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My 2018 season

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My 2018 season

Postby Elkhunttoo » 07 31, 2019 •  [Post 1]

Well, I drew a rifle tag that started October 15 here in Idaho. With a change of jobs I had the first whole week off :D. I drew this tag with my brother in law and friend also. I had to work the night shift the night before the opener so I was a little tired opening day but ready to roll. We packed camp in on horses around 5 miles. Found elk that evening but to far away. Made a plan that evening and we were able to get onthem at first light. My friend was able to take the bull out of the group (decent 5 point) and we spent the rest of the morning getting him quartered out and done to camp. While my friend shot the bull I had spotted some bulls way up high so that evening my brother in law and I climbed up up up... we took the pack horse with us and were able to use a really good game trail I had found studying google earth. Nothing that evening. We spent the night in our sleeping bags next to the fire because we didn't want to go all the way back to camp knowing there was elk on the top. We listened to them bugle on and off all night. When daylight came we saw a couple of bulls but they were way out of range and to big of country for us to do anything that morning because my brother in law had to go back to work the next morning... afternoon and evening was spent packing camp up and heading out. My friend still had a deer tag so he and I set out Thursday morning for another camp spot about 5 miles in but a way easier trail. Thursday night and Friday morning we saw plenty of elk but all a long ways off and the ones close enough to try and get to were all rage horn bulls. (I have failed to mention that with almost a month long hunt and several days off in that amount of time this was going to be my year to finally take home a big bull...at least that was the plan ;) ). We moved camp a about a mile and that evening got into several elk but nothing very big. (Saw a wolf that evening too but over 600 yards away and only for about 5 seconds) Saturday morning I was right were I needed to be. The elk were funneling in just perfect and the plan was going great. I had a 6 point bull working through some aspens (leaves off) about 250 yards away. I initially told myself no but was having a hard time judging home in the trees. I finally got a decent look at him and decided he wasn't the BIG bull I had been dreaming of but he was a good bull and in a good spot and I would just be happy with him. Well, that bull stayed in the trees and the rest of the whole group went by me at about 80 yards and that bull dropped into a draw and was the only elk in that group I couldn't of shot. (Could of taken him several times earlier but not after the last look I got of him)... worked around the ridge to try again. Got 32 yards away from a small rag horn but spotted a really nice bull across the canyon...went home and went to church on Sunday... back to work Monday and Tuesday for night shift again... Wednesday found me heading up the big ridge I had seen the good bull on. Well, I think it was the same bull in almost the exact spot I had seen him Saturday morning only luck was against me because he was on a dead run towards me when I saw him and within a few glimpses of him he was in the trees. A dad and his son up deer hunting had spooked him not 30 seconds before I would of been able to see him. Bad luck but that evening I spotted several elk and headed there way in the morning. It is a steep sage covered mountain and I could here elk bugling infront of me all morning but there was no catching up...the had crossed over the top and were in the timber by the time I got there but still bugling. (Elk were super vocal my entire hunt for the second half of October)... I knew the day before that lots of elk had came out of the timber in the evening on the ridge I was on and I could here at least 3 bulls bugling all morning that were all still talking on and off. Patience was going to be th key to my day, were I had been working night and hunting a ton sleep was what I was going to do until evening... I took about an hour nap and then woke up cold, tried starting a little fire but kept hearing 2 bulls bugling back and forth. At about 1pm I decided maybe I could see off the back side off the mountain and see the one bull... I walked about 50 yards, sat down and immediately spotted a bull to my left on top of the ridge... my jaw dropped!!! No way could this be the bull I had heard all morning with a little tiny whistle for a bugle... beautiful super nice bull. Right then he let out his little tiny bugle (here I am sleeping 500-600 yards away from the bull of my dreams while waiting for the bull on my right that sounds way bigger :roll:)... I take my eyes off of the bull for a second and see that I have a great spot to get within 300 yards of this bull. Stock works like a dream ... range finder says 282...bang...bull hit ...bang (missed) ...bull into the trees...when I shot the first shot about 30 cows blew out between me and the bull that I hadn't seen...took me a while to find the bulls tracks because the cows had all went that way... not much blood and not looking good...track mister bull of my dreams for over 2 miles replaying everything in my head over and over on what went wrong. (this is why it has taken me most of the year to post my story. Lots of sleep less nights wondering if the bull lives or not) long story but I spent until dark on tracks and blood...spent Friday looking for him...spent Saturday morning looking for him...had to work Saturday and Sunday nights and then spent Monday looking for him... no crows, no nothing.....i can tell you I'm around 90% sure this bull lived... but idk 100 % and never will... my brother in law can up from Oklahoma and went with me Tuesday. We spotted elk that morning up high and got to where we thought they would come out in the evening and then I crashed, out cold right there on the top of that ridge I slept from 11-4 (felt bad for my brother in law but the last few weeks had caught up with me) that evening we dropped down the ridge and got onto the elk ...mister 5 point young bull hits the range finder at 282 (see the irony in all of it) right as I'm setting into the gun we hear a mature bugle in the trees (elk were still coming out) ... my brother in law says "wait a second and let's see what that bull looks like"...I just told him I had been way to greedy on this hunt already and told myself I would take the next bull I'm blessed with an opportunity at....bang... bull hit, a few seconds later bull down...right as the bull goes down at about 120 yards away a nice 6 point bull stepped out of the trees...I told my brother in law I was just saving that bull for him to shot when he comes on the (2019) archery hunt.... I learned a ton last year... I have replayed the shot over and over and I just don't know what happened... I so hope that that big bull lived and we can meet up again this year... in just over 4 weeks
Elkhunttoo
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Re: My 2018 season

Postby Swede » 07 31, 2019 •  [Post 2]

I know it is hard, but we sometimes miss. Sometimes it is worse than a miss. If it is any consolation, I can assure you that the butcher shops take old bullets out of game every year. It happens. I hope you get him this year. Best wishes.
Swede
Wapiti Hunting - Tree Stand Tactics
 
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