Author Topic: OPENING DAY DOUBLE! (Read 13250 times)

chukar hunter · « **on:** September 14, 2015, 04:26:47 PM »

Finally came together after three years! First WA bulls for both of us.

Opening morning, first light, 10 miles behind a locked gate and truck rolls up behind us.... A logger, whom tells us he hasn't seen an elk in the area for over 2 weeks. Not a great confidence booster to the start of our hunt, but we press on. Working our way into a drainage we've had elk encounters in the past, a bull rips a bugle about a 100 yards above us. We each get into position on each side of a draw and start our calling sequence of cow calls. Each time we call, the bull bugles but doesn't move. After about three or four sessions of this, my buddy rips a bugle and immediately hear the bull moving our way. A minute later, I see antler tips working towards me about 40 yards out. He's on a string headed my way so a pull back and settle my bow on the only opening I had. He enter's, stops, lock's onto me and I let it rip. 17 yards later, my arrow made a solid "thwack" sound, the bull jump kicks, and heads back up the hill. 5 seconds later, we here a bunch of crashing and then silence. He was quartered pretty hard towards me and I held right in front of his shoulder, but we let him lay for an hour before looking for blood. 8:00am.

During the long, seemingly endless wait, bulls kept ripping bugles all around us. Not wanting to charge and potentially spook my bull, we sit tight and periodically cow called keeping the other bulls within earshot. After the long wait, we walk 40 yards into the unit, spot a big blood pool, and my bull piled up! Bull Down! After a couple ATL shots, we head up the hill in search of the other bulls. Making all sorts of noise working our way through the unit, we cow call and the bulls keep answering. We climb to a small knob, rip a bugle and see a bull about 400 yards out b-lining in our direction. We check the wind, make a minor adjustment and get into position just in time to see an alder tree getting demolished about 50 yards away. We cow call, sneak another 10 yards closer and get into a good position with a couple good shooting lanes. A few minutes later, bull walks out and arrow is on it's way. "Thwack"! Bull jump kick's, arrow is buried up to it's fletching in the perfect spot. Bull runs 10 yards and takes a nose dive kicking hard. We make a little more commotion that we probably should have, high fiving, as the bull stands up, looks at us and runs off...."oh $h#t". We flag the area, and then head back down to process my bull. 9:30am.

An hour and a half later, meat hanging, we head back to the location where we shot the second bull. No blood, starting to get nervous as it was thick. 20 minutes later of grid searching, bull piled up not 30 yards from the impact site. Back to work again. Meet hanging by 1:30, we went back about a mile, retrieved our bikes, headed back, loaded the carts and started the journey out.

Holy cow, god bless bike trailers and disc brakes! One trip, bent wheel, no brakes left, we got back to the truck just before dark. Headed home. Not a bad opening day! A little bitter sweet as our season is over, but one heck of a way to do it. Until next year....

Woodchuck · « **Reply #1 on:** September 14, 2015, 04:33:13 PM »

Very nice

HornHoarder · « **Reply #2 on:** September 14, 2015, 04:35:33 PM »

Good job guys!

bugs n bones · « **Reply #3 on:** September 14, 2015, 04:51:30 PM »

Nice job

Taco280AI · « **Reply #4 on:** September 14, 2015, 04:56:03 PM »

That's awesome!

splitshot · « **Reply #5 on:** September 14, 2015, 04:56:09 PM »

now what are you doing the rest of the season. mike w

Jharristealth · « **Reply #6 on:** September 14, 2015, 04:58:12 PM »

Awesome! Way to get it done quick!

Old Man Yager · « **Reply #7 on:** September 14, 2015, 05:04:35 PM »

Take when you can!!!! Nice job

full choke · « **Reply #8 on:** September 14, 2015, 05:14:02 PM »

Great job! Congratulations!

shmeegs80 · « **Reply #9 on:** September 14, 2015, 05:14:39 PM »

Good job fellas!!!!

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Mark251 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 14, 2015, 05:15:37 PM »

Congratulations! Great job guys

BullMagnet76 · « **Reply #11 on:** September 14, 2015, 05:26:25 PM »

Very Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

zackmioli · « **Reply #12 on:** September 14, 2015, 05:40:58 PM »

Impressive!! Way to go guys!

Watimberghost · « **Reply #13 on:** September 14, 2015, 05:55:02 PM »

That is too cool! Congrats to you both!

calib · « **Reply #14 on:** September 14, 2015, 06:00:11 PM »

Great hunt and write up

Birdguy · « **Reply #15 on:** September 14, 2015, 06:03:05 PM »

That sounds like earning a couple of well deserved bulls to me! Great job to both of you.

Bulldozer77 · « **Reply #16 on:** September 14, 2015, 06:08:10 PM »

Glad you ignored the logger and hung in there. Good job guys!

Encore 280 · « **Reply #17 on:** September 14, 2015, 06:08:43 PM »

Nice job! Me and my boy are down here at 660 and the bulls are pretty tight lipped right now. Haven't heard any bugling at all. Looking pretty dismall right now. The boy had to leave today to get back to work so I'm solo right now. Gonna try again tomorrow.

TVHunts · « **Reply #18 on:** September 14, 2015, 06:35:18 PM »

Great story! Congrats to you and your pal, what a day.

dr.derek · « **Reply #19 on:** September 14, 2015, 06:35:55 PM »

Nice hunt Nick, Making it look easy!

Natures Way · « **Reply #20 on:** September 14, 2015, 06:37:18 PM »

congrats! great story!

carvermoe · « **Reply #21 on:** September 14, 2015, 07:22:32 PM »

great job

jimkirk · « **Reply #22 on:** September 14, 2015, 07:53:14 PM »

now thats getting it done. it all came together and came together fast during the hunt. great job and write up. two beautiful animals and alot of hard work to boot. way to go guys!

tgomez · « **Reply #23 on:** September 14, 2015, 07:54:21 PM »

Sweet! Dandy bulls, good job fellas.

Vandal44 · « **Reply #24 on:** September 14, 2015, 08:04:45 PM »

Nicely done

Turner89 · « **Reply #25 on:** September 14, 2015, 08:16:21 PM »

Right on guys. Its a good feeling commingout with a full load in the cart

724wd · « **Reply #26 on:** September 14, 2015, 08:20:03 PM »

right on guys! heck of a day!

jboettner · « **Reply #27 on:** September 14, 2015, 08:37:56 PM »

Nice Work!

chester · « **Reply #28 on:** September 14, 2015, 09:00:26 PM »

It doesn't get any better then that! Nice work

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huntingbaldguy · « **Reply #29 on:** September 15, 2015, 12:18:21 AM »

That's pretty awesome! Good job.

PolarBear · « **Reply #30 on:** September 15, 2015, 12:36:57 AM »

Sweeeeeeeeeeeet!

bowhunterforever · « **Reply #31 on:** September 15, 2015, 02:09:56 AM »

That's awesome, Congrats guys

BigBullDreamer11 · « **Reply #32 on:** September 15, 2015, 05:52:10 AM »

Nice bulls guys!!!! good job on getting it done!!!

7mmfan · « **Reply #33 on:** September 15, 2015, 06:39:39 AM »

Love this kind of story! Great work!

gunnarnewt · « **Reply #34 on:** September 15, 2015, 06:40:03 AM »

Well done!

xxlx7 · « **Reply #35 on:** September 15, 2015, 06:56:04 AM »

Congrats!!! That is a great opening morning!!!!!!!

BNAElkhntr · « **Reply #36 on:** September 15, 2015, 07:07:00 AM »

Congrats! How much weight are those carts rated for?

ELK SHOT · « **Reply #37 on:** September 15, 2015, 07:37:34 AM »

Hell of a good story , good job to you guys , congrats

KevinClimbs · « **Reply #38 on:** September 15, 2015, 07:50:51 AM »

Way to go!

Elkpiss · « **Reply #39 on:** September 15, 2015, 08:01:50 AM »

Youll remember that hunt for ever...

seth30 · « **Reply #40 on:** September 15, 2015, 08:34:35 AM »

Great job guys

splitshot · « **Reply #41 on:** September 15, 2015, 09:43:29 AM »

good job to you both. I am not trying to be negative but some people will look at your pics and say they are wiping out the bulls and will want a spike only season, that is what happened in eastern wash. human population also affected the spike rule. too many people. I am sure the antis are reading our lines and seeing our pics on this site. mike w

elkboy · « **Reply #42 on:** September 15, 2015, 11:18:39 AM »

Nice work, guys! Ethical, clean kills with short trails, meat in the freezer!

chukar hunter · « **Reply #43 on:** September 15, 2015, 03:20:50 PM »

Quote from: dr.derek on September 14, 2015, 06:35:55 PM

Nice hunt Nick, Making it look easy!

Haha. Thanks Derek! My body isn't telling me it was easy. Sometimes I'd rather be lucky than good.

Thanks for all of the supportive comments guys. It was a hunt, harvest, and story of a lifetime.

chukar hunter · « **Reply #44 on:** September 15, 2015, 03:24:09 PM »

Quote from: BNAElkhntr on September 15, 2015, 07:07:00 AM

Congrats! How much weight are those carts rated for?

Rated for 100 lbs. We had nearly 3X that amount but they held up well. Slow and steady the whole way out. We had to lash my frame together to keep it from dragging on the ground and my cart only suffered a bent rim. I have the chariot 2 kid, but I believe the single occupant cart may perform better. My wife wasn't to thrilled about the blood stains, but my boys don't seam to mind!

jkthomps · « **Reply #45 on:** September 15, 2015, 10:22:27 PM »

Nice job!

The Fin · « **Reply #46 on:** September 17, 2015, 07:46:14 PM »

Great bulls and story.

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