My son's second bull (and a dead head)

[Smith2260]

My 14 year old son had a bull tag this year. We did a bunch of scouting but never turned up any huge bulls. We had found a few good bulls and kept the options open with the help of friends looking as well. While scouting I found a good dead head coues buck that goes 105. Also while scouting I made a bad decision to leave my rifle behind because of a long nasty ranger ride and a long hike, on that trip I glassed up two lions sleeping near each other. It killed me to watch them for three hours at 500 yards without a rifle. By the time his hunt came, one of the better bulls was killed and we lost another shooter that we could not turn up again.

 

Opening morning had us with bulls bugling and he passed on a few really pretty bulls, a good bull that was broken and a bull with huge thirds at 40 yards, but I could not see his top end until he turned to leave. Turned out he was a shooter but never got on him again. A couple of those bulls were so close that they were almost drooling snot on us! My wife and my Dad were glassing from above us all morning and had seen a better bull go to bed. We left Dad on top and brought Momma with us that night. She stayed a little back when we called a couple times and she had a couple small bulls sneak in and almost stepped on her! Got close to the bigger bull but never got a good look at him.

 

The second day had us up at 2am to cross a nasty canyon in the dark to get into some remote country. The nice thing was that we had eyes glassing this country for us and we worked through some bulls but no shooters. My boy and I kept moving a couple more miles midday while the rest of the crew glassing went to camp and waited for word by radio to see where we would need pick up well after dark or we had stuff to just stay where we were for the night. We got into some new bedding area and had a few bulls bugling early afternoon with two growlers that we needed to see. We let them make their move and we chose to sneak in on them since they were getting pissed at each other and growling consistently. We got right in between them and got set up. I told my son to wait for me to give the go ahead. Just then one of the bulls stepped into our lane at 15 yards bugling and drooling. I asked my son if he liked him and he said yes. He was not broken and I said kill him!! He shot, we cow called and we listened as the bull piled up about 50 yards away in the brush!

 

As we walked up to him, I knew he was not the big bull we had came for, but my son was thrilled because he had just shot a bull bigger than his last one. I apologized for telling him to shoot and he was still smiling and holding the antlers. I called my buddy on the radio and told him we were deep into the area and we would be awhile. I mentioned that I told him to shoot the wrong bull and he said "it's not about the size of the bull it's about being with your boy", that would mean a lot in the coming weeks. We decided to cut him up, hang it and come back at sun up with the horse.

 

So while I am on the radio, I look over and see my son with the bugle and crawling away from me. Then he bugles and begins to call in the first of 3 or 4 different bulls over the next hour or so. It was awesome to just sit back and watch him go to work with just the bugle, changing his tone and pitch and direction. Then cow called with his bare mouth and broke some branches next to him, that was when I realized my days as my sons guide are nearing an end, soon he will be my guide

 

After all that and lots of pictures, the two of us broke his bull down and hung it in a cedar tree nearby. Then we made the long hike out with his antlers to where my buddy and my Dad were waiting with the ranger and a warm fire. We slept a couple hours and then my good friend met us back up on the hill with his horse. The horse took the quarters and my son, wife and I took the rest. We made it back to camp, got the meat on ice and enjoyed the rest of the last day in camp.

 

That comment from my buddy would mean a lot because five days after my son killed his bull, I was scouting for another hunt when I was in an accident that broke my legs and quickly ended our hunting season. So take every day in the woods as a blessing from above because you never know when it will end. Next season will be here soon enough and it will be my daughters turn with me by her side, headed deep into some wilderness in this great state!!! Sorry for the long story but i got excited re-living the hunt

 

 

Dead head

 

Two lions bedded together

 

My boys 330" bull!!

 

His new bull on the left, his first bull on the right.

[Will K]

Nice.

[HyNoon]

Did you shoot a lion too?

[Coach]

First off, congratulations on an outstanding hunt, and thank you for a great write-up.

 

Two quotes really stood out for me. As a father of 3 boys and a lot of hunts together, this is my favorite: "it's not about the size of the bull it's about being with your boy"

 

The second one I can really relate to as well: that was when I realized my days as my sons guide are nearing an end, soon he will be my guide

 

Awesome story, and you really captured how teaching your sons to hunt makes a full circle. My hat's off to you and your son. Great job.

[dcshorthairs]

Sweet bull. Very nice

[Allforelk]

Great job, great story. Congratulations!

[218buck]

That's awesome sounds like you are raising him right,those memories will always be with you and him both. Sorry too here about your leg

[firstcoueswas80]

Did you shoot a lion too?

He explains it in the story.

 

 

Great story!

[Hoss50]

Very nice. To have 2 bulls by age 14 is awesome. Alot of guys will go a lifetime without 2 good bulls on theor wall.

 

Harley

[Smith2260]

I forgot to mention how proud I was of him to chose his own type of mount and do almost all of the wood work, boiling, cleaning of the skull and even mounting it to the wall! He also had a huge hand into the reloads that killed his bull! He did an awesome job!

 

[StraightTequilaNight]

Congrats to you both!

[Stallone A.]

I want to say thanks for the story,

Just reading this got me all fired up for my son's hunt this coming week.

 

Its alway nice to see how everyone comes together for hunt.

Great Job... Congrats to you and your boy...

[Wyatt Earp]

Great story! Congrats to you & your boy!

[Douglas-gun-guy]

Congrats to both of you!

[Javelinasports]

Awesome Story! He will never forget the time spent with his dad!