Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: Little Fish on September 21, 2010, 01:13:19 PM

Title: One more bull.....
Post by: Little Fish on September 21, 2010, 01:13:19 PM: After many failed attempts over the last few years (both my partner and myself) my partner arrowed this 5x5 bull at 30 yards up in the Toutle unit on the 11th. The hunt really started last spring when my partner pulled a Toutle bull permit and it continued when he made several trips to scout just prior to the season. Based on his findings we both thought we'd be into multiple animals each day, but when we arrived at the gate early Saturday morning and worked our way into the unit the woods were quiet. By late afternoon we had worked our way five miles back into the hills and finally heard a couple half hearted bugles in the timber below us. Unfortunately we couldn't get a good read on the location of the animal(s) so we started working our way down the mountain, stopping and bugling at various locations along the way.

At our last stop I wanted to bugle into some dark timber, but after not getting any response I looked up the road and saw light at the end of the tunnel as the road came out of the timber. Although we were tired and it was an uphill trek we pushed up the road and 100 yards before the tunnel ended we heard a bull bugling and thrashing trees in a clearcut and carrying on the way a fired up bull does. There wasn't much time to set up, so my buddy pushed up ahead getting into position at the edge of the clearcut while doing his best not to get busted by the cows coming out of the timber with the bull. I tucked in behind a root wad along the edge of the road and when the bull let out another bugle I followed it immediately with a nasally/whining bugle. That was all it took as he turned and B-lined for my position. Although he didn't step out of the clearcut, my partner was setup 30 yards from where he stopped and he made an awesome shot taking out a lung and the heart. We gave the bull 30 minutes to expire, but probably didn't need to as he only went 50 yards from his original position. This was my partner's first archery elk and the first elk I've been able to call in for a harvest so needless the say we are both pretty excited about his success.

My partner took his shot at 7:00 PM, we got the bull cleaned and quartered up by 10:30 and back to the truck by 1:00. By the time we got to camp it was close to 3:00 so we were going on 24 hours when we hit the hay, but it was well worth it.
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: PA BEN on September 21, 2010, 01:23:16 PM: Great hunt w/good friends. Nice bull thanks for the story.
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: cld40 on September 21, 2010, 01:27:37 PM: congrats.....
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: Pathfinder101 on September 21, 2010, 01:51:10 PM: that's awesome 8)
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: Whitenuckles on September 21, 2010, 01:57:08 PM: Sweet! Great story!
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: brianb231 on September 21, 2010, 02:45:42 PM: Always nice not to eat tag soup on a special permit draw. Nice Job!!!
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: bowtech721 on September 21, 2010, 02:57:02 PM: :tup: to both of you guys! great bull :)
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: C-Money on September 21, 2010, 03:07:26 PM: Nice!
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: bowhunterforever on September 21, 2010, 03:22:12 PM: Congrats, Great story and bull
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: Charlie on September 21, 2010, 03:24:39 PM: Nice work! Congrats!!
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: Hornseeker on September 21, 2010, 03:24:50 PM: Congrats man!!! Great Pic!
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: brianmtsinc on September 21, 2010, 03:44:10 PM: That's awesome!!! :)
The bull I have mounted on my wall is no monster either, but it will always be my favorite because of the story behind how my best friend and I worked to make it happen.

Congrats!!!
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: pods8 on September 21, 2010, 03:58:29 PM: Sounds like you guys did the load in one trip, did you have a cart of just really load yourselves down?
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: bucklucky on September 21, 2010, 04:22:21 PM: Nice bull, congrats!!
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: Little Fish on September 21, 2010, 04:32:22 PM: Pods....we took the head, tenderloins, heart and trimmed meat out that night and bagged up the shoulders and hind quarters then came back for them in the morning. I'm not sure how pounds of meat we had that night, but with our packs, the head and trim meat we were pretty loaded down for the 4 miles back to the truck. The next morning we called Weyerhaeuser security and they sent one of their guys to meet us at the gate so we could drive in. It was awesome. They were very accommodating.
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: spottedhand on September 21, 2010, 04:38:40 PM: Great bull and awesome story ;)
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: Huntboy on September 21, 2010, 04:51:28 PM: Nice bull. Wow with pic's and a story. Thanks
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: BigD on September 21, 2010, 04:55:33 PM: Good job Little fish, nice bull
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: MLBowhunting on September 21, 2010, 08:59:46 PM: very cool nice job to both of you and weyerauser guys :IBCOOL:
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: PacificNWhunter on September 21, 2010, 09:51:12 PM: Congrats.
Title: Re: One more bull.....
Post by: Jellymon on September 21, 2010, 10:14:45 PM: I wish I knew weyerhaeuser would do that!!!! :o

Congrats!! :P