My brother and I had a great hunt this weekend in western Wyoming. He lived in South Africa for several years and had taken a lot of African game with his bow but never an elk, until this year. The day before, my son and I hiked into a basin looking for deer and saw a herd with two very nice bulls at first light making their way back into the timber. My brother got into camp late friday afternoon so we hunted down low that evening with no luck. The next morning we beat feet for the ridge that I saw the bulls on the day before. Sure enough at first lite we saw the bulls again just before they topped the ridge headed for the timber. We got on the ridge line they were last seen and did a little cow talk but got no responses. After working down the ridge a short ways we eventually bumped a cow and she took the herd with her.
While resting we heard bugles from the opposite side of the canyon. It took us a while to make our way across but the bulls were bugling the entire time. After getting to the edge of the timber the bugling seemed to stop. We stopped to have a snack and wait for some indication of which direction to go. Just as we got up to leave a bugle came from close range. We set up behind a cluster of three trees at the edge of the dark timber. I cow called and we could hear a bull breaking branches trying to get to us. I was setup behind my brother and to his right. I saw a bull come in on my side. My brother could not see the bull from where he was. It was a nice 5 point but he stopped at 60 yards and would not come out of the timber. I could only get glimpses of him. After waiting him out for about 10 minutes my brother tried to get closer. After getting to within about 30 yards and still not seeing the bull, the bull finally saw him and busted out. The noise he made leaving was enough to bring in two more bulls. As we were working on a route to get closer to another bull we could hear, a bull came walking through the timber towards us. At 30 yards he stopped behind a tree. This gave my brother a chance to draw. The bull continued towards us stopping at 15 yards but he was directly facing us and my brother did not want to take the shot. The bull figured something was up and started to bolt. As he ran off I cow called and this stopped him at 20 yards. A perfect broadside shot. I heard the arrow hit it's mark and saw the fletching buried right behind the left side shoulder as the bull ran off. Soon after we could hear a crash and then caught sight of another bull above us. At the crash he ran off as well. After just a minute or so we could hear a loud wheezing sound and figured the bull had died.
We knew we should wait the obligatory 30 minutes but after about 2 we could not stand it any longer. We found the point of impact and followed the blood trail for about 30 yards before we saw the bull piled up in some deadfall. The bull is really a small 4 point frame but has a matching crown of three points at the top. It was a very interesting looking bull and quite possibly the smallest 6 point ever.
The shot was perfect.
I have never been a part of a bow kill before and I have to say it was more enjoyable than just about any hunt I have been on. We took pictures and then got the bull quarters and deboned. My brother decided this bull would make a nice European mount. The shot had been at 9:00 am and by noon we had the quartering and deboning work done. It was a two mile pack up and over the pass. We got half of the bull done that day and finished up the job on Sunday morning.
Another great hunt in western Wyoming. I am so lucky to be able to hunt my home state every year and hope that never changes. The bulls may not always be B&C but the hunt is far more important than the score to me.
While resting we heard bugles from the opposite side of the canyon. It took us a while to make our way across but the bulls were bugling the entire time. After getting to the edge of the timber the bugling seemed to stop. We stopped to have a snack and wait for some indication of which direction to go. Just as we got up to leave a bugle came from close range. We set up behind a cluster of three trees at the edge of the dark timber. I cow called and we could hear a bull breaking branches trying to get to us. I was setup behind my brother and to his right. I saw a bull come in on my side. My brother could not see the bull from where he was. It was a nice 5 point but he stopped at 60 yards and would not come out of the timber. I could only get glimpses of him. After waiting him out for about 10 minutes my brother tried to get closer. After getting to within about 30 yards and still not seeing the bull, the bull finally saw him and busted out. The noise he made leaving was enough to bring in two more bulls. As we were working on a route to get closer to another bull we could hear, a bull came walking through the timber towards us. At 30 yards he stopped behind a tree. This gave my brother a chance to draw. The bull continued towards us stopping at 15 yards but he was directly facing us and my brother did not want to take the shot. The bull figured something was up and started to bolt. As he ran off I cow called and this stopped him at 20 yards. A perfect broadside shot. I heard the arrow hit it's mark and saw the fletching buried right behind the left side shoulder as the bull ran off. Soon after we could hear a crash and then caught sight of another bull above us. At the crash he ran off as well. After just a minute or so we could hear a loud wheezing sound and figured the bull had died.
We knew we should wait the obligatory 30 minutes but after about 2 we could not stand it any longer. We found the point of impact and followed the blood trail for about 30 yards before we saw the bull piled up in some deadfall. The bull is really a small 4 point frame but has a matching crown of three points at the top. It was a very interesting looking bull and quite possibly the smallest 6 point ever.
The shot was perfect.
I have never been a part of a bow kill before and I have to say it was more enjoyable than just about any hunt I have been on. We took pictures and then got the bull quarters and deboned. My brother decided this bull would make a nice European mount. The shot had been at 9:00 am and by noon we had the quartering and deboning work done. It was a two mile pack up and over the pass. We got half of the bull done that day and finished up the job on Sunday morning.
Another great hunt in western Wyoming. I am so lucky to be able to hunt my home state every year and hope that never changes. The bulls may not always be B&C but the hunt is far more important than the score to me.
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