Dad's Muzzleloader Bull

[JACK]

It was a good year for my dad, he drew a rifle antelope tag and an early muzzleloader bull tag...he waited a while for both but...you don't even have to say it...WOW! I know right! What are the chances? Anyhow we spent way more time scouting for the antelope hunt than we did for the elk hunt...We knew where we were going to hunt and figured the elk would be scattered after the archery hunt anyhow...We went up the weekend before and looked around and didn't see or hear an elk...Yikes...This is an area we have hunted...not recently but many times in the past and it wasn't uncommon to see a 100+ elk a day...Guess the "hunter opportunity" is catching to the herd VERY SAD! Needless to say we ended up finding one of the biggest rubs I have ever seen...literally there were branches broke and rubbed at least ten foot high wish I took a picture...we kept looking around and found some rather large milk duds scattered around and some pretty big tracks around a tank...and being the rocket scientist that we are we figured big rubs, big duds, big tracks equals big bull...It seemed reasonable to us anyhow. So opening morning we get between tank and bedding area just waiting to hear a screaming bull...nada...zip...zilch...all morning nothing but silence...Oakie-doakie...Well we decided to sit on water that evening with the same results...opening day of an early bull hunt and we don't even hear or see an elk...Oh man are we bummed...Saturday we decided to start at the at tank and just after it was light enough to see four spikes showed up then pretty soon we heard our first bugle...WooHoo!...he never came to water but there were 10-12 cows a rag horn 5x5 and I know its an oxymoron but a big 5x5...Hey at least we saw an elk! Our spirits were lifted and then they shut up and drifted off...the rest of the day, nothing again...Sunday started same as the day before at the tank except this time...No bugles and only two spikes came in...What the heck is going on? We know there are at least 20 elk in the general area and as hot as it was we knew they had to be watering and wallowing somewhere...For four days we were checking six different waterholes to see where it looked like a "herd" had been watering...all of them had a few...one or two sets of tracks on them but nothing overwhelming...We went back to camp to regroup and we all decided that there had to be another water source somewhere...So we spent that afternoon hunting water and ended up finding another tank with NO tree stands or ground blinds...that was WIERD!...and it had some ginormous sized wallows...Bingo! we were back in business...built a ground blind and waited...at around 4:00 we heard a couple distance bugles...they got closer and closer and it got darker and darker...they never made it before dark but at least they were bugling again!...hindsight being 20/20 we should've went to them...coulda shoulda woulda...we were frustrated. We were headed back to camp and a friend of my dads called and said the bulls around his place were screaming and thought we should come give them a try. So we decided to go and check out some new real estate...After a warm shower and dinner we made a plan for the morning...Monday morning it was a little cooler, the wind was perfect, bulls were screaming as it began breaking day...it was one of those mornings when you have that feeling...finally things feel right...Soon as it was light enough to see the stalk was on...the herd was headed up a ridge into the wind and kept we paralleling them until we could see them...then we crossed a little draw and were right in the middle of them...wind was perfect three bull bugling and carrying on...and had no clue we were there...it was awesome. The cows were 40-50 yards in front of us feeding, we got in some oaks and sat down...less than a minute later the bull was screaming and peeing all over himself...doing the stuff that makes every hair on your body stand up...70 yards up the ridge...all we could see was his head and neck couldn't see how good he was...he turned and I could see he had some extras..."What do you think?" "He has some junk looks good to me" I said...BOOM and SMOKE EVERYWHERE! seems like it takes forever for it clear...he is down...deja vu just like his antelope his back is broke and quick (that is a relative term in muzzleloading) follow up shot it was all over...except for the celebrating! Still want to see the bull that was making those huge rubs and wallows...Guess thats the stuff that keeps us wondering dreaming and hunting for next year!

 

 

[Tines]

Holy points! Very nice and congrats to your dad!

[jeffro]

Great Bull. Nice story .thanks.

[coyotekid]

love the extra points!

great write up.

thanks for sharing.

 

sam

[Arizonahunter]

Awesome. Congrats...

[palivs2hnt]

Sensational bull! Congrats on the draw this year to your Dad!

[Codywhi]

great bull!!!

[Chef]

The hunt stories keep getting better and better!

Congrats to your Dad.

i too love the extra points.

[Elkaddict]

Very nice indeed!! Congrats!!

[yeti-az]

Very nice bull!!

[mje1]

Oh yes great Bull and story. congrats to youre Dad on a great Year.

[Santana Outdoors]

 

Very nice bull thanks for the story

[AZ402]

Very cool bull, congrats!

[couespatrol]

Great bull!! congrats to you and your dad for the memories.

[cramerhunts]

Awesome bull! Congratulations to your dad on one heck of a smoke pole bull!