JLW Report post Posted September 21, 2015 let me start by saying I now know why everyone is so crazy about chasin elk in the early season! I thought my wife drew the cow tag she was after but ended up being me. I was excited to say the least.. first elk tag ever drawn! Got my bow restrung and Junior @ Archery Headquarters aka (Maverick 351) got me all squared away and started shooting. Made a few scouting trips with some primo tips from another member on here! Thanks Gary aka (elkaholic) your info was a huge help! My brother in-law said he'd go up with me ... without his help I'm not so sure I'd have gotten it done... yet another member here Scott aka (couesfinder) Thanks Brother! Also thanks to my wife for putting up with my 1 track mind since I found out I drew. She came along and helped out at camp and kept everything tidy for us at camp, a huge help! I couldn't take opening day off.. so couesfinder went up Thursday night to secure us a camp spot and we showed up Friday night. Next morning we were off. Didn't have a set plan just wanted to hear some bugles! Went to a spot we wanted to start from and nothing bugled back. We went on to a spot we could hike a flat next to a draw and right away we bumped some elk that were already beaded. Kept on moving thru and come to a great spot were several trails cam together. Couesfinder said we should sit this trail. Wasn't no time at all he says here they come.... cow cow cow 4x4.. he says don't shoot... laughing he says if you draw back I'll bump your arm... LOL! A few minutes go by and another little group comes thru.. cow cow cow 2x2 spike cow... these elk went by at about 5yds.... I'm thinking these things are blind... we're not brushed in just sitting on a log near the trail. Nothing like deer!!! We head out and make a big loop back to the truck and run into another heard that had a decent 6x6 but the wind got us and we couldn't get in front of them. Went and grabbed some lunch and then headed back out... ran into a couple hunters on the mountain. 1 of the guys had a bad cut from gutting a cow elk.. Neither of us had a med kit.... guy asks if we can help him drag it out...says he can give us info on how to go after the bulls that were with the heard he was on "it's not that far from the road" we follow him to the spot and proceed to walk and walk and walk.. now I'm like yeah that's too far to drag a cow elk. Guy had a small pack and we wanted to go hunt so we tell him to quarter it and we'll take out the hind quarters and throw em in the back of your truck. LIKE HURRY UP! We took the quarters and threw em in his truck and off we went to a spot where I had my cams with some good travel. Pass some elk on the way to it. Rather than booger em up we went on to our spot. Get set up, was kinda hard to get it right as the wind blows 4-6 different directions. Couesfinder hits a bugle and wasn't long the cows started filing thru. A couple spikes and a rag 4pt, then a decent 6x6... he stays out of range with no shot. Wind swirls and then they were gone. Next day we head up to where the cow hunter said they were coming thru in the mornings. Get in a ways and couesfinder rips a bugle and it seamed all heck broke loose! Bugle in front of us to both sides of where those were coming from... We are talking 100yds, but it's thick with cedars. Bugles were loud... we get a glimpse of a huge bull as he slips behind the cedars. Next thing we know horns were crackin together... sounded like 4 Goldie home runs all at the same time. The bull starts grunting at us like a deep bark and we thought we were busted. I can't stand it so I try to cross an opening and the cows appeared from nowhere and got nervous and broke up the fight and thay all went there separate ways. We were able to close the distance on the big heard to 30yds and just glimpsed the body of the bull and again the wind got us and they boogied. I was so excited when it all went down and when it didn't work out I was sooo low.. couesfinder said that's what this hunt is all about.. the highs and the lows. I just wanted to cry! That bull was really big... like 350+. Everyday we were on elk and bugles. Not really fired up but some of them were. On Monday The wind was like 30 mph all day we get back to camp after some good chances at some bugles. and my wife said they were bugling across the meadow we were camped by. Sounded like 3 diff bulls. The cows were chirping and bulls kept screaming! We sat and listened for what seamed like an hour, the the horns started crackin together! What a sound show! Next day just seamed a blur same wind hard to hear the bugles but they were screaming. Sit the cam spot again and had some bugles from down in the draw in front of us and he was challenging us too but couldn't get him to come out of there. Wednesday we had planned to go up where we seen the big bull but the wind was still whippin so I said lets sit that trail we sat the first day. I had gave myself til Wednesday to hold out for a bruiser, being my first tag I did NOT want tag soup and was losing confidence while couefinder was still positive. The highs and lows were takin their toll on me and I just wanted to shoot a bull! Off we go, right away we bump a cow and a calf and we continue on to the spot. Get set up at the log and wasn't long before we hear a screamin bugle. With the wind it sounded far away and we wern't even sure it was an elk as it kinda sounded like a yote. Next thing I kbnow couesfinder says " get ready here they come." Grab my bow and the cows start filing thru and the wind is swirling. Couesfinder says here comes a shooter, he's at 80 yds... I draw, no shot yet. All of a sudden... you guessed it, wind swirled and the cows freaked and circled back around. We get up and tried to get in front of them but to no avail. Back to the log. Jokingly I said there ain't nothing but squirrels left around here....(the lows are harsh) . Another 15-20 minutes pass and he says "get ready... here come 2 bulls! " Sitting on the log I grab my bow and next thing I know 2 small twin 5x5 came up the trail.. he says the yardage but I couldn't hear he says in a clear voice "30yds" I put my pin behind the shoulder and let it rip..... POP! The bull whirls around and stumbles a bit and trots off while the other bull stands there wondering what just happened... he stood there for like 2 minutes and then circled back and trotted off. High fives and I go to find the arrow... I watched the arrow hit the mark a bit low but looked good. He was quartering to me but not too much. Get the arrow and there's blood.. a complete pass thru. Smell the arrow and oh no... a little stomach.. Instant worries start in. We can see the tracks where he stumbled but no blood! I get on my hands and knees and I find a nail head size drop. We track his prints and continue to look for blood. Couesfinder found another drop and stayed on his tracks! They started to get harder to follow but he stayed right on them! I had thought he circled to the right so I went off trying to find anything. I drop down the draw to see if he went to the water but nothing. Climb back out and am checking tracks that look fresh and all of a sudden Couesfinder starts whooping.... woooohoo, I look his way and see him and I start whooping!!! Couesfinder gets started skinning and quartering... I can't thank him enough for all his help! We find a road closer and decide he's gonna get the truck closer than the mile and a half we are! I mark the road and start to meet him. My pos gps is telling me to go up and over a hill that I know is wrong! I thought I marked the wrong wroad so I mark another rd and start out... big mistake!! I some how ended up where we started with couesfinder long gone! Get out to the main rd and hitch a ride back to camp to get my truck and pick up my wife... wife gone... truck keys gone.... Send a frantic text to no avail. He continued to pack out the meat the 300yds to the rd and when I was nowhere around they started to worry! Honkin the horn peta style driving the loop back to where we were.... Finally came back to camp and all was good! Sorry for the long read.,.. left lots of stuff out.... like when we were driving running late his camper shell flew off... didn't even break a window... LOL! One of my best experiences ever! James 25 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mocha1545 Report post Posted September 21, 2015 Congrats! Sounds like a great time. Those highs and lows can get pretty steep! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector Report post Posted September 21, 2015 Eexcellent job man! Congrats! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattys281 Report post Posted September 21, 2015 Congrats on your elk! It is an awesome hunt! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adicted Report post Posted September 21, 2015 congrats...not an easy year this year for several people... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cdf06 Report post Posted September 21, 2015 Great story and it sounded like a blast! Congrats! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flatlander79 Report post Posted September 21, 2015 Nice 1st bull, congrats. Long but exciting read 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildwoody Report post Posted September 21, 2015 Well down 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shawn Report post Posted September 22, 2015 Good looking bull congrats 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cramerhunts Report post Posted September 22, 2015 Nicely done. Congratulations. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
.270 Report post Posted September 22, 2015 well done. Lark. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hoghntr Report post Posted September 22, 2015 Yippety he ha! Congrats JLW! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
6ANut Report post Posted September 22, 2015 Nice job buddy, you definitely did the pre season work. Scouting and shooting your bow daily. Well done on a sweet trophy with a stick and some string. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElkyG Report post Posted September 23, 2015 Congrats! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhxDT Report post Posted September 23, 2015 impressive work. Love the story, great when hard work pays off. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
