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First Elk (Beginners Luck) very long story

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First Elk (Beginners Luck) very long story

Old 09-06-2004, 01:32 PM
  #1  
Spike
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Default First Elk (Beginners Luck) very long story

A few months ago soem friends convinced me to go to Colorado on an archery Elk hunt. Since I have been wanting to go for a while but never did the research, it dindt take much arm twisting and I was in. We arrived to the camp site (near Montrose) Friday morning at 2 a.m., set up the tents and went to sleep for a few hours. After heading to Montrose for liscence and supplies we were able to do a little scouting before dark. 15 minutes into my scouting, I saw 2 cows, a 5 X 5 and another big bull but didnt get a good look since they were running off by then. I then decided to head back to camp and wait until opening day to continue my scouting with bow in hand.

Day 1: At sunrise, I was setup near the location I saw the four elk the previous day. 3 hour later I gave in and started scouting. Shortly after lunch, I spooked an elk and it snorted at me several times before vacting the area. Got back to my moring spot at 4 pm and several animals ran off as I was walking in.

Day 2: At sunrise, I was setup in the same location as the day before with the same results. Mid-morning, I headed back to where I had been snorted at the day before. This time, I approached from UP wind in hopes that the animal would slip out and give me a chance to thoroughly check out the area. When I got to the place, I discovered several large beds, numerous rubs, and piles of droppings. At 2 pm I headed back to the morning location, again I spooked off several elk as I walked in.

Day 3: I headed for the bedding area well before daylight. On this approach, I went 1/2 mile downwind before crossing the ridge then woked my way up the backside. I finally arrived at the bedding area about an hour after daylight but had not spooked anything as far as I could tell. I set up against a spruce tree, 15 yards from the cluster of beds. At 7:45, I heard him cross the ridge top and start workign his way towards the bedding area. A few minutes later I finally see him at about 100 yards and immediately new he was a shooter. At 50 yards he stopped broadside, I drew and then decided tat it was not the shot I wanted and I would give a few more yards to turn towards the beds before I tried a longer shot. 2 steps later he turned and began quartering towards me. At 21 yards and very near broadside, I drew, located my pin for a lung shot and released. "TWANGGGGG" as I burried my broadhead into a small spruce I had never noticed. The bull never flinched and continued working his way towards the bed. I nocked another arrow and began to draw back as he crossed a 15 foot wide old road at 18 yards. My knock pulled out of the arrow and I had to let down. Thanks to the wisker biscuit, the arrow didnt fall to the ground. I placed the nock back in the arrow. By this time the bull was at 14 yards and I was beyond rattled. As I came to full draw, the bull was stopped and looking dead at me. I placed my pin on the lungs and released. A fatal hit but fartehr back than where I had intended. I guess I was shaking to much. I gave the bull 2 hours before I began tracking. After only 150 yards, I lost blood and called in the rest of my hunting group. 4 hours later we had not gained another inch on the trail. They all left for there evening hunt and I continued until dark with no luck.

Day 4: Depressed, hunted fro downed bull all day with no luck.

Day 5: Misserable, continued to luck for bull. At 9 am one my hunting budies called me on the radio to me he had found my bull. I was estatic and ran back to camp. The bull had ran to within about 150 yards of a road and he had marked it on his GPS. We drove around the road to get as close as we could. I ran down the hill and to the bull. He looked much smaller laying there but I had found him, a nice 5 X 5. A few pictures and screams later, I decided to roll the bull over to see where I had hit him. As I rolled him over, I saw the arrow sticking out. The arrow was just behind the lung but it was not mine. We had found someone elses bull. Talk about falling off the earth into a pit. I mustered up enough energy to walk back to the truck with the arrow in hand. I headed down the road to check with a few of the other campers. The first camp I came to had shot a bull Monday moring as well and lost it. I asked to see the an arrow liked the one it was shot with. A perfect match. As I shoed them where the bull was at, the other hunter pointed to a tree with ribbon on it as the location where he had lost the blood trail on Monday. He had gotten within 100 yards of the bull. I spent the evening in camp and wasnt sure I would go back out the rest of the week.

Day 6: I had been woken by coyotes at 3 am. At daylight, I decided to search that area even though it was the opposite direction that the bull had ran. As I got near the location, I heard the crows and ravens. A few steps later, I saw a buzzard and got the smell of something rotten. 100 yards later, I walked up on MY bull. A near 300 inch 6 X 6 but he had broken off the last two points on the right side after I shot him. I called the game warden office an they sent someone out. He inspected my bull, voided my tag and allowed me to remove the head.

I spent the remainder of that day and the next looking for the broke horn with no luck.

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Old 09-06-2004, 02:28 PM
  #2  
Nontypical Buck
 
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Default RE: First Elk (Beginners Luck) very long story

Persitence Pays!!! Glad that you were able to stick with it and find your bull!!! Congratulations!!
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Old 09-08-2004, 11:28 AM
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Default RE: First Elk (Beginners Luck) very long story

Sorry to hear about your bad luck, push the game departments to get tracking hounds for this exact reason. Glad you stuck to it and didn't just go stick another bull. You did the right thing in a bad situation, I respect you for that.Wish you could've gotten to enjoy that meat.
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Old 09-09-2004, 06:14 PM
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Nontypical Buck
 
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Default RE: First Elk (Beginners Luck) very long story

Sorry that it was such an ordeal. However, I am glad that you were willing to share your story. It's proof positive that you are an ethical hunter. There are too many people out there now who would have given up. I applaud your ethics!!! Happy hunting from here on out wherever and whenever you go.
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Old 09-10-2004, 11:59 AM
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Default RE: First Elk (Beginners Luck) very long story

Thats a great story and a great bull. If your looking to have a taxidermist put those points back on call Valentine Taxidermy Pueblo CO. 1 719 547-3404 this guy can make it look like its the real deal..
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Old 09-12-2004, 08:01 AM
  #6  
Spike
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Default RE: First Elk (Beginners Luck) very long story

Thanks for the support. As for the taxidermist, two of the four guys in my huting party are master taxidermist so that part is covered.
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Old 09-13-2004, 08:59 PM
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Default RE: First Elk (Beginners Luck) very long story

You should check out the big game forum at www.bowsite.com. I'd bet you'd get a ton of reply's with that story. Take Care.
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