My 2025 Elk Hunt

[Swede]

There were four hunters in camp early on opening morning when the dawn broke warm and dry. We had received rain the day before from an afternoon mountain thunderstorm, but there was no sign of rain at the time. I had a quick breakfast but some in camp skipped that all together. Hot coffee was enough for them.
I left camp a little after the others so could see without my headlights on my ATV. I do not like hiking over bad ground with just a headlamp for light. That is especially true when the ground is steep and has a loose rock covering. When I parked my ATV, it was just a fifteen-minute hike downhill to the stand. I knew I would be in my stand plenty early. I arrived at the stand to see nothing with hooves and horns had been around for days. I was satisfied. I instantly knew the elk had not migrated through and were gone.
All morning, I sat in my stand and the only thing I saw moving, were a few birds and squirrels. It was quiet with no sign of any big game to hang a tag on. At noon, I hiked out and went back to camp for lunch. There I talked with my son Luke who had sat in a stand closer to camp. His morning was as boring as mine, so we decided to trade locations. That afternoon I heard what sounded like the bugle of a good-sized bull on the bench above and to the west of the spring where I sat. That was a lot better than the boredom I experienced earlier. It was disappointing that he came my way.
The next day I heard the bull bugle again. This time I waited a half hour then got out of my stand and gave out a small bull location bugle. Then I immediately climbed back into the stand. In about ten minutes I heard the bull give out another location bugle. Five minutes later he made another location bugle and added some chuckles with it. I just waited, hoping he would show himself. About twenty minutes later he just sounded off with a good series of chuckles. Still, I waited, but nothing came around for the remainder of the day.
For several days I heard and saw nothing to shoot at. The other hunters in camp saw cows, or a small bull out of range, but they had nothing to show for their efforts either.
Too soon, my son and another hunter had to go back to work and left for home. One new hunter showed up, but nothing changed in camp.
On day nine I heard the "my bull" calling again, but as usual he stayed back in the timber on the flat above. On day ten I heard him, and again the experience just ended with another disappointment.
The following morning, I went back to that same stand for the eleventh day in a row. I hung my pack and pulled up my bow on the drop line. Without thinking I drew the bow back and instantly disaster struck! I had forgotten to take my release off the bow string. The string came off the cam. There was just no way I could put it back on without risking breaking something.
I got out of the tree and went back to camp. My brother was there, and I thought maybe he could help, but after trying to fix the bow for a few minutes, we decided it would be best to take it into a pro shop and have it done right. There was no need to risk breaking something.
That little mistake turned into an eight-hour loss of good hunting time. I hated it, but it happened. There was no use sniveling about the bad experience. What was done, was done. Finally, I had my repaired bow back in camp and hurriedly resighted it in. I sighted it in out to thirty yards and extrapolated on my pin separation out to forty yards. I did not shoot even one arrow at the longer range.

Finally, at about 3:30 PM I was sitting comfortably in my stand with my release on my wrist where it should be. It was warm and quiet as I sat there reading my study bible and snacking on some goodies. At just a little after 5:00 PM I heard something go crack in the forest above. It was in the general area where I had heard the earlier bugles. I stopped reading and looked that way for a couple of minutes and concluded it must have been a cone cut from a tree by one of the crazy squirrels working there. I went back to reading but kept looking up hoping something good would finally happen.
Suddenly I saw him! It was the bull I had been getting acquainted with coming down the hill toward the spring I was watching over. He was a fine-looking animal, but I knew If I made a move or sound then, he would burst out of there. For a few seconds I just froze.
When he was straight in front of me and well below, I finally stood up. I placed my bible in my open pack. Then, I tied my stand seat back, so I had an open platform to shoot from. At last, I took my bow off the hook it was hanging on. When I turned to shoot, the bull had gone from twenty yards to thirty and was headed straight away.
At forty yards he turned to the right and offered me a broadside shot. His body was partially hidden by a downed log, but I knew it was now or never. He was just a few steps from the security of the forest directly in front. I came to full draw and placed my forty-yard pin halfway up his side just behind his right front leg. He was still stationary when the arow bolted from the bow. I could see the windage was perfect, but I was concerned about the elevation. I watched the arrow in flight, and it looked good, but I lost sight of it when it passed through a wide shadow a few yards in front of him.

Instantly the bull lunged forward and went up the hill and out of sight! I sat down and thought about what had just happened. Was the shot really a good one? It looked fine, but I had some doubt. I had hoped to not have to rely on that forty-yard pin. Experience told me the shot was good, but I had a nagging doubt since I had the pro shop owner turn the draw weight on the bow down to 55 pounds. I have never shot that low draw weight before.
I waited just fifteen minutes then climbed down from my tree. I went to where I last saw the bull. He had been on a game trail. A quick survey convinced me there was no blood or anything else to indicate what had just happened. I cautiously moved ahead about twenty yards and discovered the back third of the arrow I shot. It was there lying on the ground. It had blood up the shaft and onto the fletch.
I quickly backed out of the area and headed to camp. I wanted one of the hunters I was with to come down and give me a hand locating the bull. It would soon be getting dark. Fortunately, a brand-new elk hunter (Scot) had arrived in camp and was just standing around visiting with my sister. As I drove up on the ATV, I introduced myself and explained the situation to him and my sister Frances. I also explained what I needed, then I took off in my pickup to signal another hunter (John) to come in.
When I got back to camp, I picked up Scot and headed out with enough tools to get started butchering as soon as the bull was located. I told Frances what had happened and to have John come to my stand. He knew where it was.
The shadows were long, and the forest was getting dark and quiet when we got to where the arrow piece lay along the game trail. I started looking for more blood but was having a tough time finding any. Scot said he wanted to go ahead to see if he could find the bull by just looking around. Just before it was dark I heard him call out. It sounded like he said he had found the elk. I saw is headlamp and hollered back. I hurriedly hiked in closer to him. He was also walking my way. I called out again and he clearly replied he had found the bull. I was elated.
When I got to the bull it was obvious he had followed the trail several of my former arrowed elk had walked before. I was thrilled but knew the fun was over and the work had not even begun. It was going to be a very long night.
My night ended with me being very pleased, satisfied and very tired in my sleeping bag at 2:30 AM. Thank You Lord!

Note: I believe I put an end to the bugling that had frequented the woods above my stand. Have you ever felt happy and sad at the same time? I still do.

[ElkNut1]

Swede, congrats!

ElkNut/Paul

[Swede]

Thank you, Paul. You are appreciated. Continue to post here. There is still a pretty fair class of riffraff that hangs out to blat about elk hunting with us.

[WapitiTalk1]

Boom! GREAT write up and congrats John. Had a rare cell phone bar today in the spud state sticks and was able to log in to WT. Joe and I are still after them. Joe said to tell you congrats and hello.

[7mmfan]

Congrats Swede. Well done.

[Swede]

Thank you, guys and best wishes, on your hunts. I am already missing being out in the hunting woods. I got back home the day before my 57th anniversary and in time to teach my bible class. All worked out perfectly. I had a great time and a bonus with a nice animal.

[>>>---WW---->]

Way to go Swede! Congrats!

[Old school]

Congrats Swede!
Way to get it done!

[Elkhunttoo]

Congrats Swede! So glad you got to go get it done this year

[Elkhunttoo]

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As always the season came and went super fast. I was able to hunt a few days during the first half of the season by myself. It was super slow with very few elk around. Myself and one of my brother in laws had several days do hunt but my wife and other brother in law would only have a few days here or there to hunt. The two that I was worried about because they had such little time both were able to take bulls on the 19th and 20th from their stands. On the second to last day my other brother in law was able to take a dry cow. I had opportunities with cows but every cow I saw had a calf with them. I didn’t have any bulls go by my stands when I was in them. I did however on 2 occasions bump elk in the dark right at my stand. And one time on the walk out. Overall it was a great season with a ton of success from our group. But as always there were highs and lows, good times and hard times, and tons of things learned. I will write up more stories when I have more time later on.

[RanchoSueno]

Congratulations elkhunttoo! Looks like an awesome season and many memories made

[Swede]

It looks like you had a great hunt. Congratulations. I would have enjoyed just being there.

[Elkhunttoo]

In the first picture the tree stand is just out of view over the left shoulder in the little group of trees. This has been an excellent set up for us