top in a 20 mph head wind and driving rain, I saw elk immediately and there were bulls bugling in front of me. I had the wind in my favor now and bulls to chase. I walked up the ridge a few hundred yards and set up close to the first bugling bull with a tree to my back. I let out a good sequence of cow calls and received an immediate response back. I let out a second sequence of cow calls and got another good response back, but this time closer to me. I had a tree to my back, a good game trail and opening in front of me, ideal situation. The bull went quiet, so I put out one good call. Nothing, can't hear, can't see?Then, I see the bull come over the ridge almost directly behind me. The tree is in my way and the wind is bad. I see he has a nice mainframe and decent length, looks like to by a nice 5 x 7. However, I have no way to shoot him at 20 feet with a tree in the way. He smells me, turns and gallops off into the evening. What a cool encounter, the bull outsmarted me.

I still had bulls bugling up the ridge and the wind was still in my face. The rain had made the ground unbelievably quiet, the wind was still pretty strong and the fog was starting to roll in. I worked my way up the ridge a good half a mile before I could see the next bugling boy. It was him, the biggest bull I have seen and have been chasing. He is an easy 360 bull with lots of length and whale tip sixes. I formulated a plan and took off, not much time to burn since it was getting late. I hustle and get close, however I run out of good cover to crawl through. I see him with his cows and range him across an open ravine at 120 yards. Dang, he is huge. I can't get any closer, bare ground is between us. I decide to try and lure him over to me. I gave him my best cow call sequence. He bugles in return but does not move. I give him a little longer sequence, he just bugles back. We repeat this for a good 10 minutes. I can't get him to move and I have no way of getting any closer. At this point, I wish I had a rifle or muzzy tag?. I get desperate; I pull out the bugle and challenge him to a fight. He just bugles back, pretty much saying ?I have 30 cows, enough for me.? In the end, it got too dark and I could not move him over to me or get any closer. The stand off ends and it was the last time I saw him on my hunt.

Day 5, Wednesday September 8th

We head out to continue the stand off wearing our rain gear since all the oak brush was still soaking wet. We get up to where we last saw the big bull and he is no where to be found. No bugles are close and it is starting to warm up. We finally saw a decent 340 class bull on a far ridge with 15 cows and three satellite bulls. I am still not sure why, but we decide to not chase the bull since it was getting a little later in the day and go after him in the evening. However, that evening found us on a different area glassing for bulls. Losing sight of the big bull had dampened our spirits. We were able to find a few smaller bulls, but nothing worth chasing.

Day 6, Thursday September 9th

We decided the night before to go back and glass one more time for the big bull. We head out at first light and find a good ridge to glass from. Unfortunately, he has disappeared and we do not see any quality bulls this morning. We try several different spots, but nothing great.

In the afternoon, we split up to try different areas. I head over to a new area that I have previously only thought about hunting. I did find a good herd of cows/calves bedded down, but no bull with them. I am starting to worry, why are there herds of cows bedded with no bulls with them? When is the rut going to really turn on?

My dad did report back that he had found a huge 370 class bull. We go back there that evening to see the huge bull and find a goofy looking 3 x 5 running a herd of cows. Honestly, the ugliest bull I have ever seen. No 370 class bull anywhere to be found. Dad said he was by himself when he spotted him. Nothing else to report other than my good friend Shane drove 5 hours to join us for a few days. I can only thank him and his awesome wife for letting him come see the Books?

Day 7, Friday September 10th

Hunting the new area where my dad had found a good bull. However, I had not seen him yet. My dad and little brother went to a water hole to try and fill their spike tags. So far, I was the only one who could have killed a spike. I seem to keep finding them while they can't seem to find any. I decide to concentrate on finding the big bull my dad has seen. This morning, we only can find the goofy bull with his cows. Shane and I headed back to camp to get the wheelers. We decide to go to the other side of the ridge to do some glassing. We were able to find a 315 class 6 x 6 and decide to put the moves on him. We got into the bottom of the canyon and get within earshot of the bugles. I gave him my usual opening sequence and he fired a bugle right back at us. The wind is right, morning is right, everything is perfect. Except, he bugles and will not move. Shane and I chase this bull down the canyon. Always a few hundred yards off each other. Around noon, we gave it up and let the bull bed down.

Later that afternoon, we went back to locate the 6 x 6. We found another great watering hole and decided to sit on it for a while. The 6 x 6 bull shows up with his cows and a few spikes on the hillside above the watering hole. Unfortunately, the only thing that comes into water is a spike. He would have been good eating and in the bag at 42 yards. After a while, I decide to cow call again to see if that 6 x 6 has changed moods. He hadn't, he replies to each cow call and will not move. I go through every call I have to see if a different sound will help. It doesn't. It just seems like the bulls are not really hot. So far, I have only called in four bulls and three of them were the first day and the same time?

Day 8, Saturday September 11th

My dad and brother head back home for a few days after looking for a spike that had been wounded. It was a high hit and the vitals were missed. I hope the bull recovers in full since it may not have been a mortal hit and the blood stopped.

Shane and I went to where my Dad had seen the 370 class bull. We found him with a herd of around 10 cows. Not to knock my dad, but the big bull was a 330 whale tipped 5 x 5. But, the description matched and he was an impressive bull. I have only seen one that was bigger on the hunt so far. This one had length, mass, and the biggest body I have ever seen on an elk. Only thing missing were the sixes?.

Shane and I get within 250 yards to him and his cows. However, at that time, he decides to move his cows down canyon and we have no time to get across the small canyon to set up before he goes by. Man, he may not be a high scoring bull, but he is an impressive as they come. We watch him destroy trees, chase his cows around in circles and let every one know he is king!

Day 9, Sunday September 12th

I am solo, everyone has gone home. It is just me and the mice sleeping in the trailer. Yes, we have picked up a good pack of mice and they are everywhere inside the trailer. Decon and mouse traps are needed. I head out to do some light scouting and plan and taking it easy today to recover a little bit.

I check a few ridges, but do not see anything worth chasing. On my last stop, I let out a few bugles and was answered right below me. I have left my bow in the truck so I had to run back, drop off my spotter and grab my bow. I did not even have my pack with me.

I drop into the top of the canyon with the wind to my right. I find a nice spot to set up and start cow calling. The bull immediately answers, but does not come any closer. I sneak a little closer in the black timber of the north facing canyon. I cow call again and I get two different bulls answering back. I have one to my left that is not coming but continues to answer and one on my right who is coming in hard. I do a quick set up adjustment and cow call again. Both bulls answer, but the one to my left is even closer. I get ready and then he shows up through the trees. I get a quick look at his fronts and one main beam, looks like a shooter. I draw back and let an arrow go for his vitals. Crap, the arrow brushes a branch and changes flight just a little a few feet before it gets to the bull. I was shooting steep uphill and the arrow hits higher than I wanted, but it hits the bull hard at 30 yards. The bull wheels and heads back up the hill and goes over the ridge.

I spend the next three hours following a good blood trail that just keeps going. Then, I find myself in another patch of black timber and black earth. Going is slow, blood is hard to spot. I LOSE THE TRAIL in the black timber. I spend the rest of the day Sunday and most the day Monday looking for the trail or for a dead elk. I give up the chase late Monday afternoon and head back to camp. What a heartache, I analyze what I did wrong and see my rookie mistakes. A Steep uphill shot, hold way low on the aim. I held normal, big mistake. I resolve to check back in a few days to watch for buzzards.

Day 10, Monday September 13th

I spend the morning looking for the wounded elk. No luck, even with expanding the grid.

With a heavy heart, that afternoon I leave to do some glassing. I found three bulls, two small ones and I watch the huge 5x5 across the ridge until dark.

Day 11, Tuesday September 14th

Before light, I jump on the wheeler to where I had last seen the huge 5x5. I hike up the ridge from the bottom at dawn. Immediately, I hear the bugle of a nice bull. After 300-400 yards of hiking, I find a good place to set up between two pinon trees with a good shooting lane across a small ravine and a good view of the ridge in front of me. I give my usual sequence of cow calls and get an immediate response. I give out two more call cows and I hear trees being destroyed. Five to six cows come running down the hill right at me and then I see him pushing right behind those cows. Man, he looked majestic running at me through those trees. The cows almost run me over, stopping 20 feet in the bottom of the ravine. The bull is about 20 feet behind them in the trees. I give probably the squeakiest cow call ever while drawing my bow. He somehow stops and I have a good 2ft x 2ft shooting lane between the scrub oak he stopped in. I left the arrow fly and I hear the resounding thump of a good hit. I am in disbelief as the bull turns and goes back up the hill. I grab another arrow and debate taking a very long follow up shot. But, he is not moving very fast and then he stops about 100 yards out. I am beside myself with joy as I see him start to drop his head and back up. I see him fall over and hear the crash. I can't believe it, what a freaking toad of a bull. I was actually jumping up and down?

I give him a good 20 minutes, and start up to see him. I am amazed when I get there, he has the biggest body I have ever seen and the rack is impressive. What a stud.

I go back, get a camera and call my dad/brother. They decide to leave immediately to make the 6 hour drive to help. It is hot, so I go back, gut, skin, and quarter the beast. By noon, I start to pack out meat. By 2:30, my dad and brother show up and I somehow had manned up and packed out everything but the head. My little brother decides to pack the head out and we bone the meat off the quarters. By 4:30, his meat is in coolers with ice, camp is packed up and we are heading out. We buy more ice in Roosevelt and make it home by 11 pm.

Wednesday, the taxidermist pulls the ivory teeth, capes him and cuts the horns off for a later mount. My taxidermist declares that this is the oldest bull he has ever mounted and a true trophy?

Me, I am still in disbelief. Yes, I did see one better bull, but I am more than thrilled with the one I ended up with. The only downside, nobody was around to experience it with me and I had to take pictures by myself. My only regret was not being able to fully share the experience with my friends and family. But, that is the nature of hunting for such a long time with a bow. Not everyone can be there the whole time. I would like to thank my wife, family, dad, brother, Shane and all the MM members who provide invaluable information. I hope to do the same for future hunters?

Finally, some pictures of the old toad. Most of them are just the elk, the results of a do-it-youself photo job...
























47 1/2 inch mainbeams, what a hog!

Here is a hunt report, kind of diary style. Pictures are at the end. Hopefully Founder can get them posted in chronological order for me?

Day 1, Saturday September 4th

Woke up a little late, family had made the trip with me for the Labor Day weekend. We got into our camping spot a little later than planned the evening before and the kids hadn't slept the best. Jumped on the four-wheeler and headed over to do some glassing since the sun was already up. Found three bulls in a herd with two cows after about ? hour of glassing some different ridges. Concerning, they were not fighting and no bugling was going on. Guessing that to those bulls, the rut had not started. Using a good spotting scope, I could tell the biggest of the three was a 300 class 6 x 5. It was encouraging to at least see a few bulls, my mid summer scouting trips and the opening weekend had only produced a few rag horns.

I headed back around 10 am to spend some time with the kids looking for horned toads, etc.

After a good day playing with kids, showing them deer and other animals, I headed out again around 6 pm for the evening. I went back to the area where I glassed the three bulls earlier. The wind was not blowing entirely in my favor, so I dropped off the far side of the ridge and worked my way down below where I had last seen the elk. I ended up below where I had last seen them and worked my way back towards them with the wind mostly in my face. I put out a few cow calls and got some responses back. Snuck in a little closer to ravine edge and let out a few more cow calls. I was rewarded with a bugle response. I decided to sneak a little closer; on my way down I noticed a head with antlers looking at me. Busted, the 5x 6 was staring at me at 60 yards. Apparently he had wanted a closer look as well and caught me getting to a better set up. However, his two buddies did not see me and came in for a much closer look. Neither of the bulls were shooters and they came into around 30 yards in the dusk. I had some fun with them with my cow calls and enjoyed seeing them in close. I slowly backed out of there and called it a night.

Not bad for the first day, three bulls called in within 60 yards?I was excited?