Bugles in 9 part 2

[Bucks N Bulls]

Well we had a good hunt in 9 this year. I posted 2 weeks ago asking if people had heard bugling and how it was. My Brittany was in icu before the hunt and luckily we made it. A couple members on here, Javalinasports and metau, pm'd me with some info to check out. I know the unit pretty well and they still provided some areas to look at.

 

Day 1 morning 1

We found ourselves in an area I know pretty well. As soon as we parked and got out of the truck, bulls were bugling and fighting all around us in the dark. We moved in as close as we could without blowing any elk out. Light finally came and we were on 3 very good bulls. Two of the bulls were constantly fighting. The third bull was the bull we decided we wanted to try and take. We were able to stay on the herd and get into position on this bull 3 separate times. Each time I got my wife set up she would tell me something was in the way. On the third set up we had the bull broadside with a log laying over in front of him. I told my wife to shoot and she said she didn't feel she had a clear shot at his vitals. I reassured her that he was clear and to shoot. She asked how far and as I told her 100 yards, the bull walked away again.If it was any of us that bull would be dead, but she made the right play and didn't want to make a bad shot. I can't be upset with her on that. The herd moved off and to their beds by this point so I gps'd the spot and we backed out.

 

Day 1 Evening 1

We made it back to our last position and waited for bugles from the herd from that morning. Around 415 pm they started sounding off. Well unfortunately for us, they moved off into another direction and with the wind we could not get back in the herd. We got close a couple of times but just could not get into them. During the middle of the day a member pm'd me and told me to check an area he had hunted during the archery hunt. So we headed out to check this area out. After a couple of messages we knew we were in the right area and we made a game plan for the next morning.

 

Day 2 Morning 2

Morning 2 we parked and low and behold the elk were again going crazy. We hiked in a little bit and sat in the dark and waited for the right light. Once light came we got on a bull that had a lot of cows and smaller bulls with him. He was difficult to get in on as we kept getting busted by other bulls and cows not even in his herd. There were elk everywhere. As we layed eyes on the bull finally he moved off and then we heard it. A gun shot about 100 yards rang out. Everything went silent and not a peep from then on. We stood there for a little while and decided to move in further. A small 4 point rag horn came in broadside with a cow at 30 yards, we just watched them. We moved in further and came across a small 5 point feeding by himself and watched him feed off. Then we heard a faint bugle and we were off again. We closed the distance and got my wife set up about 200 yards out. We had one small opening and I ranged the cow walking threw with the bull right behind her. I told my wife 200 when he steps out. Like clock work, he stepped out and stopped. She shoots and the bull and cows just run off. We get over there and look for blood and tracks. No blood so I follow up on the tracks. There was no evidence of the bull being hit.No limping,dragging of the hoof or anything. I followed tracks up over a hill, down across a ravine, and up and over another hill. I went back to retrace what happened as my wife was dead on at 200. Well, as I retraced where we were and where the bull was I realized my ranging was hitting some limbs and the bull was actually between 227to 257 yards. I figured the shot was low.

 

Day 2 Evening 2

We found ourselves back in the same area as the morning. That afternoon was uneventful as we never heard or saw an elk that evening. Camps and people seemed to be everywhere by that evening, as well as someone deciding to sight in their muzzleloader. During our drive back to camp we decided to listen for bugles where we were the first morning. We stopped and sat in the dark and heard one bugle that was faint in the distance.

 

Day 3 Morning 3

We went back to the area we were in the first morning. It was dead silent. So I came up with a plan to hit another road about 5 miles away. I figured with the wind and some more people showing up elk were moving further into the woods. We parked and decided to hike in about 2 miles and finally heard a bugle. We got the wind right and made our way to him. We got into the herd and there were three other bulls bugling around the area. We got my wife set up on this bull and I told her he was broke and missing a fifth on the one side. She said she liked him anyways. I told her this bull was not even close to the other bulls we had been on and she said she wanted to try and shoot him anyways. I said ok and got her set up. The bull kept moving in and out of shooting lanes and she was getting frustrated as I kept repositioning her. The bull went way out to the right and she said she could not see him anymore. I told her to relax that he would come back through because his cows were still there and he wasn't leaving them behind. When he did come back through, I told her 150 yards. I told her I will cow call to stop him then you can shoot. He came walking out and I cow called, and sounded like dang crow. The bull scurried through real quick and I thought I blew it. Guess they also thought it sounded like a crow because they stayed and didn't blow out. The bull walked out quartering to us a little bit. She shoots and the bullet goes through the back rib to his inner thigh on the opposite side. He stretched out a little and walked 20 or so yards. I was shaking and went to reload with a speed load. I missed the barrel and dumped the pellets and sabot on the ground. I hurried and picked it all up and loaded it with my fingers and got her back on the bull. He turned around, walked back out, and turned right quartering hard to us. She fired and drilled him inside the shoulder and the bullet went all the way through and lodged inside his inner hip. He took off on a dead run for 20 or so yards and crashed. It was all over with her laughing and crying at the same time. My wife finally got to experience what elk hunting does to a person.

 

Sorry for the wait on the story and the long read. It has been a tough road for us and we finally were able to get her out and hunt. Our dog is doing much better. Both our son and daughter were with us when she killed her bull. Although this is not a 9 giant and we were on them. The opener bull we were on was a giant but this is a true trophy and fine bull. My wife and I are thrilled to death with him. We have great memories and our kids were with us and we couldn't be happier. I dragged my wife several miles all 3 days and it kicked her butt. She is truly strong and an incredible woman. She worked hard on this hunt and deserves every bit of it. Thankyou again to the members that reached out. We were truly blessed after all the bad.

My dog in Icu.

[goinhuntn]

congrats on a fine bull, good story!!

[Flatlander]

Sounds like a great experience. I know how that can be dragging the wife through the woods chasing bugles. It definitely tests a marriage.

[brian390]

Congrats on the bull. That was a great write up.

[Zeke-BE]

Congrats

[Bucks N Bulls]

Flatlander you nailed it. Opening morning after the chase we had a small bull bugling. We got on him and I was getting my wife set up on him for practice.She was getting frustrated as the bull was walking through. She got mad at me because there was a tree directly in front of her. I got mad right back and told her to follow the bull as he is walking and that I was not gonna let her shoot through an fn tree. We got loud and yelled at each other while this little bull was still cruising by. It was not funny at the time but after a little cool down for both of us it's funny now. They do test your patience lol!

[AZHog]

Congrts on a nice bull! Thanks for sharing the pics and story.

[Javelinasports]

Congrats! Great Story!

[AZbowhntr]

That is a real nice bull. And that sounds very familiar.

[Non-Typical Solutions]

I am horrible at helping anybody get a good shot at anything......I just can't get the stars to line up!

But.....one time I had my wife set up on two bucks standing side by side! I told her shoot the one on the left........well she already was set up for the one on the left so when she started to pan left......finding no buck at all, both deer bolted and she never got a shot off.

It was a very quiet hunt the rest of the day!!!!

 

Congrats on sticking with it and helping your wife out!!!!! Nice bull too!!!

[cramerhunts]

Congratulations on a very nice bull. I've been there and done that many times with my wife and somehow she still loves me, lol. Way to go!

[Phil Beavers]

Congrats on the bull .. Unit 9 was a good unit this year!

[fahndrich5]

Nice bull unit 9 seems to be hot this year let's hope it holds up for my late 9 bull hunt this year 😁