Found Idaho bull?

B

bulldown

Guest
I've debated whether or not to ask but with a little luck, I might be able to find my lost bull.

Location: Idaho Weiser Zone, No Business Lookout

Date: Shot 6x6 bull on 9/7 at 10am.

Short story:
Unfortunately my first shot was back but I was able to put a 2nd arrow in the bull at 40 yards that looked like it entered behind the last rib as the bull was quartering away and angling up hill. I was hoping the arrow exited out out his right lung.

We found excellent blood for 40 yards after waiting 1.5hrs for the bull to expire. The blood trail directed me uphill where I found more blood on a log and proceeded to follow it. Unexpectedly, the bull was laying down only 20 yards away and somehow managed to stand up and start walking away with both arrows still in him. We waited another hour before picking up the blood trail again but long story short, we couldn't find him or any new blood. It rained that night and all next day making matters worse.

I continued to search diligently for the next 3 days. On Friday morning 9/10 we passed a hunter on the main lookout road getting ready to hunt the east side of No Business Mtn. He was driving a Chevy 1/2 ton extended cab with camper shell and Oregon plates. I'm not certain on color but believe it was white and blue. It was a newer body style so probably year 2003 or newer.

Later, we found my bull next to a main game trail only .3 miles from where this Oregon truck had parked. The meat was obviously spoiled but to add to my disappointment, the bulls head had been cut off. The bull ended up traveling .9 miles after we bumped him.

I don't want to point fingers but after the effort we put into finding this bull, it was extremely disappointing to finally find him without a head.

With a little luck, word of mouth and help from this board, I might be able to track down the hunter who found him and workout a resolution or reward. I didn't take pictures of the carcass but wish I would have. I did however take my arrows that were still in him. I shoot camouflage Carbon Express Maxima Hunter arrows with green and white blazer vanes and Shuttle T-Lock broadheads. GPS coordinates have been saved.

I would appreciate it if any of you MM's could possibly correlate this story with anyone who found a dead bull in the Weiser Zone. He wasn't a monster but a great Idaho archery bull in the 280-300" range.

Thanks,
Bulldown
 
Heck man that sucks!ITs pretty bad when people are taking heads that they didnt even shoot at.I also stuck a bull twice here in utah on mt nebo and still havent found it.I left a note on all trailheads.But after hearing your story,If someone found it they would probably just cut his horns off also,Screw the modern hunter asking for help i guess.Thats pretty low of some people to do this.But now days some people are pretty ignorant and have no sense to have to take a bull home and brag it up when they dont even shoot it..Well good luck i hope you knock some sense in to the guy who just thought he would take him home. elknr
 
I fail to understand why it is low of someone to salvage part of an elk that another hunter shot 3 days before? What is he supposed to do, wait with it until someone shows up? He could have called IDFG, but other than that he isn't deliberately harming the hunter that hit the bull with a marginal shot.
 
Now I hate to say this but in my opinion that is the guy from Oregons' Rack now u made a bad shot and another bad decision on pushing it, that being said i do realise hind sight is 20/20, I aint here to preach ethics but i hope your tag tastes good this winter and i sure hope i dont see u up four mile with your rifle trying your hand at a cow. I know of too many elk shot in this zone alone that people shot with a bow and lost this season. now think about what i said here before u send your reply Chad good luck next year and happy hunting
 
Idahobonecollector, I think you'd be singing a different tune if you were walking in his shoes! I'm sure he wasn't trying to make a bad shot. He was lucky enough to get a second arrow in the bull. He's asking for help, not some a-hole ethics police to act like his dad.

Traditional only >>>------->
 
not to get off subject. but if the oregon person did not tag that animal wouldnt it be illegal to cut his head off and take it?
 
i would have to agree with stickin another arrow in him it's not becaused he pushed him that he was lost it was the rain and if you've ever searched for blood after a big rain you know it's hard and alot of area for only two guys to cover. But I do agree with the collector on punching the tag but won't tell anyone thier business good luck gettin your head back but my guess is that oregon boy has told all of his buddy's how he had a bugling show down with that bull and he coaxed him into thirty yards and he shot him. Now it's at the taxi
 
I feared the slamming which is why debated on even posting this thread but I do have a few additional comments to make.

The Oregon hunter was a ? lead? only because of location and timing. For all I know, he could have been hunting the other side of the road. This is an OTC public land area and it gets hunted hard so anyone up there could have found it.

I did report the beheaded bull and my experience to IDF&G and asked if I had to tag the elk. I was told that I could continue hunting and did not have to tag it. I also asked about the missing head and was told that it is illegal to take an animal that you did not harvest. I also asked if it was legal if the person who found it, tags it. And again, was told it is illegal to take an animal that you did not legally harvest. They thanked me for reporting.

Bad shots are made with bows and rifles all the time. What makes a difference is the hunter who's willing to put in the extra effort and due diligence on the recovery.

I did and my reward was disappointing. As you can see, I'm still not giving up!

I realize the odds of finding this bull are slim but there is hope that the hunter who has the head also has some compassion towards my efforts.

I heard a good quote the other day "Right and wrong decisions are made every day but a person?s action, defines them"

Bulldown
 
Bulldown;
Where were the shot placements on the bull? I've found on a liver shot it's hard to find them,they'll bleed a little at first then bleed internally.They will usualy lay down in a cool hide away or bed down in or around water,that will help clot the wound.

Alot of times they'll survive unless the coyotes or other predators get them first.

Thats the places I look first.

Shealth is the most important thing in your case(hunting with a bow)as to get close enough for the final and fatal kill shot.

My first elk hunt I shot my bull in the liver but was able to find him with some good tracking.He went 1.5 miles(no blood trail just a few drops the last 20yds)following only his hoof prints in the soil.This was a rifle hunt though(easier to get my shot(s)off).

Were there any places like that in the area you were looking for him?

Let me know I'm sure all are curious.

Thanks Joe

"Sometimes you do things wrong for so long you think their right"

-Joe E Sikora
 
I just finished your post, and have to admit that I have almost an identical story. I , too, hit a real good bull twice early this year in Diamond Creek Zone (66A) and then spent two weeks looking for him. After a lead from a landowner, I moved my area of emphasis. He said he didn't look good at all, but he did make it off of the flat to the timber. Later on I heard from some other hunters that they had seen a guy packing out a great bull from an neighboring canyon. When they asked him about it, he told them it was a dead bull that he had stumbled on to so he was taking the horns out. I, too am still looking, hoping for yet another lead. Of course no one knows where this hunter was from, or what his name was, but it sure didn't brighten my day any. I'm just holding on to a slim chance of ever getting to see the bull I crippled, so any ifo would be great. He was in the Trail Canyon area of Jacknife creek near Freedom ID/WY!! Good luck in your quest!! I feel your pain!!
 
Keep searching guys.After reading this post i posted my lost archery bull and was called 2 hours later with exact location.So there is still some good people out there.Atleast a few.What goes around comes around.Those people who took your heads is going to be wishin they didnt when they have the same thing happen to them.Good luck guys!!
 
That's pretty awesome news. Hopefully Stateline's message is a good lead.

In my opinion, MonsterMuleys is a great forum for hunters seeking advice, strategies and sharing stories. It is also a tool for sharing information on unfortunate situations like these.

Thanks to all!

Bulldown
 
Thanks for the tips fella's!! I'm still looking, but your responses have given me a little boost!!
 
I'm curious, ethically how do you all feel. If you find, 3 days later the carcass of the animal you killed with your weapon, should you tag it or not?
 
If the head of the carcass is gone, then no, you don't tag it. For all you would know, the guy who took the head tagged the head. If you find the animal and things are still intact, then yes you should tag it.

I know a guy who found a nice dead head buck here in Utah while he was hunting. He made a mental note of where it was. On the last day of the hunt he hiked in and tagged the buck and brought it home. The buck had been there for a while and the chances of finding the owner were zero. He liked the buck and didn't want to see it totally waste, so he tagged it.
 
Sounds to me...... like maybe you need to practice more with your bow. Pretty funny how many archers on here seem to wound game and then ask for help finding it. I commend you on working your butt off to try to find it. And sorry you lost the battle. Good luck in your future is all I can say.
 
I have known and hunted with Chad for years, he practices A LOT with his bow and is a very good shot as well as a very hard working, serious and dedicated hunter.
Those of us that know Chad would never question his ethics in a situation like this.

Chad did everything right here and were it not for the rain washing out the trail I am sure this story would have had a different ending.

MikeR
 
Thanks for the generous comments Mike. You'll have to send me a PM and let me know how you and Austin did this year.


It's hard not replying to negative comments but I have no reason to defend my shot, ethics or decisions to those who don't know me.

For those of you who read this. Mike and I met on this board back in 2002 when he responded to a thread of mine. I was looking for a new place to hunt elk in exchange for some good mule deer spots. I eventually harvested my first archery bull that year thanks to him.

Again, MonsterMuleys is a great forum for hunters seeking advice, strategies and sharing stories and with a little luck, friendships can be made as well as success stories.

Bulldown
 

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