crtbc Report post Posted September 21, 2012 After 5 Long years I was finally privileged enough to be graced with an archery bull elk tag in 3c, not that I was specifically going after 3c or for that matter an archery tag, but that’s what I got and it was a blessing just to be able to get out and hunt the magnificent elk. Lets first start off by saying, I’ve never hunted elk, never been in a rut, never hunted archery successfully, so the doubts were high but the motivation was incredible, to have so many firsts on a trip is indescribable. I contacted a few members on a forum, about information and was welcomed with open arms by few who gave me some good information tips, tricks, and one member who said he would be glad to help me hands on. Opening day Friday the 14th I met up with mike at 630 and the bulls were in full swing bugling like I had never heard before. I was greeted with, “suit up and we’ll go and chase them” I was more than excited, we chased up hills and down, calling ourselves to locate then stalk again.. Mike told me to sit near the bush and he would call and after 2 minutes of listening to mike cow call I was 10 yards face to face with a little spike bull. Man this is a treat, face to face with this huge creature, and it was only a spike, obviously I didn’t shoot and just let him stare at me and then go off on his merry way, we had 2 more stalks that morning but didn’t get close enough to connect with anything good, that night I sat on a water hole (since no bugling was to be heard and the unit was DRY), I saw 2 flocks of jakes 1 doe, and an absolutely huge cinnamon bear that I was asleep when he passed and only saw his backside when I awoke leaving the tank Saturday the 15th, went out with mike, we bugled and called, we stalked and hunted, we got really close and almost connected but the bull just wouldn’t leave his cows and we couldn’t stalk any further, they started bugling at 530 and were shut up by 7, that night I sat on water just north of the highway and was greeted by a coyote entering the water at 67 yds away, I took a shot and realized my whisker biscuit was pushed over so far, I missed that yote by a god 3 feet, uh oh.. Big problems Houston, I reset the whisker biscuit as best I could by eye and went back to camp Sunday the 16th in the morning, we hear bugles on bugles on bugles at 530ish and we decide to go after them, in a hill behind some houses, we drove through forest roads like we were possessed, found an in and started our stalk, OMG HES HUGE!!! 350in bull pushing cows around kicking out other bulls and he was SCREAMING nonstop, ADRENALINE RUSH I was going to connect, I was going home, this is a dream come true, running and hiding in scrub, waiting for him to pass us, and he forgot to read the script we wrote, he never came, the subordinate bulls left and he went over the other side never to be seen again, 200 yards was the closest and most exciting we got that day, and man was it worth it, every second of heart pounding action, never had I experienced before, that night I sat on a tank on FR300, I interrupted a nice black bear leaving the tank, I promptly made my presence known and shushed her away, 1 minute later I see little cubs walking right to me, drawn the pistol and hope and pray that mama(who I just ran off) doesn’t come after me, sat down, head to toe camo and watched the cubs play, and romp, then get bored and start calling for mama, eventually mama came and the family went off on their merry way, mom got within 4 yards of me, and the cubs were within 15 yards, the cubs never got closer and it was so refreshing to see their carefree nature, 1 hour later I was busted by a doe, and 1 hour after that I was treated by a man in a suburban driving down rim road, stop in front of my water hole and proceed to empty an entire cylinder in the apache res (apparently attempting to keep the big bulls from crossing the res, 3c border, ok I get it hunt over going back to camp Monday the 17th, greeted by mike and a friend of his, we go down one of the forest roads after nobody was talking, finally located 1 bull attempted a stalk, the hardest run I have ever been on and still made it no closer than 400 yards through stickers, ton of dead fall and 3 hills, I acted like I had bronchitis and couldn’t catch a breath, morning fail. That night sat on a tank, spooked a spike bull and black bear out of the tanks..opps note to self, sneak into a tank, maybe next time there will be a trophy waiting for me, later that night got greeted by another bear, MUCH MUCH larger, never saw me and came within 15 yards (yes I got it all on video) Tuesday the 18th, stalked on some bulls in the pinion forests, got within probably 50 yards but again bull wouldn’t leave his cows and the stalk failed, sat on a tank that night and saw nothing Wednesday the 19th , the morning was another great stalk on 3 different bulls, nothing able to connect, no arrows flung but we did get within 40 yards of a 300 bulls but no shots presented due to trees and branches etc, we located another tank and figured the elk were suing this to water most likely, so we built a ground blind suitable for a king and went on our way. At 12 noon I was excited to head to the water hole so I geared up sprayed everything down with scent killer and went to my pond… I waited and waited, apparently we set up with my butt in an ant hill (yeah that was fun) sun went over the trees and I start hearing bugling then more bugling all downwind…OH NO!!!!!! then I heard a big bugle just above me, then another, then one in front of me as if it were coming to the water hole… adrenaline dump, started shaking then 3 cows come rushing in the water hole… OMG they’re here, where’s the bull where’s the bull… then he enters, big dude, royalty as far as I am concerned, I turn on the video camera (which is one of those spy glasses that record in first person) range him at 25 yards in the middle of the pond, I nock an arrow and wait for him to turn broadside….waitin……..waiting….. waiting…. All his cows are looking around, so is he…finally he turns, I draw back, carefully aim, (at which point, I have to tell you, I don’t even remember hitting the release consciously) THWACK!!! Dead center chest broadside, he runs to the bank, and I nock another, chanting to myself, please go down, please go down, please go down, I aim again 30 yards away, THWACK!!!!! Another sinks into his chest he walks another 10 yards, I nock another THWACK!!!! A third shot into his chest, he runs 15 yards, I nock another, I hear a bugle coming into the water hole, THWACK another sinks in, and just when I look at the water hole and realize a MUCH BIGGER BULL just entered the pond as well… he sees my bull and chases him outa sight with 4 of my arrows in him…. I CALL EVCERYONE, more giddy then an Amish boy seeing a girls leg for the first time I call mike, I tell him I stuck a bull 4x and then he ran off, he asks if he’s bleeding, I say IDK,I stuck him 4x and don’t think I was getting any penetration, I could see 3 out of 4 arrows and all still had 90% of the shaft still exposed, he rushes from town to come help.. I wait 15 minutes then start the blood tracking, at the point of the 3 arrow, he was bleeding, he was bleeding REAL GOOD, Stevie wonder could follow this blood trail, I find one arrow, follow more blood, then see him piled up in the trees, he never made it 100 yards, mike comes, finds me and we start the gutting process… we man up and after several attempts, got him loaded onto the Toyota pickup without pulleys ropes or anything except for a nice gash going straight to the bone on my forehead from our efforts of getting him up and in from the antler…opps PSE dream season 60 pounds with 29.5 inch draw Gold tip hunting arrows Grim reaper 3 blade mechanicals with 2 inch cutter (he took 3 of these) Grim reaper 3 blade mechanicals with 1 ¾ inch cutters (he took 1 of these) A HUGE THANK YOU goes to mike, huntitup, for helping with this hunting, speaking elk, and motivating me to run harder, run faster, and run longer. He is a stand up guy, I would go to bat for him anyday of the week, and if he ever needs help, I'll be there no matter what....I'm proud to call him my friend Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
anthonyrmatthews Report post Posted September 21, 2012 Great story! Congrats and thanks for sharing with us! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muzzlehunter75 Report post Posted September 21, 2012 Way to GET R Done, Congrads nice elk! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rossislider Report post Posted September 21, 2012 Awesome experience! Sounds like a week in heaven. Congrats! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tdub Report post Posted September 21, 2012 Congrats! Thanks for sharing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHT_MTNMAN Report post Posted September 21, 2012 Huge congrats. I'm glad Mike was able to help out. I'm the one who met up with you the morning you killed, I went in another direction because I had to be to work. Nice job Patrick. Houston Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
223VARMINTER Report post Posted September 21, 2012 Awesome story and Congrats! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector Report post Posted September 21, 2012 Nice write up and congrats on a nice bull. Any stitches on the forehead? Looks like you were in a boxing match. Lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
6ANut Report post Posted September 21, 2012 Great bull and great write up. Seems fair you stuck him with 4 arrows he stuck you with one of his horns, jk obv. hope your okay. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elkhutnaz Report post Posted September 21, 2012 MMA fighter right there, good job , chicks dig scars! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
papa Report post Posted September 22, 2012 Nothing wrong with that Bull! Great job Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lucky2hunt Report post Posted September 22, 2012 Very very cool! Great job, loved the write-up was a fun read! Had a hard time downloading the pictures but from what I saw... fantastic bull! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reganranch Report post Posted September 22, 2012 Congrats on the success great write up! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
huntitup Report post Posted September 22, 2012 Patrick congratulations buddy I couldn't be more happy for any one!!!! I am glad I had the privilege of meeting you and getting to share this hunt with you! Let me tell all of ya that this guy earned this bull!!! He met me every morning at 5 and kept up with me stride for stride as we attempted to stay in front or at least up with the bulls. He slept alone on the ground every night only eating MRE's. Sat water from noon till dark every day and met me every morning with a new enthusiasm to get after it!!! There were good stalks and bad stalks, I got us busted multiple times and had us close on others but regardless he enjoyed every attempt we made to close the deal. Not to mention I don't see 6 bears a year in 3c and he did it in 6 days!!!! Once again congrats buddy you earned him thanks for letting me share all your firsts,,, Michael 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hntnIwlgo Report post Posted September 22, 2012 Congrats! What great experiences and adventures you had! Enjoyed reading your story. Thanks for sharing it with us. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
