Just joined the forum....

[Blake_Bartz]

Hi all - yet another new guy here. I've read through a lot of the previous posts and there is a good group of people here with a lot of valuable info! I figured I would introduce myself. I'm currently living in Nebraska..but definitely missing SW Colorado. I was working there the last couple of years for CPW and my parents live there...can't wait to get back out there for two weeks in sept. Last year was my first year archery hunting and that has taken my elk addiction to a new level. Had quite a few close encounters and even one bull spitting on me as he bugled...talk about an adrenaline rush! I've already learned quite a bit reading here that hopefully will help turn some close encounters into shot opportunities. Looking forward to joining in on some of the discussions. Thanks

Blake

[rowdycwby1]

Welcome aboard Blake pull up a log and enjoy!

[WapitiTalk1]

Welcome to "the" elk forum Bart. Gotta love spitting bulls

Edit: welcome "Blake"

[Swede]

Welcome to the forum camp Blake. Always feel free to join right in the conversation. Don't let Phantom 16 stump you with his quizzes. He asks those questions to learn the answer himself. I was out scouting elk this past week. I did not get a bull to spit on me, but I got a nervous bark from one. Like Phantom I forgot what I was supposed to do, so when the bull barked, I stepped out from behind the bush and said, "Don't worry it's just me." He walked off in disgust.

[twinkieman]

Welcome Blake. I can honestly say that you are the first I have heard of, that has been spit on by a bull That's a form of displaying that I can only ask, did you answer his challenge, and spit back? Once again welcome.

[buglecrazy]

Welcome. Lots of awesome stuff here and lots of knowledgeable folks. Glad to have you on board.

[Blake_Bartz]

Thanks for the welcome...I'll tell the Bull story since I love reliving it in my mind.

I had planned on crossing a deep draw walking the other ridge and circling back around across a group of finger ridges with the wind in my face. I had been hiking since lunch without seeing very much fresh sign. As it got later in the afternoon I came upon a really "elky" spot and decided to do a cold call setup as the elk were being very quiet. I found a decent spot to set up..looking back it was probably more out of comfort than a great spot to call from... I started to do a few soft cow calls to start..waited a while and then started to call with a more excited tone. As I was about to give up on the spot I started to hear a lot of really soft cow calls in the distance. They were getting closer and closer.

I finally had a lone cow crest over the ridge feeding into the bowl right towards me. She stopped at around 60 yards from me and turned starting to feed along the bottom of the ridge. At this time I really only was confident out to 30 yards as I had just bought my bow a few weeks before the season started. My adrenaline was already pumping though as I tried to sneak closer to the cow as she fed. She would feed and I would crawl a few yards closer..This went on for a while and I got to within 40 yards and had a really good lane blocking her sight of me to close the gap to 20-30 yards. I stuck up and peeked around the larger tree to see she had moved a ways ahead while I was stalking and joined up with 4 other cows. There were to many eyes for me to move anymore and she was around 70 yards a way now.

As I was thinking of my next move I saw a bull trotting down from higher on the ridge and herding another 5 or so cows around to the cows closer to me. As they were distracted by the new group joining them I moved to the side of the tree and let out a challenge bugle and he did not hesitate...he let out a bugle of his own and ran over to withing 20 yards facing me. Then he turned and started working his way back to his cows. I let out another bulge and drew by bow...the bull this time almost ran me over as I was kneeling next to the tree and let out a bulge follwed by grunts in my face.... staring me in the eyes. Now my adrenaline was pumping..I was shaking like a little girl and he just kept looking around to only look back and stare at me every once in a while. After what seemed like an enternity I could not hold my bow back anymore and slowly let off. The bull quickly spun around and moved back to 20-30 yards and now very curious to what I was.

I'm not sure why he didn't high tail it out of there, but at this point I calmed myself down a little and remember I had to count points as I was in a 4 pt. zone. I had 4 on one side and 3 on the other...well I didn't read the regs close enough and was wondering to myself if it had to be 4 on both sides..much less completely forgetting about the brow tines part. I played with the bull for probably a good 15 minutes and had him broadside at 20-30 yards and every angle possible...but ended up letting him walk after my fun and trying to make another pt grow. He never spooked and just ended up regrouping with his cows and wandered away.

I wasn't extremely far from camp..so I ran back to camp..where my parents were taking the night off from hunting. Found out I could have shot him and headed back out with my dad to try to track the herd down again. We ended up getting him to sound off towards where he had been traveling and made our way in a little closer. This is where we made a big mistake and were vocal again from too far out...he responded..we moved closer and bulged again..only to have him keep moving further and further away and then finally going silent. It seems obvious now that he was keeping track of us and getting his cows out of there quickly. could have played it out a lot differently and potentialy had another shot opportunity.

**oh yea..and I never spit on him**

[ElkNut1]

Hey Blake, great story there & welcome to the Forum where the elk hunting addiction runs rampant! (grin)

ElkNut1

[Elkduds]

Welcome, thanks for the great story! You should feel quite comfortable here, among your fellow educators of elk. Our motto is, "that'll teach 'em!"