Part two...Great opening weekend in Unit 1

[Pine Donkey]

After hunting the opening weekend, and being in a lot of bulls everyday, I headed home for 4 long days at work. Thursday night I was back in elk country ready to continue with this increadible hunt. Imagine my disappointment on Friday morning when I did not even hear a bull. All of the sudden the hunt changed from bulls in our laps every time we turn around, to having to work very hard just to find some elk.

 

So, we worked hard; all day, every day. We found mature bulls almost everyday, but between their silence, the wind and our mistakes, I was never able to get a shot. Every morning, every night, and even mid-days we had a new story of "close but no deal". This was the story of the week, right up to "Spike Thursday".

 

Thursday evening the stars finally aligned themselves for us. Mark (MJE1) and I heard a good bugle and moved in. He was on the move, working his cows. We followed him for about 3/4 of a mile, but just could not close the distance. Finally the cows stopped to feed and mill around on a ridge top. Mark spotted him as he ran between all the ladies keeping tabs while bugling at the two satellites that were hanging around. Mark hung back while I snuck in. The elk had seemed pretty call shy, so we stayed quiet. I was able to get into the same ridge, but with all the cows, I was pinned down 53 yards from a couple out lying cows. I had no choice but to freeze there and hope they walked off or he returned.

 

As the sun sank behind the ridge, and darkness crept near, I began thinking of the post I was going to write about "close again but just more tag soup" all while hearing the bull bugle on the other side of the ridge. For the first day in three, the wind blew in one direction instead of four, but these two slow poke cows were ruining everything. About that time, the trees were rattled by an enormous bugle, seconds later, I could see the top points of his rack twisting their way through the burned trees. Within seconds, he had his nose planted in the backside of the cow right in front of me. I settled my 50 yard pin a safe distance behind his shoulder and touched the trigger...you have to be kidding...he stepped forward and nudged his cow just as I released...that shot is too far back...I hope I got the liver...how could I blow that shot. He and his cows were gone before I even knew what happened. I ran to the top of the ridge where he was standing and noticed him standing below me. His cows were gone, and he was still there. I pulled up the rangefinder...86 yards...wait, wait, look at all the blood running down his side. This was the far side when I shot him. He was still up so I figured I better try to shoot him again. 86 yards is well beyond my comfort zone, but I figured I needed to take the shot. This shot dropped in without hitting any of the little branches that sat in the shooting lane, and ended up clipping a lung.

 

I went back over the ridge, flagged up the spot I shot from and the place he was standing. Once I found Mark, we needed to find my backpack that I shed during the stalk. We discussed the situation, the shot and our options in the waning light. We figured we needed to find the arrows, look at the type of blood on them and try to find the blood trail. The first arrow was covered in dark red blood, and the second had pink bubbles on the fletches and there was blood everywhere! After a short track we found my bull, not 200 yards from where he was shot.

 

It was going to be a long night of cutting and packing. My son Garrett was on his way from Flagstaff were he attends college. He met up with Scott, who I had hunted with all hunt, and Jim who was up there for his unit 27 muzzy hunt that started the next morning. Thanks to all of them we were able to get the head, hide, and half the meat packed the 1 1/2 miles to the truck and hang he rest of the meat in a tree. The next morning Scott, Garrett, my parents and I went in and packed out the remaining meet. Mark and Jim hunted 27, where Jim shot a nice 6x6.

 

My bull is a 6x7 with very good mass, and nice tine length on the bottom end. The 7th point is on the bottom right, between the traditional g2 and g3, it is 16 inches long. He scores just under 340, not the biggest we saw, but not bad for a last minute bull.

 

I was blessed to be able to hunt ten days of this hunt thanks to a supportive and understanding wife, good friends who helped every day, Garrett who is amazing at cutting it up using the gutless method ( and carrying the heaviest pack) and parents who open their cabin and feed the crew every season every year.

 

Her is a link to a slide show of the hunt that Garrett put together.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9DuMErY97D9ZVZTN0xUQzZ4UVk/edit?usp=sharing

[lucky2hunt]

All your hard work paid off.....Fantastic bull, congratulations! Loved the slideshow!!!

[bigorange]

Nice slideshow and nice bull! Way to get it done...congrats!

[KBS]

Here are some pictures of my Dads bull (pinedonkey)

[rossislider]

Nicely done and great story!

[diehard]

Way to get it done on the last day.... congrats

[Shedhunteraz]

Great story. great bull

[couesmagnet]

Good people and great elk hunting, that's what its all about. Thanks for the slide show, and congrats on the dandy bull!!

[huntjunkie]

Wow!! That was a great hunt!! Nail biter!!! Congrats!

[Guest wdenike]

Sounds like a good time was had. Adrenalin rush for sure!!

 

 

Take care, Willie

[CouesWhitetail]

Way to stick with it and get it done! Very nice bull and I enjoyed the slideshow!!

[RAM]

I almost Got up and did my own fist pump and victory scream when I saw your dad dropped his bull on the last day! Stud bull!!! Congrats and way to stay with it to the end.......

-Ryan

[trphyhntr]

nice looking bull dude.

[couespatrol]

Congrats on a great bull. Thanks for the story.

[capoeirajosh]

Thanks for the great story! Good looking bull!!