First elk.....solo....I'm beat

[FANATIC]

So all the practice calling and scouting paid off. I connected Sun. night. It was by far the coolest hunting experience I've ever had. Heres the story. I arrived at my spot Sat. afternoon and was immediately disappointed to find people in every nook and cranny up the FS road. At first I thought they were hunters, but they were berry pickers, all from California. There were huge groups. Some had 5-6 vans at their camp spots. I make the best, find a spot to camp, and head to the ridge to hike in to the bowl where I'd seen elk a few times. As I hike in, I listen to the berry pickers yell back and forth to each other. I get in and no elk. The next morning I hike the 2-3 miles again, and again no elk. So I come out and choose a different trail, and hike in about another 3-4 miles, calling as I go. Once again no elk.
 At this point I decide to move down into the timber hoping that the elk are seeking refuge from the berry pickers and the heat. I pick a spot that has been thinned, and is surrounded by the thick dark timber. I ease into it and start my routine, move 20 yds and cow call, and repeat. After an mile or so I hit the call and a bull erupts...close. I call again, and he bugles again, this time closer. We keep this up, and at about 50 yds ( I still cant see him), he stops and proceeds to destroy a tree. It sounds like hes running a dozer through the trees. This goes on for about 10 mins. Every time he bugles, I almost cut him off with a cow call. I keep peeking over the stump I'm behind looking for him, then all the sudden there he is, at 35 yds. He is closing the distance fast. I decide he will turn and go down the trail to my left, which will give me a 25yd broadside shot. He decides he will take the trail I'm on instead. This puts him on a collision course with me! I draw behind the stump and stand. He is 10yds and closing. At 5yds I decide it is shoot or get stepped on. The arrow disappears into his chest. He bolts and I call to stop him. It works and I hit him again in the shoulder at 40 yds. Done and done. It took 5 1/2 hours to get him out.
  This is the stuff dreams are made of. Close encounters like this are why I bowhunt. I'm still in awe of this bull bugling right on top of me. I'm hooked.
   He's not the biggest, but hes my first, and one I will never forget. I may never top this experience. I'm glad I was able to do this solo, but I've decided elk hunting is a team sport. Not just for packing, but for calling. Its hard to call, range, draw all by youself. Anyway that's the story. Sorry to be long winded, but I'm still excited.
   The pics are self portraits, so it looks like I'm long arming it, but the camera is downhill. This was the only way to set it up. Enjoy!

[hogsniper]

Awesome bull!!!! Congrats and way to go on doing it by urself.... Justin

[bucklucky]

Way to go man! Nice job!!

[Ray]

Good lookin elk. I know you 

[jackelope]

hot damn....that is sooooo cool. you worked hard for that bull and i'm proud of you. way to go.






now get down there quick as you can friday night....i'll need all the help i can get getting mine.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Great job!

[MichaelJ]

AWESOME!  Congrats man thats a helluva trophy!!

Michael

[mlgunkel]

Great Job, thanks for taking time to write it up & post the pictures.  I really enjoyed the read. 

[jeepasaurusrex]

Nice write up. You should submit it to a few magazines. 

[cohoho]

Terrific job, what a way to go. 

[Bean Counter]

Congratulations. Beautiful bull, and great job on the story! Where was this at?

[Bigshooter]

Great job and a great bull.

[addicted]

awesome

[X-Force]

Awesome story. Congrats on the trophy.

[Gobble]

Awesome Job! Nice story, thanks for sharing

[Ironhead]

Persistence pays off again, great bull and story too.

[Skinner]

Nice bull, way to go!

[MuleySniper]

Great job! That would be a rush having one come in at five yards!!
MS

[Intruder]

That's awesome man.... great story!!!

I like the white gloves too

[rainshadow1]

What a great hunt, Fanatic! Way to go! That's what bow hunting is all about!

[WAcoyotehunter]

Nice work!  Sounds like a rewarding way to take an elk!

[zackmioli]

Awesome bull and an awesome story! Congrats!

[SCRUBS]

Way to go! Congrats on the great bull. I think it would be hard to top that experience for sure

[bow4elk]

AND THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE!!

This is one of the best examples I can think of in recent history of a "normal" guy getting after it, staying positive, staying flexible, using his head, and making it happen.  Humble to boot.  I love seeing stories and successes like this!!  It sets a GREAT example for all those who aspire to be in a similar set of photos.  And I surmise that this successful ending is cemented on a solid foundation of strong field ethics as well.

Hats off to you on your well-deserved success.  It truly is an amazing experience, and rest assured that even though you were alone out there, you aren't anymore.

I hope all new bowhunters read this and realize that there are no crutches, salts, minerals, tricks, technology, etc., etc., that can replace the basics of bowhunting elk in the mountains.

And what impressed me the most was your composure to execute a second shot.  This tells me that while your first shot may or may not have been placed where you wanted, you held it together to get another arrow in him, thus dramatically improving your odds of a quick humane kill and short recovery.

And you packed a camera to capture the moment forever.  Love the shavings on his forehead, by the way!!

[DWB]

Great story and Great bull! 

Congrats!

[jstamp]

congrats. great bull. hey who told you about the area anyway... lol

[Red Dawg]

nicely done. Great hunt, story and bull. doesn't get much better than that.

[Ghost Hunter]

What a solo!  Great job!!  Congratulations!!

[Wea300mag]

Well done FANATIC, that's one you will remember forever.

[cascademountainhunter]

good job and great story!!

[PolarBear]

Congrats and well done man!

[Timberlineduke]

NO KIDDING....HELL OF A STORY.....GREAT JOB ALL THE WAY AROUND.....RELAX AND HAVE BEER NOW...YOU'VE EARNED IT!!!

[elkaholic]

awesome, i see you gotthe gloves on, no glove no love, great BULL!!!

[FANATIC]

thanks for all the nice replies. I just finished a tenderloin dinner, and it was delicious!   I'm still giddy as a schoolgirl. This hunt further instilled the practice, research, scout method. I get just as much enjoyment from the preseason research than I do from the hunt.....well not as much. I put a hundred times more hours researching before the season than I did actually hunting. Its just nice to confirm that if you do some homework, get some tips from the people on this site, and put in your time scouting and hunting, you can connect. And the fact that I was so tired when I got back to camp, I didn't even eat dinner or celebrate with a beer before I went to bed, cements in my mind that this was a success mentally and physically. I cant get the sound of that bull screaming at 20 yds out of my mind.

This weekend its back in the mountains with Jackelope to try and call in a bull for him. SWEET!

And the white gloves are not a fashion statement, I just went in auto pilot and started cleaning him and then remembered to take some pictures. That's why the pics are from the neck up.

[jackelope]

yahoo!! can't wait. i have a day and a half solo too...maybe i'll get it done before you show up...

don't try and fool anybody about your white gloves.
 

[elkaholic_74]

you have some serious skills man not only for hunting but for writing as well! Congrats and thank you for the awesome read and pics.

[Crunchy]

I feel sorry for u if u packed him out solo.  I helped a friend pack out one last week.  it was 6 miles for camp about an hour before dark.  We had left camp that morning at 5am and got back at 1130pm.  I think I covered about 20plus miles that day.  I was beat.

[hard hunter]

Thanks for the great story and pic. Beautiful bull.

[Tony 270WSM]

Great job!

[boneaddict]

Excellent Job Fanatic.  Thats how its done.  Double thumbs on a great trophy.

[Curly]

And the white gloves are not a fashion statement, I just went in auto pilot and started cleaning him and then remembered to take some pictures. That's why the pics are from the neck up.

I didn't even notice the gloves until you mentioned it.  That is a nice bull.  Good job.

[PA BEN]

What do you mean not a great bull. That bull for a 5 point is a good bull, and a bow kill to boot and first elk!!! most bow hunters would hope for a spike or a cow, but end eatting tag sup. My first elk with a bow was a calf and it was my first elk. Solo, man this is the best, you are the man, to test yourself like that well set this memory for life. Good job and thanks for the post.