Heartbroken

[POk3s]

Well I just got back from 12 days in the mountains. As if often does it ends with some kind of heartbreak. Sometimes it's just the heartbreak of coming home. This time it was the heartbreak of having a 330" 6x7 under 60 yards three different days! I actually did get one shot off but it was the "call him in close stop him as he spooked and guess the yardage" kind of shot. I aimed and hoped for 60 and he was 72. Smart old bulls have a way of humbling us. Although I called him in 3 different times after playing a cat and mouse game he always had the upper hand. For hours and hours and hours he had the upper hand.

On the plus side I called in over 20 elk in 12 days and should have been done on the first evening with a great 5x5. Most of the bulls I killed in were ones I would've shot but being solo they were keyed in on my location, and even when the came in close there was no shot opportunity due to them being quartered towards me or a jungle of thick stuff in the way! I passed up a handful of cows as well as a few 2 1/2 year old bulls. I had a great time just wishing I could've beat the mountain king! Maybe I'll get him during rifle season! Cheers and congratulations to all of you who filled your tag!

[a3dhunter]

Man, that sucks but is great all at the same time.
At least you were seeing elk and able to call them in, and it sure is nice you can still hunt rifle.

Keep at it and nail that sucker.

[Screaming_btf]

Sounds like you had allot of fun and were very successful calling in allot of ELK. The setup is so critical, so far I have had similar success without nailing the final shot and passing on smaller bulls. Keep at it!

[Migolito]

20 bulls in 12 days!!! Sounds like an adventure for the books.

[POk3s]

Thanks guys. I just can't believe I couldn't close it out. But Migolito it was 20 ELK in 12 days. I called in 6 cows I think it was. Speaking of which has anyone ever experienced the elk lean??? hahaha. I only saw it with the cows that I called in. They come in having no idea I'm there and since I'm not trying to maneuver at all for a shot they usually start to feed and relax. After a while the wind will switch and they'll all go on alert. Instead of blowing out of there immediately it's like they know they're too close and leeeeaaaaaan the direction they're going to head, and then take off frantically. I saw it two different times and made me laugh each time.

[ElkNut1]

Trent, sounds like a great 2 weeks! Sometimes the chips just don't fall our way, that's hunting! (grin) Great experiences though, good luck!

ElkNut1

[pointysticks]

Sounds like the BEST trip ever!!

calling mutliple elk and actually letting an arrow fly?!!! alrighty!!

i'm pretty stoked when i get to go to full draw!! the adrenalin is already ripping at that point. well done

[zpd307]

the wind screwed me on at least a dozen times on elk for me also..... the frustration

[POk3s]

That swirling mountain wind is a killer. Also, I don't think my wind ever went uphill. Always coming up from the bottom on those beasts.....and that's tough going!

[zpd307]

pok, Idaho had a different kind of wind than i had ever experienced in Colorado. it remain stable long enough that you thought that you had a chance to sneak in on a bull that you was in front of you. so you spent 30 mins to an hour stalking it so very quietly, when bam, it would come up hard in a bad way and all you heard was hooves running away.....

[Huntrgathr]

Nice Job ! You got all the best parts of the hunt save one thing. That shouldn't be a heart breaker since you got to experience 95% of a successful hunt. To kill a bull solo, absolutely everything has to go right or you have to get a lucky break. I've drawn my bow on, or been within 2 steps of doing so on world class mulies more times than I want to remember and I still haven't killed one. But I have all the memories and experience of of having hunted them and that's what I'm out there to do- to replace dreams with memories. Look at the bright side, as long as you don't tag out you get to keep hunting and learning about elk...

Getting a chance to play chess with a 330 inch bull is rare air. Congratulations.