Post by: Drake7 on September 16, 2011, 10:11:43 PM
Post by: Alan K on September 16, 2011, 10:50:45 PM
Post by: BENCHLEG on September 16, 2011, 10:52:33 PM
Post by: CamoDup on September 16, 2011, 10:55:11 PM
Post by: buglebuster on September 17, 2011, 11:10:39 AM
Post by: Elkslayer on September 18, 2011, 10:52:48 PM
Post by: hunter-4-life on September 19, 2011, 08:50:06 AM
Post by: backwoods_boy on September 19, 2011, 03:09:23 PM
Post by: C-Money on September 19, 2011, 04:00:30 PM
Post by: Drake7 on September 23, 2011, 08:48:08 AM
Arrived and set up camp Saturday mid day. Scouted, glassed and hiked Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday. Must have covered 10 miles and 2000 feet of vertical on Sunday. Though we saw a few elk and a lot of sign the bulls were not bugling. I was a little nervous going into Monday with the bulls not talking it up like I was anticipating. Monday morning up at 4:00 AM, quick breakfast and started our hike into the area we had seen the most sign. We got to the spot I wanted about 6:15 AM (shooting time) and began location bugling and lost cow calling. For 30 minutes nothing returned my calls. About at 6:45 I received a return bugle which sounded like a long ways off. I quickly returned and again was treated with silence. About 10 minutes went by with neither me nor the bull making a sound when he lets off a scream from about 300 yards directly above where I am sitting. He had closed the gap and was right on me! For the next 20 minutes this bull closed to about 175 yards and settled into some deep scrub brush. He was thrashing this scrub and screaming back at me! During this time I was trying to move myself into a position to possibly get a shot. At this point he is so deep in the scrub I am unable to determine his exact size and have absolutely no shot opportunity. Every time he would bury his head I would move closer to improve my angle. He finally got tired of this and decided to show himself with a slow walk to his left (my right). I had only a small window of opportunity with legs weary, sucking wind to determine his size and get off a good shot. When he stepped out I knew I could not pass on this bull. The 1st shot hit his front shoulder :bash: and exited high hurting him but missing the vitals. The 2nd shot was placed perfect and he went only 30 more yards into some tree cover going down. It took all of Monday and ½ of Tuesday to get the meat out and hanging in camp. 400 lbs quartered and on the hook at the processor! My story does not do justice to the actual hunting experience. Sharing this hunt with my best friend and my dad (he’s 76) made this a hunt I will always remember and talk about. If you are a rifle hunter in Washington you know how frustrating it is looking for spikes in a sea of orange. Elk hunting can be a real lesson in humility with maximum effort, planning and preparation you more than not, come home empty handed. I now understand why you archery guys are so addicted to your passion! There is just nothing more exhilarating than bugling in bull Elk! Thank you to my dad (the elk surgeon) and Mark for sticking with that last quarter when you had nothing left. Brad you are the man and I could not have accomplished this without your assistance!
Post by: buglebuster on September 23, 2011, 09:11:13 AM
Post by: CAMPMEAT on September 23, 2011, 09:19:11 AM
Post by: backwoods_boy on September 23, 2011, 10:47:32 AM
Post by: Huntboy on September 23, 2011, 11:02:49 AM
Post by: GoldTip on September 23, 2011, 11:07:04 AM
Post by: Drake7 on September 23, 2011, 03:54:44 PM
Post by: bearhunter99 on September 23, 2011, 04:11:20 PM
Post by: SniperDanWA on September 23, 2011, 06:07:44 PM