The Elk Nazi Got Me.
12-20-2005, 03:25 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 590
The Elk Nazi Got Me.
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. ...
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. ...
12-21-2005, 07:30 AM
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Midvale, Id USA
Posts: 406
RE: The Elk Nazi Got Me.
Great story!
OHHHH! I know the feeling!!!
Some people wonder why I talk so much about hunting but have a relatively empty freezer at times, and I just say “because once you down an animal, the fun ends and the work begins!”
This year I found myself with an unfilled tag as well, but I had a very memorable season. The experience you related brought back some great “no elk for me this year” past memories as well. Of course, I always want to tag an elk each year, but having experiences much like yours are worth eating a tag.
One in particular came at the last day of my archery season. It was the waning hours of the day and I found myself stocking in on a herd, of which numbers I hadn’t determined. I was weaving thru tall timbers and following the herd down the mountain. They were about 100 yard ahead of me, and I was slowly trying to make up ground. I had seen two or three of the elk to know there were bulls in the herd, but knew nothing of potential size.
All of a sudden the elk were gone, and I didn’t know if I had spooked them or not. The land started to get steeper and the trees thinner, opening up into high desert sagebrush below. I clambered over a crop of lava rock, hoping to spot the herd when I reached the summit. The path I chose turned out to have a poor view so I made my way down the other side. Just as I came off the last rock at the bottom, I found myself smack dab in the middle of the herd! The rocks had not only hid the elk from me, but me from them.
To my right was a group of about 20 cows, the closest was a young calf about 10 yards away. To my right was a group of bulls (3 spikes, a rag horn, and a small 5 X 5). One of the spikes was only 30 yards away, but behind a tree. It was the last day to hunt, so I looked at him as a good shooter, especially since the sun was already behind the mountains. The wind was perfect, and there was enough cover to slip in for a shot. The calf became a problem, as it was her that I needed to watch and not spook. When she grazed, I moved. It took a couple of minutes and I found myself at a perfect broadside of the spike at 20 yards.
Then I noticed HIM! The new spot I found myself in gave view to the herd bull. He was a beautiful 6 X 6 easily in the 300 class. He was below me and in the open. Between us was about 80 to 100 yards of bare ground with nothing to hide behind. He was a very busy bull. He would check his cows, then trot over and inspect the bulls. I could do nothing. I had the shot on the spike, but now my focus was on this bruiser. Antler fever if you will.
I then thought “a small challenge bugle may get this guy to come running to me”. I reached into my pocket for my reed call, but it was GONE! With the crawling to get into position it must have fallen out (at this time I was using a reed for both bugle and cow talking). I looked back but could not see my reed. All I could do now was watch and hope for a shot.
The herd bull continued his back and forth checkup, but would never stop long enough for a shot, let alone get in a comfortable range. The calf, being young and dumb, got used to the weird looking bush and was eating away, but the spike grew leery of my presence and slowly trotted off. With him he took the other bulls, leaving the herd bull to focus on his cows. At this time the cows had gone over the ridge, and I heard the distant talk of a “lost cow”. Immediately the herd bull trotted after.
This gave me a break as the last of the cows crested the ridge. I sprang up and went into a dead run down the opposite side of the ridge, bee lining to get below the chirping cow. Time was against me as the light began to fade. I circled underneath the herd up under a large pine tree. I could still hear the chirp of the lower cow now right above me. I stepped around the tree and came face to face with the herd bull. He looked at me, and I at him, both just as surprised as the other. He was about 80 yards above me, and the light was near gone.
I realized not only had I lost the light, but this would be a very ill decision to try a long, almost blind, shot at the bull. We stood there eyeballing each other, knowing the game was up. I finally broke the silence with a deep yell. “AAAAARRRRGGGGGGG!” The bull spun and trotted up the mountain.
As I descended off the ridge in near darkness, the bull decided to let me depart with the sounds of his majestic bugle, a final salute saying “better luck next time buddy”.
I returned to that same ridge 2 months later to fill my tag (this unit allows a general archery any elk/ spike only rifle tag, bull rifle tags are draw only) and ran into the bull again. He was alone, and we came face to face. This time it was like he knew I couldn’t shoot him, and he just turned and walked away. I ended up finding my spike and filling my tag, but the memory of that bruiser that got away still haunts me, with a smile on my face.
OHHHH! I know the feeling!!!
Some people wonder why I talk so much about hunting but have a relatively empty freezer at times, and I just say “because once you down an animal, the fun ends and the work begins!”
This year I found myself with an unfilled tag as well, but I had a very memorable season. The experience you related brought back some great “no elk for me this year” past memories as well. Of course, I always want to tag an elk each year, but having experiences much like yours are worth eating a tag.
One in particular came at the last day of my archery season. It was the waning hours of the day and I found myself stocking in on a herd, of which numbers I hadn’t determined. I was weaving thru tall timbers and following the herd down the mountain. They were about 100 yard ahead of me, and I was slowly trying to make up ground. I had seen two or three of the elk to know there were bulls in the herd, but knew nothing of potential size.
All of a sudden the elk were gone, and I didn’t know if I had spooked them or not. The land started to get steeper and the trees thinner, opening up into high desert sagebrush below. I clambered over a crop of lava rock, hoping to spot the herd when I reached the summit. The path I chose turned out to have a poor view so I made my way down the other side. Just as I came off the last rock at the bottom, I found myself smack dab in the middle of the herd! The rocks had not only hid the elk from me, but me from them.
To my right was a group of about 20 cows, the closest was a young calf about 10 yards away. To my right was a group of bulls (3 spikes, a rag horn, and a small 5 X 5). One of the spikes was only 30 yards away, but behind a tree. It was the last day to hunt, so I looked at him as a good shooter, especially since the sun was already behind the mountains. The wind was perfect, and there was enough cover to slip in for a shot. The calf became a problem, as it was her that I needed to watch and not spook. When she grazed, I moved. It took a couple of minutes and I found myself at a perfect broadside of the spike at 20 yards.
Then I noticed HIM! The new spot I found myself in gave view to the herd bull. He was a beautiful 6 X 6 easily in the 300 class. He was below me and in the open. Between us was about 80 to 100 yards of bare ground with nothing to hide behind. He was a very busy bull. He would check his cows, then trot over and inspect the bulls. I could do nothing. I had the shot on the spike, but now my focus was on this bruiser. Antler fever if you will.
I then thought “a small challenge bugle may get this guy to come running to me”. I reached into my pocket for my reed call, but it was GONE! With the crawling to get into position it must have fallen out (at this time I was using a reed for both bugle and cow talking). I looked back but could not see my reed. All I could do now was watch and hope for a shot.
The herd bull continued his back and forth checkup, but would never stop long enough for a shot, let alone get in a comfortable range. The calf, being young and dumb, got used to the weird looking bush and was eating away, but the spike grew leery of my presence and slowly trotted off. With him he took the other bulls, leaving the herd bull to focus on his cows. At this time the cows had gone over the ridge, and I heard the distant talk of a “lost cow”. Immediately the herd bull trotted after.
This gave me a break as the last of the cows crested the ridge. I sprang up and went into a dead run down the opposite side of the ridge, bee lining to get below the chirping cow. Time was against me as the light began to fade. I circled underneath the herd up under a large pine tree. I could still hear the chirp of the lower cow now right above me. I stepped around the tree and came face to face with the herd bull. He looked at me, and I at him, both just as surprised as the other. He was about 80 yards above me, and the light was near gone.
I realized not only had I lost the light, but this would be a very ill decision to try a long, almost blind, shot at the bull. We stood there eyeballing each other, knowing the game was up. I finally broke the silence with a deep yell. “AAAAARRRRGGGGGGG!” The bull spun and trotted up the mountain.
As I descended off the ridge in near darkness, the bull decided to let me depart with the sounds of his majestic bugle, a final salute saying “better luck next time buddy”.
I returned to that same ridge 2 months later to fill my tag (this unit allows a general archery any elk/ spike only rifle tag, bull rifle tags are draw only) and ran into the bull again. He was alone, and we came face to face. This time it was like he knew I couldn’t shoot him, and he just turned and walked away. I ended up finding my spike and filling my tag, but the memory of that bruiser that got away still haunts me, with a smile on my face.
12-21-2005, 09:46 AM
#3
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Missouri
Posts: 1,429
RE: The Elk Nazi Got Me.
Oh guys I know the feeling all too well. I got lucky this year, but have been in your shoes many times. I'm reminded of my dads favorite saying, when he kills something for the freezer and I'm "trophy" hunting: "looks like tag soup for you!"[8D]
12-21-2005, 05:09 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: WV
Posts: 4,485
RE: The Elk Nazi Got Me.
I too Know how great it is to be in Elk Country whether you score or not. As a novice Elk hunter I'm just learning myself and every encounter is a new lesson. I've only gotten to hunt two years--last year w/a rifle and this year w/bow for about 18 days (at different times) and I have yet to draw down, although I was so close to about a 400 +/- bull, I could here him breathing and see the white tips of his antlers(but too brushy for a shot). I do love it though. It feels just a like another level to which you are challenged in the outdoor world. I can't wait to go back. Unfortunately, now I will be applying as a non res as we have moved back across the country from MT to WV. But my wife (also a new development)assures me of a lifetime pass to return to the great wilderness of the west as often as possible ($$). Is there anything better?
I did get to help drag three of em out though (oh joy), including doing most of the work for ELKINMTCWB
I did get to help drag three of em out though (oh joy), including doing most of the work for ELKINMTCWB
