Another member with a first Bull

[Desert Rat]

So I went up Thursday and set up camp with a friend/coworker. He didnt get drawn, but knows the unit, so he volunteered to take time off work to help me out. We went out and did a little scouting and found a 4x4 at the bottom of the ridge we planned to hunt the next morning.

 

Got up Friday morning and at first light saw a bull with 7 points on one side and the other antler busted off. He was about 75 yards away, but being my first year bowhunting, and only practicing with broad heads out to 60 yards, I wasn't even going to think of trying that shot. We were in bulls the rest of the morning, but not close enough for a shot. That night, sat my stand, but the only thing that came into the waterhole was a squirrel LOL.

 

Next morning went to the same ridge, and withing 20 min we were seeing bulls. I had a shot at a spike, but it spooked as I turned to get to the other side of the tree I was knelt down at. Which worked out for me. before the spike I saw a 6x6 along with the bull mentioned above with the busted antler walking on top of the ridge, but they were well over 100 yards away and cut down the ridge in another spot. I saw that same 6x6 about 3 more times, once I at 45 yards, but my buddy was between me and the bull.

 

After going back to camp, my buddy left to go back to Phoenix for the night as he promised his wife to help move one of her friends Saturday night and Sunday morning. With a storm looking to be rolling in, I really didn't feel like strapping myself up in a tree, so decided to go see if I could find that 6x6 again.

 

Took the quad up to the top of the ridge and started hiking across the flat and down the ridge to a game trail near the top. Started walking one way, but after a couple hundred yards, it started going down, and I didn't want to head down yet, so I turned around.

 

I got about 40 feet past where I came down, and low and behold there is the 6x6 walking the trail right towards me with the busted antler bull right behind him, with the trail making an "S" curve between us,. I ducked down before they saw me and managed to go fairly unnoticed a few feet off the trail. I know they heard me as the ground is covered in dried leaves, but they didn't spook.

 

I heard them getting closer, so I drew, knowing when they rounded the "S" towards me I wouldn't have time to draw my bow, well I couldn't hold it anymore and let off, did this one more time, still they didn't come around the corner and had to let off.

 

So now I am sitting there and notice they got off the trail and were heading straight down the hill, walking slowly and eating leaves off the trees right in front of me about 40 yards out. I waited till both their heads were behind trees and drew back, and got a 35 yard shot at the 6x6. Hit him with a double lung shot. He shot down the hill like a bullet and his buddy stood and stared at me for 30 seconds before deciding he should run too. LOL

 

Now, I am at the top of the ridge, just shot my first elk, first big game animal at that, and my hunting buddy is on his way home... and I'm thinking, what the heck do I do now....

 

So I call my buddy to get his butt back up to my unit, as I just got the 6x6 we were after all morning... then, since he knows I am a smart___ and am always pulling some prank on him, it took me about 10 minutes to convince him that I am not screwing with him, I really did. So he said he just pulled up in his driveway but would turn around and he would call his friends hunting the same unit.

 

Luckily, 3 friends of his were hunting the water hole at the bottom of the hill, so when I ran out of blood trail I met up with them. Now with 4 of us walking up the hill, I find that I didn't run out of blood trail, there was just about 40-50 feet of no blood then HUGE amounts of blood to follow, with the elk crashed in some trees about 50 yards from where the blood really started pouring out.

 

Now, I shot him at 3:20pm on Saturday, and got him back to camp finally at 9:30 that night... talk about a LONG DAY.

 

Anyway, he ain't no record book elk, but for my first time archery hunting, and first big game animal I have ever taken, I am thrilled.

 

I didn't have a camera, as it was in my buds truck, so waiting for the others who where there when we found him to finish their hunts and get home to email me the pics they took of him, me and him, plus the video of me walking up to him, but here is a pic I took with my phone where we found him.

 

Edit: this was in 6A west.

 

Also, here are some of of him strapped to the trailer when we got back to camp.

[Packer]

Congratulations on a great bull. With it being a first big game animal it is even that much better.

 

Aaron

[elkaholic]

hello - nice bull- archery elk is the best - nice to have freinds who'll help ya when ya need it!-- gary

[Coues Archer]

Very nice bull. great job.

[arizonaelitefreak]

good bull heck of a first big game animal to take home with you. Congrats on a heck of a trophy!

[jakehaffey]

Seems like the bulls are starting to pour in! Great kill!

[eagarcoues]

Trees a nasty thing, I killed one a few years back what a job to get him out, almost had to cut his rack off, I feel for your buddys that helpd you out

Good Job and a very nice bull

jeff

[bonecollector]

Congrats on your first kill very nice bull!

[cramerhunts]

Awesome first bull! Congrats.

[AZWildcat]

Great Bull!!

[tjhunt2]

Congratulations and one great looking bull. What a way to start out on your quest for the big ten.

 

TJ

[CVLCADMAN]

Nice Bull!!! Congrats!!!

[SO I HUNT]

Nice bull way to go!

[DBArcher]

congrats on a good bull, I think my uncle and I may have met you and your friend on the ridge.

[CouesWhitetail]

Congratulations!! That's awesome!!

 

Amanda