Six years later I finally arrowed my first elk.
On Friday night my buddies packed their camp up to our spot high in the mountains and I was planning on meeting them Saturday morning for a 3.5 day hunt. I left the trailhead at 7:15a and made the 2 mile hike to camp by 8:45. Bulls were bugling on the ridge above us as I set up my tent and pulled all the camp gear out of my pack.
Once free of all the excess gear, the three of us headed up the mountain to try and cross paths with the elk. 300 yds from camp we busted some elk in the timber but never saw them. We tried calling but didn't get any response so we hiked a bit farther up the hill. While taking a break to catch some air I saw an elk walk through an opening below us right where we had just called. My buddy walked off behind two of us and began calling again. After 20 minutes or so I saw a cow and a calf walking right at me. They made it to about 25 yds without offering me a shot through the timber due to the thick trees. I had a small opening the cow was heading for and as she made it there she acted like she smelled us so I began to draw my bow for the shot. As soon as I put tension on my bowstring, she saw me and turned inside out and tore off through the trees, calf in tow. I was really upset at this point because these were the first elk I ever had a reasonable chance to shoot at.
We continued up the hill and over the other side to work the west facing slope. The air was filled with the sweet stink of elk and the ground was torn up with tracks. I set up to call a small patch of trees with my friend in front of me. After only a few minutes, he motioned that he heard something below us. I stood to gain a better shooting position, and not 30 seconds later a cow came up the hill gasping for air. Her mouth was wide open and nostrils flared. She stopped 20 yds in front of me broadside, but began to turn away as I drew my bow. I kissed lightly to make her stop and it worked like a charm. She froze motionless, trying to figure out what the sound was, but it was too late. The arrow was on its way. She was quartering away and the arrow entered near the last rib and angled towards the offside shoulder sinking to the feathers. I knew it was a great shot as she tore off across the hill and crashed down a rock slide. My friend came over to me and said he thought it was a great shot as well.
We waited 45 min before taking the trail, not wanting to risk pushing her at all. All of us took this time to dry our socks and eat some snacks. We started on the trail and found little blood initially, but her tracks were easy to follow. Once we got to the rocks I found the back of my arrow and a healthy blood trail. Not 75 yards later we looked below us and found her dead. I was thrilled!! A Rampart #55 longbow shot a CX heritage 250 with a 175 gr VPA deep into the opposite shoulder of this animal and made a quick kill.
Blood trail
(http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/tsjohnson89/IMG_0268_zps3e3c8c66.jpg) (http://s942.photobucket.com/user/tsjohnson89/media/IMG_0268_zps3e3c8c66.jpg.html)
Seeing her below
(http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/tsjohnson89/IMG_0269_zps26577b47.jpg) (http://s942.photobucket.com/user/tsjohnson89/media/IMG_0269_zps26577b47.jpg.html)
(http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/tsjohnson89/IMG_0273_zpsf8923adf.jpg) (http://s942.photobucket.com/user/tsjohnson89/media/IMG_0273_zpsf8923adf.jpg.html)
(http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/tsjohnson89/IMG_0159_zps16a51c78.jpg) (http://s942.photobucket.com/user/tsjohnson89/media/IMG_0159_zps16a51c78.jpg.html)
(http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/tsjohnson89/IMG_0274_zpsee236e5f.jpg) (http://s942.photobucket.com/user/tsjohnson89/media/IMG_0274_zpsee236e5f.jpg.html)
That's great congrats.
Way to go!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
COOL!! Great job and nice cow!!
Good deal,some great eatin there,Congrats.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
nice job! :thumbsup:
Super, way to go on the elk.
Nice work.
Congrats!!
homebru
Great job, story and pics.... Congrats!!!!!
BIG cow! Congratulations!
Beautiful elk, beautiful country, congrats!!
Great story........Congrats!
I'm anxious, we leave soon
That is a great looking cow! Congrats man. Beautiful country. You wont be buying much beef this winter. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome story and great elk! Congrats!!!
Good deal, congrats!
Man that's a big ole gal! Congrats to ya!
:clapper: :clapper:
Nice job. She looks delicious
Nice Work!
:clapper:
Congratulations! :campfire:
Beautiful! Elk are incredible animals - great job on a fine looking one!
Man that looks fun! Even the packing out.
Congrats! That's awesome!
That's great, nice cow!
:archer:
Congrats on your first and thanks for sharing it here with us! :thumbsup:
Awesome, simply awesome... Way to go, nothing like a successful hunt with friends.
Way to go!!! Congrats!!!
Congrats. Man they are big animals
Congratulations on your elk.
Awesome beast and congrats on a great hunt .
:clapper: Awesome hunt!!
Beautiful! Congrats on your first elk!
Outstanding!!! Way to go.... :clapper:
Way to go!!! Congrats!
:bigsmyl:
Awesome job!
Nice elk. Good story. Makes my back hurt to think of the effort to get her back to the truck! Thanks for sharing.
Congrats!
Congratulations. That is alot of good meat, there.
Excellent story and great job!
Also love the pic of your camp! support pics like those add a great element to the story.
Thanks for sharing and Congrats!
Congrats!
Bisch
You bet !
Awesome job! Awesome story n pics!
Congratulations on your first,and I like your set up.
Excellent. Sounds like a great hunt.
Congrats, I hope to be doing the same in one week.
Thanks for sharing. Congratulations.
Way to go!
Awesome!! Big congrats.
Great job!
Nice animal. . . congrats
ChuckC
Nice work! Looks like beautiful country.
JW
Great story and pics thanks for sharing. Is the guy in the second pic holding a compound?
Awesome story with a great ending. Congratulations.
How exciting! Job well done!
Very nice! Congrats!
Congrats on your first! Lots of good eating there.
Congrats!!! :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
QuoteOriginally posted by JoeM:
Great story and pics thanks for sharing. Is the guy in the second pic holding a compound?
Unfortunately. He's the one hold-out in the group. I just convinced the guy with the recurve to drop the training wheels in march. Getting closer to an all trad hunting party.
Thanks guys. It was the best trip of my life.
Boy, that's a great looking elk! I really enjoyed your story and photos! It's hard to beat the Colorado mountains in September!
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
Congratulations ! Thanks for taking us on your hunt. Nice cow :thumbsup:
Congrats!
CONGRATES!!!...hope it's the first of many to come...SO... when does the BBQ start???
For me it started about 6 hrs after I shot it. Those tenderloins were fantastic!
:clapper:
Thanks for posting. Congrats and great shooting.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
QuoteOriginally posted by tjfish:
QuoteOriginally posted by JoeM:
Great story and pics thanks for sharing. Is the guy in the second pic holding a compound?
Unfortunately. He's the one hold-out in the group. I just convinced the guy with the recurve to drop the training wheels in march. Getting closer to an all trad hunting party. [/b]
Some of my best buds are compounders, different strokes for different folks. Congrats again. Joe
Well done!!
Nice job. :thumbsup:
Congrats!!! That's a nice size cow! Food for a year!
Congrats on your first elk! That is a freezer full of fine meat.