225nontypical
FNG
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2014
- Messages
- 93
I just thought I would give everyone an update on my archery elk hunt so far.
Friday before season I meet a friend of mine over there to look at an area he knows well and to check his trail cameras. when we got to the first trail cam the area was covered in sign but the camera had been moved by something, well that something appears to be a person as the SD card was taken from the cam. To be honest I'm not sure why they didn't just take the camera since it was only strapped to a tree. then we noticed a homemade double tree stand made out of a bow-flex! that thing was scary if you ask me. we went to check his other camera and it was moved as well but this time that was from an elk licking it. he had lots of bears and a few ok bulls nothing to exciting.
later that day I was driving to where I wanted to scout for some elk for the next day, when I saw something black running up a hill next to the road. I knew instantly that it was a wolf and I knew it would cross the road so I floored it and sure enough this skinny looking all black wolf ran out in front of me and stopped in the road for a couple seconds then disappeared right where I wanted to go. I went to the road I wanted to walk in on and there was a camp on it so I went to plan B
I hadn't even made it 400 yards from the truck when I heard a cow chirp so I let out a few cow calls and I see a bull running my way. I couldn't believe it but he stopped at 24 yards broadside and just looked my way. He was a very tall 4x5 with short tines and he was in the velvet. The bull trotted off after a few seconds and I moved on. I ran into that same herd a few times as they seemed to move the same direction I did other then I was on a road they they were moving through the timber.
Saturday came and I decided to hunt the same area since I figured a bigger bull must be with them or around them. With no action I checked out some more new area. When I found a spot that looked good I would glass at one of the spotted I found a herd with a big bull pushing a cow around, while I was looking at the herd I found 3 bears on the same face feeding. While I was glassing them a thunder storm came in, it only took a few minutes and the clouds let go with thunder, lighting and heavy rains! the Elk, bear and I all headed for cover. Later that afternoon once the rain stopped I was able to find yet another herd of elk with only a small bull. That pretty much ended the first day of archery season for me.
I had to head home and finish some things around the house so i could make it back the following weekend.
9/5/14 comes and me and my friend Rich headed back to see what we could find.
saturday morning, Rich and I headed out to an area he new. Right off the bat we had a bull bugling, we followed him all the way to the bottom of one of those deep holes that unit has. The bull finally shut up so we walked the bottom for a while until we found the ridge we wanted to walk up. Not much was happening saturday night.
Sunday we headed out again and again heard a couple bulls but it was a slow day. Sunday night Rich's friend that also has the tag joins us. We are working an area that we had seen some sign and we got a bull to bugle back. As we move to try and find him we come around a corner and there is a roughly 310" bull facing away at 80 yards. The bull must have heard something because he looked back and then jumped off the hill. That pretty much ended our night.
Monday we headed to where my friend had his cameras and had at least 3 different bulls screaming. we tried our best to make a move on the one that sounded the best but could never get closer then maybe 100 yards from him.
Tuesday my other buddy showed up and we planned to hunt the same area we hunted the night before only to have a camper parked at the gate. we decided to move to a new area because I didn't want to screw up the other guys hunt or hours. While moving the new area we had a 5 point bull cross the road in front of us. When we found a spot that looked good stopped all got out, while getting ready to hike we heard 2 bulls screaming at each other. Again we went after the one that sounded the best. We worked this bull for 2 hours following behind or trying to get ahead of him as they moved up a steep ridge. Once we got to the top rich and I were moving slowly while Cal was calling and we spooked a small bull. That seemed to be the only elk we blew out but we knew his was not the only bull in the area. As we moved through some thicker brush we got about a 100 yards in and the wind shifted, when that happened a whole herd of elk blew out! we called it for the afternoon and went back to camp to get some food and relax. That evening we went out to the same area but went exploring. As we moved along this road I looked over and a saw a big bull looking right at me. We all froze and the bull went back to feeding. We started to move to try and cut in off when rich sots a deer right below us. Not wanting to have the deer blow out and run the elk off we end up standing there for what felt like 10 minutes finally I decided it was move or nothing so we slide back as far away from her as we could and moved off slowly, luckily she didn't blow out and the stalk was on. We were unable to relocate the bull so we tried a few cow calls to see if he would talk to us. When we hear what sounds like a coyote. We decide to try and call it in so I can arrow it on film. Cal starts making sounds to bring it in with no luck so I cow call again and all we see is horns coming at us. We freeze and watch as this 3 point rag horn bull comes in on a string. He comes to 10 yards and just looks at us for a couple minutes. Finally we stand up and he runs to 20 yards and stops at that point I come to full draw but keep my finger behind the trigger. I burn a hole through his chest with my pin and then let down with that he runs off. Its starting to get dark so we start heading out, we didn't make it 100 yards and a bull screams, then we hear what I can only describe as a bull coughing up a lung and then what sounds like a 3 year old with a primos tube. We try and set up and call and the only thing that comes in is that same little 3 point bull, he was the one that sounded like that primos bugle. we never saw the other 2.
Wednesday Rich's friend Karl (who has the tag also) and a friend of his join Rich and I. again right off the bat we have a bull going and we try to setup, we chased him all the way up the ridge and acrossed a few ridges and back down another ridge with no luck seeing him or getting him close, that was the only action we had that day. Rich had to go home wednesday night.
Thursday Cal and I meet up at my camp and head back to where rich and I had been the first day, once again we have a bull screaming and he sounded like he might want to play with us so we drop off and head in after him. After about 15 minutes we heard another bugle and then Cal see's a bull stand up out of his bed and then just walk off never to me heard from again and that pretty much ended the morning hunt. Cal and I headed to scout some new area, we got to an area that looked good to glass from and not 5 minutes into glassing we see a herd of elk feeding on a hillside 2 miles away. we mark it on the gps and head out. 1:30 finds us standing on the edge of the hillside with no elk in. we decide to move into the closest timber and Call setup to call. he gets out a few cow calls and the bull screams back. they go back and forth for 10 minutes and then the cows start talking. then out of no where 3 calf's come running in. one decides that she wants to see this cow that is making all the noise so she runs up right to where Cal is and stops standing right over the top of him (he is laying on his back at this point). these 3 calfs are just going nuts and so here comes the cows and then the bull comes in. I do a quick feild judgment on him. Fronts are good, seconds and good, thirds I skip, fourths are good, fifths are weak so are the sixth's so I make a decision to let this bull live. I was guessing him in the 270-280 range and I am trying for a bull over 300". This bull puts on a show for us screaming and raking, running his cows all over. It was truly an awesome display.
after the herd moves off Cal and I are talking and I start to rethink my decision and tell Cal if we can call him in again I'm going to kill him. So off we go chasing this herd. We never could catch up to them. Finally we head back to the top and I happen to check my phone. It shows I missed a call from a man I believe to be one of the best elk hunters in the world. I had sent him a text asking for advice getting these bulls to come in. so i call him back, he answers and tells me he is hunting elk to (not a surprise) and only has a couple minutes. While we are talking Cal and I hear what sounds like a small bull. My phone conversation was cut short due to a dropped call. So Cal and I decide to check out this small bull. We don't make it 100 yards and we see a giant bull 50 yards away moving to my right in some thick brush. This bull has huge fronts, seconds, thirds and fourths and was ok on the backs. I can only guess that he is a 350 bull, anyway I move to get into potion to shoot this bull and the wind shifts again and the bull trots out of my life! Cal headed home and while I did see some more elk they all pail in comparison to the big one.
Friday morning was a short hunt, with more action but the swirling wind just killed us. I decided to head home for a couple day to surprise my family and watch my boys play football and my daughter play her first volleyball game. i will be headed back monday night ready to kill a bull tuesday. sorry this is so long but trust me this is the short version. I do have signal at camp so I hope to update this thread more often
Friday before season I meet a friend of mine over there to look at an area he knows well and to check his trail cameras. when we got to the first trail cam the area was covered in sign but the camera had been moved by something, well that something appears to be a person as the SD card was taken from the cam. To be honest I'm not sure why they didn't just take the camera since it was only strapped to a tree. then we noticed a homemade double tree stand made out of a bow-flex! that thing was scary if you ask me. we went to check his other camera and it was moved as well but this time that was from an elk licking it. he had lots of bears and a few ok bulls nothing to exciting.
later that day I was driving to where I wanted to scout for some elk for the next day, when I saw something black running up a hill next to the road. I knew instantly that it was a wolf and I knew it would cross the road so I floored it and sure enough this skinny looking all black wolf ran out in front of me and stopped in the road for a couple seconds then disappeared right where I wanted to go. I went to the road I wanted to walk in on and there was a camp on it so I went to plan B
I hadn't even made it 400 yards from the truck when I heard a cow chirp so I let out a few cow calls and I see a bull running my way. I couldn't believe it but he stopped at 24 yards broadside and just looked my way. He was a very tall 4x5 with short tines and he was in the velvet. The bull trotted off after a few seconds and I moved on. I ran into that same herd a few times as they seemed to move the same direction I did other then I was on a road they they were moving through the timber.
Saturday came and I decided to hunt the same area since I figured a bigger bull must be with them or around them. With no action I checked out some more new area. When I found a spot that looked good I would glass at one of the spotted I found a herd with a big bull pushing a cow around, while I was looking at the herd I found 3 bears on the same face feeding. While I was glassing them a thunder storm came in, it only took a few minutes and the clouds let go with thunder, lighting and heavy rains! the Elk, bear and I all headed for cover. Later that afternoon once the rain stopped I was able to find yet another herd of elk with only a small bull. That pretty much ended the first day of archery season for me.
I had to head home and finish some things around the house so i could make it back the following weekend.
9/5/14 comes and me and my friend Rich headed back to see what we could find.
saturday morning, Rich and I headed out to an area he new. Right off the bat we had a bull bugling, we followed him all the way to the bottom of one of those deep holes that unit has. The bull finally shut up so we walked the bottom for a while until we found the ridge we wanted to walk up. Not much was happening saturday night.
Sunday we headed out again and again heard a couple bulls but it was a slow day. Sunday night Rich's friend that also has the tag joins us. We are working an area that we had seen some sign and we got a bull to bugle back. As we move to try and find him we come around a corner and there is a roughly 310" bull facing away at 80 yards. The bull must have heard something because he looked back and then jumped off the hill. That pretty much ended our night.
Monday we headed to where my friend had his cameras and had at least 3 different bulls screaming. we tried our best to make a move on the one that sounded the best but could never get closer then maybe 100 yards from him.
Tuesday my other buddy showed up and we planned to hunt the same area we hunted the night before only to have a camper parked at the gate. we decided to move to a new area because I didn't want to screw up the other guys hunt or hours. While moving the new area we had a 5 point bull cross the road in front of us. When we found a spot that looked good stopped all got out, while getting ready to hike we heard 2 bulls screaming at each other. Again we went after the one that sounded the best. We worked this bull for 2 hours following behind or trying to get ahead of him as they moved up a steep ridge. Once we got to the top rich and I were moving slowly while Cal was calling and we spooked a small bull. That seemed to be the only elk we blew out but we knew his was not the only bull in the area. As we moved through some thicker brush we got about a 100 yards in and the wind shifted, when that happened a whole herd of elk blew out! we called it for the afternoon and went back to camp to get some food and relax. That evening we went out to the same area but went exploring. As we moved along this road I looked over and a saw a big bull looking right at me. We all froze and the bull went back to feeding. We started to move to try and cut in off when rich sots a deer right below us. Not wanting to have the deer blow out and run the elk off we end up standing there for what felt like 10 minutes finally I decided it was move or nothing so we slide back as far away from her as we could and moved off slowly, luckily she didn't blow out and the stalk was on. We were unable to relocate the bull so we tried a few cow calls to see if he would talk to us. When we hear what sounds like a coyote. We decide to try and call it in so I can arrow it on film. Cal starts making sounds to bring it in with no luck so I cow call again and all we see is horns coming at us. We freeze and watch as this 3 point rag horn bull comes in on a string. He comes to 10 yards and just looks at us for a couple minutes. Finally we stand up and he runs to 20 yards and stops at that point I come to full draw but keep my finger behind the trigger. I burn a hole through his chest with my pin and then let down with that he runs off. Its starting to get dark so we start heading out, we didn't make it 100 yards and a bull screams, then we hear what I can only describe as a bull coughing up a lung and then what sounds like a 3 year old with a primos tube. We try and set up and call and the only thing that comes in is that same little 3 point bull, he was the one that sounded like that primos bugle. we never saw the other 2.
Wednesday Rich's friend Karl (who has the tag also) and a friend of his join Rich and I. again right off the bat we have a bull going and we try to setup, we chased him all the way up the ridge and acrossed a few ridges and back down another ridge with no luck seeing him or getting him close, that was the only action we had that day. Rich had to go home wednesday night.
Thursday Cal and I meet up at my camp and head back to where rich and I had been the first day, once again we have a bull screaming and he sounded like he might want to play with us so we drop off and head in after him. After about 15 minutes we heard another bugle and then Cal see's a bull stand up out of his bed and then just walk off never to me heard from again and that pretty much ended the morning hunt. Cal and I headed to scout some new area, we got to an area that looked good to glass from and not 5 minutes into glassing we see a herd of elk feeding on a hillside 2 miles away. we mark it on the gps and head out. 1:30 finds us standing on the edge of the hillside with no elk in. we decide to move into the closest timber and Call setup to call. he gets out a few cow calls and the bull screams back. they go back and forth for 10 minutes and then the cows start talking. then out of no where 3 calf's come running in. one decides that she wants to see this cow that is making all the noise so she runs up right to where Cal is and stops standing right over the top of him (he is laying on his back at this point). these 3 calfs are just going nuts and so here comes the cows and then the bull comes in. I do a quick feild judgment on him. Fronts are good, seconds and good, thirds I skip, fourths are good, fifths are weak so are the sixth's so I make a decision to let this bull live. I was guessing him in the 270-280 range and I am trying for a bull over 300". This bull puts on a show for us screaming and raking, running his cows all over. It was truly an awesome display.
after the herd moves off Cal and I are talking and I start to rethink my decision and tell Cal if we can call him in again I'm going to kill him. So off we go chasing this herd. We never could catch up to them. Finally we head back to the top and I happen to check my phone. It shows I missed a call from a man I believe to be one of the best elk hunters in the world. I had sent him a text asking for advice getting these bulls to come in. so i call him back, he answers and tells me he is hunting elk to (not a surprise) and only has a couple minutes. While we are talking Cal and I hear what sounds like a small bull. My phone conversation was cut short due to a dropped call. So Cal and I decide to check out this small bull. We don't make it 100 yards and we see a giant bull 50 yards away moving to my right in some thick brush. This bull has huge fronts, seconds, thirds and fourths and was ok on the backs. I can only guess that he is a 350 bull, anyway I move to get into potion to shoot this bull and the wind shifts again and the bull trots out of my life! Cal headed home and while I did see some more elk they all pail in comparison to the big one.
Friday morning was a short hunt, with more action but the swirling wind just killed us. I decided to head home for a couple day to surprise my family and watch my boys play football and my daughter play her first volleyball game. i will be headed back monday night ready to kill a bull tuesday. sorry this is so long but trust me this is the short version. I do have signal at camp so I hope to update this thread more often
