Nice Backcountry 6x5 Bull Down!

[flyguide]

Hi guys,

Here are some pics and a story from my Eastside Elk hunt.  I feel like I made the most out, other than I didn't get to hunt the whole season.  It was a great trip and the bulls were pretty fired up despite the scorching weather and a bit of other hunting pressure.  Day 1 we spotted 5 bulls right off the bat and tried to work a cow call game on a big sat bull but he declined our offer of some 'play time'.  Later that day we hiked into a heavily timbered basin and there were a couple of bulls going at 1 pm.  We tried to call them out but neither would come in so we moved up, bumped the herd and brought in a nice 6 point that had one side broken off.  I would LOVE to see the bull that busted off that antler.  He was nearly a 300" bull if he was packing both sides.  He raked for about 10 minutes but would never step clear for a shot at 40 yards.  We didn't set up well and should have put the shooter back further.  Over the next couple of days we called in 2 more bulls, a big 6 point that hung up at 70 yards and a nice 5 point that came into 17 yards and raked up some heavy stuff and wouldn't give my pal a clean shot.

On day 4 I was set to hike out to the rig for a break at home after a morning hunt.  We planned to make a quick morning play on some bulls.  We got onto a nice one before daylight and once we could see some pins we set up and got a game working on him.  Unfortunately we spooked his cows and they gave us the 'alarm' bark.  We gave up and then the bull on the hill started to 'bark' back so we took it as a challenge call and ripped off a bugle.  He came trotting off of the hill at about 150 yards right at me.  I posted up in a small opening and could here him coming in.  He took his time and started to vere off to my left and I could see his big rack floating over the deadfall and underbrush.  LOTS of ivory meaning long tines.  I moved a bit to get an alley and he stopped on cue without any help.  I opted not to range him because it was a tight alley and he was a little apprehensive on coming in.  I didn't want to risk him taking a step forward.  I held a straight up 40 yards, leveled the bubble, gave it some back tension, PERFECT ARROW! except for the fact that the bull was 50 yards away.  Bummer, depressed.  The bull whirled and ran and didn't put on the brakes even with some very convincing chuckles.

So I headed back to meet up with my buddy and he could see in my eyes before I even had to explain.  He jokingly pointed a finger at my head as though it was a gun and decapitated me in his mind.  I was ready to call it a day.

It was still early so we pushed on and called in a small bull but he slipped past my buddy that was posted up as the shooter and busted me reaching for my release at 30 yards.  Now I was even more bummed out.  It was after 9 am and I had about 8 miles to hike out that day so I was looking to jet.  We were near a saddle that I had bivy scouted in August and had been covered up in elk all night so I dug deep and found the motivation to push around the hill and rip off one more locater bugle before we were through for the morning.  We wrapped around the ridge and I ripped off a big bugle and imediately we got a raspy response that was only about 300 yards away.  We started moving quickly and made a perfect line towards the bull.  As we were approaching the estimated 150 yard bubble we begin to start looking for a setup.  We paused and then realized we didn't even have time to setup.  We could here him coming straight at us already!

We had a band of Alpine fir on our left that we would have to come around so we pulled in against it and nocked up.  Only a few seconds later an elk busts out of the thick stuff and starts to walk sidehill below us, we were both at full draw and out comes a COW! at 10 yards and then it takes a few steps towards us and freezes up looking at 2 guys in full camo at 7 yards.  We held back for what seemed like eternity and then we herd him coming.  In my peripheral vision (I didn't want to turn), I saw the rack coming and he came into the opening and exposed his head, brisket, and mane.  I debated taking it through the branches for a few seconds and then realized at 10 yards with branches at 8 yards weren't going to deflect my arrow.  I put my top pin right where I thought his chest to be and punched it through.  Out he lept and we saw that it was indeed a great hit with good penetration.  He bolted downhill and just like on "Primos TV" we heard him fall!  It was awesome.  My arrow went in just in front of his near shoulder and came out just behind his far shoulder and he only made it about 50 yards.

It was an awesome hunt but I must say we left it all on the field.  We chased those elk all day and didn't give up during mid day at all, we kept up with them all the way from their feeding areas to their bedding areas in the morning and likewise in the afternoon.  We had as many close calls mid day as the morning or evening.  I shot my bull at around 10 am. 

Enjoy the pics and I am already pumped for my next tag!

[DeKuma]

Nicely done and a great write up!

Congrats!

[arrowflinger]

Thanks for sharing..........great story and pictures. Way to go 

[X-Force]

Great looking bull. Good story. What permit did you get drawn for?

[flyguide]

Peaches Ridge.  5 years to draw.

[wamuledeer]

Great bull, sounds like you had a heck of a hunt. We got into them pretty good too on the Rimrock unit but just couldn't close the deal.

[NW-Eric]

nice looking bull, way to hang in there and keep going

[TeacherMan]

Congratulations. What do you think your bull scores? No matter what its a great animal and you earned him.

[rosscrazyelk]

Man we better stop posting picks of all these bulls we might draw to much attention

[bowsandhose]

sweet, congrats on a nice bull

[Wea300mag]

You archery guys are on fire!!!

I love those backcountry tent poles.

Congrats and thanks for telling us about your hunt.

[MuleySniper]

Great story and awesome pics! Way to go.
MS

[mwhite]

Great bull!  Congratulations on a well deserved trophy!

[hard hunter]

Great Bull,  What a trophy, Sounds like a heck of a hunt.

[WACATHUNTER]

Congrats on another nicearchery Bull Joe.  I'll give you a call here this week to hear more.  Also I got some Questions on the Entiat.  Congrats again!
WACAT