Hawkeye
Long Time Member
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As some of you know, I drew a Wasatch archery elk tag in 2013 and shot a nice bull on August 30th of that year. I was happy with my bull but I felt like I missed out on chasing rutting bulls during the last two weeks of the hunt. These are some photos of my 2013 archery elk.
Flash forward to 2019. After applying for LE deer the last few years, my 5-year waiting period for elk was up and I applied for another Wasatch archery elk tag. When the draw results came out, I was shocked to learn that I drew a tag with no bonus points.
The first few weeks of the hunt were fairly uneventful due to hot weather and hunting pressure. We had some close calls but things were fairly slow. I was saving most of my time off for the last week of the hunt with hopes that the weather would cool off and the rut would pick up.
I headed back up to the mountains on Friday, September 6th with my brother-in-law Landon (Robiland) and nephew with plans to hunt hard that weekend and all of the last week, if necessary. After a slow hunts on Friday evening and Saturday morning, we decided to hike back into the spot where I killed my bull in 2013. This requires a steep ATV ride to a trailhead and 3-mile hike back into some remote country. We were hoping that the bulls would be more active and responsive in this area due to less hunting pressure. We were right!
As we were hiking back into the distant saddle, the anticipation was building. On the way in, we called in a small 6x6 right off the main trail. As we turned the corner into the canyon, I could see the saddle where I shot my bull in 2013. As we approached the saddle, Landon ripped off a locator bugle and we got an immediate response from across the canyon. We set up the spotting scope and quickly confirmed that he was a shooter bull. As we cow called over the next 15-20 minutes, the bull quickly closed the distance between us. Due to his bugling and our cow calling, the canyon quickly came alive with other bugling elk.
We scrambled to set up on a small finger ridge that fed down into the main canyon. Landon set up behind me to call. I sprayed some elk urine cover sent and knocked an arrow. As the big bull approached, I could hear him bugling, grunting and breathing heavily. I also had 3-4 satellite around me, including a small 5x5 that closed the distance to less than 10 yards. I tried to stay focused on the large bull that was approaching but my heart was pounding.
As Landon softly worked the cow call, he lured the bull right up onto the finger ridge where we were set up. There was only one problem. The bull crossed over to the other side of the ridge. As a result, there was a small rise between me and the bull that was covered with choke cherry bushes. As the bull emerged from the trees, I could only see his head and antlers and the top portion of his back through the brush. My heart was pumping as he approached and let out another bugle. I was hoping that he walk through a spot in the brush that would give me a better shot opportunity at his vitals. When he came to a stop around 30 yards, I decided to take the shot. As I came to full draw, I set my pin just over the choke cherry bushes with hopes that the arc of my arrow would clear the bushes and drop into the bull?s vitals. As I touched my release, I could see the lighted knock of my arrow heading toward the bull only to clip the top of a small branch and go careening into to brush. I was so disappointed that I just blew an opportunity at a great bull. I was questioning my shot selection and thinking that I should have waited for a better angle.
The bull only ran a short distance because he did not know what caused the commotion. As Landon cow called, the bulled turned around and eventually came back towards the call. I tried to stay calm as I quietly knocked another arrow. The bull was still standing in thick brush and due to a small rise in the hill, I could only see the upper portion of his back again. When the bull stopped at just under 40 yards, I was debating whether to try a second shot. I had just blown a similar shot but I knew that this was likely the last opportunity that I was going to get. When the bull turned his head to look away, I drew back. This time, I rested my pin just slightly higher above the intervening bushes. When I released the arrow, I saw it heading towards the target and as it disappeared over the brush I heard the distinct smack of the arrow making contact with the bull. I knew my arrow hit him but I did not know where.
The bull turned and trotted away and then just stood there before disappearing behind a clump of oak trees. I wanted to put another arrow in the bull but I could only see his head and antlers as he went out of sight. Landon and I waited roughly 15 minutes before retrieving my first arrow. I was confused and alarmed when I found no sign of blood at the site of the second shot. After waiting another 15 minutes, we slowly starting following the trail the bull took after the second shot. As we rounded the trees, I spotted his antlers protruding from the thick brush. I was ecstatic until I realized that he had not dead. I was less than 10 yards from the bull but due to the thick brush and the angle where he was laying, I could only see his head and antlers. I thought about backing out and leaving him to expire but I wanted to finish him. As I slowly tried to creep to my right with an arrow knocked so that see his body, the bull jumped to his feet and started heading down hill through the thick oak brush.
I quickly followed hoping to get another shot and finish the bull. My heart dropped as I looked across the draw on the opposite hill side and saw two bulls running away. I quickly pulled up my binos and confirmed that they were smaller satellite bulls. As I continued downhill through the oak brush, I thought I could hear the bull below me slowing moving through the oak trees. All of the sudden, I heard a loud sound crashing through the trees. The wounded bull had either gotten a full head of steam and took off running through the trees or he just died and took a death roll down the hill.
I scrambled to the bottom of the ravine but I could not see the bull anywhere. I glassed down the ravine and into the main canyon to see if he was making his escape. Landon and Fisher arrived on the scene and asked where the bull went. I told them what happened and explained that he either died in the oak brush or made his escape down the bottom of the ravine. It was now close to 8 p.m. and we were quickly running out of light. Landon, Fisher and me started searching the thick oak brush looking for the dead bull. As we finished our second drive through the trees and brush, I was devastated at the thought of potentially losing this bull. As I stood in the bottom of the ravine pondering what to do next, I looked down the ravine to my right and spotted a large antler stickup up out of the brush. I screamed in celebration with Landon and Fisher. We found him and he was a beautiful, heavy 6x6. When I walked up to him, I was surprised to see that my second shot was a complete pass-through shot right through the boiler room. Elk are tough animals but I cannot believe that he lived as long as he did after that shot.
Over the next 3 hours, we quartered, deboned and packed the meat and head up to the main trail. Around midnight, two of our good friends (Ben and Doug) met us at the trail we began the long hike out of the canyon. We made it back to the ATV's shortly after 2 a.m. and arrived at camp around 3 a.m.
This was an amazing but frustrating, exhilarating but exhausting day that I will never forget. I am so grateful for the opportunity that we have to hunt and recreate in the outdoors. I am equally grateful for my amazing family and friends that I am able to enjoy those experiences with. Special thanks to my brother-in-law Landon who has called in both of my archery bulls for me in the same high mountain canyon.
I have included some photos of my bull along with some rough video Landon took on his phone from his position during the shots.
https://youtu.be/kTR_8IW-i-8
-Hawkeye-
My Favorite Expo Tag Quotes:
"It is fair to ask how much comes in with the five dollar application fees and how much went onto the ground.? Don Peay of SFW during 3/31/2005 Wildlife Board Meeting.
"There will be a full accounting of how the applications fees are spent.? Don Peay of SFW - 9/26/2006 - Monstermuleys.com
Flash forward to 2019. After applying for LE deer the last few years, my 5-year waiting period for elk was up and I applied for another Wasatch archery elk tag. When the draw results came out, I was shocked to learn that I drew a tag with no bonus points.
The first few weeks of the hunt were fairly uneventful due to hot weather and hunting pressure. We had some close calls but things were fairly slow. I was saving most of my time off for the last week of the hunt with hopes that the weather would cool off and the rut would pick up.
I headed back up to the mountains on Friday, September 6th with my brother-in-law Landon (Robiland) and nephew with plans to hunt hard that weekend and all of the last week, if necessary. After a slow hunts on Friday evening and Saturday morning, we decided to hike back into the spot where I killed my bull in 2013. This requires a steep ATV ride to a trailhead and 3-mile hike back into some remote country. We were hoping that the bulls would be more active and responsive in this area due to less hunting pressure. We were right!
As we were hiking back into the distant saddle, the anticipation was building. On the way in, we called in a small 6x6 right off the main trail. As we turned the corner into the canyon, I could see the saddle where I shot my bull in 2013. As we approached the saddle, Landon ripped off a locator bugle and we got an immediate response from across the canyon. We set up the spotting scope and quickly confirmed that he was a shooter bull. As we cow called over the next 15-20 minutes, the bull quickly closed the distance between us. Due to his bugling and our cow calling, the canyon quickly came alive with other bugling elk.
We scrambled to set up on a small finger ridge that fed down into the main canyon. Landon set up behind me to call. I sprayed some elk urine cover sent and knocked an arrow. As the big bull approached, I could hear him bugling, grunting and breathing heavily. I also had 3-4 satellite around me, including a small 5x5 that closed the distance to less than 10 yards. I tried to stay focused on the large bull that was approaching but my heart was pounding.
As Landon softly worked the cow call, he lured the bull right up onto the finger ridge where we were set up. There was only one problem. The bull crossed over to the other side of the ridge. As a result, there was a small rise between me and the bull that was covered with choke cherry bushes. As the bull emerged from the trees, I could only see his head and antlers and the top portion of his back through the brush. My heart was pumping as he approached and let out another bugle. I was hoping that he walk through a spot in the brush that would give me a better shot opportunity at his vitals. When he came to a stop around 30 yards, I decided to take the shot. As I came to full draw, I set my pin just over the choke cherry bushes with hopes that the arc of my arrow would clear the bushes and drop into the bull?s vitals. As I touched my release, I could see the lighted knock of my arrow heading toward the bull only to clip the top of a small branch and go careening into to brush. I was so disappointed that I just blew an opportunity at a great bull. I was questioning my shot selection and thinking that I should have waited for a better angle.
The bull only ran a short distance because he did not know what caused the commotion. As Landon cow called, the bulled turned around and eventually came back towards the call. I tried to stay calm as I quietly knocked another arrow. The bull was still standing in thick brush and due to a small rise in the hill, I could only see the upper portion of his back again. When the bull stopped at just under 40 yards, I was debating whether to try a second shot. I had just blown a similar shot but I knew that this was likely the last opportunity that I was going to get. When the bull turned his head to look away, I drew back. This time, I rested my pin just slightly higher above the intervening bushes. When I released the arrow, I saw it heading towards the target and as it disappeared over the brush I heard the distinct smack of the arrow making contact with the bull. I knew my arrow hit him but I did not know where.
The bull turned and trotted away and then just stood there before disappearing behind a clump of oak trees. I wanted to put another arrow in the bull but I could only see his head and antlers as he went out of sight. Landon and I waited roughly 15 minutes before retrieving my first arrow. I was confused and alarmed when I found no sign of blood at the site of the second shot. After waiting another 15 minutes, we slowly starting following the trail the bull took after the second shot. As we rounded the trees, I spotted his antlers protruding from the thick brush. I was ecstatic until I realized that he had not dead. I was less than 10 yards from the bull but due to the thick brush and the angle where he was laying, I could only see his head and antlers. I thought about backing out and leaving him to expire but I wanted to finish him. As I slowly tried to creep to my right with an arrow knocked so that see his body, the bull jumped to his feet and started heading down hill through the thick oak brush.
I quickly followed hoping to get another shot and finish the bull. My heart dropped as I looked across the draw on the opposite hill side and saw two bulls running away. I quickly pulled up my binos and confirmed that they were smaller satellite bulls. As I continued downhill through the oak brush, I thought I could hear the bull below me slowing moving through the oak trees. All of the sudden, I heard a loud sound crashing through the trees. The wounded bull had either gotten a full head of steam and took off running through the trees or he just died and took a death roll down the hill.
I scrambled to the bottom of the ravine but I could not see the bull anywhere. I glassed down the ravine and into the main canyon to see if he was making his escape. Landon and Fisher arrived on the scene and asked where the bull went. I told them what happened and explained that he either died in the oak brush or made his escape down the bottom of the ravine. It was now close to 8 p.m. and we were quickly running out of light. Landon, Fisher and me started searching the thick oak brush looking for the dead bull. As we finished our second drive through the trees and brush, I was devastated at the thought of potentially losing this bull. As I stood in the bottom of the ravine pondering what to do next, I looked down the ravine to my right and spotted a large antler stickup up out of the brush. I screamed in celebration with Landon and Fisher. We found him and he was a beautiful, heavy 6x6. When I walked up to him, I was surprised to see that my second shot was a complete pass-through shot right through the boiler room. Elk are tough animals but I cannot believe that he lived as long as he did after that shot.
Over the next 3 hours, we quartered, deboned and packed the meat and head up to the main trail. Around midnight, two of our good friends (Ben and Doug) met us at the trail we began the long hike out of the canyon. We made it back to the ATV's shortly after 2 a.m. and arrived at camp around 3 a.m.
This was an amazing but frustrating, exhilarating but exhausting day that I will never forget. I am so grateful for the opportunity that we have to hunt and recreate in the outdoors. I am equally grateful for my amazing family and friends that I am able to enjoy those experiences with. Special thanks to my brother-in-law Landon who has called in both of my archery bulls for me in the same high mountain canyon.
I have included some photos of my bull along with some rough video Landon took on his phone from his position during the shots.
https://youtu.be/kTR_8IW-i-8
-Hawkeye-
My Favorite Expo Tag Quotes:
"It is fair to ask how much comes in with the five dollar application fees and how much went onto the ground.? Don Peay of SFW during 3/31/2005 Wildlife Board Meeting.
"There will be a full accounting of how the applications fees are spent.? Don Peay of SFW - 9/26/2006 - Monstermuleys.com
