Short elk season!

Zigga · Sep 15, 2005

On the 14th I went out for a quick evening hunt. I don't like to hunt in the evening for fear that tracking something in the dark can create problems. I went to one of my honeyholes and by quarter to 6 the bulls started to erupt. There must have been 5 bulls going off and not one of them would cow call in. I decided to go in after them and ended up following a bugling bull through the trees and had another close bull to my right. The elk were moving out to feed and I had swung in behind them just in time. I could get within 30-40 yards of the bull in front of me but he never let me see him. I stayed close behind thinking that the bull on my right was going to cross paths with the bull in front of me. When I reached the edge of the timber the bull in front busted me along with his cows. I cow called to calm them down and it seemed to work. There were elk on both sides of me and in front of me. The bull bugling on my right was getting closer so I cut the distance and noticed a 5 point at 15 yards. Luckily he didn't see me so I stayed put until the bugling bull showed himself. I saw long beautiful tines and felt he was a shooter. He was following 2 cows 77 yards away. I stepped out to get a better angle and move in but the cows busted me and moved off with the bull right behind them. Suddenly the bull circled and started quartering toward me. At 43 yards he stopped broadside and I let it fly. I used my 40 yard pin and held high and hit right where I aimed. The sound of the arrow hitting something solid echoed back to me and the bull lunged forward. Oblivious to what was happening, the bull quartered toward me again and I could see my arrow sticking out of his side high and behind the shoulder. He walked 50 yards then collapsed and expired within 3 minutes right in front of me within 30 yards. Both lungs had been hit. No tracking to do and the sun had been down for about 5 minutes. Bulls were screaming in literally every direction until I left the area at 10:30 that night. I've taken a lot of bulls but this is the first one with a bow and my biggest yet. I regret that I had no camera with me. He should score around 325. What an experience! Another good thing is my overpriced G5 Montec broadhead is in perfect shape. I almost feel I should thank Mathews for the Switchback and Leica for their rangefinder and for the fact it was a clean and quick kill. What a hunt! I'll european mount it and show pics later. This was my first day elk hunting this year and it was over in less than two hours.

ElkScout · Sep 15, 2005

Wow, what an experience it must have been to have all those elk around you. You were the ultimate predator and evidently made a great shot on a great bull!

Congratulations!

outtabreath · Sep 15, 2005

Congrats Zigga! That must have been a sweet experience. Sounds like a real nice bull. I can't wait to see some pics of the rack. Bittersweet to end it all so fast, but what the hell...thats what you're there for.

sjhgraysage · Sep 15, 2005

LAST EDITED ON Sep-15-05 AT 01:40PM (MST)[p]great job!
I'm jealous!
Would love to be there just listening!

MikeLonsford · Sep 15, 2005

Congratulations!!! Very Cool story. Yours is the perfect ending to what didn't happen to me. I never got to see the elk bugling around me this past weekend. It was my first time bow hunting and I thought I was going to be the lucky SOB to get one on my first day out. I didn't, but you finished the way I wanted to! Thanks for the pick me up!!! I'm trying again this weekend. Love to hear them bugle and make so much noise. I didn't know what I was missing by rifle hunting.

Thanks,
Mike

dakotakid · Sep 15, 2005

Congrats Zigga, sounds like a great hunt.

Mike

cbryant11 · Sep 15, 2005

sounds like a great time,,,,, are the montec still overpriced if they work like that,,, seems to me like money well spent!cbryant

257Tony · Sep 15, 2005

Thats absoulutely terrible!!!! I hope to run into the same problem this year!!!! Good job and lets see those pics!!!!

Zigga · Sep 15, 2005

Here you go. Not a flattering angle but the first 3 tines are very nice. The ivories are worn down flat. Must have been an old one.

SlipRock · Sep 15, 2005

Congrats and great story, looks to be a very nice bull, Thanks for sharing

apache7mm · Sep 16, 2005

way to go Zigga! thats one fine looking bull there you got, he'll look really nice up on the wall too, i like the way his lower tines are all pointing out and then up at the ends, congrats on a very nice trophy!

DAN