My Past Due Bull

[go4steelhd]

I was lucky enough after 13 years to draw a rifle bull tag in Washington. This was in  a regular bull unit not a quality.  I had hunted this unit with a buddy 4 years ago. So I had a general idea of what to expect. During the summer I spent 6 weekends scouting the unit. After tips from my friend on where the elk would get pushed during rifle I knew which canyon I was going to spend my time in. My wife and I had a due date of October 15 for are first child and son. So I would be unable go up to locate the elk In The weeks before the opener. Are due date came and the baby still had not come. The doctor decided to induce my wife on the 20th. This is opening day... So I spent the first five days of season in the hospital because we had some minor complications and had to C-section. We came home Friday. With my new son Chase  8)what a great feeling it is to meet them for the first time!!! My wife and her mother said they had things under control if I wanted to go up for the day on Saturday. I told them "your not going to have to twist my arm on this one". So as in most of Washington my area was fogged in. I could see 30 to 100 yards for the first two hours of the morning. I was thinking I'm not going to catch a break on this hunt. Then I thought I could hear a faint bugle down the canyon.  About 10 minutes later I could tell he was coming my way. Then he bulged a few hundred yards away and I could hear cows calling. So I started making my way to him. At this time the fog lifted so I could see across the small canyon and I could see two small branch bulls and a lot of cows coming to me. This was a different heard than the ones I was hearing and moving in on already. I watched them go into the timber below me and followed there calls down the ridge until I could see cows moving in the bottom of the clearing. I always have my shooting sticks extend out for a standing rest for a quick shot while in the timber and use them as a walking staff the rest of the time. The first 10 elk that came thru this clearing were cows. I had a shooting lane about two elk lengths wide. They were about 250 to 300 yards away. I thought as cows kept coming thru maybe I should move to a better spot. But I decided if a bull did step into this clearing I would have a good shot. Sure enough the last elk to walk thru was a branch bull. My first shot he hunched up, so I put two more in him before he went down.
This is not a bad bull for day six of my season. And me only having one day to hunt
While quartering him, I had three spikes and a bull a year older than this one walk by at 125 yards

[h2ofowlr]

Congrats!

[Roosevelt]

Awesome!  Congrats on both fronts!  And...quite a lady you got there to not mind you heading into the woods right after getting home after a C section.  Props to her 

[pianoman9701]

Congrats on the bull and the baby. Look how happy he is you filled your tag!

[GregE]

The last pic is special!!

[Slimdog350]

Congrats on your bull and your boy! My wife and I just had a little boy in July. We also named him Chase. Being a dad is the best thing ever!

[blackveltbowhunter]

Congratz on both the Bull and Baby!!

[cedarriver]

 Congrats on everything! I think your son knew dad was going to get something special.

[carver52]

Congratulation for both your new son and a really nice bull.

[scottcrb]

your a lucky man on many levels congrats.

[elkoholic1]

 

[Fl0und3rz]

Congrats all around.  That smile is awesome.

[brianb231]

Congrats!!!.................and Congrats!!!!!

[M_ray]

Nice bull! congrats on the bull and the new hunting partner! 

[carpsniperg2]

Congrats