Busted!

[WapitiTalk1]

A few of you HuntWA cats have mentioned how it's crazy town to not have your bow in hand or "very" accessible when in a calling situation in one or both of the Your Move threads.

Take it one step further and please, share a story of getting absolutely BUSTED by an elk while either in a calling situation, or, just taking a break in the elkwoods. I have more than a few but here's one of my most memorable.

Early 80s, NW Montana, hunting with my buddy. We have just climbed about 38,666 feet (seemed like that far) straight up a steep sidehill below the CAB MT Wilderness after hunting a wallow on the other side of the draw. Early afternoon, sitting on a sunny hillside on a trail, in the middle of a 100 yard wide rockslide (ya, I know....). While snacking on a sandwich, my buddy decides to just throw a locator bugle out for the hell of it; back to smacking on our sands. Well, a few minutes later, we both hear a bit of shale sliding noise above us and look up to see a very nice 6PT standing in the huckleberry brush, right on the upper edge of the slide, looking down at us. No play on that one but we scrambled and tried anyway. Seems like I would have learned a lesson there somewhere 

[Jonathan_S]

Haha, I am one of the ones who said I would never not have bow in hand.  I didn't say I have never been busted   

So my first year of archery elk hunting.  I'm in a 3 pt or better unit.  About two hours into the first day I sit down near a dry creek bed with a little cover and eat a granola bar.  It couldn't have been more than 3 minutes later when I hear what sounds like a horse walking down the creek bed behind me.  I sat still and turned my slllooooowly around to see a 4x5 staring at me.  He was 22 yards away and facing straight on with brush in the way.  We stared down for a few minutes and I was shaking uncontrollably.  He started walking towards me but I had no shot, eventually the wind swirled and he blew out and left for good.

I hunted for the next six days and never saw another bull.  Still stings.  I can't stand thinking about it so thanks for bringing it up   

[DOUBLELUNG]

September 30, 1993.  Last day of archery season in Wyoming, early afternoon.  Had just blown a sneak on a bedded spike (any bull).  Was standing idly enjoying the sunshine, when I heard a bugle to the north.  I advanced to the edge of the timber, across a sagebrush bowl about a mile away - the timber was like a big C around the bowl, I was at the bottom end.  At the top end, cows were filtering out of the trees.  I cut loose with a bugle and an enormous bull bellowed and stepped to the edge of the trees - almost white, long beams, short tines, crazy mass.  He did not like my bugle and cut loose with about one a minute.  I made it half way around the arc of trees - maybe 3/4 mile - before he slowed down.  I didn't do any more calling, but adjusted my angle each time he bugled.  I got to the bottom of the timber patch directly below his last bugle - an ancient lodgepole stand.  I advanced very, very slowly the wind at my 10 o'clock, glassing nonstop.  The sun was low when I finally saw a flicker of movement about 150 yards through the trees - glasses confirmed an elk leg and hoof. 

Arrow on the string, release clipped on, I knelt down within a triangle of big trunks and cut loose with my first bugle in an hour.  The response was crazy - an enraged scream, then the sound of a freightliner being driven through a picket fence.  That bugger came at a dead run, not avoiding the dead understory limbs just blowing them apart bashing through.  He got to about 60 yards and was an awesome sight - red-rimmed eyes, head and back covered with loose bark and twigs, snot flying as he wildly swung his head side to side.  I came to full draw and gave one last roar - what came out sounded like someone sat on a whoopee cushion - blat blat fwapfwap.  The bull froze, after a few seconds he turned silently and disappeared up the hill back to his cows.

One latex reed of the double mouth call had split - right down the middle, and full length from the open side of the call to the back of the u-shaped metal clip.  Moral of the story, don't leave your diaphragm calls in the truck the whole month of September.  Ugh.  I can still see that bull, clear as day over 20 years later.

[xXLojackXx]

First year elk hunting, last day...I found myself side hilling a draw that had some pretty heavy elk sign. I pick up a game trail that obviously was getting frequented and decide to follow it until dark, which was about an hour away. After about 500 yards on this trail, i decided I would sit and hopefully catch an elk on the trail. At this point I had busted more elk than i could count, but thisn time I made sure the wind was steadily in my face, and I was going to let the elk do the moving. Being a rookie, I sat down on then uphill side of the trail with my back to the mountain, but basically right in the middle of the trail  30 minutes or so pass and I thought to myself "Well, if something is going to happen, it needs to happen quick." Not 5 minutes later I hear a twig snap about 100 yards to my left. I eagerly waited for something to materialize through the trees, but after another few minutes I blamed the noise on a squirrel. I begin looking around the hillside throught the timber taking it all in, and as I turn my head back in the direction of the twig snapping noise a few minutes prior, wouldnt you know, 4 elk standing in the middle of the trail I was sitting on, facing straight at me @ 20 yards. The lead cow stops for a second and then puts her head down and slowly walks towards me on the trail until she gets to 4 yards. She then realized I was no mountain landscape and tensed up. I had managed to get my bow into my lap in a somewhat shootable position. I was waiting for her to wheel and run like they commonly do, but instead they ALL back peddled single file up the trail until they were about 40 yards and then turned and ran the way they had come. It was unbelievable to watch.

Lesson learned that evening. If you suspect a trail to be heavily used, dont sit and wait in the middle of it. Do yourself a favor and set up higher or lower than the trail depending on wind.

[4fletch]

Back in the early 80's my Bud and I were talking to a bull out in a meadow for quite a while and another bull came in silent from behind we heard a lot of noise behind us turned around and all we saw was a huge plume of dust about 15 yrds away and the bull was gone. Pretty funny

[buckhorn2]

My boy and I went on a guided hunt to new mexico and the guide  bugled and heard an answer back. He has me sit almost in the middle of a big meadow and said he and my boy would circle around and push them my way. This was a rifle hunt and me thinking to myself no way can they push elk out of a thick hill side across an opening like this so sitting in the warm sun I had a little cat nap. I woke up right in the middle of an elk stampede and all I got to see were asses and legs was close to 50 elk in the herd. When the guide walked up he said No shooters and I said I did;nt see any. To this day I still feel he new exactly what happened.

[top pin1]

The first year ever archery elk hunting, I had hiked all morning and seen nothing. About noon I finally grabbed the call around my neck and blew on it a couple times. Heck not 50 yards down the trail around a corner a hunter answers me. Not wanting this hunter to see me I back paddle into this some thick brush on the side of the trail and stand still. Sure enough about 30 seconds later a cow elk walks by me 10 feet away on the trail in front of me. UGH.

 What was worse, middle of the week, hadn't seen another vehicle let alone another hunter in 4 days. 

[top pin1]

I was waiting for her to wheel and run like they commonly do, but instead they ALL back peddled single file up the trail until they were about 40 yards and then turned and ran the way they had come. It was unbelievable to watch.

I had a nice 6pt bull coming straight down a steep hillside at me on the same trail I was. I get to full draw and step out from behind a little tree head on at this bull at 10 yards. Expecting him to turn broadside, I wait.
His eyes go the size of saucers as he slides to a stop. He stares me for a few seconds knowing he's busted then he slowly starts backing up the trail. A good 30 seconds he slowly and as quietly as possible backs up 40 yards right up the hill. Finally at the top he whirls so fast I never got a shot.

First time I ever heard someone else experiencing a elk walk backwards before.  Same thing it was unbelievable to watch.

Top

[kentrek]

Oh boy...where do I begin with these stories....

But Il go slightly against the grain an instead of talking about busted stories il just cut to the chase about how being the caller can be just as productive as being the shooter....we call it the triangle of death....in the thick stuff it's nearly a 50% chance the bull is going to gice the caller a shot...and that's on active calling setups..cold calling is so unpredictable you'd be nuts not to have a bow in hand

[xXLojackXx]

First time I ever heard someone else experiencing a elk walk backwards before.  Same thing it was unbelievable to watch.

Top

It didn't even cross my mind back then, but now I favor a front shot almost more than broadside.

[RadSav]

Oregon, Maybe '88 not sure.  Had a BIG hot bull coming my way about an hour before end of shooting light.  I hadn't been calling for a while since he was on a steady move my direction.  Bow was ready, arrow ready, yardages all known and my Scott Turd release was ready to clip on the string.  I carried the Scott Turd quite often back then securing it to my wrist with a piece of latex tubing so I wouldn't drop it.

Once the bull held up I figured he was just trying to figure out where I was before he got too close to the trees.  I grabbed my LD Jones grunt tube and gave a few chuckles using the a Jones Green reed.  As I completed my call I noticed a big tick on my right hand   My reflex reaction was to shake my hand violently to knock it off.  I swear the latex tubing on the release stretched about two feet and as if attached to a slingshot my Turd was sent toward the heavens

Of course the bull rushed me as I was trying to find the release based only by the sound I heard of it coming back to earth.  I did not realize he was coming so hard and didn't forget my search and grab the string with my fingers until the bull was about 10 yards away.  I tried to draw and shoot at the same time, but the TM Hunter rest just could not hold the arrow during the quick finger draw.   The bull ran out about 250 yards and screamed at me until dark.


But, that wasn't the end of the story...


The next morning I was at the same spot on the mountain at first light trying to find my release.  It was a foggy morning with visibility of about 50 yards.  Suddenly I heard elk moving on me in a quick hurry.  In and out through the fog I counted cow after cow followed by a large black bear.  The shot was too far for me to attempt a shot with the TM Hunter and my fingers so I let him pass and went back to searching for my release. 

About two minutes later I found the Turd and almost immediately heard elk coming my way again.  It was the same bunch of cows followed by the same bear!  At 18 yards I put a Savora tipped 2115 X7 shaft right through the bears lungs.  As he spun around and began snarling I noticed the big bull from the night before coming through the fog.  The bear must have figured the bull had stuck him because he lined out right at the bull and the two disappeared into the fog!

I named that bull "Lucky"   I never saw Lucky at closer than 500 yards ever again.

[Jonathan_S]

Rad that is one crazy story.  I assume you found the bear but man what a weird turn of events on that bull.

[RadSav]

Rad that is one crazy story.  I assume you found the bear but man what a weird turn of events on that bull.

I've killed quite a few bulls, but the truly big ones always seem to bring out the idiot in my moron

[Jonathan_S]

For some reason, with missed opportunities at bucks I always get a better one but with elk I end up getting no further opportunities   

[724wd]

Last time my dad hunted Idaho (92-ish), we was headed back to camp for a sandwich, middle of the day walking along a logging road.  He'd bugle once in a while, just give a toot for fun and when he was less than 100 yards from camp, one of his buddies answers back with a pitifully weak bugle.  Dad said he laughed a bit at the attempt and kept walking at a normal pace around the corner, where he and a 5 pt bull almost ran into each other!     They both freaked out, my dad fumbling for an arrow and the bull hit the highway at mach 2!     

[RadSav]

Last time my dad hunted Idaho (92-ish), we was headed back to camp for a sandwich, middle of the day walking along a logging road.  He'd bugle once in a while, just give a toot for fun and when he was less than 100 yards from camp, one of his buddies answers back with a pitifully weak bugle.  Dad said he laughed a bit at the attempt and kept walking at a normal pace around the corner, where he and a 5 pt bull almost ran into each other!     They both freaked out, my dad fumbling for an arrow and the bull hit the highway at mach 2!     

Sounds like another Oregon story I have about my old hunting partner "Bone". 

We had been in eastern Oregon for about two weeks.  Seen lots of cows, but could not find a good bull for nothing.  There was a camp about a quarter mile above us.  The guys from that camp come down one night and ask if I'm Bryan Fry.  "I am", I replied, "What can I do for you?"  Well, it turns out they had been hearing a bull at night on their side of the ridge.  They had gone into town and bought some elk bugles and asked if I could teach them how to call.  We worked on cow talking into the wee hours of the morning and off they went excited about getting after the bull.

Two days later Bone and I are walking down the main road from camp headed to our evening draw to hunt when we hear what best could be described as a gut shot herford cow.  The sound was coming from the direction of those guys camp.  "Oh my goodness!", I said to Bone, "Those idiots are trying to bugle already two days after getting their first diaphragm.  What a bunch of tools!"   Bone then says, "I don't think it is those guys.  They were actually getting the hang of the reeds when they left.  I think that might be a real elk!"

We stood in the middle of the road discussing for a few minutes and finally agreed to disagree   Bone decided he was going to go check it out.  Irritated and a little angry I said I wasn't going to waste my time.  Real snotty I tell him, "You go right ahead!  I'm going to go hunting!" 

I let out one smart arse bugle toward those guys and start heading down the road toward my draw and Bone cuts across a small meadow and up the hill toward those guys camp.  Bone is on a good trail and I can see him most of the way.   After I had walked a few hundred yards I look back with the binos and see Bone hiking up the hill with a good head of steam, his head down and he's just busting for the ridgeline.  About that time I see a nice 5X5 bull, also with his head down, on the same trail as Bone just busting for the meadow  

The curve of the hill is enough I don't think they could have seen each other even if they had been looking up/down.  But I know if I do not do something they will collide in just moments.  I try to grab my Persuader bugle that is on my back.  But the para cord gets wrapped up in the buckles of my Dwight Schuh pack.  Frantically I drop my bow, unbuckle the pack and swing it around so I can use the bugle still attached to the pack.  But the bull and Bone are busting it too hard and I'm not fast enough!!!

Their eyes meet at about five yards!  From my vantage point I could swear that bull did a complete back flip   Meanwhile, it looked like Bone grabbed all eight of the arrows in his quiver at the same time!  Arrows were falling to the ground all around Bone as he tried to get a grip on just one to get it on the string.  He finally gets one nocked up, comes to full draw and runs out of my sight.

I take off running trying to be the cutoff man.  Suddenly I hear uncontrolled laughing and zero in on Bones location.  "Did you get him!", I ask?  It took a while before he was able to speak through his laughter.  Apparently, he forgot to stop running before he took the shot as the bull was walking through the timber.  After the shot the bull just stopped and looked at him 30 yards away.  He says, "I was looking right into that bulls eyes and he into mine. When all the sudden I could hear his thoughts.  He was thinking - That dude has no more arrows!  I think I'm going to walk over and take a poop on him!  So the bull walks up to within 10 or 15 yards, takes a pee and a poop and then runs off."

[RadSav]

Sorry that was so long, but it is one of my favorite "Bone" stories to tell

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

Reminds me of the first buck I missed.  Big two point black tail and I only had one arrow.  He walked right next to me as I searched for my only arrow.  He bred a doe within ten feet of me as I cussed him.

[WapitiTalk1]

Thanks folks, I see that I'm not the only one who has experienced more than a "few" busts, LOL.  Keep em coming.  We learn as much by our defeats as our triumphs.  Loving the stories. 

[RadSav]

For some reason, with missed opportunities at bucks I always get a better one but with elk I end up getting no further opportunities   

Seems the exact opposite for me.

[Jonathan_S]

For some reason, with missed opportunities at bucks I always get a better one but with elk I end up getting no further opportunities   

Seems the exact opposite for me.

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