First Elk With A Bow...At 4 Yards!

[Duckhunter14]

Drew a Colockum cow tag this year and scouted hard all summer to try an figure out where the elk would be for the opener. My buddy let me apply with him as a group and he had several more points than I did for the archery cow tag, and we drew. I knew that I probably drew only because he brought our average up, so my plan was to really scout hard and try to get him a cow. I went with another buddy up to my spot last year and he shot a big cow 5 min into the hunt. I thought....no problem. We can fill two cow tags in a week. That was until the fire...totally screwed the elk up. They weren't in their usual spots, they weren't talking the first couple days of the hunt and to make a long story short we got on some elk every day he was there. And the last morning he could hunt we got on a hot bull; but I wasn't able to get him on a cow and he had to leave to go back to work. I felt awful, like I let him down. I had told him all summer I'd do my best to get him on a cow while he was there and although the fire was out of my control I still felt bad he had to eat tag soup because of his work schedule he cant make it back over before the season ends. It definitely wasn't for a lack of trying though we hunted hard every day.

Go figure the morning after he leaves I get into the woods in the dark and the elk are talking. I can hear cows talking and one or two bulls bugling. I eased well below and down wind of the herd in the dark and started working my way closer as quietly as possible. Every time the herd bull would bugle I could hear a hunter upwind above the herd doing an awful attempt at a bugle and hoochie mama cow calls (same guy who blew a whole herd from under me last year when I was full draw on a big true spike). I knew I had to make an aggressive move, so I cow called a couple times as I kept some timber between the herd and I. I could start to see cows milling around about 80yds in front of me, I checked the wind one more time and knocked an arrow. I had a stump I wanted to get to and I figured I could get a shot from there. As I eased forward I could hear Mr. Primo's bugle, whaling on his bugle and his buddy squeezing the life out of his hoochie mama and I knew it was only a matter of time before they spooked the herd. The cows were starting to get nervous as I made it to the stump. I ranged the closest cow I could see and she was at 70 yards, just as I eased around the stump and tried to find one closer; the elk behind the ones I could see spooked and went stampeding past them. I cow called and stopped a couple of the cows in front of me, but their vitals were covered by some brush. I just dropped my bow in disgust as 30 seconds later the two elk hunting geniuses came waltzing out into the open and waved with a big smile and then followed the spooked herd into the timber. Really!? Do guys seriously not know to hunt with the wind in their face? And do they really think that wailing on their calls every time they hear an elk wont just educate them? I digress...

The following morning went about the same, walked in the dark until I heard a bugle. Worked my way down wind of the herd and sent my buddy and girlfriend down a skidder road below me (downwind of the elk) and then told them to work into the timber in case the herd crossed in front of me hopefully my buddy could get a shot at a spike. I heard the bull bugle as I made my way up through the timber and he was close, I could hear him ripping up a tree and thrashing everything in his path. I heard a few cow calls and I knew I needed to get about 50 more yards to intercept the herd. As I worked my way into some Christmas trees I could see a nice 80 yard long shooting lane and I crept for it. Just then I heard horns clash and I could see a huge cloud of dust just inside the trees, the herd bull had met a challenger for his harem and they were tearing up the hillside! It was one of the coolest things I have ever heard, grunting, clashing, bugling, sh*& flying everywhere! Then I hear the unmistakable god awful bugle ring from the timber above (upwind mind you) of the elk and the most god awful sound you ever heard coming right for me. It literally sounded like a train coming down the ridge! I first caught movement at the end of my shooting lane a magnificent monster 6x6 stepped into the opening and crested the skyline and bugled, then all hell broke loose. The noise I heard was 100+ cows stampeding right into my shooting lane. The entire 80 yard long window that was about 20 yards wide was all of a sudden full of frantic cows and several turned straight down hill and came right at me, like literally right at me! I came to full draw as cows and calves ran full speed right past me to my left and right panicking as they saw me at the last minute and kicking up dust, I picked out one big cow right in front of me and turned with her as she veered to my right and slowed down to a near stop and stuck one right behind her shoulder as she quartered hard away from me at 4 yards or less. As the dust settled I just dropped to my knees and tried to catch my breath. It was the most intense elk hunting I had ever had and I knew I had just killed my first archery elk. The adrenaline was coursing through my body and I couldn't keep from shaking uncontrollably for about 2 min. I cow called to my buddy and he came up with my girlfriend, and they were both wide eyed! They had about 8-10 cows come crashing down at them too! My girlfriend was mortified but excited at the same time. It was her first time hearing a bugle and probably the closest she'll ever come to a live elk. After giving the cow a good while we eased up to where I shot and we immediately had good blood, within 5 yards we found my arrow. Good blood covering the entire shaft and fletching's, and within 25 yards we found the cow piled up dead. I'll never forget that morning for the rest of my life, it was epic to say the least.

I get really frustrated at times of other hunters, and sometimes even guys in my own camp doing stupid things, or making bad judgment calls in the woods (Even though I know I'm guilty of it at times). But if you keep hunting hard, hunting unselfishly and always staying positive eventually it will happen for you. Persistence pays off! And remember guys, keep the wind in your face and your eye to the skyline!  Good luck to everybody out there! Lets see some more pics!!

[MLBowhunting]

Great job.   

[de0827]

Way to get it done!  Thanks for sharing the story & pics!

[4fletch]

Congrats I heard a bugle this a m thought it sounded kinda like a duck. Night before last this idiot would bugle every few minutes

[jackelope]

Awesome....that's what bowhunting is all about.
Congrats, and good eats.

[lamrith]

great story and congrats!

[erk444]

Good job dude

[Watimberghost]

Congrats man! That's how its done

[go4steelhd]

Nice work!!!

[hoyt5199]

Congrats! I am heading up again tomorrow to try and get it done. We are the last camp up by the reserve. If you are still there feel free to stop by.

[Ranger91298]

Great story, thank you for sharing and congrats!!!

[SniperDanWA]

Great story, thank you for sharing and congrats!!!

  congrats

[bowhunterforever]

Sounds like an exciting hunt, Congrats

[Roosevelt]

Great story! Thanks for sharing!

[iRem]

That was awesome, felt like I was right there with you...Great Story!