The year was 2006......

[bridgeman]

Was elk hunting with a couple of my buddies that year in the Lewis River unit. If most remember it was a very wet year and rained like a SOB! By the fourth day the rain had taken its toll on us. I decided to make one last go of it and do an afternoon hunt.I hiked down a road to the edge of some timbers about a few hundred yards from camp.BTW it was still raining down like a cow pissing on a flat rock! I followed a game trail that took me deeper into the timbers. As I was looking into the timbers I could barely see some movement not sure what it was. By now it was getting dark fast and raining so hard that I was ready to turn back when this bull lifted his 4 pt rack. All I could see was the bleached tips of his rack. He never heard me walk up on him. I drew down my .270 and dumped him where he stood. I quickly marked the area and started back to get my buddies. By this time,it was so dark that I lost my trail and didn't bring my map or compass. I just thought how it was going to be a very long dark and wet night! I walked in circles for the next fifteen minutes until I just looked up in the direction of where I thought camp was. All I could see was a very faint reflection of my buddies white truck. Turns out all the walking around brought me about 40 yards away from camp! My buddies never even heard the shot. Happy ending..got my elk out and won't leave camp next time without my flashlight,compass, map or gps...

[jjhunter]

I had just gotten back from a six month deployment in late August and I was ready to do some hunting!   I started the season off by killing a 23" 3-point mule deer with my bow on September 2nd.   It was a smoking hot day and the buck had bedded alone under a 5-foot bluff.   The wind was perfect and I was able to sneak around on top of him and stick him in his bed from just a few feet (literally).  In fact, I was so close, I couldn't figure out whether to use my pins or not.     I decided to use my pins, but apparently it didn't matter.

September 9th, I was back at home for a little archery elk hunting in the breaks.   We had a few bulls around and with only a day and half to hunt, the first bull I had a chance at was going down.  First thing in the morning, we spot a raghorn 5-point bull crossing the CRP down into a draw.   I worked around and was led in by hand signals from my brother.  I got about 14 yards from the bull who was laying in a deep hole.   It was straight up and down and not a comfortable shooting stance......to make matters worse, the bull would not stand!   I tried forever to get the bugger to stand and finally had to really let him see me - when he stood, I had to shoot thru some jim hill mustard and it actually deflected my arrow - which, hit the bull directly in the arse!  Instinctively, I grab another arrow, knock, draw, and wait for the bull to cross the bottom of the draw and start up the other side, he pauses for a second at 45 yards and I release, double lunging him.  He runs about 15 yards and tumbles.   I look up at my brother, who, when he saw the ass shot, ran to his bow and was getting into position to get another arrow in the bull.   He did not see my second shot and thought I was a dumbarse for holding my arms in the air in victory.  He yelled something like "you didn't kill him with an arse shot"!  He didn't believe me until I showed him the bull...

The third hunt was in Montana.   It was Thanksgiving week and the deer were really rutting.   I had paid a trespass fee on the most beautiful ranch I have ever had the pleasure to hunt - it was amazing.   I passed a really good 28-30" 3x4 that grossed right around 180".   I messed up on a great 28" high 180's 4-point and ended up shooting a "last day" 160" buck.   

2006 was a great year!