finally after years of applying i finally drew the dayton archery tag!!!
a friend told me about the site. i find it very addictive im always checking the site, drives the wife crazy.
was introduced to elk hunting at the age of 18 or 19 when a friend bugled in a sixpoint up in the marble unit around goat marsh. from that point forward i was hooked and had the burn bad. unfortunately for me school, apprenticeship,and work filled most my schedule through my twenties. i found my self always researching or reading about other peoples hunts not only in our state but others as well. i really couldnt afford the time or money it would cost to hunt so i just purchased a preference or bonus point, and focused my hunting on oregon or idaho when i could go.
one of my favorite hunts was when my partner and i drove all night to hunt idaho. finally arriving and dropping the trailer and gear off so we could hike out to the end of an old cat road overlooking a canyon. i didnt even half to make a call they were already rippin. i could here at least 3 or 4 that was all i needed for momentum to dive off the top in the dark trying to reach the elk before light. even leaving in the dark it still wasnt enough time they had already moved passed us to bed up the mountain. we quickly focused on the most vocal bull but he was quite a ways up the mountain. we tried to run but the 8000 to 10000 ft of elevation turns that to a quick walk after 40 yds. i went from an icecicle to sweatin bullets in a matter of minutes. If you want to lose weight idaho elk hunting will do it.
finally it seemed that the elk had stopped just below timberline so i went up a head of my partner while he stayed back to call. as i approached i could see a good 5 point walking above the cows in the sagebrush. he kept kicking blue grouse up and they would fly past me and j hook back up the hill and land. (note im thinking about bringing my setter one year just to hunt them.)
as my partner called i could tell the bull was becoming more and more irratated with each of his screams, even getting another bull to respond on the other side. finally he started to walk down the hill to a small fir and tear it apart. all i could see of him was his back and headgear so i half mooned around a fir to gain a better advantage when a cow must of seen me. she slowly stood up and stiff legged stomped the ground and walked over the edge of the hill. taking the other cows and bull with her. this retreat down soon became a run and i knew it was over even though he was still worked up bugling over and over.
i went back to my partner and asked him about the other bull i had heard over the hill and he said he hadnt heard him. i thought it was worth a try he sounded pretty good. as we dropped down the hill it was almost impossible trying to hussle without rolling rocks or breaking branches so i cow called a couple time as we went. when we entered the timber on the other side of the canyon i cow called once quietly and the bull screamed back. we both looked at each other and said hes close!
i quickly checked the wind and hurried up the hill while cory hung back to call. i moved myself within a few yards of a good trail when here he came. i drew my bow when he went behind a couple trees and tried to cow call softly to stop him because he was close. i had to do it a couple times and he stopped looking at me at 18yds with his vitals covered by jack pines. after staring at me at full draw for what seemed like forever my partner pulled him out of his trance with another call and he proceeded to clear the pines. the arrow went through him so fast he didnt know what hit him. the bull sprinted forward 20 yds walked ten more then fell over backwards. lots of screaming yeah!! and high fives proceeded.
