Elk are FUN.

[RockChucker30]

What is your most FUN or exciting elk encounter?

Mine would be last year when the bull I shot popped over the bank unexpectedly at 30 yards. They're HUGE up close. After the shot I lost it completely for a few minutes. I don't remember the time after the shot very well.

[JohnFitzgerald]

Called a spike so close that I was able to smack it in the butt with a stick as it passed. Probably not the smartest thing to do because I educated him and I also could have gotten kicked in the head. But is sure was fun to see his surprise.

[RockChucker30]

John, that's awesome. You're the only elk butt smacker I know!

[wapitibowman]

A few years ago we called a 6x6 up the mountain. I was beside a pine tree waiting for him to pass below for the 10 yard shot. Instead, he came to the other side of the tree, he started raking it while still moving toward me. I was a little nervous. I was sure if I didn't do something he was going to step on me or accidently gore me while raking the tree. When I popped out from the other side of the tree - both our eyes got real big (he was about 5 feet away). He bolted, I stopped him and shot him at 20 yards. Wow, was that fun.

Wapitibowman

[WapitiTalk1]

I saw an elk fly one time.. No kidding. Rumbling in on a brush choked road, my hunting buddy and I saw a cow do a peter pan from well above the steep cut bank, across the road feet from the truck, 6 or so feet above the ground, and land snout first in the alder below the road to the right.. Somebody or something must have spooked her (badly) from the ridge above. Dave looked at me and said "did you see that"? I said nope

[ChukarNUT]

while elk hunting--cougar in stalk mode--wife and I are the prey shot said cougar at 12 yards after a miss through a pine at 18 yards talk about a change your undies moment. actual elk experience-- having a cow and calf literally breathing down my neck. set up calling and out of nowhere a cow and calf came sprinting through the timber almost trampling me---they veer off at last second. stop. walk back to me and stop looking back at the direction they came from. obviusly something spooked them. they were so close i could have touched both of their hooves. awesome.

[LckyTylr]

My 2nd year of Elk hunting, I was sitting on top of a ridge looking out over a bowl . . . eating lunch and fiddling around with my Hoochie.

A spike comes CRASHING up from the timber below, literally jumping over deadfall and making a terrible ruckus. He stopped right at the bottom of the cliff I was sitting on, about 40 feet down and looked up at me. He nervous grunted a few times. I'm skylined and figured that I didn't want to shoot him anyway, so I waved at him and kept pressing the hoochie. He kept barking at me. A cow comes out of the timber where he came from. He's looking at her, looking at me, looking at her, decides that he REALLY wants to come hang out with me and tries to climb the cliff. Figures out that he can't do that without a spotter, so he paces back and forth very frustrated for 10 minutes. The cow also decides that she wants to make my acquaintance, but she's smart enough to just go around to the saddle of the bowl and walk up the top edge of the cliff to me. She comes stomping up to within about 10 feet of me, on a goat trail about 3' wide on the cliff edge and mews at me. Wind is swirling all over, she can see me plain as day with my pack scattered about and lunch food all over the place. The spike looks up and realizes that she magically made it up to me and gets really pissed off that she was able to figure it out. He turns around and goes down about 15 yards and gets a running start to go up the cliff. Makes it about 5' further up than he did the first time and flips straight over backwards. I thought he was going to knock himself out. Cow looks at him and mews at him, I'm sure she said "Idiot" and sighed. She looks back at me, licks her nose and wanders off up the hill behind me.

I'm sitting there stunned. What in Sam'Hell is a Goin' On Around Here!!! This is after I had been winded, outsmarted, outmaneuvered and just plain defeated by a small herd for 2 days . . . and then these two nincompoops pull that kind of crap . . . WHAT!?!?!

[elkmtngear]

I'm sitting there stunned. What in Sam'Hell is a Goin' On Around Here!!! This is after I had been winded, outsmarted, outmaneuvered and just plain defeated by a small herd for 2 days . . . and then these two nincompoops pull that kind of crap . . . WHAT!?!?!

Tyler, that's a riot

First Year hunting Colorado...circa 1998. I had arrowed my first bull ever a couple days before, and I was out bugling with a guide/friend and my hunting buddy, trying to get him a bull.

We were making a loop back to the main trail after a relatively quiet morning (it was around 9:30 AM)...when a bull hears us walking through the timber, and lets off a rather irritated scream..maybe 80 yds in. My guide friend motions Cory to move ahead, and he gets about 10 yds, and there's the bull, looking at us through the timber. We all drop, and my guide friend hits the bull with a challenge bugle. Bull responds, and here he comes.

We are all in a direct line as the bull steps out at 30 yds, with Cory out front, bow drawn. Bull steps into a lane...pfffft!! Clean miss under the brisket!

Bull spins and starts to walk back to where he came from...my guide buddy bugles again...and here comes the bull a second time, taking a nearer route and steps out at 25 yds. Cory draws...gets the string halfway back...and his release opens. Arrow goes 10 feet.

Bull hears the arrow hit the ground, and starts walking directly at us...20 yds...15yds...10 yds, and we are crouched with no cover. I watch Cory draw again..and his hand is shaking like he has Parkinson's disease as he finally gets the bow back.

Bull turns broadside, and he smacks him thru the chest....finally!

Sitting back watching was WAY MORE FUN than being the guy with all the pressure on him!

[Buglemaster]

A couple years ago, my buddy & I were hunting a great wallow in the evenings. The sad thing was they weren't hitting it till way late. We were successful in getting out after last legal shooting light before they arrived on previous nights, but on this one we got caught & didn't dare move. The whole herd paraded by us at 5 yds. Cows chirping & the boss was screaming his head off. They proceeded to drink in the spring & the bull got in the wallow & absolutely tore it up.out of frustration & because I really wanted to make it back to camp for a 12 oz ribeye I did some coyote howls to move them on down the road.the bull nearly ran over my son as he took off. A couple nights later & the last evening we would hunt we decided to just stay closer to camp & try to call in a bear. That bull started bugling & I knew he was going to the wallow. We didn't think we could beat him there so just stayed put & kept calling to the bears. We could hear them in the wallow & it was plenty early for a shot if we had just set up there. They started getting closer as it got darker so I threw out some cow talk. They didn't make it to us in time, but again the complete herd passed by us at mere feet. That goofey bull stopped right in front of us & nearly knocked my cap off with a scream. It was way past legal light so all we did was absorb the moment. Even tho we could see the animals, there's no way we could see our pins. Here's a tip: you can see detail much better thru your binocs than I ever imagined in low light conditions & close range. As a parting jesture I screamed a bugle at him & seriously thought he was gonna take us. He spun around to face his challenger, then turned & pushed his cows on down the meadow. Just having them that close & listening to the herd talk made that hunt a success for me. A memory we will have forever!