Bethel Archery Bull (pics included and long story)

[vandeman17]

Just returned to work after an awesome hunt in the Bethel unit with my bow in hand. As good as a shower and my bed felt, I sure wish I was still out in the hills but all good things must come to an end.

My hunt started by heading out Friday before the opener to set camp and get ready for the upcoming hunt. I had scheduled off the full two weeks for the hunt but hoped that I wouldn't have to use it all if I didn't have to. Going in, my plan was to be hunting mainly solo as my old man drew a Rimrock bull tag so he would be over in that unit with the normal hunting camp. Saturday morning came around and I was out hiking around the areas I had scouted most the summer but in two full days, not an elk was seen and hardly a fresh set of tracks or sign. It wasn't exactly how I wanted to start the hunt and on top of that, the first mid day break while loading a few log rounds in my truck for camp, I smashed my trigger finger. I didn't really notice much until I got back to camp to do a little more set up and it swelled to about twice it's normal size. Within a day, it was black and blue from my finger tip up past my last knuckle and into my hand.  Needless to say I was upset and wondered what I would do if I couldn't shoot my dang bow. I tried shooting but it was tough with all the swelling and having to tape my fingers together but I was able to make it work.

I knew of another guy from our normal Rimrock camp that also had the bethel tag and we had been chatting back and forth. He said he was seeing lots of sign, hearing some bugles and running into cows where he was at. Sunday afternoon I decided to head that way to see him and talk about his plans. I ended up going for a quick hike that evening and not 100 yards from the truck, i let out a few soft cow calls and got a response from some cows. By the end of that evening I had seen about a dozen elk including two spikes at about 30 yards which tempted me plus had a bull bugling his head off at the bottom of the drainage. The next day I moved camp and joined up with the other guy to hunt. The rut activity was pretty light with a bugle here and there so we decided unless we had a bull located and talking that we would divide and conquer. I ended up having one good bull come into bow range checking out my cow calls but he came in silent and never presented a shot.

Fast forward to mid day Thursday and I was just getting ready to leave camp to check out an area down lower when I got a text that my hunting partner was going to stay out all day and that he needed to turn his phone off since his battery was already low. Off I went down the road a bit and then dumped off into a drainage to walk the ridgeline down. As I was walking down the ridge, I thought I heard a bugle but wasn't sure so I stopped and listened but didn't hear anything. I saw a little rock outcropping below me so I walked out and gave out a few lost cow calls and immediately got a response across the drainage. After a quick wind check, off I went towards the bugle. When I got to the opposite side of the drainage I cow called again and he responded to what sounded like a little below me and on the backside of the ridgeline. I made me way towards him and then he let off another bugle that sounded like he could actually be a little above me so I beat feet back the way I came to get above him since the thermals were going up hill still. The whole time I was trying to get around him he went completely quiet and I was hoping he didn't someone wind me. When I got to the top and what I thought was above him, I did a few more cow chirps and he immediately responded and I could tell he wasn't far. Down the spine of the ridge I went to get into the timber and try to find a place to set up. I found an ok spot, knelt down and just as I was going to drop my pack, I decided it didn't feel quite right so I moved another 10-15 feet down and tucked in between the trunks of 3 trees. Just as I got sat down I heard a bugle that was definitively closer than the last, probably about 60 yards so I knew he was coming. Right as I got my pack off and an arrow knocked, a cow popped out, working her way up the hill directly towards me. I ranged the spot I thought he would come through at 25 yards, checked the wind which was perfect and waited. About 30 seconds later an even louder bugle ripped out and about halfway through it I saw horn tips then head coming up where the cow just came from. My heart started pounding and I focused on settling my breathing and trying to stay calm. He came up another 10 yards or so, stopped and let off what was probably the loudest bugle I have ever heard since he was facing directly at me at no more than 30 yards.  There were a few thick branches just before the spot I ranged so as his head went behind those I drew my bow. At that point, he turned and went directly from left to right below me, following the way the cow went. I pivoted a little and saw an opening a little bigger than the size of a basketball. I settled on that opening and as he walked into it, I saw his front shoulder, counted about a half second then let it fly. I heard a whack that sounded like a stick breaking so my heart immediately sank. I hit the cow call and the bull ran about 10 feet then stopped and I could only see from about his back rib to his butt. I sat there watching him take these huge deep breathes, all the while saying "go down, go down, please go down" in my head over and over. He stood there at least a minute and then I heard a few coughs. He then started to move and I heard some smashing and crashing. I was hoping that wasn't him figuring out what the heck happened and getting out of dodge but it didn't sound like he made it far. I decided to sit there a few minutes to gather myself then go look for my arrow. After about 10 minutes I slowly went to where I had shot at him but couldn't find my arrow. I looked down the way I heard him crash and could see his butt and the tips of his antlers still up in the air. I thought that he must have bedded down right there so at least he was hurt and I was trying to decide if I should sneak down and try to get another arrow in him or not. Instead I waited and watched through my binos and didn't see an ounce of movement for a few minutes so at that point I got up and made my way towards him. About 10 feet away I found my arrow and it had great blood. Upon walking up closer to the bull I could see that in his death crash, his head got wedged between two trees which propped it up and made him look bedded. What a relief and the emotions hit me like a ton of bricks. I must have circled around him 10 times, thanking the man upstairs and just soaking it all in. I had just fulfilled something that has eluded me for a long time. This was my first archery kill and one I will never, ever forget. I couldn't have drawn it up or scripted it any better. Calling in a bull, by yourself, having him scream multiple times right in your face, connecting on a 22 yard shot and having him go about 30 yards and pile up... how the heck can you beat that.

The rest of the afternoon, evening and into the night was spent quartering and packing him out. Six man trips later and we had him back to camp. Slept in the next day, got him all boned out, hung up on the meat pole and just sat there thinking about how lucky I was to be able to experience it all. Hopefully you guys enjoyed my story and felt like you might have been there watching it all go down. Oh and dropped off the boned out meat last night to be processed and it came in at 245 lbs. Looks like a new freezer is on my shopping list. 

[bobcat]

Good job, awesome bull! 

[full choke]

Right on!

[fishngamereaper]

 

Awesome job man..looks like he's been in some wars.  Memories for a lifetime. Theres something truly fulfilling doing it solo. Well done.

[SkookumHntr]

WTG MAn!!! 

[BigBullDreamer11]

Awesome bull congrats!

[jackelope]

Congrats, Adam. Happy for you!! Great bull.

[baker5150]

Congrats on what sounds like a really fun experience.
Great bull and story, thanks for sharing

[de0827]

Congrats!  Way to get it done, and solo!  What an experience, and the great meat in the freezer is the added bonus!

[vandeman17]

Awesome job man..looks like he's been in some wars.  Memories for a lifetime. Theres something truly fulfilling doing it solo. Well done.

Yep he broke off his seconds and thirds on one side a while back. His bases are huge which is really cool. Being my first archery kill, I didn't even look at his antlers the whole time he was coming in and didn't really care if he was missing a few points or not.

Thank goodness my hunting partner turned his phone on when he did and my old man was willing to drive over from his camp to help me pack it out. The last load of loose cuts of meats after two previous heavy loads just about did me in! 

[elkboy]

That's awesome!  Congratulations.  Sounds like just a perfect bowhunt. 

[vandeman17]

That's awesome!  Congratulations.  Sounds like just a perfect bowhunt.

For sure. I really couldn't have scripted it any better except if I could have had my old man somewhere back in the shadows watching it all go down. At least he got to be there to experience everything afterwards and enjoy our traditional toast of whiskey after a successful hunt.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

   Great hunt!

[arees]

Great story. Congratulations.

[TC_outdoorsman]

Nice job, thanks for sharing!