DOUBLE-LUNG

This is my first year bow hunting. Opening day was Thursday 8/30/07 in northern idaho. The morning started out perfect. Temps were around 42 degrees.I was solo hunting and entered the woods around 06:20 AM. Started out late since I had to work mygraveyard shift. The area had yielded some great successful elk rifle hunts. Proceeded tofollowing a well used game trail. Located several rubs on trees. Found a good place to setup and started cow calling. After a few minutes of waiting between calls I could hear something moving through the trees then silence. After about10 minutesI moved a short distance to setup again.Proceeded to make a few more cow calls and the woods were alive again. I waited and once again silence after a couple minutes. Experience told memake more calls andwaite. About 20 moreminutes passed w/o any activity. I'm thinking all this time that whatever isin the woods is long gone. Finally decided it was time to continue my stalk and wasmaking my way down the trailmaking some cow calls. I'll bet the cow call had no more then left my lips and WOW there was a huge 5x5 bull elk coming strait for me out of the trees. Luckily there was a couple nice size trees between us.
Now was decision time.There is about 12 yards between us and wind blowing in my face. What side of the trees was he going to present me a shot? Keep in mind I'm on one knee and my heart is about to explode. The bull elk knew something was on the other side of the trees. He started to come to my left and I moved. Busted!! Now the stare down had started. I'm at full draw for what seems a lifetime. Eventually he moved and was trying to get a better wind angle. Due to trees and branches there was not a clear broadside (ethical)shot. Finally I see a shooting window. Shot distance was about 15 yards. Everything was in slow motion. The arrow was aimed dead center for the boiler room.One problem. I wasn't seeing the small branchthat blended into the elk.My arrow hit that branch and the trajectory flipped the arrow at an angle. All I got to hear was the thump of an arrow shaft bouncing off his side and him crashing through the trees. Never to be seen again! There no cow call in the world that he was stopping to check out. 1st official bow hunting miss! I plan on using that same arrow on my next shot opportunity!! Hope ya enjoyed my story.

David

tsoc

Great story! That had to be really exciting.I hope you have more opportunities to put your tag on one!

IUSEPSE

Good read! Sorry to hear about the miss but everyone goes through that at some point in time! Good luck and keep us updated on your season!

Austin/WI

That is a great story, that would have been a great to get on film too. Good luck with you next one!

m00sedrool

Hope you get another chance soon. I can picture that scene pretty well. Reminds me of an encounter I had in the first hour of the first day of my first elk hunt several years ago in Montana when I bugled in a nice 6x6.....only I never got a shot.

It's still exciting as heck and I think if I had to pick one species to bowhunt exclusively....elk would be it.

Have fun!

Bullet Hole Bailey

That was an AWESOME story!!!

Good luck, hope you get him !!

medic stalker

Great story, What part of Idaho are you from, I just got a fire/medic job in Nampa, near Boise. Haven't met any other Idaho members. Duane

Finch

You really had me thinking you got him. Glad to hear he wasn't injured. Good luck next time.

Surf62

Excellent read, what a rush you must have got. Good luck on the next one.

Paul

DOUBLE-LUNG

Thanks for the feedback fellow hunters!
I wish my experince was on film. Would have beengreat for anybody wanting a adrenalin rush.
It has been a rough week. I've been hunting south of Sandpoint, ID. The afternoon weather has been upper 70's to 80's. Really limits the elk movement.Early AM has been best time. I seen my elusive 5x5 again, but unable to close thedistance for a shot. It's all a matter of time and I'llget that opportunity again. I'll keep ya all updated.