Exhilaration, Excitement, Anticipation and then Disappointment

[returnofsid]

As some of you may know, I'm very new to archery hunting.  Yesterday, the last day of Early Archery Elk, I got one last chance to hunt.  I awoke at 2:30AM and left the house, headed for my hunting grounds.  I walked into the area just after 4:00 and awaited daylight.  I'm overlooking a large clear cut hillside, with several trails off to my right.  At 6:08, I hear an elk bugle quite a ways off to my right.  I bugle back and he answers back!  That's something I've never experienced!!  Then all is quiet.  10 minutes later I bugle again, he answers and then another elk, much closer and off to my left answers!  5 minutes later, I let another bugle rip...the bull to my left answers and is closer! For the next 15 minutes, he and I bugle back and forth with him getting closer and closer.  This entire time, I'm thinking to myself "you don't even know how to bugle, you're probably bugling in a spike."  This is fine as I'll shoot it!

By 6:45 I know this elk is close and I can hear it crashing through the brush, getting closer.  I'm watching his direction and I see 12 or 13 bright ivory tips towering above the brush!!  Then I see him...This is a MONSTER trophy elk!!  He's about 40 yards away, in thick brush, looking right at me.  I'm all camo'd out with a face mask on and he's screaming at me!  I give a couple cow calls, then a bugle and he starts tearing up the brush and screaming back at me again.  I can see his belly bouncing as he bugles!! 

For the next 20 minutes he hangs up between 40-60 yards, in thick brush and circles me.  Luckily I had cow estrus scent on a wick, hanging behind my head!  The only time he gets within my comfortable range, clear of brush, he's either quartering towards me or facing me at 25 yards...UGH! 

At one point, something spooked him and he ran up the hill about 100 yards.  I screamed out a couple bugles, he turns and races right back at me, only to hang up at 60 yards again.  Finally, I decided to take a chance.  I'd read, on here, about getting aggressive so I did.  I left my backpack behind, picked up my bow and went after him.  I was careful to keep trees between he and I as I crashed through the brush towards him.  I intentionally broke branches, stomped on the ground, kicked over rotten stumps and hit the trees and shrubbery with a thick stick, all while bugling.  He just kept screaming back at me!

Finally, I feel like I'm as close as I can get, estimating him at 40 yards, with only one small bush between us.  I stand up and wait for him to step out.  As I see him stepping out I come to full draw.  He walks to his left, broadside, and I give a cow call to stop him.  It works!  He stops, perfectly broadside, looking right at me.  I wait for his gaze to leave me, as I settle my 40 yard pin on his vitals.  At 7:17 AM, He turns his head and I squeeze the release! 

I didn't hear my arrow hit, I didn't see my arrow fly...I had complete tunnel vision and all I heard was my heart beating in my head!  He runs uphill about 75 yards, stops, looks at me and walks into the trees, out of sight.  I don't see a mark on him.  I sit down and breath and text my son, who's hunting about a mile away, also approaching something that's answering his bugles.  After about 10 minutes I walked back to my backpack, packing everything up and preparing for a long wait and then to track a blood trail!!

After about 45 minutes I walk back to the spot I shot from, look at where he was standing and mark a straight line, using a burned tree directly behind me and a broken tree directly behind where he'd been standing.  I walk a straight line directly to where he was standing.  I see his tracks in the dirt and start looking for my arrow...nothing.  I look for blood...nothing.  I spent the next 2 hours walking in ever growing circles, looking for my arrow or any sign of blood. After 2 hours of looking, I follow the elk's tracks as he ran up the hill, very slowly looking everywhere for blood or my arrow...nothing.  I was able to follow his trail all the way to the top, with not a single sign that I'd hit him...UGH. 

About this time my son texts me, letting me know that the bugling that he'd been trading off and approaching was another hunter...lol...and he was headed my way to assist in the search.  I walked back down to the area I'd been sitting in and waited for him.  When he showed up I walked him through the entire situation, stopping where I shot and directing him to where the elk had been standing.  Using my range finder, I ranged my son.  He was at 58 yards!  Ugh!!  I'd shot 18 yards too short! 

We spent the next 3 hours looking for my arrow, any sign of blood, and following the elk's tracks.  We followed the tracks across a dusty road, seeing absolutely no sign that this was anything other than a healthy bull! 

By now it was almost 90 degrees.  We found a shady spot to relax for awhile and eat.  We returned to the spot the elk had been standing when I shot, looking again for the arrow.  Still nothing. 

I am not sure how low my arrow would be, shooting at a 58 yard elk, using my 40 yard pin, but I can only assume I shot completely under him, maybe even burying my arrow in a slash pile that was between the elk and myself.

[jackelope]

Good story. I'd think at that distance your arrow was probably a couple feet low. 

[turkeyfeather]

I would say you probably shot well below him and your arrow buried itself. That sucks, but what a cool story. 

[returnofsid]

That's what I'm thinking too...unfortunately.  I'm probably headed back to the same area mid week, to deer hunt.  Maybe I'll come across my arrow...

[pd]

ReturnOfSid, that really is a wonderful story.  I know what you are thinking: "How can it be 'wonderful' when I missed?"  Wrong, it is wonderful because you seem to have done almost everything correctly, and you got the best experience and education in your elk hunting career.  OK, you ate tag soup, but you are a much better hunter because of it.  You will find another huge bull like that again, I am sure, because of your skill.  Keep up your confidence, and start planning for next year.

[300rum]

I found my arrow 3 years latter one time.  Still have a complete pass through on a bull that is still out there somewhere.  Keep an eye out. 

That's what I'm thinking too...unfortunately.  I'm probably headed back to the same area mid week, to deer hunt.  Maybe I'll come across my arrow...

[lostbackpacker]

low by a couple of feet easily. too bad, but still a rush. 

[rtspring]

You got to hunt the most amazing animals alive! Be thankfull you got to do it...  Keep at it... Good luck

[JLS]

Sounds very familiar, the highs and the lows.  I guarantee you that using your 40 yard pin at 58 yards you did not hit the bull.  Rest easy knowing he's fine.

Glad you had fun, anyone that gets to bowhunt elk is very blessed.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Boy you did everything right! Till the shot.  I only chuckle because I've done it so many times as well! 

[returnofsid]

Boy you did everything right! Till the shot.  I only chuckle because I've done it so many times as well! 

Chuckling is absolutely an acceptable response...it's all I can do...lol

Sounds very familiar, the highs and the lows.  I guarantee you that using your 40 yard pin at 58 yards you did not hit the bull.  Rest easy knowing he's fine.

Glad you had fun, anyone that gets to bowhunt elk is very blessed.

I've finally convinced myself of that as well.  For awhile, I was worried that I'd left a wounded elk in the woods.  After many hours, without any sign of blood, it still bothered me that I couldn't find my arrow.  Until my son showed up, and I ranged him at 58 yards, I was really starting to feel awful!

[JLS]

My Mathews bow shoots a 450 grain arrow at about 260 fps.  At 58 yards using my 40 yard pin, I would be at least 26 inches low I think.  I know there is about 10-11 inches difference between 40 and 50, and the dropoff after 50 starts to get really drastic.

[lokidog]

Great adventure.  Nothing like a crazed bull almost within spitting distance.  You can find out how low you were, just go to your target, walk out 58 yards and put your 40 yard pin on it.  Look where your 50 or 60 yard pins are, if you have them, or look the same distance below the 40 that the 20 is above it.  this should give you an idea of how low it was.

Fun times.  I didn't even go out yet this year with my archery elk tag.....

[SemperFidelis97]

It happens it may be time to invest in a good rangefinder if you already don't have one, it is hard enough to get an elk within range you do not want your equipment to be the reason you don't capitalize on your opportunity.  I had a deer I shot several years ago that I never found the arrow to.  I was in the area with my family a few years later showing them where I had shot the deer.  My wife walked over like it was no big deal plucked an arrow out of a tree, and said I wonder if this is yours.  Sure enough it was.

[returnofsid]

It happens it may be time to invest in a good rangefinder if you already don't have one, it is hard enough to get an elk within range you do not want your equipment to be the reason you don't capitalize on your opportunity.  I had a deer I shot several years ago that I never found the arrow to.  I was in the area with my family a few years later showing them where I had shot the deer.  My wife walked over like it was no big deal plucked an arrow out of a tree, and said I wonder if this is yours.  Sure enough it was.

My rangefinder was hanging on my neck...lol

I'll be deer hunting in the same area, leaving tonight or early tomorrow morning, through Friday afternoon.  Who knows, maybe I'll trip over my arrow.