CUSTOM ELK CALL GIVEAWAY!

[JPhelps]

This site has been good to me in the last month, so I am offering up one of my custom elk calls to the members.

Provide me with a short story and a picture of your most memorable hunt (even if the story is already on here somewhere).  The only requirements are that the bull was killed in Washington and that you were accompanied by friends or family.  The deadline for your stories is midnight of 7/16.  I will have my wife pick her favorite story.

These calls sound great: Phelps Game Calls - Custom Elk Call




Jason Phelps
Phelps Game Calls

[SnakeEyes]

We setup camp 4 days before the season opener to get as much scouting in as possible. The bulls were fairly vocal in the evenings. The weather started off warm and windy. A couple days before the season, it started cooling off a little which really seemed to help. One evening my dad and I worked our way out a ridge and did some calling. We got about 7 bulls going with 3 coming in and we were not even trying. Things were looking encouraging.

Finally opening morning was here. My brother and another hunting partner showed up the night before to help out. We worked our way out the same ridge we had all the action on 2 days before season. We had 3 bulls answering our calls. They were still too far away for us to pinpoint their location. After working our way out the ridge a couple miles we were close enough to locate the bulls. They were in the bottom. My younger brother and I decided we would drop in after them and see what we could make happen. It took us over an hour to get down the really steep brushy ridge to where we felt we could start working the bulls. During this decent we found tons of bear sign and berries everywhere. From the top we heard 3 different bulls in a close proximity. One of the bulls sounded more like a moo cow. He would just growl with a little moo to go with it. Once in position we both started cow calling. A calf immediately responded and within minutes ran to within about 50 yards of me. We also heard a cow respond and then 2 different bulls started bugling. I moved down 10 yards to get into a better shooting lane . My brother asked me if he should move back around the ridge and I said yes. My brother has never hunted elk with me during the rut but he sure made some great decisions. As he moved away from the elk and continued to call I stopped calling. The calf ran straight towards him and about 20 yards below me. The bulls were getting closer and more worked up. Their cows were leaving them. A cow ran over to the calf in the same general location. Then I hear another elk come crashing down the ridge. The elk comes within 50 yards and the first thing I see is horns but he stops right behind a tree. I hear another bull bugle 20 yards behind him but cannot see a thing. I am telling myself, please just one more step. He started moving and takes that one step and stops to rake a little sapling. My first impression was this bull was the one and I took the shot. After the smoke cleared I see him walking away and the other elk were scattering everywhere. I seen some brush move about 20 yards from where he was standing and thought I heard him crash. I also heard labored breathing and was fairly confident it was a double lung shot. I tried to reload but was shaking so much I dropped some powder from my speed loader. I grabbed another load and finally was able to get everything down the barrel. My brother worked his way back to me as we were looking through the binoculars to see if we could see him. After walking down the ridge about 20 yards we could see he was down. As we worked our way over to the bull we could see a lot of horn on one side. We thought his other side may have been broken off, but it was just buried in the leaves and brush. I picked up his head and couldn’t believe I had just shot my first 7X7.

This hunt was everything that I had hoped for. It took 2 days to get this bull back to camp. We had snow, rain and ice pellets during the pack out. One of the hardest but most memorable packs I have had.

[workstohunt]

I will tell it again. This was originally under "huntin with my Dad 09" It is not a short story though!!!! Hope the pics are in the right place as my Dad is the one with my bull.
I have been hunting with my Dad my whole life. I am now 47 and my Dad is 74 Just turned 75 on 7-8-10

The 2009 Elk season was a little different than most as we had snow right off the bat. A LOT OF SNOW!
We hunted the first four days really hard and on Wed. I told my Dad I needed a break after pushing snow to my waist every day, I wanted to just drive around and explore--I was just wore out!!! Of course my Dad just agreed and said OK, I never once heard him complain though. He may not be able to keep up with me like in his younger days, but he still hunts hard. I hope I can still do it at 74
We checked out a few area's we have never been, but we were limited to where we could go with all the snow.
We decided to go by Winston Creek on the way home (are old huntin grounds for many years)---what a ZOO---back to Randle  

The next morning I had a hunt all planned for us. But on the way I spotted this. (of course I learned from so many of you guys that I can take a Pic through my spotting scope  )
The first is just on 20 power then 40 and 60 and camera on 3x (first photo at bottom)
This is a pic of the bull taking a nap waiting for season to end.
 So Now what do you do???
I am over a mile from the elk so that shot is out of the question.
We drive to different places trying to get a good vantage point to get a shot, but can't see him at any point but the first. He is just over 500 yds from a road but can not see him. The snow is a foot and a half deep and frozen, so every step is heard for 500 yds. The Elk stayed bedded for the next 4 1/2 hours while we pondered what to do.
Well after discussing that the elk a 7x6 didn't get that way by letting hunters sneak in on him, and that making a drive was fruitless as well. I noticed a couple of tall tree's up the hill but still about 350 yds from where I thought the elk would be bedded. I get the brilliant Idea that if I could climb the tree, it may give me enough height to see the bull and my Dad agrees. This is the part where my wife say's "YOU WONDER WHY I WORRY! YOUR DAD JUST AGREED WITH YOU"  
So I figured I better go light with just my bino's gun and 50 ft of parachute rope I carry.
It was about 120 yds up the hill to where the 2 tree's I had spotted. Well---that's when the plan changed! They were two big cedar tree's and the first limb's were 20 ft up  I couldn't even bear hug them to climb up to the first limb.
So I looked around and up the hill another 20 yds was 2 hemlocks but the first limb was 15 feet up on the one. Well they were growing close enough that I figured I could shimmy up between them until I could grab the first limb. I took the shell out of the chamber and put it in my pocket, and tied the 50 ft of rope to my gun. I figured once I was up in the tree I could pull my gun up if I could see the elk.
The plan was working great! I reached the first limb and pulled myself up onto the limb (NOTE trees that have snow in winter--they grow down not out!!!!)
I climbed until I ran out of rope. (remember it is 50 ft)
The elk was still now where in sight. So I tied the rope off and continued up the tree
Sooooo, I climed up about another 50 ft. As I was swaying back and forth (the tree that was over 2 ft through is down to less than 6 inches) and looking down, I am thinking ---I am way the hell up here---I wonder if the top is going to snap off?
Anyways I got over it and focused my attention on where the bull was. I started glassing the spot where I thought he was, but could not see anything. I could see a small opening just up from where I thought he was and thought I will just keep an eye on it for a while---beings I'm a 100 ft up in a tree, what else do you have to do  I hadn't been glassing but five minutes and what do I see----THE BULL  He had just walked into the only spot I could have seen him. Thats when the part of the plan of leaving my gun on the ground till I could see something wasn't thought out     Sooo down the tree I go to where I had tied the rope off with my gun where I had run out of rope at 50 foot. I undo the rope and start pulling the gun up the side of the tree that had only a couple limbs. It was going great! UNTIL the gun hung up slightly in a limb. I nugged the gun through the branch and as I did---- I here the god awfull sound of metal tingging   It couldn't be what I thought it was-- Well it was --the floor plate had come open and the 3 shells that I had left in the gun after removing the one from the chamber, where now ON THE GROUND--along with the inner floor plate. so now all thats left is the floorplate and spring. I close the floorplate and go to close the action and the spring won't let me close the bolt until I push it out of the way. Then it hits me  I only have the one bullet---wait I didn't go as light as I thought, I have another one in my other pocket  I will never get more than one shot anyway!!
Sooo I put the gun on my back and up the tree I go. I get to the spot where I had been hanging on and take a quick look to see if he was still in sight. YES but was moving behind one of the big old growth trees and out of sight. Get your gun loaded stupid, I thought. Thats when it hits me again-- you have two shells and your 100ft up in a tree-- DON"T DROP THE SHELL-- I open the bolt and the spring pops out the top, so I open the floorplate to get the spring out of the way, move the gun through the limbs so it is pointing down and drop the shell into the chamber. I get the bolt closed--what a relief.
Soooo now I get the gun on a limb and my arm around the tree holding the gun. On que the bull steps out, but stops before I can get a good shot at the front sholder.
Now the delima -- do I wait and maybe never see it again or take the shot??? I can see through a little brush the front sholder and neck, his head is in the open. AT 350 yds a head shot is out of the question for me so I figure I can stick it in through the small brush into the front part of the shoulder and neck.
BANG!!! I get focused on the spot-- he's still standin there  I MISSED  He shook his head up and down and looked around to see where the noise was coming from. THEN it hits me--- you only have one shell left, RELOAD and don't drop it.
I carefully stick the last shell in, close the bolt and get into position. The bull had turned and had his head sticking out the other side of the large 8ft dia. tree, then takes a couple steps into the open, but I can tell he's not going to stick around. I get on the front shoulder and squeeze the trigger. As I squeezed the trigger the bull takes off. I see nothing  Did I miss-- It didn't matter now, it was all over. Just get out of the tree and go check for blood.
I get down to where I had tied off the rope to pull the gun up, so this was a good place to let it down. I started letting the 300 wby go down and it gets held up on a branch, so I kind of pulled up and down to weave it through.
That's when the line goes limp  not shortly after I here my gun hit the ground   WHAT THE HELL!! this is getting stupid. No big deal, I'll just go back down to the pickup get my spare gun, a radio, my daypack. Not so light this time
I get down to the rig and my Dad says Well? I tell him I don't know but I need a new gun. He looks at me puzzled and asks WHY? ---YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW! It is like the 3 stooges gone hunting. Dad offers his gun to me, but I tell him that if for some reason that bull comes down, I want him to be able to shoot it.
I get my 30-06 out and start looking for the ammo. This is the part in the story where my wife say's " I asked you if you needed that box of shells out of the excursion" (from our trip to E. wash hunting with our Daughter.) and I had told her No I didn't because I had plenty more---IN THE TRAILER  I rounded up 2 shells. I told my Dad, that should be plenty because I would never get more than one shot anyway as brushy as it was, even if I did get the chance.
So I head up the hill. Its a lot steeper than it looked. It takes me about 20 mins to get up the hill to where I think he will be--- DEAD I hope. Well I find the bed where he had been. He had been there for what looked like a week. It stunk like a barnyard.
Well I couldn't see anything from where the Bull had been bedded, so I walked up the hill to where I thought I had got the shot. YES-- I found the tree and the tracks where he took off on a dead run. I search the area in the snow. NOTHING---NOTHING-- I find 2 neck hairs but knew I had yellow hair when I pulled the trigger. I radio my Dad and tell him I missed, no blood, no hair, nothing. My glimmer of hope had just died. I had blown my chance at a bull that anyone would love to get. I figured I might as well get on the tracks and see if I could track him down and maybe stick a hole in him. I followed the tracks sidehill for about 80 yds when I here the bull take off on a dead run down the hill. I get on the radio and tell my Dad to be ready because he is coming down. ( we had discussed earlier when thinking about trying a drive from above that this bull would probably not cross a road as he didn't get big by crossing roads he would most likely turn left and head into the thick cover ) Instead of following the sound I stayed on the tracks so not to loose him. Next I come across where he had bedded? WHAT! This seems strange.  I stayed on the tracks going down the hill and then turning left going sidehill into the thick brush. BUT as I followed the tracks I find a small pin head size drop of blood  At least it was blood. I went another 50 yds before I found another drop about the size of a dime. Good red blood. But not much. I had a million things going through my head. I could see that he was dragging the left hind leg in the snow, but not much blood so it must have hit the lower leg. I then get the brilliant idea that I need to push him harder--you know to break the leg and the jagged bone cut the artery. HEY it sounded good.
I kept tracking and finding a bit more blood, I was feeling a little better than earlier, when all the sudden I can smell him, he is close, but I can't see him. He leads me back through my tracks and back and forth till I loose the track in the maze of tracks. I have to get the GPS out and go back to find where I had been as this had gone on for a couple hundred yds. He had ditched me by going between a brushy fir tree and stump, but now I was back on him and he was headed up the hill. He went right back to his original bed and bedded down. ?? I didn't know what to think. I found where he snuck out up the hill. I followed the tracks for another 50 yds when all the sudden the bull takes off right below me   I needed to get a hole in him. BOOM--BOOM And that's when I remembered -- YOU ONLY HAD TWO SHELLS   the bull stops and looks at me at 20 yds
I get on the radio and tell my Dad--You are not going to believe this--I'm standing here looking at this bull at 20 yds and I am out of ammo.   do I hit him over the head with my gun or get my knife out and stick him???I guess I will come down and get my other gun AND SOME MORE AMMO!!!! I marked the spot on the GPS headed up the hill over and back down to the rig to regroup. I told my Dad this has got to be the stupidest hunt ever. No one will ever believe it.
Well I get down to the rig, put on some warm dry clothes, get my dropped gun--you know, I figured at 20 yds I could point and shoot, but at least I had lots of ammo. ( after everything was said and done. I shot my gun and it was right on--what are the odds of that??) I tell my Dad he might as well come with me the way things were going.
We get up to where I had marked it on my GPS and started to follow the tracks again. Thank God for snow!!

Well we didn't go very far and -----------------

I am waiting to get it back from the Taxi

[couesbitten]

Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to tell the whole story.

2007 was my son's (Gavin) first elk hunt. My brother and his wife came along, and this would be his first big game hunt as well. Gavin had drawn a cow elk tag, so he would be able to shoot a 3-point or larger bull, or a cow (sounds easy).

We get to our camping area Friday Nov. 2 and get camp set up, complete last minute preparations, and relax around the campfire.

Saturday morning we get up, eat and hit the trail for the 2 mile hike in to our jump off point. 20 mins. into the trees, a bull starts bugling. WTF! Bulls aren't supposed to bugle five times in Nov. My brother heads up a ridge, and Gavin and I head towards the bugling bull. We hear him bugling about 100 - 200 yds from us, so we move forward about 50 yds and sit down to look and listen. Sitting there for just a minute, Gavin whispers "Dad, he's right there" I look, and sure enough, there he is about 100 yds away looking right at us from behind a screen of brush and trees. Looks like a five point. 30 seconds later, the bull turns and takes whoever is with him away from us. An hour later, Gavin let a cow, at 80 yds, walk away, because he wants to shoot a bull. Okay!? Don't see anymore elk the rest of that day.

Sunday we wake up and head for the same area of the mountain. The three of us still hunt up through the trees and hunt all day without seeing a single animal. We did however run into the lady who is camped near us with her three horses while they were out for a trail ride through the woods. That afternoon, with about an hour of light left, we are sitting in our favored stand of trees, when Gavin says "I see legs moving, it better not be those dang horses again". I immediately tell him it can't be the horses, and I see tan bodies moving through the trees above and towards us. About that time Gavin says that he sees antlers, and I confirm that their is a fair sized five point bringing up the rear of the group. I tell Gavin that he should consider shooting the first legal animal that he has a shot at, and he agrees as a cow starts heading downhill on a course that will bring her broadside to us at less than 100 yds. The cow stops about 70 yds. away behind a stump that is covering her vitals. Her head and part of her neck are sticking out from behind the stump, and I ask Gavin if he thinks he can thread a bullet in there and shoot her in the neck, just below the head. He says that he can't and we wait, only to have the whole bunch spook and run off 30 seconds later. DAMN! We still hunt down through the trees and head for camp.

Monday is our last day, and we are planning to be back to camp by noon to pack up and head for home. We head back to our favorite stand of trees and still hunt uphill. As we get to the top of the trees, it started to get a little cold, so Gavin and I decide to put on our coats to fight off the windchill. After getting our coats on, we are sitting, looking, and listening, when my brother grabs my arm and points to my right where a 4-point bull elk is standing broadside at 118 yds in a perfect shooting lane through the trees. I immediately point it out to Gavin and get him set up for a shot. It takes him what seems like forever to get settled and comfortable, and the whole time I'm thinking and whispering "that bull's not going to stand there forever". He finally shoots, and the bull drops in it's tracks. Bullet entered high behind shoulder, and exited higher in front of opposite shoulder, taking out spine on it's way through. Lots of high fives, hugs, and back slapping follow. After some pictures, I go to work on the bull, and my brother heads for camp and our two pack frames. Two hours later, my brother has returned, and he's making 30 min. "hunts" near where we are, while I finish cutting up the elk for transport. Suddenly two black bears come running out of the dense brush above us and about 60 yds away. I tell Gavin to get his gun, and we get him set up to shoot the big bear which appears to be all of 300 lbs, jet black, and with a gorgeous coat. The bear stops behind two trees, and we are just waiting for it to step out on either side, when my brother comes walking cross the hillside behind us and scares the two of them off. Oh well, if we had shot that bear, I'd of had to spend another night and Gavin would have missed another day of school, not to mention the taxidermy bill for the bear! So we pack up and haul some VERY heavy packs down off that hill. We got back to camp, got everything loaded up and got home Monday at 9:30 pm.

We all had a great time and made some memories that will last a life time. But best of all, the hunting bug has sunk it's bite a little deeper and the infection has become a little more severe in Gavin. I think that these and the coming years may be the apex of my hunting experience. I love to hunt, but I find it to be more rewarding when my son is with me and he's doing the hunting. As he gets older and we can hunt separately out there, my attitude may change a little, but right now, my greatest joys and achievements are in his hunting experiences. Thanks for reading, Scott

[JPhelps]

Thanks for the stories.

I know there are alot more on here.

[mmullins]

heres the story that goes with the bull. i decided to go out this evening with very little hope, as there was only about an hour of good hunting light left. well as i started walking to this clear cut i was cow calling and sure enough only 7 to 8 minutes in the woods there was a bull in that clear cut bugling his head off. so i went to a more open spot of the timber and started to cow call and small Bugles. I heard him coming threw the jack firs and decided to move locations. It seemed that he was making a B-line to where i was calling from. when i finally seen him crash through the timber i started shaking like a leaf. he walk to my first clear shooting lain at 29 yards. The exact spot that i was standing just 10 minutes prior. I put my 30 pin right behind his broad side shoulder and let one fly. to my surprise it hit really far back (after gutting it did hit his liver). My equipment was spot on with broadheads. I am not sure If it was Bull Fever or i may have it a vine maple he was standing near. At this point i was scared to death. Sun has just went down and i am in an typical western washington dense forest. The bull ran about 20 yards and bedded down. I knew eather let it bleed out over night (which was predicted to only get down to 65 degrees) or get another arrow in him. I tryed to sneak up to him but with my first step he ran and i thought he was gone for ever. I went to were he bedded down the first time and got on some blood. Found my arrow covered in thick dark red blood. I started to follow the blood trail and i looked up and there he was again only about 20 yards. i tryed cow calling at him to stand up so i could get another clean arrow in him but he wasn't budgin this time. so i presented myself the cleanest shot i could and put one right through his brisket. he jumped ran 10 feet and started his death wobble. the bull tryed to lean againest about a 20 ft tall rotten oak tree and it fell over right on him. Unfortanly i was by myself at this time. But i was able to get some cell reception and call my brother and my buddy that got me into elk hunting. We were able to get a Quad in there and drag him out hole! My Rosevelt Bull is by no means a monster but he weighed 390lbs dressed and i got a year and a half of meat off of him. I have yet to harvest another elk, but i know the next time i have a legal elk, wether it be a rag horn, cow, or even a pope and young bull, i will take the shot if it presents itself.

Earlier in the morning i was working a 6 point bull in a different unit but got to aggressive with my calls and pushed him to the next county. I have now learned to let them come to me instead of me trying to rush it and pushing them. 

[bigcountry]

Well I dont have any elk stories that would come close to the ones already posted, but hopefully Jason's calls will help create one this september!  Just wanted to say I bought 2 elk calls from him and they sound great.  The quality is exceptional and I know Jason takes the time to personally test and tune each one. The maple burl is sweet! Ive known him for quite awhile and know he takes pride in what he does.  Cool idea with the giveaway and all bud!

[JPhelps]

Thanks Bigcountry, I hope you kill a monster this year!

Last day to get your stories in.

[JackOfAllTrades]

Hmm....   What about those that have never taken a bull? I'm kinda feelin left out.

[runamuk]

Hmm....   What about those that have never taken a bull? I'm kinda feelin left out.

well at least you've killed a grouse I have killed nothing so just sit back and read the stories....

[boneaddict]

I laid in my tent with my 3 year old daughter to the left and my 4 year old to my right.  It was about 11 at night and a bull screamed right outside the tent flap.  Another answered just down the hill.  My youngest rolled over to me and said “Dad, would you quit practicing your calling, I’m trying to sleep.”  
“Yes, honey, I’ll take it outside.”  I slipped out of my bag and out into the full moon where I chatted them up awhile, away from my snoozing daughters.  It was now the morning of the eve of my first LE permit bull hunt in Washington state.
   I had set up camp to enjoy the time with my daughters while my wife worked.  We’d go down and pick her up that day.  From there I’d spend several long days with unsuccessful stalks etc for bulls.   In those travels, I came upon the rub of a lifetime and I figured I found my bull.  I hiked a couple of miles into the area and set up in the heat of the day in what I thought was an ideal location.   As the sun neared the horizon my first elk arrived on scene.  A cow and calf came out of the deep timber and grazed a bit right in front of me.  They came and bedded within 15 yards of me and this is when I knew I had chosen the wrong stand.  I was pegged and couldn’t move.  They weren’t alarmed, but the cow never took her eyes off me.  As the sun dipped below the horizon, the temps started plummeting as they do at this high elevation.  I was freezing but was afraid to move.  I kept my eyes on the treeline, waiting for the rest of the herd.  I could hear them staging just out of site.  Finally I spotted some tines in the trees.  This was when I had the misfortune of the wind changing.  It didn’t take long for my scent to travel those 15 yards to that cow and calf.  They exploded to the treeline.  I saw the massive rack whirl and it was gone.  I sat there disgusted with myself.  I called a couple times softly, but the gig was up.  This is when I spotted a bull about a mile below me near a small pond I overlooked.   I looked at my watch and figured I didn’t have time to close, but figured I might as well try.   I bailed off the hill as fast as I could go.  It was a compromise of trying to stay quiet, yet not waste valuable time.  I figured when the other elk came off the hill they wouldn’t do it quietly, so I tried to imitate them as much as possible.  I got to the bottom of the hill and the light was fading quickly.  I spotted the bull, now in the middle of the pond eating off the bottom.   I slipped to within distance.  I didn’t have light to mess around.  It was either going to work or not.  I was shooting my PSE and I sent an arrow home.  It was almost a pass through.  The bull lept towards shore and the arrow fell from its side and landed upright in the swamp.   The bull disappeared into the trees well hit.   I climbed back up the hill to get my gear and returned.  I figured enough time had elapsed so I went to find my bull.  I hate tracking in the dark.   Thankfully he hadn’t gone far.  I immediately gutted him and headed for the truck.  
   It was about 1230 in the morning when I got to a phone to call Idabooner.  Saddle up the mules, I have a project for you.   I gave him a set of directions and figured to see him in the afternoon.   I was to go back to camp to the girls then meet at the bull.  We got up early that morning and hiked back to the bull.  Little legs and lots of adventures, we made it.  After a brief photoshoot the girls watched Dad cut up a bull elk.  I had it all bagged and hanging in the shade, and the wait began for Idabooner.  The hours began to pass and it was getting late.  I was thinking I better get the kids headed for home.  We get back to the trailhead and there was Idabooners rig and trailer but no grandpa.  I didn’t know what to do.  I decided to send the girls on their way back in my truck and I would track him down.  I started trailing him.  He had taken a different route.  I can imagine the challenge it was for him to always find me out there all these years.  I started down his trail and here he come. Its that Vulcan mind thing.  We can usually tell what each other is thinking, and I am sure he heard me swearing in my head.   Now it was a matter of getting to the bull in a timely manner.  I climbed up onto that sawbuck and prayed for smooth travels.   He is an expert at mannying things up, so it was done in short order and we were headed for home.  Those mules chew up a couple miles much faster than I do.  I successful hunt indeed!  Its one of my favorites because I had my whole family along. I missed the shot at a booner, but no regrets as my little ones wouldn't have been able to make it to him.   

[HUNT]

I left after work on Thursday the 29th.  Met my good friend and elk hunting partner of 15 years in Waitsburg at the Whoopemup Cafe for dinner on our way into elk camp.  Chad and I talked about the expectations for the hunt over a great dinner.  The food was awesome.  I would highly recommend it.  After dinner we headed into the cabin where we would set up our camp.  Two friends of mine with Watershed tags would meet us there with their support teams as well.  We got to camp and prepared for a morning scouting trip.  We all got to the ridge right at daylight and hadn't been there two minutes when a bull ripped off a bugle not 200 yards below us.  That got our blood pumping.  The fog socked in a few minutes later.  We hiked about 5 miles but never saw or heard anything else.  We went back to the cabin to set up our tents and get ready.  That afternoon my good friend Jake arrived just in time for an afternoon scouting trip to try and put a bull to bed for the opening.  We went up on the ridge just as the fog was lifting out.  We hadnt gone 200 yards down the ridge and spotted a 3 cows, a spike, and a 4 pt bull feeding 300 yards below.  We spotted another bull about 1500 yards away that looked to be a good bull through the spotting scope but the wind was blowing so hard it made it hard to see.  Jake, Chad and I decided to move on and check a few other spots before the fog came back.  We barely made it to our destination and saw 2 5 pts, and a BIG bull that we nicknamed Broken Horn because his main bean broke off right above his G3.  The fog rolled in and it was getting dark.  We failed to put a shooter bull to bed before the opener.

OPENING MORNING:

It rained most of the night, good thing the tent didnt leak like it did on my Idaho trip.  The canvas must have shrunk enough to close the needle holes.  It was still raining pretty hard when it was time to head out for the ridge.  The other two guys with the tags took off for the ridge, but I decided that I wasnt going to head out til the rain let up some.  I waited for about 45 minutes and there was a lull in the rain.  Jake, Chad and I headed for the ridge.  We got there about 20 minutes after daylight.  The rain had quit.  Jake headed up to a point to glass for me and try to find a good bull.  Chad and I headed into the shed.  One of the changes this year for the watershed tag was that you were allowed to take one person into the watershed with you as long as they stayed within talking distance.  Chad and I dropped down the ridge.  After about 20 minutes we spot a bull 2 drainages over at about 1200 yards.  We set up the spotting scope to get a good look at him.  He was a pretty decent six point, right on the edge of what we were looking for.  We decided not to go after him.  You don't want to shoot the first bull you see, right?  We keep glassing for the next hour but the fog moved in on us and the visibility dropped to about 50 yards.  We headed back up to the top of the ridge and over to where Jake was spotting for me.  Jake saw three 5 pt bulls and good old Broken Horn before the fog moved in.  I figured the fog would move back out again in the afternoon, so we built a fire and warmed up until about 3 pm when the fog looked like it would finally lift.  Chad and I dumped back into the shed and down the same ridge we were on that morning.  We got down to about the same level and immediately saw 5 cows feeding out on the next ridge.  We moved down the ridge a little more and glassed.  We saw 5 bulls in a little bachelor herd in the same opening we saw the bull in that morning.  One 6 pt bull, 3 five pt bulls and a spike that had at least 40 inch antlers.  By far the largest spike I had ever seen!  No shooters in this group to go after so we kept moving down the ridge and glassing.  About an hour before dark we see a bull at about 1000 yards across the drainage to our west.  He is slowly working his way up the hill through the alder brush.  We catch glimpses of his tops and he looks like a really good bull with big G4's.  We also spot a 6 pt and a 5 pt bull but not shooters yet.  We talk about what our best plan of action is to work in on the bull in the alder brush.  We decide that we probably dont have enough time to get to the bull before dark and rather than push him out we would come back in the morning early and be there at daylight.

2nd Day

We were up and at em early, 4 am.  Walked in using our headlamps up the trail to our dropping off point.  Chad and I dropped down the ridge we had been focusing our efforts on, while Jake went to a glassing point.  Soon after daylight We spotted 2 5pt bulls in an opening on the end of a ridge about 400 yards from where we saw the big bull the night before.  We watched them for about 5 minutes and a 6 pt bull stepped out onto the edge.  None of these bulls were shooters.  We watched them for another couple of minutes before another bull stepped out where we could see him.  This bull needed a closer look so we set up the spotting scope and looked him over for about 2 minutes before he fed out of sight.  We decided we should try and make a stalk on this bull.  We could tell that the fog was moving in again for the 3rd day in a row.  We hoped it would last as long.  We gathered our gear and made a plan to come in above them staying on the ridgetops instead of dropping off into the bottom and coming back up.  We hustled up the ridge back almost to the top and over onto the ridge that we saw the elk on.  The fog was setting in and visibility was down to less than 100 yards.  As we dropped elevation down the ridge the fog started to lighten.  We got closer and closer to where we had last seen the elk.  We heard a shot from up above us.  A few minutes later we saw 5 cows busting down the hill across the drainage from us.  We hoped they wouldnt spook the bull we were after.  The fog finally lifted and we continued down to where we saw them and didnt see anything.  They were gone.  It had been less than an hour.  We glassed the drainage we thought they may have gone into and nothing.  As we were talking about what we should do next we heard 4 shots that sounded like they were only a couple ridges over.  We glassed the drainage again and I picked up 3 bulls moving their way across the hill at 600 yards out.  No shooters in this group.  A couple of minutes later a good bull came out about 300 yards lower on the hill sidehilling around moving toward us.  As soon as he hit a patch of timber, Chad and I sprinted about 50 yards closer to get to a better vantage point to see more of the drainage and get a good rest for the rifle.  The bull continued to work his way around.  Chad was continually calling the yardage to me...  515.....  465 .... 425....  400....   The bull never stopped for a good shot so I let him keep walking.  He walked into another patch of timber and I told chad that I would shoot him when he came out the other side.  We waited and waited and the bull didnt come out....  He had held up in the the timber. 

Chad and I continually glassed the timber that the bull had moved into.  Couldn't find him.  I glanced down the ridge to my left a saw a 5pt and a 6 pt standing 150 yards below me.  Neither one was quite what I was looking for.  So i kept glassing the timber pocket where the shooter had moved into.  Chad tells me another bull came out below us.  Another 6 pt but not a shooter.  Now our focus has turned to the elk below us.  They have no idea we are even in the area.  We are both behind a broken off tree with a big rock next to it that I put my backpack on.  Perfect rest against the tree and on my pack. 

Then we notice another bull is stepping up onto the little flat below us.  I see his fronts first as they come into view.  Good fronts I think to myself.  Then I see the G4 on his left side.  I could tell this was a good mature bull.  Chad says to me "Oh my god, shoot that one".  I put the crosshairs on his front shoulder just as he stops to eat a clump of grass and gently squeeze the trigger.  The bull tumbles and rolls down the hill.  He is down.

Chad and I walk up to him and high five each other smiling from ear to ear.  We have hunted elk together for almost 15 years, just the two of us.  This is definately our most memorable hunt.
   

[grundy53]

none of my stories match these ones. i guess i will just have to buy one  .

[PLUVIUSWAPITI]

Jason, just wondering if you are going to be down over the weekend for the Fluke shoot.

[couesbitten]

none of my stories match these ones. i guess i will just have to buy one  .

I submitted a story about my son's bull, but I'm thinking the same thing.