No Elk for You!

Just wanted to stand up and testify about this year's elk hunt. Somebody with a long memory may remember that I passed up a 270-class 6 pointer on opening weekend of bow season (Labor Day). I had sixteen days vacation coming in mid-September, and had a good line on a 350-class bull.

I spent that sixteen days chasing big bulls and passing up cows and little bulls. (I passed a total of six shots this year.) The season slammed shut on my head and I still had my tag in my pocket - safe, dry, and unbloody.

I had a ball, though. I got onto my 350 bull for about a 72-hour period. Saw him once. He was in that classic running-bull mode. He responded to all bugles, mine and other bulls, by whipping his cows in the other direction. The one time I nearly got him, he was running from another bugling bull, pushing a cow and calf out in front of him.

I tried to cut him off in a funnel he was coming through, but I didn't quite get the lid closed before he came through, and he passed at 60 yards. I then spent an agonizing hour trying to stalk him, within 40-50 yards the whole hour. I knew a bugle would probably not do anything, because he was between me and his cow. My cowcalls weren't interesting to him, and while they stopped his cow I couldn't bring her back. He was something, with G-5s about 14-15".

I bugled with him a couple other times, trying to peg his position and close on him, but I spooked him terminally at some point and lost him. Oh well.

The other real highlight wasa three bull showdown I got in on, me being the "third bull". I got two 300-320 herd bulls coming together in a saddle I was perched in. I almost had each bull come in to me, but eventually they went after each other instead. I crouched and watched a bullfight that's just beyond description at 70 yards. Any joker who pretends to "rattle" in bull elk is kidding themselves! You'd need 10 gladiators armed with Louisville Sluggers to make the racket these monsters were making! They tore up a good acre of ground.

My thought was to charge up and just stick one. I figured they'd be preoccupied, and if I used a little cover I could probably walk up to 25 yards or so and drill one. Sadly, there were cows everywhere. Everytime I'd rise to rush forward I'd have cows in my route and have to wait. Then, one cow, which had zeroed in on some cowcalling I had done before the battle began, came looking for me and pinned me down! I could have shot her but I wanted the bulls.

After the fight ended in a draw, I chased one of the bulls until dark as he retreated with his cows. I guess he'd had enough of fighting, and stayed 100-200 yards ahead of me until I had to call it off.

It was a great hunt, and I'm now writing 100 times:

I will not pass up Pope & Young bulls.
I will not pass up Pope & Young bulls. ...