3 years of bull

[Stizz]

This is a pretty neat photo series so I thought I'd share. This archery season I had the privilege of taking a bull that i've been watching for the last 3 years. Learning the behavior and intricacies of elk, especially one individual, has been one of the most rewarding parts of bow hunting for me...and i'm sure many others. The drainage I hunt in has been a chore to learn, and with very few elk in it, learning individuals has been a must. So here's his story...

2012. The bull...lets call him junior...came strolling into a wallow cam around the end of august. Here he's a 2 1/2 year old 4x4...not a big guy by any means, but some big ambitions for sure. This time of year was a big change for him, as he was finally coming into maturity and seeing cows in a whole different light than he had in his last two years of life. He had with him 3 young cows, and was more than happy to show them his mud bathing skills... Once the first week of september rolled around, however, the old bull of the woods came out of hiding to do what he'd been doing for many years before- take care of his cows and make sure no other bulls got in his way. Junior never showed up on camera for the rest of the season, and I was able to harvest a beautiful 330 class bull that had been the reigning king of this hole.






2013. Fresh from a summer of growing, Junior was first to show himself in late August. As a 3 1/2 year old, he was an impressive 5x4 now, and had managed to put on a few pounds. Feeling his pride, he put in the hours on the wallow preparing for the weeks ahead. He managed to find 6 cows of his own, and rather than loose them again, he rounded them up and took them away once the time came. I never saw this bull the first week of the season, so I went out exploring hoping to figure out where he was. The last several days of the season, I finally found him holed up in a timber patch with his girls. I managed to pick a pretty great fight with him, slipping between him and his girls and then taunting him with it. A good half hour bugling match ensued, and though he circled me in range the entire time, I never could get the shot off. He finally came to his senses though, rounded up his cows, and headed out. I didn't see him for the rest of the year.







2014. Junior hadn't been seen yet, and he had eluded all my trail cams. I curiously wondered about his fate, though my focus was on a different bull. Opening day found me back in the treestand over his former wallow, but little did I know the first bull to show himself would be him. 2 days of sitting from dawn to dark hadn't produced a single elk, though with dry conditions and quiet elk...I knew it was my best chance. Around noon of the third day, a glimpse of a cow caught my eye feeding toward the wallow. Her and her calf passed cautiously through, giving the OK for the rest of the herd to continue. One by one, cows and calves materialized underneath me...feeding and carefully watching ahead. While peering over the 7 or 8 cows beneath, continuing their day without a single inclination of my presence, I heard the sounds of just one more elk about 100 yards behind the rest. This elk wasn't as cautious as those that had passed, the stomping and distinct antler raking gave a much different message...it was a bull, and these cows were his. As the cows waited, he appeared from the underbrush. A beautiful heavy bull, sporting a 5x6 frame and the confidence to go with it. He fed slowly through the timber, all the while on a mission straight to the wallow. After several minutes he approached the wallow- and not coincidentally- bow range. While the elk fed below, I was standing above with an arrow nocked...trying as hard as I could to keep my heart from pounding out of my chest. The next moments happened so fast I seem to remember them more in frames than as one continuous memory... He slowly turned sideways a few steps in front of a tree i'd previously ranged at 40 yards. My 30/40 gap framed his vitals, and off went the arrow- meeting its mark with force. He turned back and struggled toward the brush that minutes before he had been flipping carelessly with his antlers...not knowing this is where he would take his last breath. After a brief but seemingly endless wait, I climbed down to find an old friend of mine...a bull that I feel truly privileged to take home.

[mfswallace]

Great bull and what a cool way to experience getting to harvest him!!!

[RB]

Wow that is outstanding! Nice Bull 

[Sportfury]

Awesome story and write up. Congratulations!

[gotcha]

That is bad***.  Very cool

[coachcw]

Well done

[jwd7777]

Way to stick with it. Great job!!!!

[DRENALINJUNKIE]

Very cool! Great bull

[SniperDanWA]

Beautiful story and prices to the harvest.  Congratulations, nice bull on lots of hard work and effort.  Well done

[Dhoey07]

Great story, and congrats on your success

[Hockeyhunter]

Great story and congrats!!!!!

[gr8whthunter]

great story and a d*** fine bull, congrats!

[go4itlab]

Great write up!!!! 

[Fullabull]

Great story, interesting coloring on his face, almost looks like a reed stag. Congrats!

[zackmioli]

That's what hunting is all about right there! Congrats!