Anniversary Present

[Stick]

We arrived in camp on Friday the 12 of Sep. Spent the day getting camp put together and hunting equip ready for Sat. Morning. Up at 3:45 am so that we can make the hike in the dark and be in the elk (hopefully) when dawn starts to break. 3 of us go in together and when daylight starts to break we are greeted with SILENCE! We decide to split up and start hunting in different directions. About 30 min. After light I hear my first bugle of the season I began working my way in that direction and as I go this bull gets fired up. By the time I am within 100 yards he is going out of his mind. I haven't said a thing so far because he is bugling at one of my buddies who is way down below keeping him stirred up. At about 75 yards I am looking over a small rise in the oak brush and I hear a cow bark not sure what happened but it wasn't me. They start crashing all around and I take off in an attempt to cut them off! All of a sudden there they are going thru a gap about 50 yards in front of me. The bull stops and he's a good UN big 6x6 but all I can see clearly is his head and he is broadside but angling toward me slightly. Just no shot! He stands there for 30 seconds or so then starts pushing his cows out and I never get close again! Oh well not bad for the first morning of the hunt.
Sat. Evening see a bull and several cows but never get close. Sunday I rest up do some glassing get ready for the week ahead.
Monday is uneventful cover a lot of country but no elk!
Tuesday SEP 16th it's a special day! It's my anniversary, been married to the most amazing lady for 19 yrs. You guys know she's special,when your elk hunt falls during this time and she says we will celebrate when you get home just bring back an elk! So if I say thanks babe right here you understand!!!
Me and Michael a buddy of mine do the morning hunt together. Very uneventful until late in the morning we decide to go look at a wallow that has been productive in the past. We are almost to it when we hear something at the wallow. Mike eases up and we hear horns hitting the brush. Mike sees him a real nice bull walking along the steep oak brush covered hillside. We start easing along parallel to him. We follow him till he goes into a small patch of aspen and beds down. We back out and decide to wait till the evening and try to catch him when he gets up.
We think he will go back to the wallow so we flip a coin to see who gets to sit there. Mike wins the toss and so I am going to climb a high hill close to where he is bedded to see where he goes when he gets up. About 5:30 I hear him get up and start moving around and then he just disappeared. How those dudes do that I have no clue. About 7 I climb down off the hill and decide to hunt up a small drainage. I've only went about 300 yards when I hear a bugle about a quarter of a mile to my right. I turn and start heading that way as fast as possible. By the time I've covered half the distance another bull has joined in and they are raising a ruckus. I get pretty close to the first bull but terrain and the wind is wrong and I have to back out. I realize that there is a bull here with cows and some satellite bulls and then this big bull is coming in to challenge him. I run around and get the wind in my favor then cut in between the two big bulls. There is a small opening in the oak brush and I decided to try to make it happen here. The opening is 34 yards across so any shot should be a chip shot!
I'm in between the bulls now and I start aggressively cow calling. Man them dudes shook the ground. Between bugling at me and each other it was one constant roar. They are seeing who can get there first. All of a sudden I see horns straight ahead can't tell much about them just he's a shooter. He's coming into the opening I draw he stops at 30 yards but he is facing me and angling slightly. What now? The other bull bugles and he turns a little and turns his head completely to bugle back. I'll shoot him in the neck and drive the arrow down his body.
You ever made a bad shot that was good?? I kinda pride myself on good shots in these situations but something went haywire!
When I pulled the trigger on my release and that arrow hit him you would have thought I pole axed him between the eyes. He hit the dirt and never moved. I stood there kinda perplexed wondering what happened. I can see my arrow sticking out of his neck with only about 6 inches of penetration. I sneak around him to 25 yards and put another arrow in his boiler room. I can't see what he is rack wise and I want to give him time. I back out and go get Mike.
What a surprise when we walk up on this guy. Devil points on each side make him a 7x7! He is as long as a quarter horse. Let the celebration begin.
When I called my wife I told her I got a really special anniversary present. I think she was as excited as I was or else she puts on really good! an unforgettable hunt on an unforgettable day what more can a guy ask for??
Here's a couple of pics!

[ElkNut1]

Great bull, great story!! Thanks man!

ElkNut1

[zpd307]

congrats on an awesome bull! but when did it turn into 2019 ?

[Stick]

Time flies when your having FUN!!
Stupid camera will give you all kinds of dates. should have had that feature turned off.

[twinkieman]

Great job! Awesome bull, and fun to read story