Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 12:05:48 PM
Hey Guys
Been a while since I've posted anything. Thought I'd share an amazing season with you guys and gals. The 2017 Montana summer was record breaking dry. Made for a tough summer. We had 3 major fires burning in our county. As a LEO that meant a ton of overtime and no scouting. We had hundreds of homes evacuated and unfortunately a few homes were lost to fires. With just a couple weeks before archery season we had to be evacuated from our home as well. It was a stressful situation for out family. I have to thank an amazing group of friends and church family that made it so much easier. The wife and kids lived in our RV for a couple weeks while I pretty much worked around the clock. Hunting was the last thing on my mind for sure. The fire was less than 3/4 of a mile from our home. I can't say thank you enough to all the fire fighters. Met some amazing men and women from all over the US.
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 12:11:05 PM
Post by: pianoman9701 on January 09, 2018, 12:14:00 PM
Post by: whacker1 on January 09, 2018, 12:23:47 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 12:32:07 PM
By noon I was on top of my familiar ridge. I heard another bugle that sounded too small to trop 1000' to go after. A short time later I heard a raspy bugle on the ridge across from me. I know better than to trop in this drainage, and have done it multiple times before and have ALWAYS regretted it and swear to never di it again. Well all you elk hunters know what I did!! I dropped in. :}
I started working the bull and he got really fired up. He dropped in as well and was working his way down to the bottom across from me. We were on a crash course at the creek bottom. He came to the creek and I could hear him walking back and forth destroying whatever was in his way. I never did get eyes on him, I'm guessing he was at 60 yds. The NW MT brush isn't too different than Western WA. He lost interest and bugled his way back up the ridge where he had come from. I was thankful for such an encounter for the first day out. By now its 2pm and hot. I am ready for a mountain nap for sure. I climbed up the the same hill the bull was on and circled 500 yds or so down wind. I found a flat spot and passed out.
About an hours later I heard his familiar bugle on the ridge above me about 500 yds away. He was bugling on his own and seemed to be working down the ridge. I gained a couple hundred vert feet and let out some soft cow calls. I could tell right away he was coming and coming fast. I set up as best I could in the jungle I was in. He was screaming and breaking brush all the way. I came to full draw and he stepped out at 15 yds. He was quarter to me and had some brush in the way. After 30 seconds or so he got nervous and walked off away from me. He never did spook and just walked up the ridge away from me.
I couldn't believe it. I had called in the same bull twice in 2 hours mid day in the heat on my first day. He was a dark horned 6x6 I was guessing he was 310-320" not that I care :}
Post by: Skyvalhunter on January 09, 2018, 12:51:57 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 01:00:55 PM
I worked my way up the ridge in the dark timber and got into a ton of sign in some old spotty burns. I was hoping to run into one of the other bulls I had heard from earlier in the day.
I was about 3 hours from the truck with a hour of light left. I could walk out easy enough or spend the night?
Just then I heard a familiar bugle from the ridge above me. I sounded like the same bull from the previous 2 encounters. I decided to go for broke and get stupid aggressive with him. My thought was I will probably screw this up and get out of here. I have never got this aggressive with a bull. I am a get close and cow call them in kind of a guy.
The next time he bugled on his own I cut him off with a loud high pitched bugle. By the way I am using Phelps AMP reeds. They rock !!!!! If your not using them your missing out.
He answered immediately and started getting worked up. He was still 300 yds out so I nocked an arrow and went right at him. Every time he bugled I'd cut him off. I cut the distance in a hurry and was getting close. I could tell he was less than 100yds and I needed to slow down so I would blow him out. I could hear him raking a tree about 80 yds. I crept closer and used his noise to cover my steps.
I had 20 min of light left and needed it to happen. The next time he bugled I cut him off as loud and raspy as I could. I heard him break loose and started coming in. I spotted him at 60 yds. He was coming in above me and was going to have to come a long way to get to a broad side shooting lane. I found a lane and got my feet right and waited. He never broke stride all the way. As his nose came into my shooting late I got ready to stop him, but he stopped on his own right in my lane. I guessed him at 40 yds and later ranged it at 39. I saw my arrow fly through his side and he jumped forward. I cow called softly as he went out of sight after only going 10 yds over a little ridge. I immediately heard a crash followed by a couple loud moans. I crumpled to the ground in a heap, shaking uncontrollably. Most of you are very familiar with the thoughts, emotions, and feelings that I was experiencing , so I won't waste words trying to describe the indescribable.
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 01:02:21 PM
Post by: pianoman9701 on January 09, 2018, 01:13:43 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 01:17:48 PM
It was almost dark when I got to him
The Bull had only gone 30 yds
Post by: bowhunterforever on January 09, 2018, 01:18:42 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 01:31:37 PM
Post by: lewy on January 09, 2018, 01:33:11 PM
Post by: quadrafire on January 09, 2018, 01:35:19 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 01:36:46 PM
My besty had volunteered to take the day off and help me with the horses and the pack out.
I woke up to the sound of my wife and friend talking in my kitchen. I had over slept after getting home at 4 am. :}
Good hunting partners are hard to find and I have hit the jack pot on a few.
We loaded up the horses and were able to walk them right to the bull. Horses are not for everyone, but they are for me !!!!
We were back home before dark with the meat in the cooler !!!
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 01:55:27 PM
Happiness is a blood soaked arrow
Post by: dscubame on January 09, 2018, 01:58:07 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 02:14:46 PM
Jason made the drive from West WA for 10 days of hunting. As luck would have it the day he drove over my buddies killed two 6x6 bulls in a Nasty spot and needed my help. I was committed to helping pack them out. One of them was the guy who writes my schedule :}} I told him to go hunting and I would meet up with him the next day. Jason said no way and chose to help us pack all day and skip a day of hunting :tup:
Unfortunately we couldn't get the horses to these bulls, but 6 of us managed to get them out that day.
Jason and I hit the ground running the next day well before day light. Just after day light we got hit with a nasty rain storm. It pounded us all day. We were both soaked. It made for a long night in the woods. We had heard one bugle on the way in, but couldn't make it happen.
The next morning we woke up to a wet blanket of slushy snow. We started working the ridge and trying to locate a bull. We got a bull to bugle and started working him. He shut up and we couldn't locate him again, so we decided to drop in the bottom to get some water.
After getting some water we began the climb out of the drainage. It snowing hard wet snow and we were both soaked to the underwear from the huck brush and mountain alder jungle. We heard a bull bugle and decided to get aggressive and not give him the chance to shut up. I cut him off every time he bugled and we kept working toward him. He was getting close and we were in a timbered mountain under mess. If there was going to be a shot it was going to be close. Jason was out in from of me 30 yds or so, and I saw the bull down through the timber headed his way. I lost sight of the bull for a few seconds and heard a bow go off. I heard the bull jump and I immediately bugled. I could see Jason was trying to get another shot at the bull at it was standing 30 yds away. A few seconds later I heard a loud crash and saw Jason pump his arms with excitement the bull was down.
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 02:20:36 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 02:29:32 PM
We got the bull worked up and hung and headed up the ridge to camp. We were both wiped out and didn't have the energy for the 5+ miles to the trailhead. It was cold and no bear sign around so we decided to spend the night and hike out in the am. Our spike Camp was above 6000' feet, and we woke up to a foot of fresh snow and winds blowing 25. It was Sept 20th and felt like Nov 20th. We giggled and laughed all the way to the truck and made it home that afternoon. We got a good nights sleep and dried out and headed in with the horses the next am. It was a great ride in the snow. We got the horses to within a 1/4 mile of the bull and made quick work of the short pack. Did I mention I LOVE MY HORSES ?!!!! :chuckle:
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 02:30:12 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 02:31:42 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 02:32:59 PM
I'm a tech tard
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 02:34:13 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 02:34:54 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 02:47:50 PM
My brother managed to get a small mule deer in a rain storm on the second day of the hunt. We got it packed out and dropped off my son so we could hit the mountains!!!
Post by: quadrafire on January 09, 2018, 02:48:00 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 02:49:04 PM
Post by: quadrafire on January 09, 2018, 02:49:19 PM
Post by: quadrafire on January 09, 2018, 02:50:14 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 02:52:25 PM
A WET BUCK AND BOYS !!!!
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 03:16:15 PM
On day 8 we were both wiped out and ready for an easy day. We rode the horses into a new spot that I have archery hunted in the past. Its a easy hunt and we could glass the day away rather than hike for miles. On the way up the trail I caught a whiff of bull. I asked my brother and he could smell him too. We decided to tie up and walk the rest of the way in the dark. Just after daylight I let out a couple cow calls. I got a quick response from a fired up bull. He was above us and sounded close. We started up the steep hill towards the bull. We were in an old spotty burn and had about 100 yds of visibility in the thick burned timber. The bull bugled 4 or 5 more times at my cow calls and was fired up and coming in fast. I caught movement above us and saw some cows walking to our right. Right behind them was the bull. He was coming right to us. Jeff shot him in the chest with the 300 RUM at 50 yds :chuckle:. He rolled down the hill and came to rest almost at our feet.
Needless to say we let out a few WAR HOOPS!! Bear Hugs and high fives!!! It was awesome to share such a hunt with my "little" brother. We had planned and talked for a couple years about it and it all came together. It was 8am and we were 100 yds from the horse trail and the horsed were only 1\2 mile down the trail waiting to go to work.
We said a prayer of thanks to the Lord for provision of meat and memories made. God is Good !!!
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 03:25:54 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 03:32:39 PM
Got to go to work :}
Post by: quadrafire on January 09, 2018, 03:37:38 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 03:40:59 PM
Post by: quadrafire on January 09, 2018, 03:42:22 PM
Post by: Dan-o on January 09, 2018, 05:39:00 PM
Wow!!!!!!
Great share.
Post by: meatwhack on January 09, 2018, 06:43:35 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 11:16:32 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 09, 2018, 11:19:49 PM
Jen had killed her first bull!!!!
It was chaos for the next couple minutes as the rest of the herd of cows came running out into the open. Dan and my buddy Kevin both knocked down cows within 100 yds of Jen's bull. We had 3 elk down out of the same herd.
I didnt even realize that Dan had captured Jens shots all on video. Its was a great surprise.
Post by: LittleJohn on January 10, 2018, 02:23:56 AM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 10, 2018, 02:27:23 AM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 10, 2018, 02:37:45 AM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 10, 2018, 02:43:09 AM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 10, 2018, 02:50:33 AM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 10, 2018, 02:54:14 AM
He put his tag on a forky mule deer and was happy as a clam :tup:.
Post by: LittleJohn on January 10, 2018, 03:12:53 AM
Rod spotted a cow and 2 legal bulls right away and we were off. They were 4+ miles away in an area I wasn't familiar with. We had to drive to a different road system to get on them. A couple hours later we cut their tracks and started after them. They had fed into some timber, so I put Rod on point and headed into the draw to try and push them out. I jumped a cow in the timber and managed to get a 200 yd shot on her as she started up the other side of the canyon. Unbelievable !!!!! Cow down!!!!
It was a young cow and Rod and I boned her out and made it back to the truck in one trip.
We headed to our camping spot at a trail head and set up camp. We were all beyond tired after a long drive and hard day hunting. I don't remember climbing in my sleeping bag and passing out. :chuckle: :chuckle:
Post by: LittleJohn on January 10, 2018, 03:26:48 AM
We lost sight of the bulls during the 2 mile stock. We managed to glass their tracks in the snow and were able to keep track of them that way. We got on the ridge across from their tracks and started side hilling. It was spotty open timber across from us and made it tough to glass their tracks in the snow. We crept up the ridge slowly trying not to bump them. Rod spotted 3 of them bedded right across from us the other 2 were still up feeding. They had no clue we were there. I ranged them at 203 yds. They were all legal rag bulls. Rod got a stone solid prone rest on his pack. One of the bulls was bedded broadside in the wide open. Rod put him down with two well placed shots. It was rods first bull as well. The other 4 bulls just stood there looking at their buddy wondering what was going on. We sat quietly as we could in hopes they wouldn't go far. Larry called us on the radio and asked if it was us shooting :}
We told him we had some work to do. :chuckle: :chuckle:
Post by: LittleJohn on January 10, 2018, 03:33:02 AM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 10, 2018, 03:55:03 AM
We were up early the next morning and headed in for the last day of season. We got in about 3 miles as the sun came up. We spent most of the morning glassing trying to find Larry an elk to go after. About 10am we were ice cold and needed too get moving. Rod and I were going to go get the last 2 quarters and pack them to the bottom. Larry was going to make a short hunt up the drainage and try to turn up an elk.
We found the meat safe and sound and headed for the creek in the bottom. We made it to the trail and decided to make a fire and wait for Larry before we headed out. It was about 2 pm on the last day of season. Rod and I had our boots off and warming out toes by a white man fire. We were retelling old stories and having a great time when we were interrupted by a gun shot from up the valley. We looked at each other in absolute disbelief. "NO WAY" we said to each other !!!!!
Not 10 seconds later I heard the staticky crackle of my radio. "Hey John, copy"? "Ya Larry go ahead" I replied. "I just shot a 5x5 bull" Larry replied short of breath!!!! I could hear the excitement in his voice. Rod and I lost our *censored* to be honest!!!! We put out our fire and laced up our boots and literally run up the trail.
Larry had cut 2 sets of fresh tracks and tracked them into a timber patch. He killed his bull in its bed at 30 yds. Once again UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!
We made our way up the drainage to a wide smiling Larry. Larry is honestly the best elk hunter I know. I wish I could plug a wire into him and down load his knowledge of the elk woods. He is 67 years old and fit as a fiddle. I can't even begin to keep up with him. He isn't sure how many elk he's killed, but said its well over 40 now. This was his first elk that he's ever killed on the last day of season :}
Rod packed a quarter down to our fire where rods 2 quarters were hanging. We took out the rest of Larry's bull between the 3 of us and made it to camp well after dark. We would return in the am for the last 3 loads.
What an amazing end to an epic season.
Post by: LittleJohn on January 10, 2018, 03:55:27 AM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 10, 2018, 03:58:55 AM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 10, 2018, 04:02:02 AM
3 elk in 3 days to end the EPIC season !!!!
It might be tough to top this year. But I will try for sure !!!
Post by: LittleJohn on January 10, 2018, 04:03:59 AM
Post by: quadrafire on January 10, 2018, 07:32:05 AM
Post by: blackveltbowhunter on January 10, 2018, 08:39:25 AM
Post by: LittleJohn on January 11, 2018, 02:08:37 PM
Post by: bulldogs40 on January 11, 2018, 07:11:48 PM
Post by: 2MANY on January 11, 2018, 08:03:16 PM
Congrats. :)
Post by: BowBender87 on January 11, 2018, 08:12:01 PM
Post by: RUNNINRONNIE on January 24, 2018, 05:31:46 PM
Post by: W_Ellison2011 on February 20, 2018, 04:14:23 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on February 22, 2018, 07:41:05 AM
for a small fee$$$$$ :chuckle:
Post by: W_Ellison2011 on February 22, 2018, 02:33:11 PM
AbsolutyI'll give you $3.50!
for a small fee$$$$$ :chuckle:
Post by: REHJWA on February 22, 2018, 04:47:31 PM
Post by: LittleJohn on February 22, 2018, 09:28:59 PM
AbsolutyI'll give you $3.50!
for a small fee$$$$$ :chuckle:
Perfect !!!! :tup:
Post by: Kit Carson on February 23, 2018, 12:29:53 AM
And nice horses. Cool setup you got there :tup:
Congrats on all the success!
Post by: Skyvalhunter on February 23, 2018, 06:06:32 AM