My Midday Bull!

[ElkNut1]

Yep took a bull at 2-0'clock straight up out of his bedding area! We had went into a favorite area aprox 2-1/2 miles in starting at daylight with no action in that spot! We could hear a couple bugles coming from below us on the mountain close to 3/4 mile away. It took my son & I aprox 40 minutes to get down into the area where we could hear this one bull that roared more than bugle! We reached the bench above him but by then he had stopped bugling, it was aprox 10:30 a.m. then. We kept watch on the bench below for any activity, it's sparsely timbered but covered mostly in willows & alders that are very thick with few spots to actually see in, it's aprox 250 yards to the middle of the bench. Nothing bugled for the next 2-1/2 hours or so.

We sat tight had a small snack & an off & on nap as we listened for any bugling or cow calling, we stayed patient & focused for the situation we were in. About 1:45 we sat up & had a small snack again & waiting for anything. Out of nowhere I see this bull standing & slowly walking through a 20' opening, it was a stroke of luck I even saw him as he was in it for seconds & gone. I told my son I'd seen the bull but he disappeared into the brush. I grabbed my bow nocked an arrow even though the bull was several hundred yards below somewhere. I looked back at my son who was 20 yards behind me I was on one knee looking below from a large rock yet next to a pine tree growing out of this huge rock. I asked him to give two cow calls, he did, I saw the bull come out of the thicket & back into it but looked like he showed interest.

I told my son give two more, after he called the bull gave his short roar showing serious interest!!! Game on! I watched the bull coming my way at a decent pace, as soon as he was in the thick stuff again I gave my son a signal to call again, the bull roared a 2nd time & was coming, wow this was easy! (grin) I grabbed my rangefinder & shot a tree at 80 yards & a stump at 31 yards that I'd hoped he'd come by so I had an idea of the distance. It was very steep on this downhill shot & those can fool you so the rangefinder with angle compensation came in handy. The bull hit the 80 yard spot then 70-60-50-40-30 & still coming. As soon as he neared the fallen stump below me he had to go around it, that's when I drew my bow, he was fumbling around down on the steep slope & trying to get through the brush, he appeared with a frontal shot but I declined as I felt he would turn somewhat broadside as he maneuvered himself up the hill.

He did just that, he turned at 25 yards & hesitated for a split second as he was looking where he was going to step next, snap, the release was touched! The arrow was through him in an instant & he bolted right towards us. He had to go around another rock but came within 10 yards of us looking for that cow, unreal!!!! He never stopped but was going mach 10, I was nocking a 2nd arrow as he flew by. It's all on video too! (grin) The bull only went uphill 50 yards then turned & crashed in the brush & ended in some downfall, he went aprox 100 yards before expiring on a double lung shot! Then the work began, it was hot & we packed the bull out on one trip, it took us 3 hours to pack him out!

ElkNut1

[JimKirk]

congratulations. the elk nut worse than wolves crew does it again. Way to go, great story. Lifetime memory!

[Lefty]

Way to go!!

[Elkduds]

Great writeup, fine bull. You are the MEN.

[powderhogg01]

I do enjoy your write ups.. you guys really are worse then wolves!!

[Conrad8899]

Congrats on a nice bull. I all ways in joy the hunt recaps. All ways a lot of good info...

[Toothy]

great story and pics!

[Mukbowhunt]

Great job again! Make it look easy.

[Tigger]

How on earth did you get him out on 1 trip??? Must have deboned him and even that you guys are some tough hombres! It took 6 of us to get mine out and that about killed us...but we didnt debone first. Nicely done!

[BRazz]

Great job Paul! I keep thinking of trying to get them in the bedding areas but never found that area this year... Thanks for the inspiration!

[CurlyTail]

Great experience!

I also am impressed that you could get that guy out in 1 trip. Not sure I could do that.

Seems like once the Elk bed down, if you give em a couple of hours to rest before you make your move - they seem more responsive. You showed good patience this hunt. Well done!

[sasquatch]

Man yall are some KILLERS! When i grow up i wanna be like yall lol. Nice kill!

[GobbleFarmer]

Thats pretty sweet! Great job, tremendous patience too. Your write ups/play by play's are awesome congratulations!!!

[ElkNut1]

Guys, thanks!

Yes we generally take the all the meat off a bull on the ground in a single trip, we've done this countless times! This saves us from having to make return trips. We generally both take a hindquarter on the bone, then bone out front shoulders, remove backstrap & tenderloins, we take any desired loose meat around neck but do not take rib meat, don't care for it. We put hind in it's own game bag & one boned out quarter, backstrap & tenderloin along with any additional loose meat in a 2nd bag. Strap those puppies on & away we go. The Exo pack handles these loads like nothing we've used in the past. It sure makes things easier to hunt all day in these packs & then load them with elk meat right at the crime scene! No 2nd or 3rd trips!

ElkNut1

[chiledog]

Very nicely done Paul and Paul II.
You guys are inspirational.
Love your hunt story details and the end results.
Going to check into that pack you have. Have an X2 and it's killing me.