azhuntnut Report post Posted September 19, 2005 Well I finally shot my first bull. All of the time and hard miles walking paid off. I heard this bull last weekend and thought he sounded big, so I started following the herd. I spent about twenty hours following this herd around, but this bull would never give me a look at him. Finally on Wendsday morning I got a short 3 second look at him and he looked pretty good. Thursday morning I stayed out of his area and chased another big bull around until 9am. Thursday night I sat on a drinker and heard my bull about a half mile away bugling, but stayed put. Friday morning I got into my area and noticed somebody was already there. I heard two different bulls bugling, but they both sounded about the same. These 2 guys started cow calling to them, but I already knew these bulls would not come into calls. I got set-up to intercept them going to there bedding area, but they missed me by about 75 yards. At this point I decided to give chase, which you can guess how hard it is to keep up with these animals. The bulls split up, but stayed within 200 yards of eachother. Now I new one of these bulls was a huge 9x10 non-typical, but they both had the same growl in there bugle. I picked the one that sounded a little easier to get to and headed out after him. I would cow call very softly every once in a while and sometimes he would answer. He only bugled about 10 times in a 3 hour period. I eventually got up with the herd at about 7:45am and noticed a spike feeding in the bottom of two ridges. I just stayed put when I heard the bull grunt a little on the hill accross from me. The spike ended up feeding up the hill towards me and the cows started to follow. They slowly fed right above me and then stopped and stared right down at me for about 10 minutes. My legs slowly went to sleep as I sat there motionless. I thought for sure they were going to wind me, but they never did even with the wind blowing right at them. I think it was because before I left for my hunt I dryed all my cloths in cow elk urine wafers and added a few to the back of my hat. I also wore some of that Xstatic clothing under my cloths. Eventually the cows moved a little passed me at 15 yards and started to bed down. Then the bull walked up after waiting for his cows to settle down at 34 yards. He looked straight at me for about a minute and went back to feeding, I actually thought about passing up this bull since I had seen two others bigger, but thought this bull is huge so I better shoot. I drew back on him, but couldn't see because the sun was right in my eyes. He heard me draw and stared my way, so I held back at full draw for about 30 seconds until he looked away. I then let down and tilted my hat to keep the sun out of my eyes and drew again. By this time he had made a step and turned up away from me a little, but with the sun I didn't notice the angle. I let the arrow fly and he bolted. I didn't sound like I hit him, so I bugled right away and then started cow calling to settle the herd down. I couldn't stand up and look up the hill because my legs were completely asleep. After about a minute I noticed the cows walking along the top of the ridge, so I started softly cow calling to keep them settled. They walked off, so I moved up to look for blood, NONE. I searched for my arrow and couldn't find it either. I started to get worried that I missed, but couldn't understand how I could miss a shot that I have practiced 100's of times over the last two months. It was 8:21 at this point so I sat down and waited, after about 5 minutes I heard the bull growl a couple times and thought he was coming back. I waited a bit and heard nothing, so I walked up to the top of the hill and saw him laying down about 20 yards away. I walked up to him real slow and saw no signs of life. I noticed my arrow was still in him. It had hit right behind the last rib and angled toward his opposite shoulder. It took out his heart and right lung. The arrow actually backed out just enough to let the broadhead tear up his heart like a blender. He ended up running only 60 yards. I was using a Magnus Stinger 100 grain broadhead shooting 248fps with 70 pounds of kinetic energy. I took a few pics and started walking out to get my quad and all of my equipment to get him quarted and carried out. I got back at 11am and got started the big task and got done at 4:45. I was able to get him all loaded up on my quad and make a slow ride out of the forrest. I figured I spent 14 days scouting and walked over 80 miles to get this bull and it was the best miles I have ever walked. Thanks to the members that gave me ideas on which areas to check out. I haven't scored him yet, but he made my 350 inch minimum. I will post the final score when I have it. I wish the pics were better, but it was really bright out. David Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHT_MTNMAN Report post Posted September 19, 2005 Congrats looks like a very nice bull, thanks for the story Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muledeerarea33? Report post Posted September 19, 2005 congrats thats one amazing animal Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowhunter4life Report post Posted September 19, 2005 great story and great bull.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowhunter4life Report post Posted September 19, 2005 also what unit? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstcoueswas80 Report post Posted September 19, 2005 very nice congrats! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azcouesandelk Report post Posted September 19, 2005 azhuntnut you are the man. Great bull what did he score. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BASS Report post Posted September 19, 2005 WOOHOO! Glad to hear you nailed that beast! I drove by that little shop you and I talked at before and wondered how you were doing all the way into Flag. I should have known what you were doing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
retlaw280 Report post Posted September 19, 2005 WOOHOO! Glad to hear you nailed that beast! I drove by that little shop you and I talked at before and wondered how you were doing all the way into Flag. I should have known what you were doing. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Way to go on the big bull!!!. Congrats. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muskrat Report post Posted September 19, 2005 WOW Very cool.. congratulations!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Huntinfool Report post Posted September 19, 2005 AZHUNTNUT, Congrats on your great bull!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
az4life Report post Posted September 19, 2005 azhuntnut Great Shooting and thanks for the pics and story you posted Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ernesto C Report post Posted September 19, 2005 Holy cow!!! and you did not want to shoot that one cause you saw two biger ones?? Nothing,absolutly nothing wrong with that one...look at the tine length.Congratulations on an exciting and succesful hunt,God bless you more. Ernesto C Aim for the vitals Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KGAINES Report post Posted September 19, 2005 Congratulations, thanks for the story and the pictures, great bull. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azhuntnut Report post Posted September 19, 2005 Thanks guys for all the replys. I am so excited about shooting this bull. I shot this bull near Flagstaff. I hope to get a score on him tomorrow, but I am guessing close to 360 inches. He is seven on one side and six on the other. The side with six also has a two inch kicker on his eyegaurd and a one incher on his fourth. He broke off about 8-9 inches fighting. His eyegaurds are 21 inches and one of his fourths are over 22 inches. Both beams are around 52 inches. I pulled a rack out of my garage that I found from a bull four years ago about four miles from this area and it carried the same genetics as mine. Plus I have a picture of another bull within a mile of this one that also carries the same type of rack. Based on the type of bulls I have seen this season, I think a new state record will be shot. I do know for sure there is a bull in another unit that will go over 400 inches. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
