Bring your daughter, bring your daughter, to the slaughter!

[HEADACHE]

(if you don't understand the title.... its lyrics to an Iron Maiden song, I just thought it was funny)

 

So unfortunately I did not draw an archery elk tag again this year in my lovely state of AZ. It sure pains me to have to type that...
And one of my dear friends did... his second year in a row ha ha. Anyhow, whenever this happens I get to play guide.

It's Not nearly as fun and exciting as when the tag is in my pocket, but still it is always better to be out in the field during the elk rut than pretty much anything else. I love calling elk, and they are hard to trick that's for sure. I've called many bulls in before, but my friends have always either passed, or missed the shot! We Never could really put it all together.

 

We had scouted a great awesome place last year where we had bulls rutting and screaming all around us every day of the hunt, My buddy John shot a small bull in there last year. After many great opportunities and many lost arrows ha ha ha!

 

This year we went in there to that same great spot.... and not a peep! no bugles, no elk sign, nada! nothing zip zilch! we got a lot of rain in there the past few weeks and my guess is that it really moved them around.. (actually my working theory is that there are too many mosquito's and they've moved out of the swarms)

So..... We ended up hunting a little different spot on the other side of the unit last night, got into a few bulls that actually were talking and so we made a plan for them this morning.

 

 

 

Alarm goes off at 3:30 this morning, but I was already awake.... couldn't sleep at all last night. I said a little prayer that we might have some success this morning. Grabbed a red bull and a brownie real quick... Drove on up to get John who was camped up there, and we get to our spot, there were a couple bugles right before light, but no really "rutting" activity.

 

We kept closing the distance on what sounded like a good bull.... hiked in about a mile after him, and started up this steep ridge.

Finally we got pinned down by a cow, we kneeled behind 2 pine trees.... but she caught us and finally blew off... we thought we were done. But then I saw the bull standing on top of the ridge looking in our direction.

I gave him a few estrus mews and he seemed pretty interested...but he wouldn't come down to us.... then He started walking away..... I gave a small bugle followed by a couple estrus calls. That did it! . . . . . he turned and came straight down to us! Just like they are supposed to do! Man what excitement.!!!

I clicked him at 44 yards and told John to shoot him, the bull was held up looking for that bull and cow and surely wasn't seeing anything. I knew he was going to bolt in a few seconds. "Shoot him" I whispered, "44 yards!" John was 2 trees away and could only see his antlers.... no shooting lane.

Seconds after, the bull jolted off to our right, I cow called at him again and stopped him. "64 yards" I said..... "can you shoot him?" John replied "no."

The bull began walking again I gave him a chuckle on the `ol Primos pack-bugle.... he stopped again broadside at 60 yards. I was moving my head from the left side of the pine tree to the right side when John let the string go. I saw the bull tuck up and knew he had been hit!

I about jumped out of my skin!
I watched the bull go about 50 yards and then out of sight. I told John to freeze and try to spot where he had shot. I heard tree limbs crashing, but I knew better than to start dancing yet!

 

We silently walked up to where the bull was standing when he shot at him.... big dig out tracks where he lunged. We quickly found blood! He HAD been hit! John is not really a novice hunter, but he's not really a seasoned slayer with his bow yet, so I didn't know what to expect. Super excited to see blood!

 

We searched for an arrow...... nowhere. I assumed it may still be stuck in the bull.

We walked a few yards down the huge tracks in the wet pine needles on the slope and I found ,.... this sort of thing:

 

I hoped he wouldn't be far !

We crept downhill following blood blowing out one side only, (now I was certain the arrow was still in him) and huge prints digging into the earth another 50 yards and I spotted the bull piled up! Whoohooo!!! I screamed! I think I was more excited than John was!

 

Arrow had gone in a bit back, but luck played its part as it severed two huge arteries... the bull didn't make it 80 yards in totality. The biggest bull John has ever shot, and the very first bull I ever called in to be killed!

 

anyhow.......

 

Here is Johns bull:

 

 

and here's a shot of me with the first bull I've ever called in to be killed!

 

 

 

We were able to get a truck to within 40 yards of him, gutted him and dragged him downhill in the wet slippery pine needles right into the truck!
Skinned him right quick and got him to the processor within 2 hours of hearing his last bugle...

 

gonna be some good eating here pretty soon!

 

 

God answers prayers, even the small ones!

 

Thanks for listening!

[firstcoueswas80]

Really friggin cool! Can't wait until its my turn!

[nutzos16]

Great job! Congratulations!

[Elkaddict]

Great job and beautiful bull!

[capoeirajosh]

Great story and great bull!

[Guest oneshot]

Awesome!!! Great job to both of you!!!... There is something to be said about NOT having the arrow blow completely through...(I caught the reference to Iron maiden and wondered if it was just luck by the OP hehehe)

[Outdoor Writer]

Nice trophy. Congrats to John.

[bbd1234]

Great job

[alexjh1]

That is awesome, everyone in my circle did not draw an elk tag or we would be doing the same thing, so I am here reading your amazing story. Super cool and thank you for sharing. Maybe I can return the favor next year =).

 

Alex

[ElkyG]

nice bull congrats!

[DUG]

Good job guys! Congrats!!!!!

[out2hunt]

Great Job Fellas!

[Pine Donkey]

Very nice. Congratulations!

[lucky2hunt]

Great bull! Congrats to the both of you, pretty cool!

[TwoGuns]

Nice work stone! Glad for John, what a fun experience.