Emotions Before The Shot!

[ElkNut1]

For those fortunate to have taken elk with a bow please share what has gone through your mind as the elk was coming, whether silent or bugling! Many would probably really like to hear what it was like/felt on your first elk! (grin) How emotional did you get, were you shaking before the shot or after, were you calm during the shot, things like this can really help others what to expect even if an elk has already been taken!

I know personally my first elk encounter with a bow didn't go well & never got the shot off at 10 yards! (grin) What a riot it was! (grin) I was just too excited! Calm before the storm was not a quality I possessed!

ElkNut1

[WapitiTalk1]

My first calling elk/archery encounter involved a big Montana bull bellowing from the vicinity of a wallow on steep side hill 100 yards above myself and my high school buddy, and, a tall spike surprising me as he silently appeared over the top of a thin finger ridge 25 yards away, rendering me incapable of drawing back the 50 lb bear recurve I was armed with (literally). Knees knocking, heart pounding out of my chest, I knew on that day in the fall of 1975 or 1976 (can't remember for sure), I was hooked. Gary had received an answer using his PVC pipe tube and Berry diaphragm so we'd worked our way towards the bull and set up. As the big guy screamed back a warning to Gary, seemingly shaking the very branches of the trees around us, I sensed something moving up and to my right. The spike was standing on top of the finger ridge, looking down directly at me. I couldn't pull the bow back . Shock, awe, immense adrenaline rush, dis-belief that this stuff really worked, all came pouring down at one time and left me drained. Yep, that's what hooked me.
I still get excited for and during my September hunts as I look forward to this time of year (and the elk encounters which occur) more than any other calendar event but the heart pounding, adrenaline charged physical reaction to vocal elk encounters are really kind of suppressed, tucked deep down inside somewhere until after the encounter ends (whether resulting in a shot or not). Oftentimes, I don't remember drawing, floating that brightly colored pin on the vitals, and touching off an arrow. I say all this but a silent bull coming in to a cold calling setup always throws my groove off (yikes, he's right there).. Sneaky suckers.

[Elksniper1]

First elk oppurtunity ever was a complete disaster! As were many more after that ! I walked up on a bachelor herd or four all of us were completly surprised! I vividly remember thinking how in the heck did all this mass of bodies and horn just suddenly appear as they stood and nervously looked around! I was able to get a shot off that sailed harmlessly over the only one that was broadside to me. I carved my initials into the tree where my broadhead is probably still embedded! I one day will go back there with the kids and show them the tree! But snce then there has been every emotion felt during the hunt! Everyone will understand extreme euphoria when a bull comes in. I will shake uncontralbly and second guess Wich opening the shot will present but when I draw my bow and do my pre flight checklist(mentally) a weird calmness comes over me until the arrow hits. I think this has to do with how much respect i have for the animlas i pursue and I truly want a clean quick kill! Then the floodgates open and anything is possible! I have never thrown up yet but i have seen it happen!
One other emotional time is when you don't see the hit or the animal isn't bleeding immedistly that to me is the most emotional time of hunting just a all over feeling of the most foul stench! I can taste it sometimes! Hopefully this is short lived and relaxed by the first sight of tan or horn tip tucked into a downfall immediatly making me silently scream YES!

[Long Range]

Emotion before the shot.
My first and only elk kill was back in Sept of 2013. I was on a 10 day elk hunt with my dad and brother-in-law, we were in Colorado on a DIY hunt. It was the final day of our hunt (my birthday) and my brother and I set out for the day. In the middle of the afternoon we dropped into an area that we had seen plenty of elk in past years. Not knowing how to bugle at the time we were only armed with cow calls. So we setup on a small ledge, the wind was in our favor. With lots of fresh elk sign a guy just couldn't ask for anything better, PERFECT DAY!!. The first cow call went out with an instant reply from a Bull guessing 150-200 yards down the mountain, and a second bull much much closer up the mountain replied almost cutting the first bull off. So here we are caught between two bulls thinking there is a cow between them during the rut:). So my brother hit the cow call again, and the upper bull replied with a bugle and starting coming down the mountain. You could hear brush breaking, rocks tumbling and my heart stared to race!! At that point I had not seen this bull yet, but he was within view of my brother. He motioned that it was a shooter. The bull kept coming down this small rock ravine tumbling rocks making all kinds of noise when he made a his first stop in front of my brother trying to pinpoint that cow. Not finding his cow, he starting down hill again. Thinking that the bull wasn't going to stop, my brother hit the cow call again. The bull stopped in his tracks. Finally i could see him, a nice younger bull and that is when the i started to shake. NOT GOOD!! Thinking to myself, is this really happening, am i really going to get my chance. Then the bull turned back up hill heading for my brother who had called once more. The bulls chosen route was going to bring him in at about 15 yards. Then i really starting to shake. Once he was behind some small spruce trees i was able to draw my bow, still shaking like a leaf my fathers words started to run through my head "Calm yourself down, take a breath and you will get him". Wouldn't you know it, it worked. I was able to pull it together and when he was in an opening i released the arrow. To this day i can still see my green fletchings as my arrow hit him and he turned down hill. That is when it hit me. My brother came running down couldn't believe what just happen, he just about had to tie me to a tree for the 20 min wait. We started in on our search following his tracks. There wasn't one drop of blood which got my mind going. Did i hit him, was it to high, was it to far back, why isn't there any blood. After about 70 yard following his tracks we found him:)
BEST FEELING EVER!! After a big hug and some good pics the work began.

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Thanks to the Brother for a GREAT family and I hope for may more!!!

[WapitiTalk1]

Long Range, wow man... great story and photos.. really enjoyed reading it. You definitely captured the emotions of your hunt/shot well in your story! Welcome to "the" elk forum! Please pull up a log by the campfire and chime in whenever you wish.

[under H2O hunter]

The first arrow I flung at an elk was pretty sad. I was sitting on side of a small hill with about 20 min of light left a small rag horn let out a bugle about 150 yards. I bugled back at him. No response. 5 min later I bugled again and re answered but closer this time. With very little light I moved about 75 yards closer to him. I watched him 50 yards from me start raking a tree. With the light slipping away I made a small bugle and he left the tree and started walking my way in no hurry what so ever. We were in some dark timber so the light was horrible. I stopped him with a cow call at 30 yards. This was my mistake. He was quartered to me. If I wouldn't of cow called he would of walked right by me at 15 to 20 yards. I flung my arrow and hit his shoulder square as can be I got 3 inches of penetration. He busted out but came to a perfect broadside at 60 yards in a perfect shooting lane when I bugled again. I settled my 50 yard pin (I didn't have a 60 yard pin at the time) on the very top of his back and let my second arrow fly. I watched as my arrow slid just underneath his belly. He busted out again. We found both of my arrows and a small blood trail that lead about 100 yards then went cold. I looked for a full day but didn't find anything. .

My son's first encounter with an elk was a monster 350 class bull was a couple years ago. Same scenario as my bull. Bull bugles from 1200 yards away with 10 min of light left. I wasn't even going to call but my son talked me into it. We watched as the bull ran at full speed to us and covered that ground in 3 or 4 minutes. This gave us plenty of time to get my son down in front of me and between the bull. The bull showed up 50 yards from my son. He signaled me to move as the bull popped out in a strange place. I swung around and got in line to draw the bull right to my son. Sure enough the bull walked right to him and stopped 2 yards from my son. My son was set up behind some brush and couldn't shoot through the brush. When my son drew his bow the elk heard his cam turn over and make a small squick. The bull and my son had a starring match with my son at full draw for a minute to minute and half. Finally the bull blew out leaving my son shacking uncontrollably for another 10 minutes from the adrenaline.

A few days after my son's encounter I was able to get my son, 2 buddies, and myself in on a good bull at last light again. We were walking out of a valley talking like we were at home and not in the woods. To say we were talking loud would be an understatement. This bull bugles out about 75 yards up hill from us. My son and buddies take cover behind the only pine tree around. I had to run down hill about 80 yards to get behind the next available tree. I bugled this bull into 25 yards from them. My one buddy goes to draw and the bull spots him. He busted out to 50 yards and stops. My other buddy steps out from behind the tree and lets his arrow fly hitting the bull in the liver and guts. We let him lay over night and the next morning we head back and pick up the blood trail. The bull went 450 yards and half way through we lost the blood trail. After 2 to 2.5 hours my son spots one very very very tiny blood drop that kept us on the trail. In the end we recovered the bull. Which ended up falling only 75 yards from the ATV trail for a very easy pack out...

[POk3s]

My first elk with a bow was a spike. There were bulls bugling ahead of me as I got out of the truck. They were half a mile away or so, so I started the march. I actually heard cows taking up the hill from me just 50 yards into my stalk but heard no bulls and it was September 3rd so I kept walking. Got out of a small clear cut and into some mature timber when I busted an elk. It was probably only 10 minutes past shooting light when this happened. I had a cow call in my mouth when the elk busted so I instinctively cow called. I heard the crashing stop so I turned my head, cupped my hands, and cow called behind me. the bull RAN right for me. I got down in the old logging road behind one little tiny pine tree and came to full draw sometime during the run. As he got to the logging road he put on the brakes but his front half was exposed. I remember guessing him for 24 yards and hitting him low. After the shot I cow called some more and heard him/saw him walk off. I ranged the spot at 17 yards. I'm sure that's where the bull fever took effect

I was 18 years old, and 12 hours later I found my bull about 600 yards from where I shot him. Lost blood after 200 yards and searched all morning. Went back to camp to regroup and then searched some more. In a last ditch effort I thought, "I'm going to go along the spine of the ridge. I've been all over below the ridge and last I saw him he was headed straight up hill. If he made it over the top then he could've gone forever dead on his feet going down hill". I found him piled up about 10 yards from cresting the ridge. Worked all through the night and somehow saved all the meat. I was one very proud 18 year old.


Those dreaded flip phone pics


The shot



Solo packing adventure. First time I ever did the gutless method before I really knew it was a thing. I just knew I had to work fast and said to hell with even getting the guts out.


I'm lucky enough where when I'm into elk I go into auto pilot. I know that I can be a real dick head to my buddies telling them not to screw it up!!! hahahaha. But, it just usually happens. I lose track of what's going on in a way, and then the arrow is on it's way. I always remember the arrow in slow motion and then I literally don't remember anything for a few seconds after. I just lose my mind I guess! I'm just glad the autopilot kicks in!

[Heartwood]

Emotions before the shot? Yes. My first shot at a bull was a farce. A coworker had shot his first bull, a nice mature 6x6, only days before. So i headed to the same area and happened to spot antlers just over the rise my first morning out. I stalked closer and gave a single cow call then shut up. This rag horn meandered close enough for a shot and that is when i noticed that i had no tab on my hand. (was a finger shooter then) I attempted the shot with bare fingers and missed him clean. Never forgot the tab again and harvested my first bull two seasons later. Mostly, i remember my heart beating like it was sure to jump out my mouth. I'm pretty sure my thinking was about as clear as a glass of mud. Over the years, I have been able to control the excitment but have surely blown some great opportunities because the excitment got the better of my judgment.
Some people have the "warrior mind" and actually grow more calm and clear under pressure. I'm not one of those lucky few but have gotten much better at keeping it together before and at the shot. I'm sure there are some techniques or exercises that could help somone to improve these skills but i don't know about them. Maybe visualization exercises or somthing. I guess I have kind of daydreamed before about how a scerario would play out or develop and the shot would be calculated and executed flawlessly. Probably should do more of that!

[Elkduds]

Great write-up and pics, LongRange. Did you find the bull as pictured, w antlers propped up, or did you set that up for the pic? I never saw one laying like that.

[Long Range]

The first picture was exactly how we found him. My brother-in-law reminded me to take that picture before moving him.
For all of my brothers help i think it is going to be his turn this year:)

[Dr. Rx]

What great stories.. I hope to get that feeling soon this fall !

[Lefty]

The first elk I ever heard were 1200 yards away and I was shaking so bad,. My heart pounding so load I was sure everything could hear my heart. What a great experience. That was a week before the shot
The following friday I was rock steady thinking my father-in-law never killed a bull this nice . I had visualized this exact shot hundreds of times only 10 yards further. It seemed like the bulls eyeball was looking right at me. and messed up
Had a bull charge in a couple years ago,.. I couldn't get my release on the string, and when I did I couldn't keep the arrow knocked.

Drew on a bull and decided to pass on the shot, again rock steady but I couldn't turn on my camera.

Messed up on a bull of a lifetime ( told this story before ) followed them all morning the shakes were gone( but maybe not the nerves) Drew rock solid, then passed to shoot a close cow, than given a shot again and used the wrong pin.
But starting moments before It was surreal as this monster walked right out in front of me,.. looking at the cows near me,.. or me.. I knew he winded me but had lots of cows and calves in front of him Again Thinking,.. my father-in-law never killed a bull this big. I got this. Elk are so stupid. Am I this good or just lucky.! I was so confident,.... then there was reality

Now the cow I killed I had been on them from before dawn, pinned in one place in the open ,.. that rattled the nerves, back neck and legs aching . What happened to the bulls
The first few hundred yards of the stalk were intense but once close and I knew the elk were clueless I was cool as a cucumber. Drew on a broadside cow,.. she turned and only gave me a buut shot,... At that time Imay shoulder was bad and I couldn't let down. I chirped hoping one o the close cows would get up and give me a shot,.. the further cow turned gave me a broadside, I knew the range, selected the pin, placed it where it should be,.. released the arrow, and knew the wind was drifting the arrow, nocked another arrow, knowing the first shot was good and sent the other.

[Fridaythe13th]

I might be the worst, I'm jumping up and down, shaking like a leaf, heart pounding, peeing my pants and watching the arrow flying over there back. but that is the fun and ready to do it again. If I stop feeling that way, I might have to quite.
Maybe that is why I'm trying to get good at calling let somebody have an opportunity to get a elk.

[ishy]

My first I got lucky cause I thought he had already left the country with his cows after a buglefest for 30 minutes under 50 yards. His cows were trying to get to me, and he'd do the quarter horse cutt off move. So the cows left and I thought he was with them. We just stood up to talk about what an awesome night it was, and there he was 45 yards quartering away. I had been a wreck earlier, but didn't have time for any adreniline to get going.
Had another one that was just funny. I literally had to tell myself not to laugh outloud after getting away with drawing my bow with a calf at 5 yards, lead cow at 7, and the one I shot at 12. I was expecting all hell to brake loose, and all three just kept eating! I thought this isn't how this usually works, way too easy for an elk. Has to be my most relaxed shot ever on an elk.

[Lefty]

I might be the worst, I'm jumping up and down, shaking like a leaf, heart pounding, peeing my pants and watching the arrow flying over there back. but that is the fun and ready to do it again.,.....

Im not sure if this counts before or after the shot.
Ive spent hours looking for my pack on bare desert ground, My hat, face mask, bugle, even arrows after the shot. The memory of when I set them down, or lost my mind after the shot

[foxvalley]

My emotions before the shot,or before I "pull back on one" has saved many a bull,sadly most of the truely big ones,as I still have to come to grips with the adrenaline dump,and all the stupid mistakes made because of it,as he is "right there".Moving at the wrong time,thinking he is gone,when in fact he is just standing there, waiting for me to move,timing the draw wrong,holding the draw too long,playing the shot in my head,but forgetting to pull my bow back......wow.
My first elk hunt however,I did keep it together. We had two days left before the season ended,and after hunting hard every day since it started,and having yet to see a live elk,my partner and I had a bull answering our bugle.As we aproached the bull, we split up, and I ended up on an elk trail behind a large stump.I will never forget those black legs I saw first comming up the mtn.and then the beautiful bull as he continued up and then turning onto the trail that I was on, heading straight towards me.
He must have seen me pull back, as he stopped.....and started to backpeddle! I was at full draw, and knew he would be gone in just a few seconds,so it was take the shot, or let up, as the shot was long.I remember being more steady on that shot than I ever was before, as I put the 40 yd. pin on his neck as he was facing directly at me, and let er go.I lost sight of the arrow just before it got there.... crack.... the bull turns to run, and crash! crash! crash! he starts rolling down the mtn side! He caught himself after the third roll,and stood up, and slowly wobbled off with a busted shoulder, and a cut artery.
I started to move forward and down the mtn. when all of a sudden crash!bang! crash! comming from about 30 yds. away behind a screen of brush.I still wasn't sure what was happening,and for some reason,didn't want to risk walking over and taking a peek,which i'm sure I could have gotten away with,as it was a second, bigger bull,tearing into a large tree,guessing he got really pissed after seeing his buddy get his butt kicked.
After it got quiet, I motioned my buddy over,(he heard it all but saw nothing) and as we are sitting there....wwoooooshhhhhh! the big boy takes off right behind us, and right where my buddy was hiding!

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[Trumkin the Dwarf]

First elk I shot with a bow? Dead calm, no emotions until after the arrow flew. I vividly remember the fletching twisting in slow motion as the arrow arced into the bull. However, I lost it after the shot. The first couple minutes after the shot? I was most likely babbling incoherently. I don't really remember it.

p.s. It was the bull in my avatar.

[twinkieman]

First elk, 6 ft. shot, hard to mess that up I had no doubt this bull was on his way to me, and when he was about 90 yards out I remember thinking, when he hits the edge of the timber, and gets to the sage flat, he'll move across the open area, come to the edge of the timber pocket I was at the edge of, and slowly slip downhill quartering to me. WRONG!!!! He came straight across the sage directly at me. I had two 8" diameter pines in front of me about 5 feet away, as his eye went behind the first tree I drew, I think he felt movement, and of course he stopped just as his head cleared the second tree, vitals covered. Then his antlers started lowering in the rear, and he screamed, causing the hair to stand up on the back of my neck. Fortunately he took the step I needed him to take, and I did my job, he went 40 yds., and piled up. Sorry no photos, until recently I never photographed any of my kills, on anything.

I should note, that early on in my hunting career, I got buck fever, turkey fever, and any other kind of fever related to harvesting an animal that could happen. I vowed to make myself mentally strong, and not get overexcited until after the shot. It took me time, but I was able to overcome over excitement before the shot, but after, I fall apart like a dollar watch. There is no way for me to begin my field work, after a successful shot, until I calm down. A knife in my hands at this time might prove fatal to me I wouldn't say that I've got ice water in my veins, its just something, for me, that I knew years ago I would have to overcome to be successful.

[ElkNut1]

Ha Ha, Marc, oh ya, I missed a bull at 4' away! (grin) Nice write up bud!

ElkNut1

[Toby]

This is a great thread. My first encounter was with a rag horn my son called in to me at twenty yards. Perfect set up, I drew early and as he walked back and I went to shoot my release wouldn't go off. I have no idea to this day what I was doing, but obviously wasn't pulling the trigger. Results were not good.