SLAYFEST 2016!!!!!

[buckmaster_wa]

Here is a recap of my 2016 hunting season. (Its still not quite over. My dad has a late WT tag and my wife drew a late MD tag).

So, My dad drew a Disabled bull tag this year with 8 points. I knew the hunt was going to be difficult because my dad has extremely limited ability to hike beings that he has had 3 back surgeries and his last one didn't do him any good at all. I already knew the unit pretty well as I had drawn a tag there in 2009.

A week before the hunt I made a couple trips to the unit to check things out. It was looking very promising. one morning I had 7 different bulls calling to me within a 2 hour time frame.

Fast forward to the hunt. Opening day we heard a few bugles in the distance but they were in terrain that my father could not get into. Then we finally got around a bull and we moved in on him. He ended up hanging up in a thick patch across from us. Problem was there was a deep nasty canyon separating us. We decided to back out and try to get back on him that evening. So we get in there about 1600hours (Should have been there by 1500hours) the elk has already came to our side of the canyon and is above where we were set up in the morning. We started working him and he was slowly beginning to come in. He hung up about 60 yards from us in a thick patch and we never could get him to show himself. We finally backed out after dark. The highlight of his encounter was it was the first time for my dad and my nephew to have a bull elk screaming at them from 60 yards away. They were both ecstatic about that.

The next morning we tried a new area. On our way into this spot we had a nice heavy bull and about 5 cows jump the road in front of us. We continued to our destination. Once at our destination, we let out a few cow calls and didn't hear a peep. I let out a couple week locater bugles and still no response. We were just about ready to give up on that spot and check a new area and I decided to let out a good bugle. I was immediately called over by a challenge bugle down below us. We started our way down the hill towards the bull. After working him for about 45 minutes, we decided he was in his living room for the day and we would try to catch him coming out in the evening.

This time we were in position by 1500hours. My buddy Jess let out a couple cow calls and the bull responded immediately, and we could tell he had moved up the hill towards our location. We moved towards him about 100 yards and got my dad set up in a nice little opening. Jess worked the bull for about 30 minutes. Then, my dad spotted the bulls legs a crossed the little draw from us. He was pacing back and forth behind a patch of Christmas trees. Finally after another 10 minutes of talking to him, the bull decided to step out. He still wasn't sure about his choice and was walking quickly through an opening. He stepped out at 75 yards and turned to head back down the hill. My dad made a perfect quartering away shot and the bull took a nose dive. High fives and hugs ensued. My dad was definitely on cloud nine.

[buckmaster_wa]

It worked. Here's some more. That was my dad's first elk. Here's another picture of his bull. A live picture of my Idaho buck and a harvest picture of him.

[Dan-o]

NICE!!!!!!!!!

[Jlittlebear31]

Nice buck! Pretty impressive 1st elk.  Congratulations to your old man

[buckmaster_wa]

Here's my Washington buck. 

[buckmaster_wa]

My buddies Idaho buck and my 2nd Idaho buck.

[buckmaster_wa]

A couple more pics. My nephews Washington buck is on bottom. I will submit a few more pictures and stories from my hunts in the morning.  3am comes fast.

[tgomez]

A great year indeed buckmaster!

[PastorJoel]

You are going to need a bigger freezer!

Congrats!  Nice animals!

[Bearkiller72]

Congrats! Looks like you had a great season!

[Pathfinder101]

Wow.  Great year!

[coachcw]

solid year !

[JBabcock]

Now that's a year to remember? Congrats!!!

[bowhunterforever]

Nice work

[C-Money]

A Beautiful bull, and some real fine bucks. Congrats to all of you!