Unit 10 Archery/Rifle Elk Hunt Report Story and Pictures added

[heber1]

Yes!!! Can't wait for the story and pictures. Congrats!

[lonne]

Right on...let's hear it!

[CRAZYBUCK]

Awesome congrats been following since your first post cant wait to hear the story and see the pics

[hntnIwlgo]

ANTICIPATION!!!

[SirRoyal]

huntjunkie pm sent

[bonecollector]

Sweet! Done with a couple days to spare. Congrats

[trophyhnter]

Wat to go! Let see and read it!

[doublelung]

Where is the story and pics?! Give us the details. Congrats on getting it done.

 

 

[huntjunkie]

I must say that this hunt was the total opposite of what I expected! Everything I've heard about Unit 10 is how great it is how theres's bulls behind every tree. My buddy Jeff drew the tag with 12 points. We were so excited to finally have a crack at some giant bulls. As you can see from my posts it was a little rough.(that's an understatement) Everyone we talked to had the same problem. We hunted hard everyday trying to find the elk. We hunted nearly everywere in the Pica Camp area. We had many close calls. On the 17th we saw a bull that was a toad! 200 yrds away walking in our direction. It was in late afternoon, in the open, no cows, all by himself?? Needless to say we blew it! Came back the next moring to try and patten him. We found out that he was a" satellite" to a 7x7, another big bull. But "growler" was MUCH big than the 7x7!! Huh....

 

The top 2 pics are the 7x7 through my 15's, not a great picture but I think you'll get the idea. Notice the 6th on the right main beam.Unfortunately they only bugled 15 minutes after sunrise and after 8:30 at night. Another Coues member that helped us now knows the location of these bulls and he has a unit 10 rifle tag. I hope he gets one of them! I'll keep him name less for now.

 

Time was running out so we lowered our standard and moved to a location were we had been getting close to bulls every time. Yesterday morning(25th) we got in the area early and set up in front of the bulls. They went by us and we found ourselves chasing them AGAIN. As they topped the ridge heading for their bedding area they continued to bugle. Usually they would shut up. So we continued the chase. Called another bull in for a close encounter but... another tree in the way. After he left we sat down, had a snack and made a plan. I told Jeff that our last opiton is to stalk them. We had a 10-15 mph wind that would provide sound cover for a stalk. We left our packs and headed toward the bulls. About an hour into the stalk a 350 class bull stood broadside but a branch blocked Jeffs view. As the bull circled to wind us I motioned for Jeff to kneel. As he did, the bull saw him and walked away and started bugling. We started another stake on a bull that was going crazy! Jeff snuck in to about a 100 yards and i stayed back about 100 yards from Jeff. I gave one soft mew and i had a bull breathing down my back behind me. Not wanting him to see me and him possibly barking. I ran over to Jeff. The bull hung up were i had been sitting. The bull we had originally targeted went ballistic! and started racking a tree. I looked at Jeff and said, this is our chance make a quick stalk dont worry about sound while hes raking! I laid down one the ground and tried to follow the action through my binos looking under the trees. The anticipation was killing me!! It seemed like an hour! Finally i see him walking back. I look at his quiver and all the arrows are there, CRAP! He tells me how when he drew on the bulls raking the tree he turns and walks away! Then he went after another bull raking a tree 60ish yards away. He had an opening in the trees and when he shot.....not even finishing that sentence. I literally wanted to cry!! They were both 360 class bulls. We've been 4 hrs without water so we head back to our packs to hydrate. As we walk about halfway to our packs another group of bugling bull are heading for us. I tell Jeff you stalk them I'll go get the packs and I'll meet you back here. Bulls are literally coming in from every direction!! We were surrounded. There were around 20 bulls going crazy! Never seen this before. Only one cow that we saw, no mews. Poor cow! I retrieve the packs and head back to Jeff. When I see him, he's playing his bow like a guitar combined with some fist pumping and mouthing words i cant say!!!! I look at his quiver and an arrow is missing. I knew what happened. I walked over and said,DUDE WHAT HAPPENED! He told me that after I left he just picked a place to stand with a good shooting lane and this bull walks right into it and stops 16 yards. "Here let me show you". He shows me the blood trail that is really good and up a head i see the bull laying down. I think he's dead so we head that way. He jumps up and then falls down, gets back up and staggers away. After a short track job(60 yards) we find him. Not the monster we we're after but a great trophy. Trophy's aren't always measure by the inches of bone. He's an old bull. Big roman nose. His teeth were nearly worn away. I love the fact that he's old and has a lot of character! Every point was busted. The old man was rough and tough! We both were very excited! Especially with the way the hunt has been. This is his first bull and first archery elk hunt.

The entire time we were quatering him the other bulls never moved. We had a 2 mile hike to the truck which we made 3 times. Bulls bugling the entire time. The last round trip i was falling asleep while packing a hind quarter out(sleep packing). I was completely exhausted!! We finished at 2:30am that's a 23 hour day.

[muzzlehunter75]

Well I have been on the end of my seat waiting lol! Congrads and awesome bull, way to stick with it and get the job done!

[lucky2hunt]

Way to be persistent, all the hard work paid off for you guys Congratulations! Great bull! Really enjoyed all the updates.

 

Why is your friends faced rubbed out?

[huntjunkie]

Way to be persistent, all the hard work paid off for you guys Congratulations! Great bull! Really enjoyed all the updates.

 

Why is your friends faced rubbed out?

 

not a member of this website and asked not to show his face. He in the witness protection program. LOL

[trophyhnter]

Great story! Just goes to show that regardless of the reputation of the unit, you have to put in the work and hopefully you will be rewarded! thanks for making us part of your buddy's hunt!

 

Isnt that the guy from Predator! I though arnold schwarzenegger killed him at the end of the movie;)

[bonecollector]

Congrats to Jeff and you for keeping after it and connecting on a nice bull.

[grunt]

Good story guys. Sounded like a real elk hunt. Congrats!

 

Predator!lol