per the pic elknut posted for me

[dreamhunter]

Re: Trail Cam Bull.
Postby dreamhunter » 11 28, 2013 • [Post 2]

Thank you Elknut ,and yes I will give a run down of how things occurred .First let me say that the trail cam does have the wrong date and year. It was Sept 18th 2013 when this was taken and I had been watching this dude for almost 10 mins.It all started at 5:35 PM,actually let me back up.it all started that morning at about 8:30 when I was going to head across the meadow when all the sudden I hear this loud scream followed with some antler thrashing and limbs being broke.This dude was making a mess of the spring I had checked the night before. While he was doing that 3 other bulls started raising the roof.2 to my right and 1 to my left. I'm thinking ( I'm not in Kansas anymore toto ). Well I knew I wasn't going to be crossing the meadow now for sure.The thing with this is my campsite was just over the bank about 60 yds. Thoughts of excitement ran thru my mind. what should I do and how should I do it and where do I start. After about 5 mins of all 4 of them carrying on I decided the best thing was to go back over the bank and back to camp and let them work their way thru undisturbed by me.So that's what I did. After about and hr ( seemed more like eternity ) figured I would go and check the spring area.What a MESS ! He had limbs everywhere and the crystal clear spring was now a mud hole .i now knew what my plan would be. Hang my trail cam,pick area that I would set up in and head back out here around 3:30 PM and wait.Im thinking he has to come back sometime within the next 11 days. Again the wait seemed liked eternity for 3:30 to arrive.
3:30 PM and I'm nestled in my chosen area.I spent my time ranging here and there and running scenarios thru my mind to pass the time.I ate all my snacks and played with the gps and was even reading a book.5:25 PM and up up the mountain to my right ( SW ) I hear a bugle.so far I haven't made a peep the whole being there.Its time to change that scene and see what I can make happen.I am hunting alone this year,so no pressure or worry about what to do or how to do it. I figured I'm going to go for it.i bugled back at him and he immediately answered me.then I started throwing in cow calls from 3 different calls and mixing in bugles.Of course he is wondering WTN. ( what the neck ) is going on down at HiS water hole .So the 5 of us,my bugle and 3 cow calls start in and he is getting irritated. Every time he would bugle I would cow call or bugle and then I timed it to the next time he bugled I interrupted him with my own bugle.Apparently this didn't settle with him to well.So the shouting match was on and I am so excited and nervous because I had a good feeling I could pull him off the mountain. It was 1 he and 5 mins lated that he had came down and was pissed for sure.It wasn't windy but I was shaking like a leaf in a windstorm. What have I done,I can't believe I did this and he is 12 yds away screaming his bloody head off ( figure of speech)
I'm behind a medium sized tree on my knees watching and listening to this beautiful concert nature was providing. The whole time I'm trying to decide what to do. Do I rush it ,wait,what if he turns and bolts.I decided to be calm because he wasn't seeing or hearing all that he was earlier. I'm thinking if I wait he will probably go to the spring and at least sniff the ground area and see who had been there. He did and I can move a little and trying to range him would have been a site to see. I was so nervous and shaky that I could even get a good range on him.First it read 39 yds,then 30,then 45. I tell myself,relax,take a couple of deep breaths and do it again. The whole time I'm thinking he's not gonna hang around for me to calm down to much so get to ranging and start the draw and shoot process. I ranged him at 38 and thought for good measure I will set my pin at 43 " BIG MISTAKE". I drew ,he came out of the spring area and gave me a perfect broadside shot and my fletching hit his back and my arrow shot up just a hair and I had shot my first Colorado Tree. He took off,at first I thought I hit him the way he jumped. After waiting a good 22 mins,it's all i could do I decided to go and investigate the area. I searched for blood, followed tracks and after about an hr of doing this and going back to the the scene of the crime and looking around I discovered my arrow in a tree about 29 yds behind where I had shot at him. I was relieved that I didn't have a wounded animal wondering around in the dark about ready to die and not be found. I was also relieved that now I know for sure that this can all be chalked up to an excellent elk hunting experience. thanks for reading and I'm sorry it took so long to get posted.I hope you enjoyed it.I just relived it ,AGAIN ! Lol

[dreamhunter]

Pic is under Trail Cam bull posted by elknut in this area of the forum.