Thanks to bigjohnt for all the pointers. He?s the Fishlake scuttlebut. Everyone knows him and he knows the unit better than anyone. I got up there Wednesday night and the bulls were not where they'd been all summer. Even two weeks ago. I was told that.
I decided to join the $hit show opening morning after helping an archery hunter on Friday.
I went back down Monday morning to a place I'd been once. I saw two spikes. At 9:30 John and I were on the phone and he said to try a place about a mile away. I thought the morning was over but he said it was worth a try.
After I parked the atv I heard a bugle about 1/4 mile up the hill. The wind was in my face and consistent so I went for it. There seemed to be four different bulls making noise. I was cow calling and bugling the best I could. I had a mouth reed call but no bugle tube.
I heard a bull make my way to my right but I new he was going to wind me and he did. The other bulls were still above me. I was how about a half mile up the hill. The aspens were starting to give way to more pines and blow down.
After another sequence of cow calls I could tell a bul was coming my way. One last check of the wind and my hopes actually got up.
He came to about 40 yards and stared raking a tree. I could just see the tree shaking and his legs. I knelt down and too my pack off. Jacked a round in and put the safety on.
I wasn?t sure what to do with him so close so I looked backward and put my hand over my mouth and let a soft cow call. He let out a deep chuckle and started walking directly to me with this head back. Drool was coming off his chin and he was surely thinking he was a cool dude.
I put my rifle up and he was around 10 yards. I should have just sent one at the middle of the neck but he was going up and down through the blowdown I just didn't want to mess him up.
The tree to my left was about as big as a normal Christmas tree. He turned to my left to go around the tree and I knew he was going to wind me so I basically shoved my barrel through the pine tree and shot his front left shoulder.
At this point I could tell that he was actually a six point. He started crashing down the hill and about 150 yards away there was no more noise. After about 5 minutes I was thinking how cool it would have been to have a first time hunter or cameraman with me.
He couldn't have been more than ten feet when I pulled the trigger. On my way down the hill I didn't even have my gun chambered or I'm my hand.
I bumped him once so I backed out. Called some friends and johnt. I went back in a few hours later and found him.
There were bigger bulls in the unit but he still scores 317.
I'm super happy with him. Here?s some pics.
"That's a special feeling, Lloyd"
www.cloverleafrifles.com
https://youtu.be/l3xHt-xeNYw
