Author Topic: Opening Day Toutle Archery Bull Success! (Read 10872 times)

MagKarl · « **on:** September 10, 2009, 08:10:48 AM »

I drew a Toutle archery bull tag this year after accumulating about 7 points or so, the first special permit I've been fortunate enough to draw. Given the extremely dry summer we had this year, I spent my scouting time on State land figuring there was no way Weyerhauser would be open. I picked a camping spot high on a large timber bowl with no open roads and no clearcuts for miles. My Dad came to help and my buddy Kevin came to call for a day.

We started dropping into the bowl on an old skid road as soon as it was light enough to see. At the end of a finger ridge Kevin threw out a locator bugle, and deep from the bottom came a response. Game on! We dropped toward the creek to cut the distance and bugled again and the bull answered. At the bottom we cow called and the bull bugled and chuckled, he was close but across the creek. We glassed carefully and after seeing no elk decided we needed to get across the open grassy bottom and up under the bull in the timber. Once on the other side I moved about 75 yards into the timber while my Dad and Kevin stayed lower by the creek. Kevin started cow calling and two bulls within 100 yards of me bugled. I could see some cows with one of them, but didn't see the bull. The other was a satelite and he couldn't resist the cow calling. He came running in and stopped to bugle 30 yards to the South of me, broadside, upwind, and looking to scoop up one of the herd bull's cows. I didn't even hesitate, it was automatic. The bull bolted at the shot and ran straight toward my Dad and looped around me in a large semi-circle. I saw and heard brush popping about 40 yards North of me. I heard a few hoarse gurgly huffs and then it was quiet. I took off my pack, nocked another arrow, and waited. 3 or 4 minutes later a gust of wind blew right from me toward the place I'd last heard the bull and an elk bolted crashing off into the timber. We regrouped where the bull had run in front of my Dad and found the tracks and some blood. Given that I'd heard an elk bolt after winding me and thought it could have been as far back as the liver we backed out and waited about 2 hours.

When we started on the blood trail, it was fairly tough. Kevin found the front foot or so of my arrow about 10 yards into the trail and it had good bright blood on it. About 20 yards later we found the nock end, also soaked in good blood. I was searching for blood on the brush and looking ahead for tracks when I saw him right there 10 feet in front of me. I have killed cows, but this was my first bull, and it was opening morning. What a relief. He had died right where I'd heard the crash and huffing last breaths about 40 yards North of me. I hadn't hit too far back, it was a double lunger and he had expired within seconds of the shot. I think the elk that winded me and bolted must have been the other bull or one of his cows sneaking around to get downwind.

We took some pictures and then got to work. The pack out was short, only 0.4 miles to camp by GPS, but 600 plus feet of elevation gain and took a little over an hour to climb back. Two trips each and we had the meat and head safely back in camp.

I was expecting the hunting pressure to be terrible on the State land, but boy was I wrong. I only saw 4 other camps and didn't even hear a single hunter blowing a bugle.

It was a great trip. My Dad is a rifle hunter and got to see and hear bulls up close like he never sees later in the fall.

Gobble · « **Reply #1 on:** September 10, 2009, 08:15:42 AM »

Congrats!

GoldTip · « **Reply #2 on:** September 10, 2009, 08:18:54 AM »

Very cool, and awesome pics. congrats one the bull!

tlbradford · « **Reply #3 on:** September 10, 2009, 08:19:12 AM »

Awesome story and photos. What a great hunt to be able to share with the family. I think the economy is keeping folks huntign a little closer to home this year.

bucklucky · « **Reply #4 on:** September 10, 2009, 08:31:09 AM »

Nice job!

hoytem · « **Reply #5 on:** September 10, 2009, 08:34:33 AM »

good job!

dreamingbig · « **Reply #6 on:** September 10, 2009, 08:42:16 AM »

Excellent! Thanks for taking the time to share the story. A bull bugling and no competition makes for a great time but it sounds like you did your homework.

zackmioli · « **Reply #7 on:** September 10, 2009, 08:56:54 AM »

way to connect. must have been exciting!

.54 THUNDERHAWK · « **Reply #8 on:** September 10, 2009, 09:06:41 AM »

Nice job

KimberRich · « **Reply #9 on:** September 10, 2009, 09:10:07 AM »

Great Job and nice first Bull.

buckhorn2 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 10, 2009, 09:29:12 AM »

Congradulations and elk with a bow is an acomplishment to be proud of.

EastWaViking · « **Reply #11 on:** September 10, 2009, 09:37:50 AM »

nice work!!!

matlockmike · « **Reply #12 on:** September 10, 2009, 09:38:36 AM »

Great Job

huntnphool · « **Reply #13 on:** September 10, 2009, 09:40:17 AM »

Congrats, nice bull.

Little Fish · « **Reply #14 on:** September 10, 2009, 09:48:39 AM »

Congratulations and great story. Thanks for taking the time to share.

DUGANDEER · « **Reply #15 on:** September 10, 2009, 09:57:59 AM »

Very nice!! Congrads!

bigdave · « **Reply #16 on:** September 10, 2009, 10:05:55 AM »

nice elk! Great Story.

Huntbear · « **Reply #17 on:** September 10, 2009, 10:13:08 AM »

Nice bull and great job!!!!

Weird though is your camo shirt in the photos.... looks like it was painted into the pic rather than you actually wearing it.. what brand is it??

winston2789 · « **Reply #18 on:** September 10, 2009, 10:13:44 AM »

nice bull, love the red in the horns, congrats

SnakeEyes · « **Reply #19 on:** September 10, 2009, 10:33:01 AM »

Great story! Congrats!

shanevg · « **Reply #20 on:** September 10, 2009, 10:46:34 AM »

Congrats, looks awesome! Holy crap on the facepaint!

rosscrazyelk · « **Reply #21 on:** September 10, 2009, 10:55:55 AM »

Congrads..

LongTatLaw · « **Reply #22 on:** September 10, 2009, 11:23:13 AM »

nice bull and sounds like a great hunt...what time was he dead at?? wondering if I beat ya on the clock!!??

finnman · « **Reply #23 on:** September 10, 2009, 11:57:10 AM »

Nice job on the whole hunt!!! Congrats on your first bull too! Your dad must have really enjoyed that action!!!

PacificNWhunter · « **Reply #24 on:** September 10, 2009, 11:57:46 AM »

Nice job!

WAPITIHUNTER · « **Reply #25 on:** September 10, 2009, 11:59:30 AM »

Way to go. Good job and nice bull!!!!!

bowhunterforever · « **Reply #26 on:** September 10, 2009, 12:55:26 PM »

Nice bull,Congrats!

bow4elk · « **Reply #27 on:** September 10, 2009, 01:30:35 PM »

Man, I'm stoked for you!! You earned this and are well-deserving of it. Congrats on a GREAT first. Tell that fella Kevin, he's alright too

danceswitharrows · « **Reply #28 on:** September 10, 2009, 01:34:11 PM »

Great looking horns on that elk

TheHunt · « **Reply #29 on:** September 10, 2009, 01:43:16 PM »

congrats... Good eating there.

huntingnut · « **Reply #30 on:** September 10, 2009, 02:00:06 PM »

Congrats on a great hunt and nice bull.

bowhiker · « **Reply #31 on:** September 10, 2009, 02:12:19 PM »

Nice bull! Congrats. Your story is exactly the way I want mine to go. I'm headin up that way tomorrow for my success story.

NWBrute · « **Reply #32 on:** September 10, 2009, 03:04:18 PM »

Congrats, great bull and great story.

bow-n-head · « **Reply #33 on:** September 10, 2009, 06:47:26 PM »

very nice. I don't know if it's the photo or the shirt, but it looks like it glows in the forrest

elkspert · « **Reply #34 on:** September 10, 2009, 06:52:33 PM »

Way to go!!!! Love them rosies.

saylean · « **Reply #35 on:** September 10, 2009, 08:05:25 PM »

Excellent work man. Great bull! Congrats to you and pops.

markts · « **Reply #36 on:** September 10, 2009, 08:12:18 PM »

Great job, congrats Mark

mjtbackcountry · « **Reply #37 on:** September 10, 2009, 08:38:41 PM »

Great job

M_ray · « **Reply #38 on:** September 10, 2009, 08:40:56 PM »

Very Cool! Thanks for sharing

h2ofowlr · « **Reply #39 on:** September 10, 2009, 08:52:38 PM »

Nice bull. I can't wait to head out again. Leaving tomorrow morning.

MagKarl · « **Reply #40 on:** September 10, 2009, 09:08:29 PM »

Thanks for all the complements. It was about as much of a textbook hunt as a guy could ask for, I'm very happy how it all worked out.

You guys wondering where you can get a camo shirt like that, just go to Walmart in the winter, you too can probably score some high end camo on close-out for $4.

LongTat - He died just before 8AM, but I didn't find him till 10AM because I wasn't 100% certain on the shot placement. I lost a gimme lung shot doe a while back by not waiting long enough so I'm pretty conservative if I don't see the animal crash.

chukar-ridge-quest · « **Reply #41 on:** September 10, 2009, 09:31:01 PM »

Nice work, good time. But why are your eyes as red as his antlers?

Lincoln4 · « **Reply #42 on:** September 11, 2009, 12:27:46 AM »

Congratulations, and great job on the story!

Gutpile · « **Reply #43 on:** September 11, 2009, 04:29:06 PM »

Congrats!!! Very cool.

huntnphool · « **Reply #44 on:** September 11, 2009, 04:57:13 PM »

Quote from: chukar-ridge-quest on September 10, 2009, 09:31:01 PM

But why are your eyes as red as his antlers?

Michelle_Nelson · « **Reply #45 on:** September 11, 2009, 06:04:28 PM »

Great looking animal! Congrats.

hayes202 · « **Reply #46 on:** September 12, 2009, 06:26:41 PM »

congrats nice to see father son hunting together.

blindpig · « **Reply #47 on:** September 13, 2009, 10:15:22 AM »

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Author Topic: Opening Day Toutle Archery Bull Success! (Read 10872 times)

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