a few close calls

[powderhogg01]

This is the closing weekend here in CO for general archery. I have been trying my darndest to get into some animals and put some meat in the freezer. I had a late start, did not make it to my section of forest until about 8, I figured I would still hunt through some lodgepoles on my way through to a better area for glassing and finding animals. On my way through I spotted a small herd of elk, 3 cows a calf and a decent 5x6 bedded down, looking away from me. I ranged the nearest cow at 40, but through these pines I would need to get closer to garuntee a good shot. I decided to go into muley mode, I took my boots off, rooled my pant a bit so they would not catch anything and started very slowly creeping towards the herd. I ended up in a great spot about 15-20 yards away from 2 different cows, maybe 30 from the bull, But i was ready to take a cow. I decided since they were all very calm and not paying attention to me that I would just sit there and watch there behaivor, thinking ive got it in the bag. Well wouldnt you know it, some hunter pops out of some thick just down the hill and spooks up the herd. The cows bolted to the right and went off down the mountain, the bull ran straight uphill, nearly trampling me out in the process.
Now isnt that just my luck? I was very mad... to the texan I yelled at and was less then encouraging, if your on here, I am sorry for that.. heat of the moment got to me.
I figured I knew generally where the animals would go so I made my way over there, if nothing else I Have seen a lot of deer there in the past but they have all moved out.. figure the elk must be in there now. While creeping along to a ravine I often see critters traveling up I noticed an ideal water hole/ scrape with a well used wallow a few yards below. I decided this was where I would spend my evening. I set up a mice blind against some trees, got set up expecting animals to come from below. a few hours go by.. lots of wildlife visits the water hole, then I hear a bugle. I got in a bugle match the day before with a hunter so I was hesitant to respond, but again a bugle came from below. I copied the bugle as best as I could and got instant responce. This went on for an hour when i heard an odd noise above me.. in hindsight I should have moved as soon as i heard the sound, as it was a satelite 5x5 and he was cruisin for a bruisin. He came in so hard and fast, literally busted through my ground blind i set up, hits the water hole, sees that there is no bull there and trots off. everything happened so fast i never even got to grab my bow. As he slipped back into the thick I Hear another bull sound off from below, this guy is mad.. full blown roaring at me, chuckling.. I think its on again, try to cut the distance, but darkness closed in too quickly. I had to back out of there, which meant adding several miles to my walk back to the truck.
just ate breakfast and getting back to that hole.. I think next year i will place a tree stand here.. I just want to say thanks to the people here who have helped me learn and progress.. This is truly the most addicting hunting I have done.. I love muleys, but do not get to hunt them when they are fired up.. these bulls are a lot of fun. anyone in colorado still needing to fill an otc, I am all for some comapny and im in the bulls, I had 5 different bulls sounding off in the drainage i was working last night.. talk about your exciting trip

[zpd307]

that sounds like an awesome encounter! I think that I am going to try and build up some callouses on my feet. I set up on a bull that was 40 yards out while I was having lunch and took my socks and boots off to air out. bare feet are sooooo much quieter.

[powderhogg01]

If I was not an elk addict yet, i have definitely made the switch. Muleys are a lot of fun for me to hunt, until this past week they were always my focus. I am a convert! that last encounter ended up being my only real encounter. I did get a bull worked up the next morning, but he never committed to coming from the super thick into the thinner stuff. By the time i heard him bugle I felt like i was too close to drop into that stuff without detection.
I should note that the bull that came through my ground blind came in against the wind.. I have no idea why he did not smell me, and that is why it came as such a surprise. I re-evaluated the area and found 2 more wallow and a few much better places to set up. I found the location that the one big angry bull i was bugling too was, he was tearing stuff up in this small aspen grove, every tree with in a 20 yard radius was just destroyed, it was as if a bomb went off in there. in hind sight i should have moved closer when I heard him, there is a perfect slot through he trees giving up a 20-40 yard shot into the grove.
Today ended the season with tag soup. I learn a lot in the 2 weeks I hunted elk. I had the chance at more then one great bull and a decent cow, but due to a moving peep sight that I had not noticed and then my error while stalking, followed by my just plain surprise.. They all lived to tell the tale, and im here eating ramen... I will be giving it one more go later on when the plains season opens. that will be something totally different.. so who knows how it will go.