my 2003 elk hunting story
03-16-2004, 02:44 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Wallace, ID
Posts: 122
my 2003 elk hunting story
this one is for you elkkampmaster,
I have to set this one up first. On opening day of the season I was out with my dad as always. We were on an evening hunt and I was headed down a ridge and dad decided he would take the sidehill to cover some more ground. Well I was just getting into some really bad stuff that is on this ridge and all he!! breaks loose, elk running eveywhere. Eventually I end up missing at a range nobody should miss at, elk dropped just as I was starting to shoot and my arrow went right over it. My dad ended up missing twice, misjudged the yardage and then stuck a tree he didn't see as it was beginning to get dark. I got home and was just pi$$ed off, and then my wife had to start in on me, being the kind woman she is [&:]
. She ended up telling me that if I could hit anything with my old bow she would buy me a new one. Well it is two weeks later, there is a good frost on the ground and it just has the feeling of a good day in that brisk morning air. My dad, my uncle, and I were all going out this time and we have two ridges to walk up. We split up and dad and I walked up a ridge I have named my ridge, as it is where I shot my first elk. We were in sign right away, there was a bull's tracks all over down towards the base of the ridge. We got up to the first bench that is in this absolutely beautiful ridge to walk on, except for a couple of spots. We sit down and listen for a while but figure most of the elk are up further on the ridge so we move on. We get to the next bench up on this ridge and all of the sudden there is this wonderful sound that pierces the air. After the first one they started all over the place, it was absolutely amazing to hear. There was five countable bulls bugling back and forth all at once. If you have ever been able to experience this then you would know how truly amazing it is. At first I bugled back just to locate a little and find out where they were. It turns out of the five bulls we knew were bugling there was only one on the ridge we were on. So we stayed there and tried to keep the bull straight across from up bugling because that is where my uncle was. Well he ended up being right in the middle of the herd and never did even see anything, as he was in the thick stuff that is on that ridgetop. Finally we decide to move on to the bull that had bugled up on the ridge we were on. As we moved on we cow called here and there along the way to keep interest in the bulls. We got to where I had shot my first elk and walked a little past that when we decided to take a little rest and do some calling, it turned out to be quite a good choice. We're sitting there calling and nothing is happening so dad says let's just give it a bit and listen but me being young still want to force some action. I keep calling and he just shakes his head at me. Well all of the sudden there is a bugle that sounds like it may be coming a little closer, like in the bottom of the gulch. Then again and it sounds like it is moving closer, and now comes panic mode trying to set up really quickly because this elk is coming and he is coming fast. I move away from dad a little and watch him go by as I am listening to the elk which is still down about 100 yards or so making all sorts of noise, then the noise just stops, I look up to watch my dad go out of sight, then I look back down and there he is just staring at me from 30 yards away. Luckily there was a tree that was probably about 5 feet across right in front of me and I went behind the tree and drew the bow, leaned out and let the arrow go. The elk took off and I knew I had got him good. Dad came running down wondering what happened and I told him I think we are going to be packing out that day. We give my uncle a call who is still in the middle of a herd over on the ridge he is on and tell him we are going to have to do some tracking. After about 20 minutes we go down to check the hit and see how the blood looks. it had some bubbles in it and was looking quite good. We waited for a little longer then decided to track a little bit and see how the blood trail was. We found half of my arrow about 30 feet into the tracking and I started to smell that sweet smell of a bull elk in the rut. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure the really do smell pretty bad as does a buck. We started looking around and dad spotted some brown through the trees. We snuck in a little closer to investigate and it ended up being him. He hadn't made it more than about 30 yards from where I had stuck him. He was nothing huge but definitely a trophy in my book, as he was my first elk with a bow. Still by far the best eating elk I have ever eaten by far, he was magnificent. Oh and I did get a new bow out of the equation too. Hope to be just as fortunate this year. Also hope you guys enjoy reading the story.
I have to set this one up first. On opening day of the season I was out with my dad as always. We were on an evening hunt and I was headed down a ridge and dad decided he would take the sidehill to cover some more ground. Well I was just getting into some really bad stuff that is on this ridge and all he!! breaks loose, elk running eveywhere. Eventually I end up missing at a range nobody should miss at, elk dropped just as I was starting to shoot and my arrow went right over it. My dad ended up missing twice, misjudged the yardage and then stuck a tree he didn't see as it was beginning to get dark. I got home and was just pi$$ed off, and then my wife had to start in on me, being the kind woman she is [&:]
. She ended up telling me that if I could hit anything with my old bow she would buy me a new one. Well it is two weeks later, there is a good frost on the ground and it just has the feeling of a good day in that brisk morning air. My dad, my uncle, and I were all going out this time and we have two ridges to walk up. We split up and dad and I walked up a ridge I have named my ridge, as it is where I shot my first elk. We were in sign right away, there was a bull's tracks all over down towards the base of the ridge. We got up to the first bench that is in this absolutely beautiful ridge to walk on, except for a couple of spots. We sit down and listen for a while but figure most of the elk are up further on the ridge so we move on. We get to the next bench up on this ridge and all of the sudden there is this wonderful sound that pierces the air. After the first one they started all over the place, it was absolutely amazing to hear. There was five countable bulls bugling back and forth all at once. If you have ever been able to experience this then you would know how truly amazing it is. At first I bugled back just to locate a little and find out where they were. It turns out of the five bulls we knew were bugling there was only one on the ridge we were on. So we stayed there and tried to keep the bull straight across from up bugling because that is where my uncle was. Well he ended up being right in the middle of the herd and never did even see anything, as he was in the thick stuff that is on that ridgetop. Finally we decide to move on to the bull that had bugled up on the ridge we were on. As we moved on we cow called here and there along the way to keep interest in the bulls. We got to where I had shot my first elk and walked a little past that when we decided to take a little rest and do some calling, it turned out to be quite a good choice. We're sitting there calling and nothing is happening so dad says let's just give it a bit and listen but me being young still want to force some action. I keep calling and he just shakes his head at me. Well all of the sudden there is a bugle that sounds like it may be coming a little closer, like in the bottom of the gulch. Then again and it sounds like it is moving closer, and now comes panic mode trying to set up really quickly because this elk is coming and he is coming fast. I move away from dad a little and watch him go by as I am listening to the elk which is still down about 100 yards or so making all sorts of noise, then the noise just stops, I look up to watch my dad go out of sight, then I look back down and there he is just staring at me from 30 yards away. Luckily there was a tree that was probably about 5 feet across right in front of me and I went behind the tree and drew the bow, leaned out and let the arrow go. The elk took off and I knew I had got him good. Dad came running down wondering what happened and I told him I think we are going to be packing out that day. We give my uncle a call who is still in the middle of a herd over on the ridge he is on and tell him we are going to have to do some tracking. After about 20 minutes we go down to check the hit and see how the blood looks. it had some bubbles in it and was looking quite good. We waited for a little longer then decided to track a little bit and see how the blood trail was. We found half of my arrow about 30 feet into the tracking and I started to smell that sweet smell of a bull elk in the rut. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure the really do smell pretty bad as does a buck. We started looking around and dad spotted some brown through the trees. We snuck in a little closer to investigate and it ended up being him. He hadn't made it more than about 30 yards from where I had stuck him. He was nothing huge but definitely a trophy in my book, as he was my first elk with a bow. Still by far the best eating elk I have ever eaten by far, he was magnificent. Oh and I did get a new bow out of the equation too. Hope to be just as fortunate this year. Also hope you guys enjoy reading the story.
03-16-2004, 11:30 PM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky Mountains, Colorado
Posts: 1,964
RE: my 2003 elk hunting story
99,
Walking into a thicket and having elk explode all around you like pheasants out of a stubblefield is a real treat (and exciting too!). Working a hunt with family members (assuming everyone gets along) is also sweet. Nice story.
Good Luck and Good Hunting,
EKM
Walking into a thicket and having elk explode all around you like pheasants out of a stubblefield is a real treat (and exciting too!). Working a hunt with family members (assuming everyone gets along) is also sweet. Nice story.
Good Luck and Good Hunting,
EKM
