After being laid up with an injured left shoulder, elbow and neck from a horse wreck last year and missing nearly the entire season I was really looking forward to this fall. Fast forward to late August this year, I'm being real careful with bow season only a week away then another mishap in a stock trailer resulting in two more broken ribs and I was one sick and aggravated bowhunter. I couldn't pull my bow and knew there was no way of running up mountains, hanging stands or hauling a critter out of the brush. I was resigned to a few weeks of watching the season slide slowly by again till my good friend Tom told me he had a spot for me with a stand already hanging if I could get into it. It didn't take much time to decide I'd rather be watching from a tree stand than sitting at home so I took him up on it.
Opening morning found me seeing numerous deer traveling from a night in the alfalfa fields to their bedding areas. I wasn't ready to shoot a buck unless he was a thumper and all the does seemed to have little spotted fawns in tow so I just enjoyed the show and let 15 deer pass unharmed. By 8:30 am it was warming up and I hadn't seen anything for a while figuring it was about over for the morning. Then I hear something right behind my tree and out steps a big old doe with a yearling behind her. Perfect if I could get my bow back. She cooperated beautifully by stepping right under me and sniffing my pull rope. I picked out a hair in the center of her back just behind her shoulder blades, leaned over drew back about half draw and let go. The old girl went down like a sack of potatoes directly under the stand. Another arrow behind the shoulder and it was over in seconds. The Arrow Dynamics shaft with 285 grains of razor sharp Grizzly up front had penetrated the spine and went to the breast bone, not bad for half draw... It wasn't long before Tom came by on his way out, together we field dressed the doe and he drug her a quarter mile to the truck for me. I was a happy camper!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/gotahunt/R0010952.jpg)
A few days later Duane, another good friend called telling me he had a been watching a group of elk and had them patterned pretty well. He thought we could maybe get something killed without having to kill ourselves in the mountains. Sounded like another no-brainer to me.
I had been working on pulling my bow even trying a little 40#er but I couldn't tell much difference in the "hurt" of the 40 over my 60# Whip. I can tell you it's easier shooting with broken ribs than a messed up shoulder. After a while I figured I had one or two shots in me at full draw if I had a good dose of Tylenol before heading out. The deep breathing was definitely a no no though, it'd be slow and easy up the mountain... Come last Friday morning Duane and I slowly worked our way up the slope to where the elk had been passing thru heading to their daytime beds. We had no more than topped the hill when we heard a couple of bulls sparring below us. Probably due to the heat and drought we'd been having there hadn't really been much rutting action around here yet but the bulls were certainly thinking about it. Duane showed me the trail so I backed in under a fir tree a dozen yards below the trail and waited. Duane slipped back up over the crest of the hill to make such his wind was good and occasionally let out a soft cow call.
A short thirty minutes later while still listening to the sparring bulls I look up above the trail where I was expecting the elk and 35 yards away out steps a cow followed by a half dozen more head. The cagey old lead cow looks down in my direction and is real suspicious for some reason. I know she hasn't smelled me or spotted me but she knows something isn't right. After several minutes of intense staring she finally walks on over the hill taking all those other eyes with her. I figured more elk might follow her path and would probably be too far out for me to shoot. I grabbed one arrow from my quiver laying on the ground, ran up the slope a dozen yards and dove in behind a 4' tall fir tree. I hadn't been there two seconds when out steps a nice bull. Now I'd already decided that with the weather, my injuries and such I was shooting the first elk that gave me a decent opportunity. I hardly looked at the horns before raising my bow and starting the draw. The shot was uphill at a 60 or so degree angle and 25 yards which was certainly beyond my comfort range but as I reached full draw it just felt right. There was a perfect dark crease tight behind his shoulder which naturally drew my eye. Without thinking and no pain by the way the arrow was away. Just at the release he started to step away toward the ridge. The arrow hit just where I was looking but the quartering angle was quite a bit steeper than I'd wanted almost looking like the arrow had run up behind the shoulder instead into the chest cavity.
The bull went running over the hill toward where the cows had gone then Duane who'd witnessed the whole event let go a couple cow calls stopping him out in the open. Duane said he could see quite a bit of blood running down the bulls leg but not a lot of penetration. He said he was pretty confident I'd gotten in the goodies but just wasn't sure how deep. I got up top just in time to see the bulls antler tips disappear over the hill. To be on the safe side we backed out for a couple hours to give him plenty of time to bed. We took up the blood trail and my spirits rose considerably when I saw the amount of blood some of it with plenty of red foam in it. Most elk I've killed if hit right have only gone a short distance before going down so when the trail stretched out to a hundred yards and the blood seemed to be thinning my hopes started to sag again. Another 40 yards and the trail started to "weave" and I was feeling better again. Another 40 yards and Duane spotted the bulls dark brown hide back under the thick fir trees. Believe me we were a couple of happy bowhunters, one of the best parts was we were able to drive Duane's tractor thru the trees right to the bull.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/gotahunt/IMG_0569.jpg)
Turns out I had entered the chest cavity and what appeared to be short penetration was the arrow "bouncing" back off the far shoulder or something. There was a little damage to the lungs but mostly the lethality was from taking some of the plumbing off the top of the heart. I'm still amazed this bull went as far as he did but they are big tough animals.
Finally I can't say enough how much I appreciate having buddies like these and many others who have helped or I've gotten to help out over the years. That's what it's all about Gang.
Thanks and I hope you enjoyed reliving our hunts with me.
:thumbsup:
Excellent season Doug! Good friends, good shots, good meat...don't get much better than that!
Good Job! One of these days I will get to meet you Doug!
great job Doug !
Great job, Doug. Those broken ribs are no fun at all. Sounds like you have some great friends, and I am sure that they feel the same way about you.
Congrats!! You earned the success you are enjoying this season. Keep em comin!!
Chris
very cool and inspirational. I'm fighting through a blown disc and it's really limited my ability to get around but seeing you with a couple fine animals helps renew my faith. Great job and congratulations!
Really good friends. You dug pretty deep as well.
Looks like a pretty good season, after all. Never give up, that's the way to do it.
Congrats to all three of you.
Wow, very nice. Great story as well :thumbsup: :notworthy:
Congratulations on two fine animals.I hope you have a speedy recovery.
Congrats Doug, To you and your pals.
Nothing better than a good friend and a good hunt.
Now get yourself healed up.
CTT
Awesome! Great shooting Doug
Way to go Doug!
Congrats! Great to have friends like that.
Congratulations Doug! What terrific hunts and trophies. Thank you for sharing. Now take care of those ribs and enjoy the fine table fare. :clapper:
Good Friends....Good Hunting....Congrats..!
Congrats on your success! :thumbsup:
Good things happen to good people!!
Theres nothing as healing as being in the woods.
Congrats,nice doe,bull and good friends.
Way to go.. .Those critters better watch out when your healed up....
Good stuff man, may your health continue to improve.
COngratulations, Doug!
Outstanding Doug! You are a tough fella. Fx ribs stink :readit:
Great writingand pics. Congrats on 2 fine animals!
FRIENDS? You've got friends? Who'd a thunk it?
Very cool buddy!! Didn't even know you were hurt the first time. Get better soon!!
:archer: :archer:
Oh yeah! I love horses... they make great bear bait!! :D
Dam things'll hurt ya! :deadhorse:
Now there's a couple of great animals, and even better friends.
Congratulations Doug! You had all the excuse a guy could need to just stay home. Great lesson for us all not to let excuses ruin anything.
Yeah Doug. Glad you are feeling well enogh to get out after -em. Boy are you!!!
Congrats sir!!!
That's a great story!
Congrats nice bull. Glad your getting out.Season hasn't started here but you have me pumped up. :bigsmyl:
Never a doubt Buddy. Its always just a matter of time with you. Glad to see a couple of scratches and a little bruise didnt keep ya down. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Great Job Doug. Friends are fantastic!
Congrats Doug :thumbsup: glad you're back in the saddle :)
I had a horse accident back in March that severely tore my rotator cuff. I am still recovering and can shoot 30#. I will think of your progress and perserverance as I continue to recover.
Jeff
That is awesome Doug!!! Just goes to show with some good friends and some tenacity and perserverance anything is possible. Congrats on having such good buddies and on a couple fine critters! :thumbsup:
Great story ! Congrats .
:thumbsup:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Doug,
Thats great! Sometime they do come easy. Just bring the tractor up!
Really...the question is what are you going bruse, rip, tear, tweak, break for next year?
Bob
A fine harvest for a gimpy bowhunter !!
Nicely done..
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Hard to keep a good man down...with a little help from your friends! After all you've been through this must be extra sweet.
Well Doug Congrats on taking two fine animals, inspite of the obvious. But I will say like the Angel told George Bailey(Jimmy Stewart) in It's A Wonderful Life, No man is a failure as long as he have friends. You have a great friend.
Tony
Congrats! Hope your ribs heal soon.
You're my hero brother! You are one tuff SOB!!
Outstanding my friend! Deserving of an invite to go snook fishing! The knives you made me are serving me well.
Good shooting Doug, congrats!!
Congratulations Doug!!
I'm sorry to hear you are hurt. Hope you heal soon!
I had a good bear hunt in Ontario and the Dr thought I needed to have some surgery myself so I'm hoping to be on the mend by the time things get going good here in MO?
Things just dont seem to heal as fast as they did a few short years ago do they?
Once again, Congratulations!!
Well....after my call to you because I did'nt get no email, I read this, and I gotta say again, way to go! You can't beat success like that... Congrats man!
Now those are a couple of good hunting stories! Congratulations on two great animals and having an awesome friend to help. Nice pictures also! :clapper:
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
Way to suck it up and make it happen! Congrats on some great critters and great friends! :thumbsup: :notworthy:
Thanks gang, appreciate the feedback. Considering the fires, weather and my luck with being around 1200 pound critters lately I feel real fortunate. Feeling some better now, nearing that magic four week mark that seems to be when busted ribs let you get back in the game. Unfortunately I've had more than my fair share of experience in this field.
Best to all!
Nice shooting Doug!
Congratulations!!
:archer:
Dang Doug your getting too old to wrestle with them critters any more. Need to be careful before you get 'broke" for good.
Nice animals though!!
Mike
Doug, congrats that is awesome! hope you feel better physically. those horses can be tough on human bodies.
Oh Douglas..... :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Congratulations on some great hunts and friends. I hope you get healed up soon.
-Jay
Those were some good hunts Doug. Sorry about the problems but I have had shoulder problems and haven't been able to shoot for 3-4 months. I guess the age is trying to catch me. Haven't built any bows for a few years. May have to drop a few lbs. on my bow to get to use it? Horses will hurt you, didn't your Dad tell you this? :biglaugh:
Chort
Congrats Doug on a fine few animals there. I'm glad you made it with all the trouble you've had with some the animals youve been working with.
Congrats again Doug, Heal up well my friend. Don
Congrats on both critter, Doug.....and on having some good friends to help you out.
Bisch
Wow, Congratulations!
Congrats. I know all about broken ribs and how much they hurt. You did well.
Congrats Doug Glad to see you back on top.
:notworthy: :notworthy:
What was that Beetles song? A little help from your friends?
I think you told me you got a spike on the phone?
Very nice pics, thanks for the rest of the story.
And you deserve good friends as your the one that sets that example more than most :thumbsup:
Wished I'd known sooner bout the ribs, I got some good jokes i could have sent :goldtooth:
Very Cool!
Great stuff Doug! Good to see you back in the saddle! :thumbsup:
AWESOME DOUG!
Tell Karen that Staci and I said Aloha!
Wow, what a story, I echo what Curt said--you are one tough SOB. Way to git r done. Since you're on a first name basis with all the ER nurses, would ya find out if any of 'em are single for me....
Well....aint that just dandy!!!
You guys think Doug is tuff...don't ride with his youngest daughter!!!! :scared:
Nice job....as always Doug!!! Congrats again!
Thanks for sharing!!!
Way to hang in there Bud, You done good.