2023 What Should you Do? Episode #3

[WapitiTalk1]

Location: Somewhere in the elk woods.
Hunt: Solo archery hunt. Tag: Any bull.
Date/Time: 10 September; 0900.

Situation: Well, that wasn’t the smartest thing to do, here he comes! Backing up to 30 minutes ago, you head in on an old blown up, gated road that you’ve hunted before. It’s not a real big area but it does hold elk on occasion. You’ve stopped a few times to throw out a few cow calls and one locator bugle earlier to see if anybody is home but no responses. No fresh sign on the way in, haven’t heard anything, and its starting to appear that there aren’t any elk in here today. Maybe its time to back out of here and hit another spot you know of. As you approach the end of the old road, at the farthest reaches of the are… you decide to turn back but first, a few cow calls. You step off the downhill side of the old road, have good cover to your backside, listen for a few minutes, bow in your hand (no arrow nocked) and you give two cow calls with your diaphragm. At first you hear something moving through the reprod above you and….. here he comes! Wind is as shown, hunter is 30 yards in the direction of the yellow arrow.
What should or do you do at this point?

I know it's tough to answer without being there and knowing all the variables; this is just a medium to offer suggestions and share some ideas. Back on topic.... Here he comes!

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[Swede]

That bull knows exactly where you are. It is too bad you do not have a partner to distract him for a second or two. You have no shot opportunity and will not likely get one. More noise out of you will not turn him away for a shot. He is focused. I would say a silent prayer, wait and hope he turns to go without busting out of there.

[Tigger]

Okay, he isn't coming straight at the hunter as the yella arrow is pointed a little to the right. my hope is that there is something in the way to hide my load and draw in his path. If so, ever so slowly get out arrow, knock it and then draw Darton, aim, release Black Eagle Arrow tipped with Magnus Broadheads bought from Camofire, put Wapiti River Outdoors call back in your pocket, find and trail while scanning with my Vortex Binoculars (then put them back in my Alaska Guide Creations binoc harness), use Clip-Shot for pictures, butcher with Norden Knives after taking off my SKRE gloves, haul using EXO Mtn Gear pack, haul, haul, drink Sawyer filtered water, haul, haul carefully stepping with Crispi boots, load, drive him back to my Wall Tent Shop tent where the fire is still going that I used Pyro Putty to make, drive home in a Ford, process, freeze, send Elknut a thank you for teaching cow calls and Joe a thank you from Headin' West Consultants for the hunt plan, unfreeze while reading Western Hunter Magazine, season with Alpine Touch, cook, eat.....savor!

Now if there is nothing between us, we have a problem developing. If he goes by me, he will get my wind. Game over. So I am hoping he stops prior to that. Then I wait and when he turns his head I get out the arrow and hope he presents a shot. If he does, reread the paragraph above as I ain't repeatin' it! If he doesn't, I let him go a little bit, reposition and knock that arrow, then hit him with cow calls and GET READY!

[Elkhunttoo]

99.9% of the time I will only have a story to tell about on this one.

Freeze and hope he moves behind something to give me a chance.

[Lefty]

99.9% of the time I will only have a story to tell about on this one..

and today is the .1% Put all that experience to good use ,, settle your nerves Good wind, He thinks there is cow friends

The bull will keep walking towards the "cow" he just herd
Im drawing now, 5,,4,,,3,,,2,,, 1
He stops at the edge of the road cut before he crosses the road

he lifts his head and stops
7 yards away.
My top pin is for the perfect frontal. a bit of an upwards shot but still OK
I release, I see the arrow disappear intothe red hole his chest.
Slicing arteries from the top of the heart slightly angling through the lungs, the broadhead slicing up the higher in the liver slicing more major blood arteries. , barely clearing the top of the guts and stopping at the backbone
He spins,
Takes three steps up the hill. Rocks and dirt roll down onto the road.
the big bull Stiffens up.
topples over backward onto the logging track.
The stiff legs relax, I see his eyes fog up.
I give my stupid whoop,( hopefully, nobody hears this embarrassing personal vocal celebration).
Pull the camera from my bag, take some pictures, Then my stupid grin selfie with the bull behind me a few feet. Send the pic to my wife daughters and Andrew.
then more pics.

Pack-a-Pull , knife, and tag come out of the day pack.

I call Jon, two mountain ranges away .
Jons wife Monica answers the phone, She will have the boys and pack goats to the elk in three hours.

Lifes good!!

[Lefty]

That bull knows exactly where you are. It is too bad you do not have a partner to distract him for a second or two. You have no shot opportunity and will not likely get one. More noise out of you will not turn him away for a shot. He is focused. I would say a silent prayer, wait and hope he turns to go without busting out of there.

Swede as soon as he clears the trees he is coming straight to those cows ,, now less than 20 yards,, at 10 yards he will be nearly perfect frontal,, just uphill slightly.

Just curious Swede: What are you praying for?
A clean hit, or miss,
that the bull doesn't drop 500 yards down the canyon?
That the cow you have a tag for is behind him
That you will survive the hike out!

[Jhg]

A lot of things might happen but lets say he offers no frontal and stops, staring, in your direction.
1) tisk tisk, you have no arrow nocked. Right there you made this a no shot encounter up to the point that he turns away or around and heads off.

He stands still, just staring staring staring. Your right leg, the one all your weight is on and sorta in a hole, starts to quiver. This is a battle of nerves. Finally, after FOREVER, he swings his head and down. You know he is unsure but that gesture tells you he is not alarmed. Just baffled. He turns back the way he came and as soon as you can you nock an arrow, pull your bugle and give him one followed by pants. He stops, but is not exactly looking your way. He starts forward again(away) and you give him the exact same bugle and panting. This time he turns and scribing an arc come in across a lane in front of you at 35yds. You have calculated it all the bow is up and when his nose enters the lane you let fly. The arrow arrives in his boiler as it crosses the lane.

You just killed a great bull by savvy and just a little luck. Congratulations!\