Worth the Wait . . .

[Flatlander]

Well I have started writing this thing like 3 different times and every time it ends up being 9 pages long. So I guess I will just do it this way.

First of all thanks to everyone who helped out along the way. This hunt may not have been guided, but it definitely was not Do-It-Yourself. I got tons of help both during the preparation for and the hunt. Most of those who helped out were members of this site and offered up without solicitation to come along or help scout or help some other way.

 

Without further adieu, here is my recap:

 

Day One:

As I wrapped up my opening morning nervous BM I saw another truck pulling into the exact same spot. It turned out to be a friend of a friend who was camped in the same area I was, we talked for a moment and he graciously offered to head up the road. I guess it was good karma because he ended up shooting a 348 bull at last light opening day. This scene replayed itself soon after as another truck pulled in and offered to go a different way after seeing me. Soon a third truck pulled in towing a trailer with two atvs. and I walked up to them as they unloaded their four-wheelers. I could see a crossbow and one of the hunters was moving a little slow. Turns out it was a Wounded Warrior with a cow tag and he had a younger guy helping him out. They told me they were planning on driving into a tank right into the middle of where the elk were bugling at that moment. My heart sank but I knew this guy had done more to earn that tag than I had for mine. I adjusted my plans and we exchanged numbers, agreeing to keep each other informed. They ended up leaving by 6:30 in the morning, sending me a text saying that there was nothing moving and they wouldnt be back until Monday. I caught a glimpse of a bull with a high pitched bugle as he and his cows headed to bed. I decided he was the best option I had at the moment and circled around to get behind the herd hoping he would bugle from his bed. At 7:30 I received a text that a friend who I was sharing a camp area with had tagged out on a nice 7x8. I was beginning to lose faith in my plan and was all packed up to walk out of the bedding area when a bull bugled right below me. He was less than 60 yds when I heard him. After maneuvering throught the trees I managed to get into position for the feeding elk to walk past me, when of course a cow turned and fed right to me. When she got to 5 yds, she figured me out and took off. At the same moment the bugling bull rounded a tree that was 22 yds in front of me but turned to follow the departing cow. I drew my bow but never had a real shot as the bull never stopped moving. Although I never got back on the bull that day, I was excited to have had my first up close encounter of the hunt. The rest of the day was uneventful.

 

 

 

Day Two:

After day one, I had a better idea of where the bulls would head at daylight and the plan was to race them to their bedding areas. Of course because of the wind simply going there in the dark and waiting to ambush them was not an option. Instead I paralleled the elk in the dark as they closed in on the tree line. Just after dark my brother-in-law Josh who was set up with 15s on a nearby hill let me know that the big top bull with long main beams was headed right toward me. I could hear him and the bull from the morning before bugling near me but was having a hard time wading through all of the cows that were surrounding them. It was not long before I heard the unmistakable sound of antlers touching. Soon they were crashing as the bulls battled through the junipers. I forgot about the cows, standing up and walking through towards the sound like I was late for a flight. Cows were blowing out all around me but the bulls had no idea what was happening. Soon I could see their massive bodies through an opening in the trees. I closed to inside 30 yds and the bulls were oblivious to my presence as all they could focus on was the opponent in front of them. I had already heard this was the perfect opportunity but now I was questioning my own sanity as the bulls crashed through trees 8 tall, snapping them off at the base. Because their movements were so quick and constant, shot opportunities were brief and narrow. The bulls battled for minutes before stopping to breathe and one caught my wind. As he crashed off through the trees, I sailed an arrow over the back of his opponent. Just as quick as it all started it was over. I walked back to the truck trying to comprehend what had just happened.

During the evening that night Josh and I stayed close to camp and he called in a nice bull to 45 yds. He stayed there for several minutes, I drew back, held steady but just could not get committed to ending my hunt so soon. I passed. As we stayed put to let the rest of the herd clear out, we had cows who came within 1 yard and somehow never figured us out. At one point Josh and I were hding behind one tree as a cow stared us down from feet away. I will never forget the two of us trying not to laugh as she stretched out her neck and sniffed all around us. The hunt was going awesome.

 

 

Day 3:

In the morning we headed back after the bulls we had chased every other morning. Unfortunately the pressure was getting to them and they were in their beds by 5:30. I was able to get the cows from the big fronts bull within 48 yds but somehow he managed to give me the slip and we never crossed paths. We saw the big top bull and were able to snap a pic as he took his cows into the trees.

That evening I decided to go check out some new country and ended up glassing a canyon in the higher elevations. I was joined by Lee (300RUM) and we were serenaded by bulls who were already bugling at 3:00 PM when we got to our perch. We looked over several different bulls and eventually had the nicest bull bed down in front of us. I closed the distance to 117 yds before deciding again that I just wasnt ready to be done yet and backing out without closing the distance. A short time later another bull moved in and this time we got to see them fight from 300 yds away through the glass. Amazing.

 

 

 

Day 4:

We headed back after Big Tops and Big Fronts (Which I had decided to call Kim Kardashian and Kate Upton). Again they were in their beds early and I had to settle for some pictures that Mike (Mulepackhunter) snapped through his spotter. I would never see either of those bulls again.

That evening we went back to the high canyon and sat a tank that was in the bottom. We went in early and hunted our way into the tank. By the time we got to the tank I had already passed on three smaller bulls who were bugling at 1:30 in the afternoon. When we settled into our blind at 5:00 PM there were bull bugling on the ridge above us. It wasnt long before a bull slipped in to get a drink and Mike ranged him at 35 yds. I calmly picked up my bow and stood. When I drew the bow I had no intention of shooting the bull. But after letting my 40 yd pin settle onto his side and seeing his long ivory tipped tines I just decided to let the arrow fly. The shot was perfectly on track until it made contact and I thought I saw it hit really high, in the dark brown hair on his back. I couldnt believe how high it hit. Mike had video and we looked it over and determined that the shot likely only parted the hair on his back and did not touch anything vital. Just then another bull bugled and the ivory tipped bull appeared behind us. I looked at him through my 10s and could see blood on his side. I told Mike I needed to try and put an arrow into him. I knocked another arrow, and waited for him to turn broadside. It seemed like forever but eventually the bull turned, exposing his vitals. I drew, held steady and released. I watched the arrow hit right behind the shoulder. I high fived Mike and told him the bull was smoked. As the bull turned to run up the hill I could see the arrow exposed from his side and figured it would fall out in the thick brush nearby. After about 20 minutes I went up the hill to see if I could find the arrow, aI did not find it but about 10 yards from where the bull had stood I found a dollar bill sized blood spot with bright red blood and foamy bubbles. I headed back to Mike, we waited an hour and set out to look with the last few minutes of daylight. I fully expected to see the bull laying 100 yds from where we had last seen him. I texted my buddies told them of my accomplishment and lined up help for the pack out. We followed the bull a little further than I expected, but we kept finding foamy bubbly blood and the trail was easy to follow. After about 400 yds, the trail started getting much tougher to see, especially in the dark, but I was determined. We pressed on, eventually we heard an elk stand and walk off below us in a thick brush patch. I found a bed where he had laid down and matted leaves, needles and dirt onto his wound. We decided to back out.

 

 

Day 5:

We came back in the morning equipped with packs, knives and retrieval gear. After the bed, we only found a few more drops of blood before the bull ended up on a well-traveled trail and his tracks were mingled with those from a hundred other elk. The trail was cold. We hiked 7 miles that day looking for sign of him. Nothing.

That night we came back and glassed the canyon where he had disappeared, still nothing.

 

Day 6:

I headed out early to return to the canyon and look for the bull on the adjoining ridges. I got a short distance from camp and my truck overheated. I soon figured out that my truck was leaking coolant like a sieve. I poured all the water I had into the radiator and returned to camp to wait for daylight. After daylight I filled the radiator with water and headed into town to get it replaced. By 11:00 I was back on the road. I headed straight back to the canyon and continue my search. While I was in town, Lee had been out searching and covered 10 miles on his own checking likely escape routes and checking nearby waterholes for sign of a wounded bull. Still nothing.

 

Day 7:

I decided to check out a different area in the morning where I could glass and listen for bugles. I heard one bugle about an hour before light. I glassed until 7:30 without seeing anything. I decided to walk back into the trees in the direction I thought the bugling bull would have headed. As I got into the trees I could finally hear the bugles and figured they had to be less than 200 yds. I headed that direction and found a big 6x7 and a broken palmated bull raking the same tree. Eventually they began to spar and fight. They turned and did the parallel walk right toward me. The plamated bull got to 15 yds before spotting me and the gig was up.

The rest of the day was spent looking for the wounded bull.

 

Day 8:

I went back to the glassing point and then walked canyons looking for the wounded bull. We stumbled onto a few elk but never really heard any real bugles and never saw a big bull.

That evening we worked our way back into the tank, but as we got close we discovered that there were elk between us and the tank but the wind was all wrong in the canyon and we had to circle around. In the process we worked our way through some bugling bulls. One walked 70 yds from my brother and I, but we were out of position to cut the distance and we watched him walk off. We didnt have any elk come into the tank that night but as we hiked the 1.5 miles out there were bulls screaming all around us.

 

Day 9:

In the morning we went to a high vantage point and glassed while listening for bugles. Once again the glass was unproductive, but the wind had died down and we could hear a couple of bulls bugling below us. We took off after them and once in the bottom we had to cross a road where we could see a truck. I was frustrated thinking that we had just chased other hunters bugles far away from our truck. When we got there and talked to the other hunters they told us they were not doing any bugling and had seen one of the bulls. We continued the chase, and followed the bulls into a deep dark draw. As we got in there we saw a raghorn but couldnt find the big bull. We bumped the elk but the bulls kept bugling and my brother encouraged me to keep chasing. I am glad he was there because I was ready to quit. We crossed another canyon and closed in on the elk. We got close and cow called. The bulls started circling when the wind suddenly swirled and the woods went silent. We started the long walk back to the truck.

That night we returned to the tank. My brother posted up high on the canyon wall and was able to tell me what was going on around me. It was really nice to have eyes in the sky to know what to expect. A spike came in and winded me, 5 long beards stopped by for a drink and a cow fed to within 10 yds after getting her fill. As darkness closed in I told my brother I was heading out unless he saw something really close. He immediately told me a small bull was coming down the ridge right behind me. I decided to slip out before I was covered up in elk but out of shooting light. I was 2 minutes late. As soon as I got to the tank berm a bull bugled directly on the other side of it. Soon he and 5 cows were watering just yards in front of me. Soon another smaller bull made it to the tank between me and the other elk. They were close. He figured me out and splashed across the water. The other bull did not like that and bugled and tried to run him off. I used the distraction to make my escape, hoping the bull would not hear me in the dark and try to come round me up like one of his cows.

 

Day 10:

I was alone in the morning and was getting a little burned out from all the hiking and climbing. I decided to drive to an area below the canyon where I should be able to hear bulls out feeding in the morning. The plan worked and I chased the bulls long and far and watched them go into the trees on the ridge tops. I was able to watch some of the bulls through glass and could see that one was a stud with double kickers and long main beams. I watched where they went to bed, and even though at 10:00 AM the elk were still going nuts I decided not to push them from their beds, figuring they would come back out right where they went in.

I was joined in the afternoon by my buddy Mike who has been with me on some of the most memorable hunts of my life. He is kind of a good luck charm, so I was optimistic. We worked out way to the ridge where the bulls had disappeared in the morning. When we got there at 3:00 the bulls were already sounding off. We set up with glass and started looking them over. We found the big bull and even though he was in a location that was completely unapproachable, we couldnt help but drool over him for a while. As we watched we could hear the entire ridge top lighting up with bulls. We moved in as the sun was retreating behind the pines. The first bull we approached had some cows with him that picked us up from 200 yds out. They moved down into the canyon. We figured he was out of the picture but with the number of bulls on this ridge we figured we still had a chance. Mike faded into the jack pines and I waited in the tall trees to see if any of the bulls would respond. As his cow calls started the top nearly blew off the ridge, there were elk everywhere. I have never heard that much bugling in my life. There was never a gap in the bugling. With light fading, I knew I needed to get aggressive. I slipped another 60 yds forward towards a bull glunking in the trees. It was only a couple of seconds before his cows appeared on the trail in front of me. I watched with my heart in my throat as he followed behind closing from 70 yds, to 40 in just seconds. Just before he disappeared behind a stand of jack pines I let out the best MEW I could muster without a call in my mouth. His eyes locked in the trees behind me. He never heard the bow or saw the arrow before it disappeared into his ribs. The shot was further back than I would have thought was best before losing the bull almost a week before. I watched with disbelief as the bull ran about 50 yds, staggered and fell to the ground. I watched as his breathing slowed and stopped.

I immediately called my dad who had encouraged me to keep hunting after losing the previous bull. His voice cracked as he congratulated me and said he knew I could do it. It was a raw moment. I called my wife and kids, they squealed with excitement. It was 2:30 AM before we got that bull off that ridge and into camp.

 

 

 

I cant believe the experiences I had on this hunt. It is rare in life that something with so much anticipation, that an experience can live up to the hope. This hunt did not disappoint. I got to chase giant bulls, see bulls fight 3 times in a week, be up close and personal with cows and bulls. I had shot opportunities almost everyday. I spent time with new friends and old, family and strangers. It was amazing and I am extremely happy with the end result. There were some ups and downs, and the thought that I shot a bull I could not recover sickens me. In the end, I was satisfied with my effort and sleep at night. I am happy with the experience I had and the bull that I shot. It was a dream come true. If you endured this long read then good for you, you earned the pictures.

 

 

[naturebob]

Congrats. Nice bull. At least You drive a Ford and not a cheap ram...........BOB!

[Will K]

Sweet...

[Big Browns]

Great story buddy! Congrats on a great Bull!

[Mike S]

Great bull, thanks for the write up...

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Nice work Andrew and thanks again for having me along, the story doesn't do any justice to the experience, I hope everyone who works hard for a tag gets to do this at least one time.

I'll make some time this week to upload some pics from my handy cam.

Oh and I'm still picking oak thorns out of my legs !!!

[Heat]

Way to go man! Awesome storytelling. Sounds like a hunt full of memories that will last a lifetime. Very nice bull as well! Sorry about the lost bull.

[CouesPursuit]

Congratulations on the bull and experience, sounds like your hunt had it all!

[1denogean]

great job Andrew, great read too

[HNTNGUY]

Nice write up and great bull!! Congrats man!!

[Millhouse]

Glad the hunt came though for you and that you had a great experience. That's what it's all about.

[300RUM]

I think I will pass on the hardcover copy of that write up and wait for the paperback. It is hard to cram 10 days of hunting excitement into a few paragraphs isn't it? Congratulations, glad to see you got a nice bull. I wish I could have stayed longer and helped you pack it out. After playing pack mule for Edge can you imagine the rant I might have gone on if I was lugging a heavy pack down the trail next to Mulepackhunter in the same week?

[pwrguy]

Great write up. Good job on sticking with it.

[cmbbulldog]

Congrats on a great bull!

[Chef]

What a story and what a hunt!!

Congrats on taking a bull. Loved the play by play story. You got into action quite a bit!