2009 unit 1 archery elk

[crazy4COUES]

It has been years of waiting for the archery bull tag. We were into bulls everyday and passing on severel bulls. On day five things were different. In the early morning we setup in a location the bulls had been traveling through. We waited for hours listening and hoping they would come. There was a ton of bulls bugeling behind us on another ridge and it was causing me to doubt we had made the right choice. When all of a sudden bulls started to bugle in front of us...YES! We continued to wait, A bull and his cows approached within a hundred yards just over a small rise. BECKER and I then decided to move in closer. The wind was right, bull was bugeling and the cows slowly feeding around. After we got a look at the bull deciding to pass on him, another bull bugled within 1/4 mile. So we sat and waitied thinking he may approach the heard that we had been watching. Well after a long wait it seemed as if he had bedded just out of sight. The sneek began, there was a small patch of aspens neear the location of the bull. We checked the wind and began to slip in on him. After about 100 yds or so of the sneek the bull jumped up to left of the aspen thicket and trotted off, CRAP! He was a good bull. BECKER and I then decided to give him some time to relax. Thinking he may bed and/or bugle nearby. After a brief pause we decided to continue in the direction the bull had gone in hopes of catching him again. After walking to the top of th hill we seen a small bull and some cows. One of the cows had us pegged for what seemed like an eternity. When the stare down was over we talked a little bit about our next plan, when what sounded like a big bull bugled...COOL! BECKER then mentioned we should crawl up to a blown down ponderosa and peek over the top. So we crawled for about 100 yds or so to the blow down. There was a dozen or so cows feeding and a couple spikes in the mix but no shooter bull. So we glassed the heard looking for the heard bull. Then BECKER spotted a large antler back in the woods. He was bedded about 180 yds up wind. He bugled several times and stood up. He then started chasing cows around. I told BECKER that i would like to sit and wait for the bull to male a mistake and get close enough for a shot. As we waited a couple of spikes, cows had moved a little to the left of our location. The wind was a litlle shifty and caught us from the backside....uh oh! Then I noticed the spikes sniffin our wind. They them trotted through the herd taking them to the far right. Crap! Then the bull ran over and pushed the heard back to the left around the far down hill side of the knoll counter clockwise from our position out of sight. We could hear the bull bugling like crazy. So I decided to head clock wise around the knob, the wind would be more favorable, hopping to cut them off. Well when we got to the other side in was steep canyon country. Rocky and difficult to manuever in. The bull continued to bugle and the cows headed for the bottom. I then realised if it was going to happen it would have to be in the bottom of the canyon were the cows are crossing the creek. The bull was not moving as quickly as the heard and held up in the nasty canyon. The cows were mewing to coax him down. As the last of the cows were calling for him to come down we continued to the bottom. About 40 yds from the bottom we glassed trying to locate the bull in the timber. We spotted him proceeding down to the canyon. He was walking very slow and laboring every step of the way. Those cows had him tired out. Once he commited to follow, the cows got quiet and moved on. We then proceeded to the bottom near the creek. I peeeked around the trees in front of me and...there he was drinking and grazing at the creek. 117 yds away. I continued to quickly make up the distance between myself and the bull as he drank. Then our last bit of cover between us and the bull was a blowdowm tree. The range was 73 yds. He continued to drink and graze, slightly quartering away. I drew my bow, said the UNCLE TED prayer and settled the 60 yd. pin on the hump of his back. leveled the bubble and realesed.....waiting watching the arrow arc. When the arrow started to drop I held my breath, waiting.......thump right in the center of his vitals! Instantly the bull hunched up and jumped through the river as blood ran out were the arrow had been. At that moment my prayer had been answered. A beautiful shot on an awesome bull. I then began cheering and hi fiving. He ran about 50 yds, and laid to rest. After only a few steps his antlers could be seen in the tall grass. YES!

I would like to thank all the friends and family that helped support me on this adventure I couldn't have done it witout you all. THANKS It was truely a hunt of a lifetime.

[Str8Shot]

Very Nice Bull !!!! love that mass

[Mrs125coues]

Awsome story and pictures Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

 

Kathi

[have2hunt]

Congrats again on one heck of a bull Jake! Great write up as well!

[stanley]

Wow! Cool!! Thanks for the story and pics!!!!

 

Congrats on a great hunt!

 

S.

 

[Hunterjohnny]

Wow! Very nice indeed.

[WHALE]

man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WOODSAZ]

Holy width!!! Surprised he could manuever through the trees! Awesome bull with neat character. Big congrats and great write up.

 

Jay

[Packer]

Awesome bull, congratulations.

[SO I HUNT]

Great bull way to go!

[jakehaffey]

Thats awesome! Congrats!

[CVLCADMAN]

Congrats on that nice looking bull!

[azryan]

Way to go on a stud bull! That is one of the coolest bulls I have seen...the width and mass on him are sweet

[Justin Stahl]

Congrats on a nice bull!!!!

[Coach]

Nicely done! Congrats on a really nice bull!