Sorry in advance, I will have major spelling and punctuation errors!! Anyways, I have hunted and scouted the same area since the 5th of July (that's the earliest the gates opened). Its an area we found a few years ago, and has always been a good producing spot. But scouting was a little tough, with all the water and feed the elk were really spread out. The spot we hunt always holds tons of cows, but not to many bulls during the summer. But my theory was stay with the cows, and the bulls will eventually show up.
At the beginning of last week I was doubting my logic when out of no where bulls started cruising. I saw some good bulls but nothing was talking at all just kind of feeling things out I think. There would be weak bugles here and there but nothing really that hot. That all changed on wed night! I got up there late so was in a hurry and as soon as I got into the spot I wanted to be I spotted a bull. I slipped down through the quakes, and heard one weak bugle, but there was a cow going crazy all over the hillside. I started calling back to her, and in about ten minutes all hell broke loose.
I had a couple different bulls bugling and cows were everywhere. I started trying to ease through the cover, and every time I would call both bulls would instantly call back. I moved in on the first of the two and he went silent. I couldn't figure out what was going on until, I saw him at 20 yards staring a hole through me. He busted out, and I thought I had screwed up big time. But the other bull was still going off, so live and learn and I was after him.
I could tell he was chasing a cow by the way they were moving around the hill. It finally came to a point I was able to get between him and the cows. So I hunkered down and started cow calling like crazy. That was all it took. I heard brush exploding, and chuckling coming straight at me through the brush. As he got closer he pushed a cow right into me and I thought I was screwed. But she went right by with him hot on her hills. I got him stopped at 15 yards, let the arrow go and he piled up about 30 yards further down the hill.
A good pic to show how webbed he is on the left side.