2012 elk -The Story

[pickaspot55]

This is a great story. Great job!! Can't wait till you tell the rest

[pickaspot55]

Great job!! Can't wait till you tell the rest

[pickaspot55]

Great job!! Can't wait till you tell the rest

[Elksong]

Well the plan was to get up early and drive the extra miles to the wilderness area and hit the trail right at first light. What actually happened was I over slept! BY an hour! I almost just rolled over and called a rest day, but I have never called in or shot an elk laying bed. So I hussled and got ready and headed back to the same spot I had been hunting from day one. I wasn't very confident in the place and after hiking to the first ridge,letting out a series of calls I was sure that the elk were gone. I got dead silence to answer and that was it. I figered I would hike back to the seep and see if anything had been there and form a plan from there. I crested another ridge called and recieve a passive smallish bugle in return. AN ELK! From the sound I figured it to be one of the small 5x5's I had seen earlier in the week. When he bugled gain I thought what the heck lets work him and see what we have.

[Froggy]

Well....did your keyboard run low on ink ??  

[elkbreath]

I feel like I am sitting on the edge of a bench, looking down waiting, straining, craning my neck for the sight of dark legs creeping my way through the lodgepoles...

ENCORE ELKSONG!  

by the way, thanks, killing the time well, this is my only 6 days off this month, so I needed the boost!

BTW the pic of the narrow mulie looking back at you appears to have a shed in it next to the stump?  likely not, but you never know.

Love it so far........can't wait for the rest!

Bisch

[Elksong]

As I was working my way towards him. He bugled a couple more times. Everytime he called he sounded more excited and more aggressive. At one point I thought there was more than one bull, because he was sounding so much different. I worked in below him to get the wind, I am sure he heard me walking and figured I was the elk he had heard and he started down the hill. I set up quickly and cow called a couple of times, he screamed at me! I remeber thinking - this should be interesting to see what comes out of those trees. Seconds later he stepped out and I almost swallowed my reed! This was NOT the 5x5 I was thinking he was.
 

[rwbowman]

Six words: ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT!

[Froggy]

Oh Lawd.....

[Over&Under]

Originally posted by Froggy:
Oh Lawd.....

You can say that again...   :eek:    

[doug77]

Can you say Charlie Lamb    

[doug77]

Can you say Charlie Lamb    

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Great story!  and great photos!      

I see the aspen... is it safe to say you were in Colorado?

[snakebit40]

Awesome story elksong! Can't wait to hear how this one ends.    

[Elksong]

I immediatly saw that this was a mature 6x6 bull and he was complete commited to my calling. I had to take a couple seconds and collect my thought prosses. DO NOT LOOK AT THOSE ANTLERS AGAIN! He was headed down hill to my left and would pass me inside 30 yards. As he stepped into my shooting lane I cow called to stop him hit full drawn, picked a spot and release. ....

On the way into this spot I had shot a few practice arrows, at dirt clods and such, and every shot was 6"-8" to the left. This had me wondering what I was doing to cause this? Now as I was looking at the bull, with him facing downhill and it sloping left, The thought was that I should pick a spot a little bit back to allow for the slope of the hill and my shooting left.

As I was saying I picked a spot and release. I guess under pressure the mind and body do what is ingrained to do, as the arrow flew like it was on a string to the spot I was looking at. OH NO! The shot was definantly back. Not guts, but right in the last couple of ribs. I knew he was dead I just hoped he would bleed well and leave me a trail.

[SheltonCreeker]

Good Stuff right here. Thanks for sharing.

[jhg]

Originally posted by Elksong:
...I had to take a couple seconds and collect my thought prosses. DO NOT LOOK AT THOSE ANTLERS AGAIN!...

Oh yeah- been there, done that. Great advice! Great saga!

Joshua

[rlc1959]

Thank you for sharing. I leave for my 10 days in NM chasin Elk this Sunday. First attempt with Trad Equipment. You are an Inspiration.

God Bless, Randy Chamberlin

[wingnut]

Yep last trophy mule deer I shot at rattled both sides of the antlers . . .a complete pass through.  LOL

DON'T LOOK AT THE ANTLERS!!

Now on with the story.

Mike