Any 560 success?

[Netminder01]

I spent 9 days seemingly just behind the elk. I heard of one tag and saw another driving out of Randle Friday but all hunters I talked to were scratching their heads.

Anyone have any 411?

[sneakyjake]

I was in there for a week packed in. I did well. Was into animals everyday.  The pressured ones kept quiet, but didn't leave their areas.  I even made a run for a band of cows at dusk, got within 15 yards of them and couldn't get a shot.  The bull was below us.  My buddy walked through the middle of it and didn't see me or them. Yes I made fun of him.  Bugling was at night and short.  Some had cows. Some did not. But they stayed close by. I shot the biggest bull I have ever seen live. Don't worry.  He's alive. I roosted him from 3/4 mile away as the crow flys.  Dropped 1500' and back up 1200'. Took 1.5 hours to get to him. He was going nuts the whole time.   Had a smaller bull with him. I finally made a move while the caller kept him going.  Second shooter down below. The wind shifted and the bull and I moved up to the top of the drainage. The caller sensed the shift and moved also.  I could see him at 40 yards.  Magnificent!   Black antlers with ivory tips.  No shot, but the cut on top of the swale left a straight path. The bull had had enough and turned to move straight above me to see or wind us.  He came faster then I anticipated so I had to draw at the last second when his head disappeared behind a tree. Oh s&$t, I'm going to have to shoot. No time to stop him.  As I pulled the string back he cleared the tree. In my haste, I touched off the trigger at about 3 inches.  The arrow landed 20 feet between me and the bull and I punched myself in the mouth with my release hand. He stopped ran back to the  40 yard point and stopped and bugled  again.   I looked for a hole through the trees. I found one, nothing but front leg and double lung and heart shot and took it.  I didn't see the impact and heard no noise. The bull ran 75 yards, barked twice at us and took off down to the bottom of the ravine.  We found my arrow with blood on the fletching, only found one drop of blood.  He was gone.  He has a very distinct bugle and came back and screamed at us around 10 o'clock that night.   Two days later we came at him from a different direction and got within 30 yards my buddy was the shooter this time.   We worked him for an hour and watch him destroy the small tree.  The bull took off before he could get a shot.  The smaller one passed by at 15 yards. Lessons Learned, shooting through a hole at that distance it looked like it was closer to the bull but was probably at the midpoint and the trajectory deflected the arrow, probably through the backstrap or a small part of the neck. As to the early release, I swear that is never happened to me before.

[Netminder01]

Well you had way more interaction than we did.

My hunting partner took a shot that also fell short on a 4x4 on Sunday but that was it. We didn't hear anything but called in a few hunters a few times. 

I bet they're much more active/vocal this week....

[Chukarhead]

As to the early release, I swear that is never happened to me before.

Where's the rimshot smiley? 

[sneakyjake]

It was worse then that.  One guy kept mimicking the sound the bow made every time I turned my back and the other responded to me about the comment........"that's not what your wife said"

[sneakyjake]

My buddies just got back from finishing their hunt.  They didn't hear any bugles after I left over the last 3 days.   I guess we think of these areas as huge  tracts of forest, but with pressure and calling even closer to the rut they just clam up.

[vaz,,66]

I did hunt that unit for 7 days, they didn't bugle an less you get really close with a cow call even then they would not do a full bugle instead they would  chuckle or squeal at you. On first Monday i had a very solid chance, was working one bull and a small group of cows got really close, wind and everything was right then another hunters start bugle like crazy and wouldn't shut up like that was a bugle contest some sort of, they start getting closer and closer i decide to pool back and stop them as soon as i moved 30 to 40 yards down the hill bull finally came to opening chuckled twice but i was to far away to take a shot and those guys wouldn't  stop bugle, bull get back to the timber and desopered.

[SureThing]

Vaz,
I'm not sure of your setup but I have had guys jump in on a bull I was working doing the same thing. My bull was very vocal and would answer their calls but wouldn't leave his cows. The bull was preoccupied with them I just snuck in and shot him. I will also sneak in if a bull is hung up and raking his horns. Most of the time he is wound up and can't hear or see you as you make the final approach.

[vaz,,66]

Sure Thing,
The problem was that their bugle was sooo bad that each time they bugle the bull would just go silent, next time he answered me at a different spot, i couldn't get close enough go take a shot.

[Netminder01]

I did hunt that unit for 7 days, they didn't bugle an less you get really close with a cow call even then they would not do a full bugle instead they would  chuckle or squeal at you. On first Monday i had a very solid chance, was working one bull and a small group of cows got really close, wind and everything was right then another hunters start bugle like crazy and wouldn't shut up like that was a bugle contest some sort of, they start getting closer and closer i decide to pool back and stop them as soon as i moved 30 to 40 yards down the hill bull finally came to opening chuckled twice but i was to far away to take a shot and those guys wouldn't  stop bugle, bull get back to the timber and desopered.

Glad you guys were able to hear some elk calls; we only heard other hunters. On Tuesday, we went back to a Wallow my hunting partner got on a bull and a few cows the day before and the three of us were set up around the wallow on a few entry/exit points. About 90 minutes in, we heard - and listened to 3 guys walking and talking down the adjacent hill all the way to them standing in the middle of the wallow we were sitting in. It was frustrating - and hilarious at the same time. I think we heard them from at least a 1/4 mile away and listened to their entire conversation. I can't imagine how they would ever be successful but it's kinda what I expect on OTC public land.

As a mild slap in the face, the most elk I saw after 9 days was when I was packed up and a mile outside Randle on private farm land... duh.

[BUTTER]

I'm not Archery hunting this season but went to help call called in  few bulls for my dad and probably listened to 6 or 8 more come on muzzy season