Author Topic: elk down! (Read 10819 times)

ribka · « **on:** November 27, 2010, 06:02:11 PM »

Late archery elk success. . $0 yard on a big cow. More pics story to follow
Thanks to Gasman and his son for helping me out

Sorry for quality. Cell phone pics

gaddy · « **Reply #1 on:** November 27, 2010, 06:11:56 PM »

way to stack the freezer, aint the snow fun for packing? nice job & its sure nice to have help.

Mr T · « **Reply #2 on:** November 27, 2010, 06:13:48 PM »

Great kill, something special about a hunt and kill in the snow!

Austrian Hunter · « **Reply #3 on:** November 27, 2010, 06:14:53 PM »

Congrats.. The pic with the quiver almost looks like she has four arrows stuck in the guts

carpsniperg2 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 27, 2010, 06:30:33 PM »

congrats

Huntbear · « **Reply #5 on:** November 27, 2010, 06:35:12 PM »

Lots of good meat there! Congrats.

Instinct · « **Reply #6 on:** November 27, 2010, 07:07:35 PM »

Nicely done, still working on mine. Been hunting the nile hard last 3 days, seeing elk just not legal or too far away

ser300wsm · « **Reply #7 on:** November 27, 2010, 07:11:06 PM »

Very nice, congrats ...

ribka · « **Reply #8 on:** November 27, 2010, 07:12:20 PM »

sorry 40 yds. Skinning now
Story, more pics to follow
Up in the Nile

Thanks

Band · « **Reply #9 on:** November 27, 2010, 07:56:58 PM »

Congrats Ribka. I ran into you and Gasman while scouting before the early archery season. I know you guys put in a lot of scouting days and I'm glad to see you got your reward.

krout81 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 27, 2010, 07:58:13 PM »

Nice one

lokidog · « **Reply #11 on:** November 27, 2010, 08:01:24 PM »

Gotta love a blood trail like that!

Nice shot, wish I could get out.

jdb · « **Reply #12 on:** November 28, 2010, 05:15:44 PM »

well done sir! now maybe we can get some coyotes killed!

FSTaxidermy · « **Reply #13 on:** November 28, 2010, 05:39:13 PM »

Great job, nothing like following a skid trail

fire up the BBQ

vtec · « **Reply #14 on:** November 28, 2010, 07:16:17 PM »

meat meat meat!!!! congrats on a fine cow

Wea300mag · « **Reply #15 on:** November 28, 2010, 07:19:20 PM »

Congrats ribka, that will be some good eating.

huntlakewood · « **Reply #16 on:** November 28, 2010, 07:30:16 PM »

Congrats. I talked to Gasman that day he hopes went up about getting one after he saw and helped with yours. I sure hope one of them if not both can get theres.

bowguy · « **Reply #17 on:** November 28, 2010, 07:43:58 PM »

hey man congrats! Got to love tracking in the snow. Wish i could be up there in the Nile this year i can only image all the animals moving with the snow. Can't wait to read the full story and the where abouts of where.

colockumelk · « **Reply #18 on:** November 28, 2010, 08:33:54 PM »

Congrats on the harvest. What Broadhead were you using? That's a really nice blood kill. The shot must have been right on the money.

dougedoug · « **Reply #19 on:** November 28, 2010, 08:39:07 PM »

sweet good job

C-Money · « **Reply #20 on:** November 28, 2010, 08:55:25 PM »

Nice cow! Glad you scored!

archery288 · « **Reply #21 on:** November 28, 2010, 08:57:31 PM »

Nicely done!! And those snowy blood trails are an awesome sight!!

rasbo · « **Reply #22 on:** November 29, 2010, 01:16:06 AM »

what what thats great,what what congrats,cudos to the gman for helping

Elknut1 · « **Reply #23 on:** November 29, 2010, 07:32:15 AM »

Very cool, now that's a blood trail !!!

ElkNut1

Instinct · « **Reply #24 on:** November 29, 2010, 08:31:57 AM »

I want a blood trail like that

. Takin a couple days off to recoup then hit the nile hard again, found old blood trails n track city where I went n had to leave early for some sleep... but good job man!

MLBowhunting · « **Reply #25 on:** November 29, 2010, 12:21:29 PM »

Good Job and the Nile is a nice place. Love the bloody ending

ribka · « **Reply #26 on:** November 29, 2010, 08:31:11 PM »

Here's the story

I drove up and met Gasman and his son John for day of hunting the Nile last Saturday. Those who hunt the late archery Nile know how crazy it can get up there with the number of hunters, poor drivers on icy steep mountain roads

, high numbers of road hunters, guys walking down the roads with knocked arrows, etc.

Well, we drove up there from his camp and stopped and still hunted an area I saw some elk and nice buck the day before. No luck after an hour. Conditions were still good with fresh snow and no ice on top. Still possible to walk quietly. So upon returning and meeting up Gasman says he saw a few elk and deer bedded down in a steep area. We formulate a plan and drove up to the area, park and start hiking down to the general area where he last saw them. Verrry steep and icy in places. I broke off and headed down a finger to a small saddle between two deep ravines. Looked like a good travel area for animals and the numerous deer and elk tracks on the saddle confirmed this.

I see a deadfall 50 yds ahead and think to myself this would be a perfect ground blind. Wind and conditions were perfect. I start walking to the deadfall and look down a ravine and see 3 cow elk walking up towards me about 70 yds away. I am standing in the open with no cover. Ohh crap! At least the wind is in my favor. When they look away I dive into the deadfall. My bow , arrows are in my backpack. I attempt to remove my back pack as quietly as possible, remove my bow, quiver, put on my release and knock an arrow. I slowwwwwly kneel and come to a shooting position and see the first 2 elk have already walked past with the third cow walking quartering a bit away at a little over 40 yds. Now 40 yds is my limit for archery withthe wheel bow. 30 yds with my recurve.. I practice to 80 yds but think 40 yds is about max for me in hunting situations. I put the 40 yd pin a bit high behind the shoulder and release. Everything now in slow motion. I see the arrow in flight and see it arc slightly and strike her. Looks like a good hit and I hear the thunk of arrow hitting bone. Then All heck breaks loose, snow is flying and three elk are scattering down the mountain.

I try and follow the elk I hit and see my arrow a little high behind the shoulder and half of it sticking out. I think damn I hit her high and hit a bone and not enough penetration. I sit down, call Gasman on the radio and tell him what happened. (He later told me he good naturedly called me an SOB when I told him I just shot an elk over the radio

) First I quietly walk to the area of the hit and see lots of mud and snow kicked up and the beginning of what looked like a good blood trail. I did notget complete penetration based on the blood trail but a steady trail nonetheless. I walk back and sit down and wait for Gasman and his son come down to me. After 20 or so minutes I see them walking down to my position. We wait another 20 minutes before tracking. We start tracking finding good blood. I tell Gasman of the poor penetration and he shortly finds my arrow laying on the snow. Only the first foot was covered with blood and the head was broken at the ferrule

See pics
Beginning blood
and found arrow

ribka · « **Reply #27 on:** November 29, 2010, 08:35:06 PM »

So we keep following the blood trail,which is still consistent, and I voice my concerns for a non-fatal hit and Gasman says she down with the blood trail. After about 100 yds of trailing I look ahead see a big patch of blood and a long red colored smear down a steep ravine. Lo and behold the elk is laying down below and she looks like she expired. I slip and slide my way own to her to confirm she is dead.

ribka · « **Reply #28 on:** November 29, 2010, 08:40:49 PM »

I yell up to Gasman and his son and say she is down. We first discuss using a long rope to winch her back up the mountain and decide better to drag her down the mountain knowing the snow should aid in the dragging process. Gasman volunteers his son to help me with the elk and says he will go back up to the vehicles and drive down his jeep to the bottom of the mountain, park it and walk up and meet us while we are attempting to get her down to the road where the jeep is parked .

I manage to field dress her and see the hit was good in the lungs

ribka · « **Reply #29 on:** November 29, 2010, 08:43:50 PM »

Gasman's son and I start the dragging process and run into a deadfall. Instead of trying to drag her up a steep incline around the deadfall, we decide to drag her under it

ribka · « **Reply #30 on:** November 29, 2010, 08:49:04 PM »

So we mange to wresltle her under the deadfall and continue down the mountain and meet up with Gasman. He helps a lot and we get it down to the jeep.

I bring it home and get her hung and skinned . The next day butchering and wrapping. My wife, who was a city girl her entire life, now loves to help process game and fish. Her city friends think that she is a crazy redneck now

Elk tenderloin Good eats! Try and find that in Whole Foods

ribka · « **Reply #31 on:** November 29, 2010, 08:56:12 PM »

During processing Bandit called and brought his family and helped package and make burger. Thanks Bandit.

Maybe someday you can be a might hunter like me

I like doing an autopsy when processing game to learn how to make most efefective and humane shots. I see that my arrow went through a rib, lungs, through another rib and into the far shoulder. Can't beat a quality two blade broadhead.

Don't think an expandable head would have held up

blades recovered from far rib and broadhead in far shoulder

Looking forward to next year's season