Thanks guys! I don't have any pics yet, the head is with the taxi getting cleaned up and I can post some when I get him back!
Not much of a story. My dad is in his 60's and drew a rifle cow calf tag. Opening day (for rifle cows, day 10 of archery season) we made a little hike to a good vantage point to get a look around. That morning we only saw 2 or 3 cows but we saw around 15 bulls. The bulls were bugling and raking pretty good and a couple were even locking horns a bit. We figured the following morning we would try and get right in the middle of them.
We started up the trail super early and we could hear bulls just screaming like crazy a few miles above us. I started seeing some really fresh bear tracks in the trail and I wanted to see it so I started cow calling pretty heavily while we were hiking trying to stop or slow this bear. After a while of calling and walking it started to get light and we got into some thick timber. We figured we were about a mile still from the nearest elk and could hear around 10 different bulls screaming. We were hustling along and all of the sudden we heard crashing in the timber headed our way, we were right in the middle of this clearing on a trail and all we could do was just sit on our knees. I started seeing a dark animal moving through the trees, and to be honest I wasn't sure if I should grab my bow or my 454 casull. I told my buddy "bear" and he said "no, bull". So I dropped my pack, knocked an arrow and watched this big bull running towards us at about 50 yards. keep in mind we had NO cover and there was three of us, two in full camo and my dad in an orange vest and hat. This bull stops broadside at what I think is 30 yards (later ranged at 25) and he's staring at my dad. I wisper hold still and asked my buddy how far, he says 40 yards but I knew it was closer. While this bulls staring a hole through my dad I draw back, in the corner of my eye I see my dad is acting like a bobble head toy trying to get a better look, I told him to hold still. The bull started getting nervous, I had to lean sideways to get a clear vital shot so I settled the pin and let it rip.
The arrow sounded like it hit a brick wall but I thought I got full penetration. The bull ran to 60 yards and just inside the timber. You could see he was wobbling and looked like he was going to drop. I started moving back and forth trying to get a second arrow in him but never could get another shot. Eventually the bull moved off and the month long track job started! I found that my arrow only got 8-9 inches of penetration and I got worried, that's when I started my elk shoulder thickness post. When we found my bull we were able to flip him over and in his empty rib cage found the rest of my arrow and broadhead.
I think it is great that you made the maximum effort to find your animal. My hat is off to ya...a special hunter. Hopefully sometime we can read the story from start to finish. 
