6x6 "Heaven Sent" and 7x7 "One in a Million Miracle Bull"

M

Midnight2

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http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread.cfm?forum=5&threadid=342191&MESSAGES=29&FF=5

Support link to story.

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AZ 2007 FLAT, FLAT, FLAT... we loved the flat terrain of our unit. We are from Utah and use to 2500-3000ft climbs up and down.
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This is the 50 ft we had to climb... it was a killer!

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Classic terrain. open mesas and cedars

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Opening day we encountered 60-75 elk several bulls and they were on the move.
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From the meadow.. the elk were visible and coming straight to our watertank

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We unfortunately got on the wrong side and elk were moving up the ridge to go over the open mesa... time to run...out in front of the herd. Several bulls were pushing and a good mature lead cow was leading the way.

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Double Bull Blind in Cedars

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Cow calling

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Open Mesa... Ran up to the top of the ridge.
Set up for shot. bull came in at 55 yards. shot, elk scatter,
No arrow, no blood, no clue.... Shot around 7:30 am....
after no luck.
came back and set up for watertank that evening... Two others in blind... I returned, kept searching

No luck.
Prayed for guidance and prompting to follow.
spent two hours looking.
but did walk... went about half mile (.55 on gps)
Heard sounds of elk running off as busted from beds
came around cedar....

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They he was bedded under cedar behind small cedar in middle...
you can see a backpack where the bull was bedded.
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He acted like a mule deer trying to hide... he just lowered his head lower and lower. (Little did I know this was the same bull from that morning.) I did pray and that prayer was answered. I didn't give up on my bull but I was in the instinct mode of shooting the bull. I had give over 8 hours and no sign of anything. I was just following my prompting as asked in my prayer.
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This time... I had a good solid hit.
Walked up to my arrow and looked to the right....

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And there he was 58 yards away...

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You can see why gut shots don't leave blood. They just ooze green crap. They will die as this bull... tried to hide. He was too hurt to jump up and run. It didn't make sense until I realized this was my bull after I was moving it around.
The green ooze looks like mud from wallowing. Not until I saw hole in hide positioning my bow did it come togehter.

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Let it be known... another prayer was give in thanks. All credit goes out to God. He definitely lead me to the bull. It was about half mile away from shot. "Needle in haystack

"http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/User_files/470f35e42ea8a6d3.jpg




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Missing thirds... came out later on fourths I guess. Green Score is about 310 with frame of a normal 320 bull.

Very happy. Little disturbed that I shot first bull on a 14 day hunt.
But it was meant to be....

Stay tuned for best part of this story....



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(Let me introduce Dion, the luckiest 63 year old alive!)
AZ 7x7 ONE IN A MILLION; Part II

It's an incredible story of a converted rifle hunter that is so ungulfed in archery that let me ask you... Do you make your own camo? Do you make your own bow carrier? Do you make your own Tripod socks in camo with 3-D, Binocular straps with 3-d handmade and sewn on? With a limited budget this 63 year old, had been hit with the bow-hunting bug bad! Basement has hunter dan and statue bull elk in his window well, with a pretty cool scene. Elk videos are going 24-7 on his tv in his trophy room. Shoot range set up in his basement, homemade gunnysack, hand painted 2-D Target. homemade blind made our of ski-poles. gosh what else.....
Due to minor stroke, keys have been taken from him, his health has prevented him from hunting hard or hardly at all in Utah. The half mile walks in AZ were mild and perfect for his condition. Family, wife and doctor thought it would be good therapy if he got out. We had strict orders to watch him and don't hike him into his
grave.

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Caught in awe with the rest of us... with this miracle bull.
Worth staying tuned. I don't give a crap about my story... But I want to tell his in detail. He and the Bull deserve it.

Public Land, DIY, LE Tag AZ 2007 7x7....

You'll like it... trust me. Especially, with this being his FIRST BULL!
 
Yeah buddy , thats hunting and thats the way to share and have the hair on the back of my neck sticking up! Loved it all so far and waiting for the rest....I'll be back on this post for sure...Larry
 
Great hunt! God knew before you were even born that this moment would happen!...and maybe it will happen again!

Life's short, pray hard!

muleyman
 
that is an awesome bull.Congrats to the hunter who harvested it reguardless of any physical condition ,That is a bull any one would be proud of.GOOD JOB .Thanks for sharing .I am looking forward to the whole story.
 
Gary you are a heck of a hunter, you consistently get it done DIY. I have seen this bull and held it in my hands it will scare the heck out of or surpass 400" matching cheaters on both sides. It also has fourths that are as long as your arm with fifths just as big. Well done! Wish I had permission to post pictures! They also got the kill shot on video, WOW!

Your bull is no slouch either. I must commend you again for following up your shot. Most people would have given up. When in doubt ask the good lord with faith and good things will happen.
 
Way to go Gary! You and I are neighbors and I have been over to your place to see 'Lefty' in his new home. Great job on sticking with this stud of a bull. It's obvious you were rewarded. Now hurry up and post about the 7x7.
 
Gary,

I posted on the bowsite too, but wanted to tell you congrats on 2 great bulls! I am dying to see the 2nd bull though! Bring it on man!

Chad
 
You guys are going to love this story. I have hunted with both Gary and Dion and have been over to Dion's house and have seen this beast in person. It is awesome that this was able to happen to Dion. He loves to hunt as well as we do. What an amazing bull.
 
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There is a final chapter to this...go to support link...

I'll get on this maybe tomorrow night to post more photos here.
 
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Started to focus on Dion. Had several good opportunities

Worked the land to our advantage. Patterned the elk from a distance.

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We had several close encounters with Dion. He got close to a bull with an incredible bugle session at just 68 yards, but no drawing of the bow. 300 inch bull

We had another bull that closed this distance to within 25 yards but the bull ran off as Dion began to Draw. Good 300-320 inch bull

We had another bull coming in with several cows and he held up.. Big long swords and whaletails. 340 inch range

We had 320-330 inch bull at 18 yards and Dion drew back and shot over his back...(Deflected off branch, wink, wink!)

We were contantly into bull every morning and every night. The progression was gradual.

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We regrouped and planned out each hunt. Here you can see Dion's 3-D camo products.
 
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Patterned a small herd going into a deep canyon, so we were able to funnel them from where they dropped and figured they'd come back... To our luck they did.

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This was the bull that we nicknamed Dinosaur growler... because he had on of those deep bugles... but as you can tell on the photo that he was a good 7x3. Weird spike looking on one side with night normal 6 with extra point making him 7 pointer on one side.

We bedded this bull. He has several other good shooter bulls jockeying for the cows. That evening the cows came right into our blind, stopped smelled us and spun around. The growler was right behind him. We didn't get a shot. As we tried to call him back, two other bulls came by. First was a small satelite bull. The second was bugling back and forth with growler.. He came up on our shooters left of the blind, only directly behind the trees. He walked up and bugled with his spit nearly hitting our blind. He was right on us that we dared not move. He suddenly circled back and came up on the other side where the cows and come up.

It was dark by now but had a full moon. Dion was at full draw and we had determined that if it was a shooter to tap his legs to shoot. We backed down even though this bull was a good 6x6. or possible 6x5 that we had seen earlier. Just too dark to risk it... even though we hadn't been this close. The bull was nearly 12-15 yards away. Easy shot.... But that
s what makes it fun.

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Steve Rustenburg, Gary and Dion. Steve had put in for 13 years straight. He was hunting by himself and having no luck finding anything.

We adopted him on the spot and said come with us... We have been on good bulls every morning and evening. And have one in the bag.

The only risk to this was... what if he shoots a bull we called in for Dion. Well we knew that could happen, but you know what. That didn't hold any weight to this guy, alone, 13 years, no close encounters.

The next morning we had steve hearing bulls bugle, cows walking by him, Bull within 40 yards, we hunted with Steve for the next 4 days. He was a gentleman. All of his hunting party had drawn out in the coveted unit 10. So his buddies weren't there to support him.

Dion, nor any of us had one mention of any hunting drama about him being with us. We genuinely hoped the best for him and put him in every position we could to get a bull...

THIS WAS CALLED GOOD KARMA..as it later proved.

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We had set up several times on this point overlooking this canyon. The elk seemd to drop in it during the morning and come back out in the evenings. It was key to positioning ourselves in front of them.

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Elk hunting definitely needs to have a support team to increase the odds. We used everything out there... Montana and Rendezoa Decoys. Primos calls, reeds, bugles, Hunters Special, Carlton calls, Urine scents, Scent away, 3-d camo.... It seem like every time you'd go out... It'd take 10-15 minutes to put all that crap on.
 
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Mike walked on to some sheds... 5x6 small... as he called us and began to walk over to us... He walked up to this old kill.

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We found a good bleached kill... Who's guess as to when it was killed. The maggets had gotten it pretty good. We found the arrow too.
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Someone out there has a story to tell about the one that got away.

This make me very fortunate to find my bull... I had given up, but asked God to lead me and let me tell you I know he did. He'll lead any of us.
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We found al sorts of things on this trip
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Ruins and pottery.
 
Thanks for the kind words.

Dion has been on cloud nine with all of us.

Thank you for you comments

If you seem to be lost with the detail of Dion hunt... It is posted and can be read by clicking on the very top link at the beginning.

Midnight
 
STEVE, did get several bulls up close. Nearly got a shot off, but I would say that we increased the odds by getting him out there with our group than not. But unfortunately... he did not take a bull this year to my knowledge.

We were honored to have him along with us and invited him to come up to UTAH and hunt with us, should he make some time.

Midnight
 
great story I'm pretty sure we chased the "one in a million" bull in 06 with no luck but picked up his left antler in march and searched for 2 weeks for the right side i've got a phone photo of it the 4th was completely broke off.if you would like to see it let me know
 
DION has determined to display the bull with a full mount at Gerald Olsen,Archery shop:

Utah Archery Center
4070 S. 60 E.
Murray, Utah

It should make it there by March of 2008.

Midnight
 
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Merry Christmas Dion!
Thanks to Brent Todd, we caught it on canvas after all, even if I did tape over your kill shot.(This was the moment of Dion's actual shot.)

Brent,
You did a fantastic job. Our family will remember this hunting legend and legacy. Thank you.

MIDNIGHT
 

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