I purchased a ML elk tag this year knowing that the elk are still rutting and it would be my best chance of getting a bull. I used to archery hunt for elk, and I have lots of experience calling in bulls but I don’t have a lot of kills under my belt. Where I bow hunted you had to draw for big bulls. Each year when I hunted the NE corner I would get into elk at least one day but couldn’t make a shot happen. So I started hunting the Bumping unit. I’ve arrowed cows and calves and could have killed some good bulls over the years, but no tag. I’ve learned a lot about calling through the school of hard knocks. When I drew a quality tag for MF on the Westside the guys said you can’t call in a Rosie. Well I called in a nice 4 point and killed him. My first branched antler bull. I did ML a spike in the Naches one year. So opening day of ML elk season I went to one of my old areas I hunted back in the 90’s. It was very dry and very little elk sign and the sign was all old. So in the afternoon I went to another area and the sign was the same. I have the multi season deer tag too. I use the sceery hyper cow and cow calls, I did use diaphragm calls but I lost too many teeth to use them anymore. I have one of those Primos Blue Snap-On Bugle Reed calls. I’m a firm believer in using my voice while bugling and grunting. After walking and calling for a while with no takers I decided to just sit and wait till dark maybe a nice buck would come along. I was on a large ridge the time was almost 6 pm. I did a hyper cow call, then a regular cow call then I did a growling bugle ending with some grunts. And wouldn’t you know it a bull bugled down the ridge. It was a wimpy little bugle. I closed the distance and cow called, no answer, so I did a pure bugle and through it behind me, he answered about the same distance away but he was working his way down wind. I closed the distance more and moved to the side of the ridge downwind for a better shot at him. I did a growling bugle and went into a set of grunts, again I through the call behind me. He grunted like a baboon no more they a 100yds to my front. Safety came off I took a knee and there he was, I could see the top of his horns over some brush. He stopped, this is where some guys screw up and cow call, trust me I’ve done it. Just let him walk out into the open he’s looking for you I told myself. He started to walk from right to left, his nose cleared the brush then his neck and when his chest came out I let him have it. No more than 40yds. The 300 gr Traditions Smackdown SST pushed by 120grs of 777 just dropped him. What a joy, just when you think there are no elk around you kill one quick. From his first bugle until the shot was no more than 2 to 3 min.s I called for help and started the parting out process. I got my pickup to within 400yds of him so the pack out was a cake walk. What a blessing from the Lord and a joy to share the packing out process with some good hunting buddies. I will post pictures from my phone.
