I Shot My Sons Bull !!!!!

[DeKuma]

Sounds like you had a great season Paul!  Thanks for posting the stories, they were great!

[bulldown]

Nice job elknut!  Great story and another fine bull.  I enjoy your detailed descriptions of the hunt.  It really puts me in your shoes as I read it.   Did Paul ever connect?

I specifically took interest in your comment about screaming in the herd bulls face.  I ran into a similar situation this year.   

In short, I bumped a pretty good size group of elk about mid morning.  The herd bull was vocal about 3-4 times allowing me to pin-point his location but I was moving too fast and walked right into the herd which was obviously closer to me.  Cows went every direction.  I saw a nice 6x7 that ripped a bugle during all the commotion but he wasn't the herd bull (or was he?)  A much louder and deeper bugle (the bull that was responding to me earlier that morning) answered the 6x7 further down below.  I watched a very cool looking 5x5 that had dropping eye guards and very good tine length run a circle and steal a few cows.  A spike followed him.  My first reaction was to challenge the 6x7 in hopes he would run me off.  (hind sight, that didn't work).  I screamed in his face and he screamed back.  This happened about 3-4 times.  We were 70 yards apart and I did my best to piss him off but with the scattering of the cows, he was more concerned about keeping the ones he had.  I started to move to my left to get in a better  position but picked up legs moving towards me.  A small 6x6 is coming over to check me out but stopped short and picked up my wind when he was only 30 yards away.  3 cows remained confused and held their position where the 6x7 was.  The big bull from below ripped a few more bugles and they ended up moving towards him.  The 6x7 crossed the creek and moved up the drainage while I sat there in disappointment.  The gig was up with the big bulls so I tried to cow call the small 6 back in but didn't have any luck.


Now, if I could have done it over again.....  I would have preffered not to bump the herd but if I did, I think the better approach would have been to sit quiet and let the herd settle down and then throw out some lost cow calls in hopes one of the satellites would sneak in to pick me up.

Thanks for the story...

Bulldown

[Intruder]

Awesome Paul!

[Buckoholic]

Awsome Bull. Better story!!!

[bowsandhose]

very nice. congrats

[Elknut1]

  Thanks, I'm glad you all enjoyed reading the stories as much as we did living them!  Elk hunting is the pinnacle of hunting with us & it appears many of us here share the same enthusiasm for it!!

  bulldown, great experiences there!!!! They're all memory builders that we can look back on & analyze over & over as to what adjustments we can make in hopes of a better turn out next time!! (grin) You did great!!!

  Hornseeker---I wouldn't change a thing for elk hunts from Oct.-1-19 -- I'd hunt them & call to them the same as the month of Sept. The reason is the 3rd phase of breeding hits around the 10th of Oct. it's a good time to be there before or after that date! Go getem!!!

  ElkNut1

[boneaddict]

Damn I love your stories.  I've done it enough to know what is going through your mind, your sons mind and the bulls mind.  Always gives me goosebumps or the tinglings...  Yep the Trad bow is the ultimate challenge.  Thats what its all about.  A great way to end the season, or at least that part of it.   Not to mention, there is so much more adrenaline when its bugling, or challenging them to get them in then cow calling, or at least it is for me.  Thats my favorite.  There is a time and place for it, but its the ultimate.