RE: Elk Hunting Stories
I've got stories of big bulls, little bulls, cows, the works, but here is my personal favorite only because it was my first elk with a bow and it had a fun twist. It's a bit long, but hey, you wanted stories....
At age17 I started bow hunting in Wyo. (I'm from Kemmerer, SW Wyo). For 2 years I borrowed my bro-in-laws bow shooting fingers, with no success. The next year (now 19) he decides to hunt again. I'm married, 19, poor, w/o a bow. We hit the hills opening morning with my father-in-law, bro-in-law and me. We hike our tails off back into the high country and find some vocal elk. Across the canyon we spot a very nice bull who is bugling his head off and alot of others feeding that weren't so vocal (it was Sept. 1st). My bro-in-law decides he's going after the big bull and my father-in-law and I were going to circle around and sneak down the face as the elk feed up the canyon to their beds or be there in case he spooks some.
We head up the canyon and cross over onto the other face. At the bottom, my father-in-law hands me his bow with a trigger. It's important to know in Wyo. you can bow hunt, then rifle hunt after. He is a trophy hunter and didn't see any bulls of his liking. I look at him and remind him, I've never shot a trigger. He shows me the ropes and one arrow later @ 20 yards, an inch from a small leaf on a side hill, we are off. I have his bow in hand.
As we sneak down the canyon, wewatch a small herd of cows that feed by us up the hill. About 1/2 to where the bigger bull is still whining his head off, we bump a cow and calf. They bolt up the hill and proceed to spook a small rag bull about 30 yards in front of us. He didn't see us, just the cows, so he stood there. His head was behind a tree and all I could see was his neck and body. My father-in-law confirmed it was a bull, not big, didn't really know much since he was hidden. I ease the bow back and twang! Being the experience trigger boy I was, the arrow sailed into the sky. Literally at about a 45-60 degree angle to never be seen again. Now this was actually a good thing. The arrow cleared some much sky, the dang elk didn't even look back. He was getting nervous though and was now looking in our direction vs the busted cow direction.
What seemed like forever, I eased another arrow in the bow and pulled back. I put the 30 yard pin just a hair low (downhill) and let it fly. He busted off and all we heard was crashing and thumping through the trees. In my excitement, I had NO clue where or if I hit it. My father-in-law looked at me with a discouraged look. I think you missed in front of him. Disappointed, we went after my arrow to make sure. We found it sticking out of the ground, soaked in blood. Looking just feet from where he stood blood was everywhere. Now numb with excitement, I experience my first day long wait, oh wait, it was only 30 mins?? You sure?? Anyway, we tracked him 50 yards, dead as a doornail. I had "missed" a hair forward and literally cut his jugulars. Not a shot I recommend, but it was the best miss of my life.
After finding my bro-in-law and relaying him the story that we still laugh about, we boned him out and packed him home. To this day, I'm still the proudest of my first bow elk. It was an amazing day! That hooked me on bowhunting for life!