I know I haven’t posted much on the forum but I wanted to share this with everyone on here and hope to start posting more and become more involved in the site. Well let me begin by giving you some back ground on me and my hunting experience. I just turned 30 back in May I have a metal hip from cancer 19 years ago and I’ve been hunting big game for 17 years now archery & rifle. After 17 years hunting I never was able to tag out on any of my drawn or OTC tags. I have taken my shots and had my chances but was never able to connect until this year on my archery cow elk hunt. Now on to the story not the best one out there but its mine……
Got up at 4:00am opening morning well 4:30 is more like it. Got ready and headed out with my Dad to our little honey hole (he has taken two cows out of there in previous years) showed up at first light running a little late but not to bad. Dropped off into this little draw and began to sit and call. Bulls were talking all over the place and were getting closer. I made a few cow calls in hopes to lure a big bull in who had some cows with him. Couldn’t get any of them to commit so I began to move up the draw, then over the radio my Dad tells me we have elk coming in, so I stop and get beside a tree when I see one moving threw the trees. The bull moves in closer to my left and shows himself from behind the line of trees he was working down. Well out popped a spike with a broke right antler hanging on by the little velvet he had left. After 10 minute 35 yard stare down with him he realized he didn’t want to be there any longer and trotted off. So I regroup myself and start moving up the side of the draw towards the top, and find a stump to sit and eat a quick snack. Finishing up with my make shift breakfast I contemplate on my next move and decide to work the top of the draw while my Dad is working his way threw the bottom. So I pack everything up and start heading east and over the radio I hear my Dad again we have elk headed right for us so I start to head back down in the draw and a cow runs by at 60 yards I draw my bow she didn’t stop so I let down and in the trees I see the antlers of a good sized bull elk walking towards my Dad’s location. So I get beside some trees and wait for him to go by I never saw all of him just his antlers and small glimpses of his body. Then all of a sudden they do a 180 and head right back the way they came, probably saw or winded my Dad. So she passes by at the 60 yards mark and never stops so I give out a cow call, and she comes out of the trees with her nose up and on a rail right towards me. I draw my bow back and try to get he to stop at about 40 yards and she keeps coming I let down as she passes behind a thicket of trees. My heart is pounding so hard at this point it’s a miracle she didn’t hear it. She slows down to check the other side of a log in her path and I draw back and as she steps over I take aim, set the 20 yard pin a little low on her (I knew she was close) hit the trigger and my arrow goes crashing into the forest, it caught a limb on the way. She jumps and takes about five steps back down the hill and stops, I nock another arrow and she turns around and gives me the same shot again. I draw back knell down a little (as much as my knees let me) as she steps out I set my pin on her and let her fly and Thwack hit her right in the pocket. She heads up the hill out of my sight so I call my Dad on the radio and tell him the good news he starts heading into my direction. I give her about 10 minutes and I decide to go look for my arrow. I step out and go about five yards and look up and she is laying 40 yards away. I make my way back to my set of trees and give her time to expire. Dad shows up and I get busy taking care of her and taking some pictures. This was my 7th archery elk hunt I have been on and all other six hunts I came up empty. She is a little thing but I wasn’t going to pass on her. Thanks for reading my story hopefully there will be more to come now that I have the first one under my belt.
