Post by: flyguide on September 26, 2009, 07:22:33 PM
The kids helped me pack and make a batch of toasted bagel peanut butter, bacon, and honey sandwiches (very good, and they WORK). Loaded up night before season, made a long drive to the trailhead, hit the trail, and spiked out on top of a bull that CChunt had scouted most of the summer. We laid down on a few inches of snow which was a little soggy but since it was the night before season it didn't matter, nobody sleeps anyway. The bull we found the night before season was still there in the morning so we slipped in below him in the dark and glassed him in the light of a full moon, he was 150 yards above us in an avalanche meadow bugling every few minutes. CChunt posted up behind a string of fir trees directly downhill of the bull, I moved back about 50-60 yards into the timber behind so that I would have a concealed calling location. It was a few minutes before daylight and I told him that I would call as soon as I could see my pins..... that was the LONGEST 5-10 minutes of my life! I kept looking at my site going.... no... not quite yet. Now? no.... almost.... I waited until I had good vision on my pins in the timber so I knew CChunt was good to go in the meadow. It was really still morning so you could hear a pin drop. I let out a loud cow call and there was a few seconds of suspense.... then he screamed back at me and I knew he was coming. He came a full trot, stopped to bugle, rake a tree or two or three, I kept calling and then I heard him bugle really close. I am thinking to myself "SHOOT" him already!, he had to be in range. It was dead still, then I heard CChunt cowcall, "whooomp", "thwack!!!", then hoof beats running to my right. I started cow calling a bunch, ran around the right side of the timber patch I was in to see where the bull was headed for trailing reasons. Then there is a BIG BULL staring my direction at 40 yards! Not sure if that was the same bull or not, either way I was shooting, it let me get to full draw and I zipped a shot through both lungs and he turned and trotted to the edge of the little meadow, barely made it into the timber and toppled over! MINUTES into 2009 we had a nice 6x6 on the ground! CChunt made a great first arrow and the bull, was done, but with 2 arrows through the lungs it sure made the recovery short and sweet! After a long day of packing meat, I did make it back up on the hill to hunt that night.
It is a great bull, I am sure since I posted now CChunt will likely post some better pics of his bull.
Post by: JoeVon on September 26, 2009, 07:27:08 PM
Post by: Skinner on September 26, 2009, 07:29:01 PM
Post by: tazz on September 26, 2009, 07:44:21 PM
Post by: PolarBear on September 26, 2009, 07:50:10 PM
Post by: flyguide on September 26, 2009, 07:55:50 PM
I let out a really loud estrus cow call, and when he yapped back I knew he was coming. It took him about 20 minutes bugling his way up, my heart was going NUTS and I started getting the shakes. He came into about 60 yards and I could see bits and pieces is all and he did some of the clearest grunts and bugles I have ever heard from any elk. He was down in a little draw straight side hill to me, I think he was trying to hook and wind me, he was at 60 then the next minute he was 100 yards and moving back down the hill.
Knowing that you can't call bulls in twice, I went into attack mode and hooked around to right where he just was, grunted, cow called, and moved in another 40 yards (fortunately he was bugling enough that I could keep tabs on him and new I had a little time to set up an ambush). Now I was on his turf, up in his business. I pulled up behind a little knoll with a clump of Cedar that he would be forced to walk around the sides of giving me an angle. As soon as I moved in, he had turned 180 degrees and was coming right back towards me. I could hear him BREATHING and huffing his way up the hill. It was either going to be left or right of the clump, both were going to be 10-15 yard shots! I heard him coming up the left, I readied to draw knowing I would have to hit full draw the second I saw his tips... here they come... full draw... (when he didn't break stride as I hit full draw I knew I had him) He came into an alley at 10 yards, cow call on pallete... "eeeeeeeaaahhh!" bull stops... pin on front shoulder for his quartering on angle.. "THWACK!!!" bull turns and runs so I start cow calling and running behind to keep him in site as long as possible. I never saw the arrow hit it was so fast.
Now the bull is standing looking up hill at about 30 yards, I shanked an arrow off a branch trying to get a second one in him (never knew if my first was good), then when I missed and he only moved about 10 yards I knew he was hurt bad. Another shot at 30 yards, this one was VERY carefully released despite a heart rate off the charts. I put this arrow through both lungs, and he went another 10 yards, lost his legs and toppled over! My first true trophy bull!
As you can see, he died in a very tough spot. Quartering that size of a bull was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Getting him turned and rolling quarters off him was hard enough, trying to hang the hind quarters alone was BRUTAL. Got it done though! Doesn't seem too bad now that I have him off the mountain and horns in the garage!
CChunt grossed him at 340 5/8", I taped it at 331 4/8" gross ( I think mine is more accurate, CChunt used a piece of hay twine and a measuring tape ). Who knows, who cares? This bull has a ton of unscorable mass in the top end so the tape won't quite do it justice anyway, nor do I care that much. Backcountry bull, by yourself, it doesn't get any better than that.
Great hunt and you can't beat a DOUBLE BRAIN BOIL!!!!
Post by: flyguide on September 26, 2009, 08:00:01 PM
CChunt's bull and my bull!
Post by: JoeVon on September 26, 2009, 08:01:43 PM
Post by: Skinner on September 26, 2009, 08:09:02 PM
Post by: NWBREW on September 26, 2009, 08:10:39 PM
Post by: Alan K on September 26, 2009, 08:12:34 PM
Post by: Backstraps on September 26, 2009, 08:28:45 PM
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on September 26, 2009, 08:39:25 PM
Post by: MuleyMadness on September 26, 2009, 08:48:56 PM
Post by: ELKBURGER on September 26, 2009, 09:06:34 PM
Post by: bow4elk on September 26, 2009, 09:16:02 PM
Post by: bucklucky on September 26, 2009, 09:56:14 PM
Post by: WAPITIHUNTER on September 26, 2009, 10:33:12 PM
Post by: javman on September 26, 2009, 10:35:13 PM
But seriously, peanut butter and bacon on a bagel??? I almost puked just looking at that picture! :chuckle:
Post by: hard hunter on September 26, 2009, 10:36:04 PM
Post by: bowhunterforever on September 26, 2009, 10:40:53 PM
Post by: scoyoc5 on September 26, 2009, 10:47:45 PM
Post by: alecvg on September 26, 2009, 10:57:53 PM
Post by: The Weazle on September 26, 2009, 10:58:36 PM
Post by: rosscrazyelk on September 27, 2009, 08:16:19 AM
Post by: boneaddict on September 27, 2009, 08:25:15 AM
Post by: cle elum bowhunter on September 27, 2009, 09:52:32 AM
Post by: Franz on September 27, 2009, 10:38:15 AM
Post by: letmhunt on September 27, 2009, 04:53:54 PM
Post by: Huntbear on September 27, 2009, 05:09:14 PM
Those are definitely bulls of a lifetime there!
Post by: Wea300mag on September 27, 2009, 06:15:12 PM
Post by: Big10gauge on September 27, 2009, 06:26:03 PM
Post by: TheHunt on September 27, 2009, 07:48:54 PM
Great hunt... Congrats
Post by: Hunting Cowboy on September 27, 2009, 08:08:08 PM
Post by: hornhunter on September 27, 2009, 08:17:25 PM
Post by: h2ofowlr on September 27, 2009, 08:44:54 PM
Post by: Tony 270WSM on September 27, 2009, 08:55:14 PM
Post by: Bronson on September 27, 2009, 09:11:48 PM
Post by: oneshotkill on September 28, 2009, 12:30:34 AM
Post by: zackmioli on September 28, 2009, 01:18:33 AM
Post by: robb92 on September 28, 2009, 03:38:21 AM
Post by: dreamingbig on September 28, 2009, 06:51:38 AM
Post by: lewy on September 28, 2009, 07:03:51 AM
Post by: Elkpiss on September 28, 2009, 07:31:37 AM
Post by: MtnMuley on September 28, 2009, 07:46:44 AM
Post by: whacker1 on September 28, 2009, 07:56:55 AM
great write up and pics
Post by: fishunt247 on September 28, 2009, 08:00:41 AM
Post by: shanevg on September 28, 2009, 08:06:15 AM
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on September 28, 2009, 08:53:45 AM
Post by: Hillbilly270 on September 28, 2009, 01:24:40 PM
Post by: Machias on September 28, 2009, 01:48:57 PM
Post by: bowsandhose on September 28, 2009, 05:48:13 PM
Post by: PacificNWhunter on September 28, 2009, 08:52:01 PM
Post by: bullchaser on September 28, 2009, 09:40:43 PM
Post by: backwoods_boy on September 29, 2009, 08:15:01 AM
nice job guys!
Post by: hawksfan75 on September 29, 2009, 11:49:32 AM
Great times out in the woods.
Post by: Austrian Hunter on September 29, 2009, 12:29:47 PM
Post by: M_ray on September 29, 2009, 01:02:23 PM
Post by: flyguide on October 01, 2009, 08:48:04 PM
This is a really fun and healthy site, it is nice to contribute once in a while. Typically I just sit back, read, and love to laugh at so many of the humourous and witty threads you guys throw about. Please keep it up and I will do my best to make a good post a couple of times each year.
Thanks again for the kind words, it is appreciated.
Flyguide
:)
Post by: Watimberghost on October 02, 2009, 05:15:34 PM
Post by: eastsidebugle on October 04, 2009, 01:54:25 PM
Post by: yelp on October 04, 2009, 02:28:27 PM
Gosh.. makes me all giddy and excited. Dad was drawn this year for wenaha west and my grandpa got one last year up there. A tag in camp two years in a row is pretty exciting! maybe Im up next year. Great pics and story fly guide.
There is nothing finer than a big bull tag in an elk camp, in the Blue Mountains. Also I talked to every spike hunter I saw and asked them if they had seen any big bulls, most of them had seen at least one. Also I found out that camp whiskey helps keep the interest.. ;) You guys have a great time.
Post by: jason4429 on October 04, 2009, 02:42:48 PM
Post by: eastsidebugle on October 04, 2009, 04:58:59 PM
Post by: Shawn Ryan on October 05, 2009, 05:43:31 PM
Post by: yelp on October 05, 2009, 05:52:13 PM
YELP. have hunted the wenaha all my life....Lots of big bulls up there not many spikes or even that many cows. Spent 10 hunting days up there last year with Grandpa and the gang saw one cow..1 COW IN TEN DAYS!!
That is what the whisky is for... :chuckle: :chuckle: That actually sucks..sorry. Here is my bull from 2001 Mt. View Tag...something to look at..taken east of Saddle Butte TH
Post by: colockumelk on October 05, 2009, 06:58:22 PM
Great story; thanks for posting the story and pictures. I just spent 14 days backpack hunting in the wilderness, half of it alone. Hunted some big bulls, but no shooting. Hunting off your back and alone is the most challenging and rewarding. You two help make a good name for hunters by doing it right.
Which wilderness? I go into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness every year. Some tough and difficult hunting is to be had there that is for sure. But it is awsome and well worth it.