Trad Gang

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1000621.jpg)

It all started last spring when I found out I drew a coveted wild bison tag here in Wyoming. This photo is from a scouting trip with my family last July. We never saw a single bison in the hunt area, but I got the chance to learn the country.

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1000929.jpg)

My good friend from Iowa came out to hunt deer and help with my bison hunt. He was so generous in using his time to help me. He could not hunt deer here as his tag was for a different area.

This is our camp with a great view.

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1000937.jpg)

The bison were here now, just the wrong side of the line.

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1000939.jpg)

Holy SMOKES!  That first picture is amazing.  Going to follow this one closely!

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1000940.jpg)

These are all on the refuge where bowhunting is not allowed. Us archers can only hunt these bison on Forest Service land.

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1000942.jpg)

You want a piece of me?

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1000943.jpg)

Ok, now you have me dreaming!  Wow...

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1000945.jpg)

Beautiful country!

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1000980.jpg)

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1000953.jpg)

Awesome sunsets every evening.

:campfire:  Can't wait for the rest!!

Rusty

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1000951.jpg)

We saw this moose about every day, but no bison were found in the huntable area.

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1000952.jpg)

Think you could slip an arrow through there?

I have been waiting a long time for this. Looks like you got the picture thing figured out man.

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1000958.jpg)

My buddy carved out a walking stick for himself. Pretty cool!

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1000969.jpg)

We glassed high and low. You would think it would be easy to spot a big bison in this country. They can hide really well.

My other friend from Cheyenne, who also drew a tag, had a stalk on a lone bull the second day. When he got around fifty yards from the bull, the wind swirled, and the bull was gone.

These things are wild, and will disapear just like a deer or elk would when they wind you.

WOW!!!!!!! nice pics. thanks for sharing.
do you know what the reason is for the limited hunt area for archers??

Incredible looking country.  Hopefully the story continues.

Highelk the bison in WYO are in one of four places. Yellowstone, Teton National Park, National Elk Refuge, and National Forest.

There has been many battles over the hunting of bison as many of you know. For obvious reasons you cannot hunt in Yellowstone and even though it is legal to hunt elk inside Teton the feds dont want bison hunting there. The same applies to the National Elk Refuge.

Therefore you are left with one option if you want to hunt a bison with a bow. That is the National Forest. My guess would be that less that 5% of the bison are on national Forest land at any given time. So this is one heck of an accomplishment in Wyoming.

What Tracy has accomplished is no small feat.

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/IMAG0320.jpg)

(http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii51/rburtis1/IMAG0320.jpg)

On the third day, Matt and I were heading back to camp to pack up so he could go deer hunting. We had about 300 miles to get to my deer spot around home.

We ran into my buddy with the bison tag. He had shot one, and needed help field dressing.

We finished helping him, and started returning to camp, when I spot a bull about 500 yards away on the next ridge.

In this photo, I am stalking the bull. Really hard to see though. I wish my bud would have grabbed my 12x camera instead of using his cell phone!

Anyway, I closed the distance to around 20 yards and got my shot. I dead centered a rib. I only got half an arrow penetration. I shot one more time quick, and missed low!

The bull then took off. We gave him about 45 minutes before tracking. I had high hopes because we did find bubbles in the blood. I was worried that I got only one lung though.

After 500 yards, I spot the bull feeding in the middle of an aspen patch. I sneak into about 15 yards and got another arrow in him. Rats! I dead centered another rib!

The bull went about 50 yards and bedded. I had no way to get close for another shot, then it got dark. I need to add that the bull got up and went into the thick aspens. I did not want to go after a wounded bison in the dark. I heard some horror stories about rifle hunters getting gored bad by wounded bison.

:campfire:

Great pics!    :campfire:

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010039.jpg)

We went back right at daylight the next morning and started tracking the bull from where I had last seen him. He went about 200 yards over a ridge. We found him bedded in the vally. We could not tell if he was dead or alive.

I started heading around behind him, when my bud whistled at me. The bull was up! I followed the bull up into the timber. He was hot! Thrashing aspens, rubbing his horns, a breaking aspens like toothpicks. It is amazing what an animal can do on one lung.

I stayed with him, just behind the beast, around 20 yards. I could never get a broadside shot. My heart was pounding hard the whole time. I just hope he doesn't see me or wind me! I may be in big trouble! After 15 minutes of following him, he turns, and I get my shot. Yes, up to the fletch! I get another one in him in under 3 seconds, then I did the hundred yard dash toward a big tree in about 5 seconds! I knew I got him good. I turned around to see him fall. Wow, it's finally over! What a nightmare!

That was great story and pics.  Thanks and congrats!  It isn't what I pictured it would be like.

what a story !!!!!!!! what a hunt !!!!!!!! what a big animal !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU TO SHARE THAT WITH US !!!!

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010047.jpg)

I used a 59# one piece Pronghorn, cedar arrows tipped with 160 gr. STOS. Total arrow weight was 640 gr. If I would not have dead centered ribs on the first two shots, he would have not made it overnight. I was really sick about the whole ordeal. I have never in 150 plus animals needed 4 arrows.

:thumbsup:  Awsome story!!!!

Rusty

Awww man this is awesome   :notworthy:

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010049.jpg)

Then the work started. What a chore!

Great pics and story, thanks for  sharring>

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010062.jpg)

We did not leave much for the many grizzlies and black bears in the area!

I did have to hire an outfitter to pack all the meat out. It would have spoiled in the time it would have took Matt and I to pack it on our backs over a mile.

That sure does look like a lot of work, a bull elk doesn't look so bad now. Well done    :thumbsup:  I am on the other side of the mountain range in eastern Idaho and soon plan on putting in for the few coveted tags (I hope it doesn't take too many years).

Enjoying this. Shedrock, is that Lava Creek drainage?

Awesome Congrats.

What an awesome experience! Thanks for sharing and taking us along.   :thumbsup:    :clapper:

Dang thats alot of guts there!
Awesome story, country and hunt!

Thx for letting me dream...

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010101.jpg)

The bull did make the Pope & Young minimum, scoring 109 4/8" after the drying period. The skull has been invited for panel measuring, and display at the Pope & Young 50th convention.

Many folks don't care about P&Y, but I thought I would share that.

Thanks for looking.

Very good story and beautiful photo's congrats.

wow. you guys make me sooo jealous how you can go out and hunt an awsome animal like that. i hope to one day be able to afford to.


congrats,
steven

Been waiting on this one Tracy! Glad it all worked out. That thing makes a moose look small.
Congrats!!  :thumbsup:

What a story to follow  :thumbsup:  

Congratulations and thank you for sharing!

I really liked your pictures.

Margly

QuoteOriginally posted by Shedrock:
 (http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010101.jpg)

The bull did make the Pope & Young minimum, scoring 109 4/8" after the drying period. The skull has been invited for panel measuring, and display at the Pope & Young 50th convention.

Many folks don't care about P&Y, but I thought I would share that.

Thanks for looking.

Man that is Way Kool. A Big Congrats.

Also Congrats on the P&Y. I don't like the way they do their scoring. But that's Me..

wow, congrats!!! Thanks for posting!

congrates...well done and thaks for shareing...horses should be your new best friend...

one great hunt. thanks for taking us along..

That's awesome. Congrats!

Great stuff.

Congratulations Tracy   :thumbsup:  Awesome animal!!

That's pretty cool!  Congrats.

Thanks for the story and pics. Congrats.

Four arrows or not that's awesome.Congrats on a great hunt and animal.

I love the pics too.Mighty pretty country for sure. :thumbsup:

Great story and pics thanks for sharing.What was your set up?

Now that's the way to make good on a tough to draw tag!!!!

Congrats on making the panel measuring as well!!  Outstanding hunt, awesome pics!!!!

Thanks for sharing.
If you guys haven't read it already, I highly recommend "American Buffalo" by Steven Rinella.

:thumbsup:    :clapper:

That is incredible.

Great story and pictures.  Thanks for sharing them.

Thanks for taking us along.  Man thats an awesome accomplishment.  Hah!!! I shoot the exact same arrow.  

Shawn

Very nice story,thanks for taking me along. man thats neat!

Awesome! That will be some awesome eating right there!

Way cool.  What an adventure!!  Thanks for taking me along!

Very cool. Once in a lifetime kinda deal!!
Thanks for sharing.

Great story, beautiful country, thanks for letting us tag along. Congratulations!

    Hunting free range wild Bison is on my bucket list.

Glad you all liked my little story. I wanted to do this a while back, but wasn't able to post pics. Thanks to FerretWYO for showing me how.

Yes, it is a once in a lifetime deal for me. I can't apply for bison the rest of my life here in Wyo.

Yes, very good eating, the ribeyes are really tough though! The roasts are really good if you slowcook them for 10 hours.

That was as about as fine a gut pile as I have ever seen. You did very well...thanks for the trip.

Congratulations! That's an amazing animal and one heck of a story!

Thanks for taking us along

Awesome animal, beautiful country. Congrats!

Shedrock, congrats on the fair chase wild bison!! Awesome.

Marinate those ribeyes in italian dressing and they'll be tender as a baby's patoot.


Try soy sauce, cooking oil, and honey

1 cup, 1 cup,and 1/2 cup- if you don't like salad dressing marinade.

Great hunt Tracey and super pics.   :thumbsup:

Great Stuff,Thanks.

Great hunt, really enjoyed the story. Congrats

Congratulations on a successful hunt. Great story and pics. Thanks for sharing.

QuoteOriginally posted by Shedrock:
 (http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010101.jpg)

Clutch! That's my favorite band! Nice work on the bull too!

Congratulations on an achievement of a lifetime. Your centering ribs twice only means that the arrow went where you wanted it to go...hitting a rib is simply something that's out of your control. Thanks for taking us along.

Amazing!  A big congrats from MO!!  :thumbsup:    :thumbsup:  

Thanks for takin time to take us along too!

You made my day Shedrock!! Perfect in every way. Thanks

WOW... once in a lifetime draw and you made it work....

Thanks for the ride... Wow again...

What a great hunt...thanks for sharing it!

Spanky

What an Awesome Hunt Tracy
Thanks for sharing
Its a once in a lifetime chance and you did great!
Dont worry about the 4 arrows, what counts is that you stuck with it and Finished it.

Congrats on a great bull and some awesome meat!

What a Bull!Congradulations sir!  :notworthy:  O I A L T to boot Awsome!  :notworthy:    :notworthy:

Great story and pictures,thanks for sharing it with us.

Outstanding, thank you for sharing the whole trip with us...from the pics to the story to the ending.

Just a great story and picture combo to read. Thanks for sharing and Congrats!!!

Thank you for sharing a great adventure with us!!
GLENN

WOW, simply wow! great hunt, country, and amazing accomplishment.

Jason

Tough darned animal! Way to stick with him and finish the kill. You earned that big boy! Looks like the skull and horns weighs over 60lbs by themselves!
When they say pick a spot...don't pick a rib next time!     :biglaugh:   Did you find out how old he is?

Congrats!!    :thumbsup:

Wow. Stalking and killing a wild bison on State land. How do you raise the bar from that? Ha.

Can you reapply for a tag if you DON'T kill one, or once you pull ur tag you are done for good?

what a great hunt and wonderful pictures, thanks for sharing and congrats.

Now that's what I call impressive!!
Congratulations!

Good job! Congratulations!
You doing a shoulder mount too? or just skull mount? or a robe?..so many options..

I have not found out about his age yet. I should hear back from G&F anytime.

Once you get a tag, whether you kill one or not, your done in Wyoming.

Just a skull mount pronghorn23.

What a super hunt   :thumbsup:

NICE!!  :clapper:

Man, that is an incredible story, incredible animal, and an amazing experience.  Thanks for the grreat pictures and congrats

Fantastic! Thank you for sharing that with all of us. It was a joy to read and see from start to finish. Congratulations!
Merf

Well done,  Super hunt............

Excellent adventure!!

Huntin' at its best   :thumbsup:

Super pictures and great hunt! I have been in range (12 yards on five bison) one time and they are awesome animals! I was afraid the whole time of them smelling me as I was in a cedar tree and knew they could get rasty! Congrats on a fantastic animal!

:thumbsup:

WHEY TO STICK WITH HIM, WELL DONE

Thank you for sharing the story with us.  Plenty of good eats there.

Awesome story, pictures, hunt, and animal!  Way to go sir!   :thumbsup:    :thumbsup:

Wow, what a hunt, congratulations! Thank you for sharing with us.

Thats awesome! Wish I was there for that one. Thanks for the story and pics.

Way to go and thanks fo rtaking us along. I am sure for many of us this would be a dream hunt, thanks for showing us that it can be done!

Nice recap!!

Thanks for sharing, That is quite the accomplishment!!!

Thanks for sharing, I hope to one day be able to hunt Bison myself, congrats!!!

Awesome you got your bison!  That is one heck of a gut pile! Congratulations!

Beautiful animal!Thanks for sharing your pics and story.Congrats.
Leland

Incredible story, congrats on a fine bull. Really enjoyed the pics of the scenery, Ive dreamed of living there since I was a kid.

QuoteOriginally posted by Ray Hammond:
Shedrock, congrats on the fair chase wild bison!! Awesome.

Marinate those ribeyes in italian dressing and they'll be tender as a baby's patoot.


Try soy sauce, cooking oil, and honey

1 cup, 1 cup,and 1/2 cup- if you don't like salad dressing marinade.

Everybody ought to listen closely to this man.  Very closely.  He knows what he's talking about.    :readit:  

Hiya, Ray!    :wavey:

Shedrock, that's a great accomplishment!  Congrats on such a fine bull.  And I'll venture a guess that he's 12 years old...  Please let us know what the biologists say!

Beautiful story, the pictures are incredible. To follow that up with the suspense that you might not even see one and then the stalk, the shot, and the adventure got even more impressive on your part on the followup shot and returning to finish up with a 15 yd shot. Truy awesome and congratulations. Stick and string. Quite the accomplishment. Congrats again

What a fantastic hunt and story!!

Thank you for taking the time to share.

This is truly what Dreams are made of  :)

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/coaster500/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.jpg)

Wow! I feel as if I was there and celebrating the hunt with you.

Congrats!

Incredible! Thank you for sharing your adventure with us.

That is just awesome Tracy great photos and story.

Very nice!!!

Tracy, thanks for the great story and pictures. Congratulation on staying on the bull once you hit him. Dang that is super...

Thanks for sharing the pics and story!  Congratulations on a great hunt!

That is about the coolest story I've seen in a long time!  Congratulations!  Awesome!!!!!    :thumbsup:

Asome story and pics

Tracy, thanks for sharing the pics and story. A tremendous accomplishment and a very impressive traditional hunt.


Earl

That might be as close as I ever get to a hunt like that.Thanks for taking me along,via your story.

AWESOME!!!!

Congrats!

Bisch

Congrats! Great Story!

Great job on staying with him! I think the skull mount is cool for bison! Great choice.

Also....

When you marinade the meat, don't just do it overnight. Let it sit in an acidic marinade for 3 days and it will fall apart. Vinegar, oil and spices or Italian salad dressing as mentionad before will work great.

Congratulations on a successful hunt. It was great how you didn't give up.

Congratulations, and thanks for letting us in around the campfire to hear the tale!

 :campfire:  

Archie

QuoteOriginally posted by Shedrock:
 (http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010101.jpg)

The bull did make the Pope & Young minimum, scoring 109 4/8" after the drying period. The skull has been invited for panel measuring, and display at the Pope & Young 50th convention.

Many folks don't care about P&Y, but I thought I would share that.

Thanks for looking.

Most of the guys that don't like the P&Y system, don't have anything in it...

 :thumbsup:  HUGE congrats!!!


GOD Bless,
Nathan

tracy thanks for sharing your adventure with us all . just brilliant

:thumbsup:

Right on ! Awesome story, glad it turned out good.
They are a lot of work to butcher up, I've helped my neighbor a bunch on his farm where he raises them.

Application period is until the end of Feb. Get your name in the hat!

Congradulations thats without a doubt my dream hunt!

Congradulations Tracy.

Congratulations!

WOWWW,great accomplishment sir , fantastic hunt,pictures and story!!
     Thanks for taking us along

That is incredible, thanks for sharing the story and pics!!

Nice Job! Those Bison be one tough customer.

Congratulations. What a great story and the pictures are phenominal.

Congrats on the bull! That would be a dream hunt.

Simply fantastic!!!

I read where you said some of the meat was tough, I wonder if that was caused by him getting all worked up and wanting to kill YOU!?

There is a farm that raises Bison and sells the meat not far from me. I have bought some burger and steaks a few times, and found it to be FANTASTIC. Especially on the grill, over a wood fire.

Thanks for sharing your pictures and the story with all of us.

Congrats on your "once in a lifetime" achievement.   :campfire:

Up for a few folks that asked me about this.

Did anyone apply for bison here in Wyo this year?

If anyone draws, let me know, I can try to help out.

Great story and pictures.  A hunt of a lifetime for sure.

Great story and pictures! Tough animal for sure.

Awesome accomplishment, congratulations!!  :thumbsup:    :thumbsup:  

Currently you can't hunt bison in MT with archery equip but maybe some day. It was actually reviewed by the FWP Commisioners this last week, still waiting for the results of that...

TTT

Incredible!! the odds of just drawing a tag...but to seal the deal with stick and string!! you lived most of our dreams! any pics of the skull mount?

Thanks for posting the P & Y score... Many here need to become members and support the organization(s) that support our sport!

Great bull and hunt!   :thumbsup:

That was awsome.

Congrats!What an awesome experience that would be!Thanks for sharing.

absolutely awesome!

I just came ran in to this thread I cant believe I missed it. Nice bull Tracey.

QuoteOriginally posted by pete p:
Incredible!! the odds of just drawing a tag...but to seal the deal with stick and string!! you lived most of our dreams! any pics of the skull mount?

(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n486/Shedrock1/P1010785.jpg)

Here ya go.

It is a shame that we don't have more opportunity to hunt these magnificent animals in the wild! You are one lucky man Tracey. Nothing says The West more than a buffalo skull, although buffalo were found almost everywhere when the Europeans first landed in North America.

WOW!!!!

Don't know how I missed this! Congratulations Tracy! Great hunt story too.

Wild, free-range Bison - WOW!!  Your story is as close as most of us will ever come to a hunt like that.  Thanks so much for sharing it with us.  And congratulations on an incredible trophy!

WOW! CONGRATS! Great Hunt, Great Story, Great Pictures...Thanks for taking us along!

QuoteOriginally posted by Doug Campbell:
Awesome accomplishment, congratulations!!   :thumbsup:      :thumbsup:  

Currently you can't hunt bison in MT with archery equip but maybe some day. It was actually reviewed by the FWP Commisioners this last week, still waiting for the results of that...

It took BOW many years to make archery equipment leagal here in Wyo.

awesome! its fitting that you have your buddies walking stick too, hunt of a lifetime!

Great to see this Bison hunt again Shedrock!

Thanks for sharin' during the off season.

Have an *awesome* 2012 hunting season!

Shoot straight, Shinken

  :archer2:

Well done Tracy!! What an animal!!!!

thanks very much.  :notworthy: