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This story started a couple years back, my wife drew an early rifle tag in this unit and we scouted probably 30 days not counting the week we hunted trying to make her hunt a once in a lifetime. We hunted the whole season and while she killed a nice 5x5 on the last evening, she never shot at one of the toads we saw including the 360+ bull she passed on the first evening. It was an awesome hunt though and I had never seen elk rut so hard. Fast forward to present: This was the only the second archery tag I have ever drawn in my life and I never even drew my bow back on my first hunt other than to shoot a fox. I was shocked to actually draw this tag so needless to say I was pretty excited to finally get a shot at an archery elk so I could scratch it off my bucket list. The awesome thing was this hunt was to be just my wife(she was also my guide) and I again for the season to share some quality time. I was hoping for a shot at a nice bull but wasn't looking for a monster. The high pressure takes away from the experience IMO. The first three days were awesome. We found lots of elk screaming and I passed on a small six and some raghorns. I even shot at one way bigger that the one I would eventually kill but I mis-ranged it and the shot wasn't even close. It was a Murphy moment but a chance of a lifetime none the less. I then went back to work for a few days before going back out on the last friday to hunt for the last six days. Friday was quiet so I began to get concerned until my beautiful guide showed and brightened my day. Saturday and Sunday we were in them good but couldn't close the deal. Monday we went to another spot that we had not hunted yet but had chased a big bull in 2010. My wife glasses a big 7x6 some cows and I immediately try to get on him. An hour later I am 50 yards from him bugling in his bed but I am out of moves as the brush is so thick. Another hour later I stand up and almost fall down due to my numbness from the waist down. I backed off and tried to get in there in the evening but it got dark on me as I was trying to figure out which of the 10 bulls he was. Tuesday found us glassing him again with 9 cows and a spike and the chase was on. I tried to intercept the herd but they bedded about 150 yards short of my position. Then a cow and the spike came by so I was hopeful. False alarm they were still bedded so I decided to try to stalk in. Ninety minutes later I looked to my left and there he is laying broadside with his head on the ground. It seemed surreal so I blinked hard and YES he was still there. I ranged him at 54 yards and drew, he lifted his head but was looking the other way when I shot. He came out of the bed right now and him and the cows thundered off. I did not see where the arrow hit so I kept trying to replay it in my mind. Found my arrow and while it passed through it didn't have as much blood As i thought it should. I backed off and went to talk to my wife and she told me that the 8 cows ran off but no bull. Music to my ears. We gave him some extra time and went to find him. He only went 80 yards or so and the arrow went in behind the left shoulder. High fives time!! My lovely wife took some good video of him both mornings I stalked him so I have some good live footage as well which made it so much sweeter. I am truly blessed to have such a soul mate as her. We wore out a lot of boot leather on this hunt and she was a trooper. Some day I am hoping we can go back for a do over of her hunt. Maybe I will find one of my 2 right hand gloves I lost or maybe my headlamp. My special dedication is to my father who always made time to take me to the outdoors. He was an awesome man and hunter to whom I have always been grateful. He passed away last September or he would have been a big part of this hunt. I can't help but think he was helping me out by guiding my footsteps and maybe having the cows all be on the other side of the bull. I have hunted archery for years and know these things rarely happen if at all. I put a tape on him and his beams are both just over 60 inches and I came up with 372 5/8" for a gross. He lost 8-10 inches on his left side sword due to it being broke off but he is still my biggest bull ever. My bad on the pic dates. I changed my camera batteries and apparently that resets the defaults and turns that function on with the wrong date. I usually keep it turned off. Thanks for reading! I wish all my Blood Brothers the BEST!! Sequence 01.wmv