Well I finally made it out West for a bow elk hunt. None of my buddies could make it ... either they claimed to not have the $, or the time or didn't want to hunt elk with a bow, and on and on.

So I went alone. Well not exactly I did use an outfitter in New Mexico. There were 4 hunters in camp with 2 guides. It was a 6 1/2 day hunt. Morning one was the coldest and we had the most action. We heard a close bugle - I walked 3 yds to take cover and bumped a few cows that had a good bull w/ them. W/ in minutes 3 others were bugling in the same canyon. Our guide/owner Bob Atwood called a nice bull down a ridge toward us. The fellow I was paired with in front of me and got 2 shots @ 35 & 50 yds. I saw the bull walk and then stand after the 2nd shot and saw no signs of a hit. He felt he hit it so we looked for several hours - no blood, but also no arrows?

We saw 2 good bulls on morning one and kept seeing about 1 bull on each AM/ PM outing! They were not really responding much to calls as the PM showers were making the nites and mornings warm; we were bumping or walking up on bulls and cows.

On the 4th eve of the hunt we flipped a coin and I got a turn to sit at a wallow. This was my only "pot" hunt so far. Lke every afternoon we got thunder, then rain. I sat on a branch laying across a few stumps in a rough blind (relly a few trees w/ some blow-downs ) facing a wallow 20 yds away. At 6:30 a bull snuck over a bank into the wallow. I had prepared for such a chance, so I was ready. When the cautious bull's head went behind brush I knelt down and drew the bow while staying low. I came up on 1 knee, put the pin behind his shoulder and released! I heard a loud crack and saw the bull leap away w/ a lot of the shaft sticking out his side.

I was pretty bummed out thinkig I hit the shoulder, I was really down on myself. The last thing I want to do is wound an animal like that. I sat and pondered as the drizzle turned to rain and night fell. After 30 min I snuck over to where the bull split and found some blood on a deadfall he jumped. An hour later the guide and hunter showed up lights on .. by now it was a dark rainy nite. I told them the story and we got on the trail. We had a modest blood trail, followed it about 70 yds, until Atwood looked ahead and said "there's your bull". They were some sweet words! Turned out the shot was right ... behind the near shoulder & slightly quartering away. The Grizz Trick went all the way thru to the far shoulder. I found the front 8" of the shaft under the far shoulder blade ... I guess the arrow broke or rebounded when it stopped.

The outfitter estimated the bull to be 3.5 yrs old... it wasn't the biggest bull I saw over the days we hunted but, hey for the first time w/ a bow its a trophy to me!

I hunted w/ Blue Mountain Outfitters and was guided by the owner - Bob Atwood. He runs a first rate operation - great staff and accomodations. we hunted good lands, and he got us on the elk!

Good luck to all who pursue the grand elk with stick and string.