2007 archery elk

[Broken Arrow]

New to this site. Very nice. Figured I would share a banner year picture, as I know this will most likely never happen again. We harvested 5 elk this year. A 3x4, 4x4, 4x5 and 5x5 and a cow. Sorry the cow is not in the pic.....didn't pack out that head. All elk called in during the 2007 archery season....4 shot under 20 yards, one at 55 yards. All elk were taken on public lands, in the general area of Western Washington (lol)

[jackelope]

thats a pretty fair success rate there 
thats awesome...way to go and thanks for sharing the pics.

[Little Fish]

That is excellent. Thanks for sharing the picture. Are there any memorable stories you have that go with the pic?

[Broken Arrow]

We have some great stories to share....I told my partners about this site so they may hop on and share a bit also. I can tell you about mine. I got the little one. (3x4)

One of my partners botched an opportunity at a wallow the night before on a very nice 6x6. The next morning we decided to hike back to that same wallow and set up. We got to the wallow while it was still dark and set up. It was obvious the elk were still in the area, as 4 different bulls were sounding off in a basin above our set up area. I was able to stay put for about 10 minutes before I could no longer stand it, and ran to the top of the basin and began to call back. The elk were challenge calling each other and it was insane inside this small bowl. I gave 2 bugles and a series of chuckles and the bull I shot began running at me from the bottom. Needless to say it was very dry and loud and he sounded like a train coming through the woods.....I could see him from 75 yards away running directly at me. My heart was about to jump out of chest and I just kept reminding myself to "pick a pin and pick a spot"....as buck fever has ruined several opportunities for me at close range in the past. The bull stopped once, at 20 yards, looked around and then came closer. He saw me at 15 yards, but he was broadside and by then to late. I double lunged him and he went 50 yards down the hill and expired. I think it took me about 45 minutes to calm down and stop shaking. After that, as we all know, is when the fun goes out of elk hunting. We had about a mile pack out to spike camp, and 4 miles after that to the trucks....not to mention, that was the second elk to go down in the last 18 hours. Getting all these animals out on your back was probably the hardest thing I have ever done, though definitely the most rewarding.

[Skyvalhunter]

Congrats on the elk nice job. Well earned elk it sounds like!!

[Muleyslyr]

Wow....I'd say it was a banner year.  Looks like you guys are pretty beat as well.  I'm sure that was a lot of work.  Congrats to your group.

[huntingnut]

Wow!! Congrats on an excellent hunt. Can't wait to get into that next year.

[Broken Arrow]

couple of pics I had on my computer the guys packing out from our spike camp, as well as the only field pic we had.....he had the only camera in camp.....note to next year...bring camera from base camp!

[Broken Arrow]

packing out from spike camp 1

[Broken Arrow]

packing out from spike 2

[Snap Shooter]

This is the 'Snap Shooter', I am the guy that shot the 5 X 5. Well, as my good friend said, the first night there, I was set up at a mud hole with lots of sign. Wind good, clean clothes and lots of Elk urine in a bottle. Sitting there in a make shift blind I caught something out of the corner of my eye and turned to look. A hiker stumbles out of the tree line just to the North of me smoking a cig and holding a water cooler. He walked all around the mud hole spreading his sent and walked by me within 10 yards and never new I was there, well, I thought there goes my evening hunt. The hiker went away and I started to tinker with my gear not thinking anything would show up, WRONG! In 15 minutes a 6 X 6 heard bull showed up and caught me with my pants down. I could never get a shot. The good news, I knew where to hunt in the coming days. After my buddy shot his bull the next morning and we packed it back to spike camp, we got word over the radio that another friend had shot a huge cow, so with no rest we went directly to that site and butchered a cow and packed it back to spike camp same day, I dont know about the other guys, , but I am 48 years old and I was shot. The next day was tough, we packed all 8 quarters down to base camp. Two guys took meat to the butcher while two of us stayed at base camp to get some rest. After a little shut eye, I decided to hike back to spike camp for the evening hunt by myself. Once at spike camp I prepared and then hiked into my mud hole (at this point I had hiked 16 miles in 2 days much of it under load). Well, I set up at the hole and waited, wind was bad blowing my scent into the hole, so around 6:30PM I buggled and listened for a response. I received one, but it sounded far away, so I waited for a moment and hit the tube again, sure enough the response came back again a short grunt and some chuckles, but it was closer, at this point I said to myself, "game on" and moved up this short hill about 3 paces to have a clearer shooting lane through all the heavy tress and brush. Heart pounding and arrow knocked, I gave another blast on the call and this time the response I estimated was about 50-75 yards and I could now hear snapping and cracking as the animal got closer. Now, it was at this point that I had a to make a decision, I knew it was coming fast, but did not know to free my hands of the call and put both hands on the  bow coming to full draw or bugle again. I have no where near the skill at calling that my buddies do, so it was a concern. I decided to place the buggle tube in my mouth and pull the bow up and go to full draw, all the time listening to the animal getting closer. I waited for what seemed like several minutes, but was actually only 20-30 seconds and gave one more blast on the call and sure enough another reponse a 'Bark'. I opend my mouth and dropped the tube while at full draw and it was about then, That I got my first glimpse, multiple tines, but through the trees I had a hard time counting. He was trotting fast amd came into 18 yards with vitals perfectly outlined by one live tree and one dead. I still could not make out how many points, because his head was obscured by a tree and some brush, but I knew he was a shooter. I set my 20 yard pin on his heart and let the arrow go, double lung, I was a little high. He took off to the North and I settled down to wait. That is when the shaking begins, its strange how when on target you are rock solid and only after do you start to shake, my friend says its muscle memory, anyway, I got one down. I will let my buddies tell the story of what happend next if they so choose. Great hunt!!!!

[jackelope]

great stories and pics guys. thanks a lot

[GoldTip]

Danged nice batch of bulls, congrats on the success.

[andrew_12gauge]

Man thats got to be once in a lifetime, way to go guys and can i get an invite to your camp next year?

[hogsniper]

awesome pics and what a great year for you guys...cant believe that was in WA...havent heard of success like that very much on public land..thanks for sharing....Justin