The 14 Yard Shot!

ElkNut1

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It was Sept the 8th on a DIY OTC Idaho elk hunt, it was also peak Full Moon & very bright out; we had been hunting several days prior with little action. We'd called in a few cows & spikes but was interested in branch antlered bulls so kept pushing on. To date it appeared there wasn't much Rut action happening so this morning we headed out to an area that we'd heard bulls from in past years, we drove down the rugged dirt road with our pickup that most wouldn't drive on unless they had an ATV. It was one hour before daylight, we stop at this spot where we had heard bulls bugle from in years past! ( this always has potential)


We stopped & shut engine down, we waited 2-3 minutes & I let out a location bugle & heard a response within seconds 800' higher than we were, he was defensive, this told my Son & I we had a bull with a hot cow, perfect, exactly what we were hoping for! The bull was a 1/2 mile up the mountain but would take us 45 minutes to get to him in the dark. It was steep & full of downfall with 8' high willows mixed in. It was a piece of crap to get to the level we knew where this bull was. No headlamp was needed to climb the brush chocked mtn as the moon was fairly bright. We trudge our way up stumbling here & there & finally crest the top & had heard the bull bugle several more times on our way up, awesome. We had not bugled again since we had left our rig!



This is the exact meadow where this bull had originally bugled from! It's a great feeding & breeding area if they're not pushed out of it by predators or hunters like us! (grin)



More in a bit!


ElkNut/Paul
 

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ElkNut1

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As we crest the top we are very close to daylight, still cannot see well but from several bugles we'd heard on our way up we knew the bull was within 2 hundred yards. We scanned the opening from the timber staying concealed trying to catch movement but could see nothing. We waited 5-10 minutes & had not heard anything, I decided to bugle to see if anything would happen! The bull bugled instantly but was to the far right side of the meadow in photo & heading into the timber, once in there & moving we knew he was heading to bedding with his cows, we were going to have to dog the herd! Fortunately for us there was a Satellite harassing this small group as well, he knew there was a cow in estrus too! The Two bugled while in transition & we followed!


For those that have tried following a moving group of 6-8 elk in dark timber that weren't lolly gagging around you know how tough it can be, on top of it; it was raining lightly from a few sporadic clouds. We did not follow right behind the elk on the same 40 yard wide bench they were traveling on towards their bedding area in fear of bumping into an unseen elk. Just because we heard those two bulls didn't mean there weren't a straggler or two silently tagging along, it's happened to me before! (grin)


Instead we slipped back on the same mountain face we had climbed side-hilling 30 yards below the bench on the down wind side as we followed the bugling. These elk took us a little over a mile away, it was everything we could do to keep up within hearing distance, we still had not see even one elk! It was my Son who noticed that the bugling seemed to be coming from one spot now, we stopped for a minute & listened, sure enough it appeared they had made their destination, their bedding area! Our favorite place to put elk down!

This is where they had been feeding! Pretty tore up!


Conclusion in a minute!


ElkNut/Paul
 

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ElkNut1

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THE CONCLUSION!!

We slipped in as close as we could, that ended up being aprox 50 yards below the elk. We still couldn't see anything but could hear the herd bull panting, moaning with low guttural growls as he paced among his cows, we could also hear several of the cows chattering next to the bull. The Satellite was above this group still bugling for the hot cows attention, he was about 100 yards above them, I'm sure the herd bull could smell him & didn't like him there! We were just under the bull with 12' high willows growing just inches apart so we couldn't see the herd & they couldn't see us! We decided to setup right there just yards away from the thick willows. There was a large fir tree there with limbs growing to the ground, I setup my Son in front of it but backed up against its limbs. I was on the other side of this fir tree so couldn't see my Son at all even though he was just yards away from me. -- There was a large downfall tree there & I setup just behind it on one knee, the tree was great for snapping its branches like a bull raking/thrashing!


My Son was shooting a recurve & I a longbow, we were nocked & ready for action, I set my longbow against a limb with arrow in place if needed. I grabbed my bugle & ripped off a gnarly Lip Bawl Bugle as big & mean as I could muster & took my forearm from right to left snapping on a few branches violently, I was awaiting a Challenge Bugle, I wasn't disappointed! I no more than got the bugle out when all I could hear & see was those 12' high willows parting like the Red Sea! It happened in the blink of an eye! It was all I could do to reach for my bow & there was the bull not 8 yards away from me with steam out his nostrils, he was SCREAMING A CHALLENGE & super pissed at this intruder bull! I raised my bow & started to draw when I heard the wisp of feathers flying & saw the cedar shaft sink into the bull, he tore out of there in an instant but his run was a short one, he only made it 50 yards! The bull was 14 yards from my Son & he made a perfect shot! Man what a hunt it turned out to be, super exciting for sure. Another OTC Idaho bull down! Thanks!


ElkNut/Paul
 

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7Bartman

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Great story, I could close my eyes and picture every moment of it. Sounds like an idyllic hunt. Congrats to your son on the nice OTC bull!
 

GIS

Lil-Rokslider
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Congrats!

Love the stories. Keep them coming :)

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
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ElkNut1

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Thanks guys! I appreciate you reliving the hunt with me. It was good stuff. Grin
 
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Great stuff Paul and congratulations to both of you. Me and the wife are going to be making our second trip out west this year after we got hooked last year. Got close enough to be barked at and had a bull cut us off a couple of times one afternoon. Man what a rush!
 
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ElkNut1

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Randy, I hear ya sir! Stories can sure get the adrenaline rushing through us! (grin)

Plumber, I hear ya, just hearing elk sounds & knowing they're nearby can get our eyes the size of silver dollars! There's simply nothing like it, thanks! (grin)

ElkNut/Paul
 
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ElkNut, I love your personality coming through in the story. You guys are elk slayers. Love the bull.
 
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