13 years of waiting to hunt.

[3dvapor]

 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.
    

[3dvapor]

partners bull

[bowhunterforever]

Awsome bulls and story!

[Austrian Hunter]

Cool story, nice bulls.  I hope to kill my first bull this year!  Hopefully

[coldsteel3d]

congratulations on the Dayton archery bull tag, those are some nice looking Idaho bulls. Maybe there are a few guys on here that could give you some info on the Dayton if it's an area you aren't familiar with. I'm jealous. 

[3dvapor]

ive only been in the unit a few times.  was really intimidated by the steapness knowing i only have 13 mornings to make it happen and each time i dive off that's going to be my hunt for the day.  any insight would help i probably know just the basics on the unit.

[heavy hauler]

cool story and pics.welcome to the sight.

[bucklucky]

Nice story and bulls. Congrats on the draw.

[markts]

Nice bull congrats-welcome and good luck. Mark

[WAPITIHUNTER]

What's the deal with 13 years. That's how long it took me to draw a Bull tag this year.

Congrat's on some awesome bulls and a great archery bull tag! Hope you stick a monster.

[mwhite]

WTH-Don't even call when you get drawn!  I will be over there calling for a friend from town.  We'll try not to cut you off!    Give me a call and we can maybe camp in the same area.  Later

[winston2789]

Great bulls and story, nice to have ya on the site   

[3dvapor]

WTH-Don't even call when you get drawn!  I will be over there calling for a friend from town.  We'll try not to cut you off!    Give me a call and we can maybe camp in the same area.  Later

i called last its your turn.  ill let you guys have first dibbs.  just let me know where to go after you guys have filled your tag.

[Skyvalhunter]

Nice bull 3d and thanks for the story. Well Done

[vfilbert]

killer bulls

[bowsandhose]

welcome.  great bulls. and grats on one of the best tags in the state

[bullchaser]

Nice Bulls welcome

[Turkeyman]

No pressure Shawn great tag 

[Elkstuffer]

Those are great over the counter Idaho bulls. What part of the state were you in if you don't mind me asking? Congrats on the tag. I couldn'y draw it with 10 points. Looks like I have 3 years to go. Good luck this Sept.

[3dvapor]

Those are great over the counter Idaho bulls. What part of the state were you in if you don't mind me asking? Congrats on the tag. I couldn'y draw it with 10 points. Looks like I have 3 years to go. Good luck this Sept.

Thanks!  In my opinion if you drew a line through the middle of idaho and stuck with the units south of that line i think you would find several good units to choose from.  then i would start to look at bull to cow ratios, wolf populations and success rates on older bulls.  i narrowed it down and then cornered a couple biologist at the RMEF show.  I still ate my tag the first year over trying to learn the unit.

that's not to say that there still isnt great elk hunting in the north but the wolves have really affected populations.

[coldsteel3d]

Have you got any help yet? Let me know, if you haven't I will see what I can dig up, I know a couple guys who know the area pretty well. Let me know if you need any help.

[3dvapor]

Have you got any help yet? Let me know, if you haven't I will see what I can dig up, I know a couple guys who know the area pretty well. Let me know if you need any help. ;)yes i stopped in talked to loran a hunting washington member and he gave me some very good info as i drooled over his dayton bull he shot a few years ago.
if you dig up something let me know,  i dont want to leave this hunt after its over wishing i hunted it differently because  did not know it well enough.

[elitehunter]

Good Luck!! I can't wait to see pics of the huge bull you are going to kill!!

[coldsteel3d]

PM sent. I'll scout with you if you need any help, as long as I can see pics of the monster!