westbranch
FNG
I did a lot of scouting and planning. Found some spots with good sign and was feeling confident I would get into some elk in this steep brushy country. I was able to block off 9 days, Sept 22-30 to hunt. I was hoping to see a bull, a shot opportunity would be even better.
Went out Saturday morning and setup camp, wife was with just for Saturday night and we hunted from 11am to dark on Saturday. Tons of fresh sign and bumped a few cows in the afternoon. No bugles until 1 hr before sunset and was able to go back and forth with that bull. Saw other hunters driving around in pickups, ATVs, and dirt bikes, but it seemed like they were sticking close to the road. I was finding a ton of fresh sign 1/4-1/2 mile off the road.
Bugles picked up after dark. Some guys were cruising the roads bugling but it seemed like they were going to fast so they never heard the responses from the bulls nearby our camp. They kept on driving. Woke up at 3:30am to a ton of bugling, and slept on and off listening to bugling until after 5am when a rutting bull moose was crashing through the brush grunting like crazy. He was within a couple 100 yards for 10 mins making a ton of noise. Bulls were still bugling so I rolled out of bed and got ready to go. My wife said she would stay back and read a book.
Heard a pickup drive one direction and they were bugling from the road. I head the other direction where there was a bugle and bumped some elk only 200 yards from camp. They were not making noise but I kept after them calling softly. I assumed if they were cows a bull would be nearby. Chased after them down a thick slope, there were a few soft mews here and there but they were quiet by the time I got down to a 5 acre clearcut that was 15+ yrs old. Nice and open after pounding through the brush. Stood around for a few minutes taking in some views and then heard a small noise and saw a couple cows cutting across the clearcut. Crouched down and then saw some movement behind them, and some antlers! They were moving to the right and there was some brush blocking the view and a potential shooting lane. I quietly moved over to the spot and was able to range a stump at about 30 yards just before the cows crossed behind it.
The bull entered the shooting lane and I made a soft call to stop it. It was about as perfect as a broadside shot can be. Unfortunately my peep wasn't line up quite right, but I thought I figured it out. Maybe a little to rushed, and shot to the right. I was sure that I missed. The bull ran forward a few steps, then started to stumble. It circled back down the slope and was falling, I heard a big crash and saw an antler go up in the air. I was convinced it was a terrible shot that hit a leg muscle and the bull was just tripping over stuff. Sat down and kept thinking about how I screwed it up and wounded the bull and would never find it. Then some rain started to blow in, I went down to where I shot looking for blood before it washed away. No blood and no arrow.
Then it started to downpour and I decided to head back to camp to regroup, did not have rainpants in my pack and was SOAKED by the time I got back. Cooked up some breakfast, dried out and changed some clothes. Got my wife out of the tent to come with. When I told her about hearing it crash, she was far more confident then me that it would be waiting for us. We got back down there and looked for the arrow and blood and there was nothing. I decided to head towards the direction of the crash and saw an antler sticking up. Moved in slowly with an arrow nocked, but the bull was not moving! Shot at about 7:30 am and found the bull at about 10:40 am less than 100 yards away. The arrow hit in the neck and can't believe how lucky I am that it worked out. Wife and I had it all back to the truck by 5:30 pm. <1/2 mile and only 400 ft of elevation gain, but through some thick brush and trees.
I only hunted for two days last year and did not even get in two days this year. But I spent a ton of time scouting and planning, with a little luck thrown on top it it all worked out. Some pics to follow.
Went out Saturday morning and setup camp, wife was with just for Saturday night and we hunted from 11am to dark on Saturday. Tons of fresh sign and bumped a few cows in the afternoon. No bugles until 1 hr before sunset and was able to go back and forth with that bull. Saw other hunters driving around in pickups, ATVs, and dirt bikes, but it seemed like they were sticking close to the road. I was finding a ton of fresh sign 1/4-1/2 mile off the road.
Bugles picked up after dark. Some guys were cruising the roads bugling but it seemed like they were going to fast so they never heard the responses from the bulls nearby our camp. They kept on driving. Woke up at 3:30am to a ton of bugling, and slept on and off listening to bugling until after 5am when a rutting bull moose was crashing through the brush grunting like crazy. He was within a couple 100 yards for 10 mins making a ton of noise. Bulls were still bugling so I rolled out of bed and got ready to go. My wife said she would stay back and read a book.
Heard a pickup drive one direction and they were bugling from the road. I head the other direction where there was a bugle and bumped some elk only 200 yards from camp. They were not making noise but I kept after them calling softly. I assumed if they were cows a bull would be nearby. Chased after them down a thick slope, there were a few soft mews here and there but they were quiet by the time I got down to a 5 acre clearcut that was 15+ yrs old. Nice and open after pounding through the brush. Stood around for a few minutes taking in some views and then heard a small noise and saw a couple cows cutting across the clearcut. Crouched down and then saw some movement behind them, and some antlers! They were moving to the right and there was some brush blocking the view and a potential shooting lane. I quietly moved over to the spot and was able to range a stump at about 30 yards just before the cows crossed behind it.
The bull entered the shooting lane and I made a soft call to stop it. It was about as perfect as a broadside shot can be. Unfortunately my peep wasn't line up quite right, but I thought I figured it out. Maybe a little to rushed, and shot to the right. I was sure that I missed. The bull ran forward a few steps, then started to stumble. It circled back down the slope and was falling, I heard a big crash and saw an antler go up in the air. I was convinced it was a terrible shot that hit a leg muscle and the bull was just tripping over stuff. Sat down and kept thinking about how I screwed it up and wounded the bull and would never find it. Then some rain started to blow in, I went down to where I shot looking for blood before it washed away. No blood and no arrow.
Then it started to downpour and I decided to head back to camp to regroup, did not have rainpants in my pack and was SOAKED by the time I got back. Cooked up some breakfast, dried out and changed some clothes. Got my wife out of the tent to come with. When I told her about hearing it crash, she was far more confident then me that it would be waiting for us. We got back down there and looked for the arrow and blood and there was nothing. I decided to head towards the direction of the crash and saw an antler sticking up. Moved in slowly with an arrow nocked, but the bull was not moving! Shot at about 7:30 am and found the bull at about 10:40 am less than 100 yards away. The arrow hit in the neck and can't believe how lucky I am that it worked out. Wife and I had it all back to the truck by 5:30 pm. <1/2 mile and only 400 ft of elevation gain, but through some thick brush and trees.
I only hunted for two days last year and did not even get in two days this year. But I spent a ton of time scouting and planning, with a little luck thrown on top it it all worked out. Some pics to follow.
