Finally, we had done it! After six years of hunting elk and five years hunting with my hunting buddy we finally managed too put some elk meat in the freezer.
For myself 2022 was an emotionally draining year. Our second son was born last October with CHD and has been in and out of Seattle and Boston childrens for surgeries, around 6 months in the hospital total. My wife knew I needed I break and to do what I loved, being in the woods.
My time was limited and honestly thought it was over and tag soup again, but literally on my way home after the early morning hunt I decided to drive the logging roads home, boy did it pay off.
It was still early in the morning that the elk might be moving from feeding to bedding, and around the corner there’s a herd of 20 walking into the timber, I text my hunting partner who just happened to get signal and respond immediately and ask for a pin. Fast forward 15 minutes I have located the end of the herd and managed to get a general idea where they were headed, we paralleled them along the top of the road until it ended, let out a locate bugle and got an immediate response of where we thought they were.
The reprod was just too thick to get through so back to the trucks to drive around the drainage and drop in on the general location. Slowly we worked our way down through the timber, noting the amount of elk trails as we closed in towards the bottom. It was elk haven, trails everywhere. Water, cover, feed, and a mansion sized bedroom. Soon after doing some minor exploring and a lunch break, cow talk erupted all up and down the opposing hillside, we had been directly across from them for about 45 minutes and didn’t even know it.
The cows had been bedded down and were slowly moving out into an opening to feed, another hour passes, six feeding cows as close as 25 yards in front of us, and an eruption of squeaky elk chuckles just beyond the opening. He was coming.
Out pokes this beautiful black and orange antlered bull with bright white tips, he was more annoyed than anything that his hot cow was out in the open and not returning his calls.
Bored and impatient he beds down before we can get a clean shot off, 50 yards from us. And the cows follow suit and bed as well.
Not wanting to let out any calls ourselves for fear of giving our location, we’ve been silent this entire time. Minus the phone alarm that was set to remind my buddy to pick up his kids from school, I thought we had blew it, but at that very moment the wind had picked up and I could breath again while he silenced it.
5 more minutes go by and finally something sparks this bulls interest, antlers clanking and smacking on trees up above him. He stands up for a better view. This is the moment we’ve waited for, clear as day shot quartering away at 54 yards. Just before our target bull decides to go do some sparring, I let loose the best shot I’ve ever taken.
It seemed like slow motion as I saw my chartreuse fletching arc towards where my pin had settled, right behind the front shoulder my arrow disappeared and all hell broke loose. A stamped of sticks breaking and one final crash, then it was over. Silence again. I look over at my buddy and his son who was with us and we all were in awe what just happened.
It was so hard to wait that first hour, knowing it was a pass through and great shot but that was our plan all along, to wait. It drug on and on. But finally, we could start looking for blood. We never did find any, but didn’t need to, he only made it 23 yards.
I am blessed to have this opportunity and my best friend and his son to share it with.
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