bowsandhose 380 bull (offical P&Y score)

[bowsandhose]

378 3/8 gross and 364 net P&Y Non-Typical
This season was shaping up like the previous 7 yrs with different states draws coming and  going with nothing to show but a shrinking bank account and a pile of unsuccessful letters.  Then, the Washington draw my last hope and a word im not use to seeing successful. With that the fun started, buying maps and looking at aerial photos, studying them with a fine tooth comb. Phone calls and emails talking with biologist and locals and driving my family crazy with non stop elk talk. As the season grew closer fear was building in me with high gas prices a wife and two boys and a six hour plus drive had kept me home from scouting. I do have to give Troy A.K.A. Broken Arrow and Charlie A.K.A. Bucklucky a huge thank you, both of you guys gave me leads on some great hunting spots. So thanks again. My plan was to chase white tails in the Okanogan for the first few days of the season. I passed on a spike and a doe on opening morning, and then I did not see another deer out of my stands. So I packed up and headed south on Thursday the 4th. I got in some great scouting, every spot I had picked on a map or was told  to check out had bulls bugling, scrapes and rubs it was amazing. My father arrived on Saturday he gave up his hunting season to call for me. Thanks dad. Charlie got in on Sunday so we BS and planed. Finally opening morning and what a day. With out even having to call we had five bulls bugling around us I have never experienced any thing like that during elk hunting. We set up and started cow calling and had two bulls get into a screaming match with a winner decided he moved in but held up in a thicket of spruce at 80 yards with no clear view of him or his head gear. Similar hunts for the next few days still had not laid my eyes on any bone. And then 9-11 (343 never forget) we took a moment to be thankful to be alive and able to enjoy our freedoms. The plan was to hike in 4 miles and hunt all day we saw my fist bone of the trip at sunup a nice 315"+ 6x6 called in to 68 yards he saw me move and walk off. We also saw a big bull and 20+ cows across a very deep and steep canyon but that was about it for the day. On the way out we were leaving a bit early despite my whinnying about it, just then my dad spots a mule deer buck and its on.   I get within 10 yards with a steep uphill shot I draw back and let one sail way over his back and the buck bolts.   So,  I drop down the point and beat feet to were he was heading.   I pop out to find him staring at me he bolts again I throw out a baa he stops an looks back 20 yards and that was a fatal mistake for my shot was true and he piled up in about 40 yards. What a great end to a long hard day with a beautiful 3x4 he is now know as the 9-11 buck and I going to do a head mount of him. Back at camp we gave Charlie a razing (despite the fact he had seen more and bigger bulls) and told him we were taking Friday off to take care of my deer, and if he was going to kill a bull that would be a great day to get it done. So on Friday I went to check my messages and to my surprise three messages  from Charlie saying he had got the big one but that’s his story. Saturday I passed on a 300" 6x6 at 10 yards broadside Sunday I passed on a rag horn 5. Monday was the full moon and the temp soared no morning bugle no evening bugle Tuesday  no morning bugle no evening bugle Wednesday no morning bugle, Wednesday night tried a new spot walking and calling we finally got an answer a nasty old growling bugle way down a dark steep thick hill with day light running short we tighten up our boots and bombed down the hill we called but the bull held up at 100 yards and then moved off but still calling so  I stalked in while my father followed slowly, cow calling and small bull bugling. The bull keep moving off and we keep following. Eventually he gave us the slip. On the hike out we joked that the bull was going to the open ridge top to kick are butts just then a recognizable  nasty old growling bugle belted out on the ridge above us then cows and the bull popped over and  started looking down the hill we were trap on the hillside and I had the bull 20 yards from me for 30 min but all I could see was a tine now and then. The elk seemed to move off and with 10 min of light left I busted up the hill when I popped out I could see 10-15 cows at about 70 yards but no bull.  Dad let out a bugle and the bull fired back right in front of me,  he walked down the ridge turned and looked down the hill 10 yards from me I drew back aimed and lets just say the rest is a blur the shot felt good and the bull turned and ran hard but he stopped just out of sight and started bugling again so we back out and had a long sleepless night. The next morning on the way back in we heard a recognizable  nasty old growling bugle again so I knew I had not killed him, went back to were I had shot an sure enough clean miss. While standing their scratching my head about what had transpired, I saw movement on a ridge a mile away it was a big bull running cows he was running back and forth pushing cows into a dog hair cliff when I put the glass on him we knew it was the same bull. A quick check on the map to confirm the ridge he was on and off we went. Over a hour later we were on the ridge a few cow calls down a steep thick dark hillside and out bellows a recognizable  nasty old growling bugle. I slid down the hill a ways and dad kept cow calling and here comes white tips up the hill he lets out a nerve-racking  bugle at 25 yards oblivious to danger he stopped at 20 yards from me and I drew pick a spot and aimed and with a whack he turn and bombed down the hill and cashed. We waited a while and then started down the hill only to see antler sticking up out of the brush 50 yards from were I shot. I had done it, I had shot an ancient bull, a herd bull,  my dream bull. This old bull (we call him the Monarch) only had one whistler and it was loose and worn even with the gums the other had already fallen out, his other teeth showed heavy wear.  But this old dog was still in the game with 15-20 cows in his little hideout. The Monarch bull is a main frame 6x7 with a cheater off the bases of both swords his left sword also has a 3" kicker off it and his main beam has two ring hangers on it also. He unofficially green scores 378 3/8 gross and nets 364" non- typical not that score matters. I love this bulls rack his mass is sweet, the bases of his swords are over 8" and his 8 main beam measurement are 65 4/8 .In all I had a great hunt and met some great people             

[bowsandhose]

 

[archery288]

Congrats man!!!!!  That's a hell of a bull!!!  

[bowsandhose]

few more

[jackelope]

awesome write up...looking for some more pics now please!!

[FANATIC]

the mass on that is insane! congrats on the HUGE bull!

[hunterbuilder]

Great story and awesome pics! What a bull. Congrats man. Way to "EARN" your bull of a lifetime.

[Craig]

Awesome bull

[nwhunter]

Great bull and great story and pics, hunt and bull of a lifetime for now anyways. I remember the feeling you and bucklucky got to enjoy this year and I still get it when I look at my bull hanging in my entryway! I get to get in on one more blues hunt next week as my buddy has a muzzie tag and charlie is hooking me up with his hot spots. Thanks Charlie and good job bowsandhose. nwhunter

[jackelope]

how many points did you have going in to the draws? 7?

[Jackjr]

Nice bull.  Thats a bull of a lifetime for sure. 

[257 Wby Mag]

Awesome story B&H!! mwhite and I were talking on the phone the other night, we both figured it was crowding 400''. Either way, that is a hellava bull, for a good man! Congrats...

[bowsandhose]

i had 7pts for WA elk.
i think this bull was regressing i bet a few years ago he was over 400" but hard to say

[X-Force]

I love thats things rack. Awesome bull, great pics and write up.

[actionshooter]

That thing is a hawg!!! I love the mass.