Virginia Boys (old men) Colorado Public Land DIY

[Nuck]

We are still riding the high from our Co. public land DIY archery hunt. We hunted our first week sharing the woods with the muzzleloader hunters. I will have to say it was the most hunters that we have ever seen on our great public lands. Which is a good thing but it tends to make the elk hunting tough. The elk were not very vocal in the areas that we hunted that first week. On the evening of day 8 we came back to an area that we had placed cameras on several wallows and discovered that the activity had picked up. The next morning, after a short blind calling session, my brother’s arrow found its mark on his first archery bull. The 6x6 came in silent to his and his partner’s cow calls. The four of us were on top of the world. We had beat the odds as our team was now at a 25% success rate. But as we drifted into some much needed sleep that night, we had no idea how unbelievable God’s blessing would be. The next morning my partner and I finally had a bull respond to our locator bugle. But with a terrible wind and the rough terrain there was no way to make a play that morning. So we backed out and waited until the thermals changed around midday. We moved in slowly not knowing the bull’s location. We decided to get in the area and let the bull make the first move. We finally heard a grunt from the bull around 4:00. He was across the canyon and was getting more vocal as we made our approach. The afternoon thermals allowed us to drop in tight on the bull. My partner was set up as shooter slightly above me thinking the bull would approach using the wind to his advantage. It was time for the “slow play”. We started with a few cow calls followed by some light raking. Then picking up the pace, I gave a short moan and the bull responded. He was now below us. So I had to quickly become the shooter and my partner the caller. Within minutes I saw the beast at around 85 yards. He slowly moved up the ridge ripping bugles as my partner continued to challenge him. He stoped at about 70 yards and thrashed at tree.i was trying to hold it together. He then continued up the ridge and as he past some trees I drew only to have my arrow fall off the string. (So much for keeping it together!!) Luckily his view was still obstructed by the trees so I let off and re-nocked my arrow. He is now frontal at 50 yards. Just too risky of a shot. He ripped a couple bugles as his cows started calling behind him. But then finally turned broadside allowing me to draw and settle my 50 yard pin. I watched my arrow fly true. The bull ran a short distance and crashed within 10 seconds. I then collapsed with emotion. What a hunt! As we approached the bull, he keep growing. He was by far the biggest bull that I have ever killed and the largest body that I have ever seen on an elk. We were in shock as we snapped a few photos. Then, out of nowhere, another bull bugled below us. We looked at each other....We had to try! My partner took his position a few yards below my dead bull and I backed up to call. As I started with few cow calls, the bull responded, and I immediately challenged him with a bugle. After a few more calls I was looking at the bull at 45 yards, literally through the antler tips of my dead bull. My partner drew and held the bow for over a minute but had no shot as the bull became uneasy and eased off over the ridge. I decided to try, for the first time, the “bark-scream”. The bull turned and came right back in giving us his own “bark scream”. I challenged back with another “bark-scream” and he closed the distance even more offering my partner the shot. The bull ran off and we thought we heard him crash. We both collapsed to the ground in disbelief. What had we done? We have shot two bulls within 30 minutes and we later found his bull 250ft from mine. Words can’t describe the emotion......unbelievable.... God is good!!!

[Elkhunttoo]

Wow!!! Congrats on the bulls and the success!!! What a great year for you. Thanks for sharing it with us

[Indian Summer]

Awesome story. I had a similar thing happen. Years ago I shot a 6 point bull. We figured we’d give it a half an hour before going to look. We pulled out sandwiches but on the first bite another bull bugled. We called it right in and my brother shot it. Crazy how they can be so hard..... or so easy to find and kill. As long as you’re out there anything can happen. Congratulations.

[Deanmac]

Great post, I enjoyed the read and congrats on a great trip.

[Fridaythe13th]

3 for 4 dont get any better than that. Nice job

[Swede]

God is good. AMEN. Congratulation on a successful hunt. Great story.
I too have had success come that way. Several times over the years I have killed an elk only to have more show up while I was working on the one I shot. One time my son and I got our elk together somewhat like you did.
I think the moral of the story is; stay quiet after you kill your animal, if you have any more unfilled tags. There may very well be more elk around. I have watched elk walk right by my dead elk and pay no more attention to it than if it was a log. Killing an elk does not ruin the area at all for hunting.

[saddlesore]

Great hunt.You done good

[ishy]

Great job...but one missing detail-how was the double pack? We have done a few doubles with smaller bulls, but both those look like toads.

[Nuck]

Packing was brutal as always. Lucky the temperatures allowed us to pack the two out over three days. So with my brothers bull the day before, we packed meat for 4 days straight.

[WapitiTalk1]

Excellent Robert! Congrats on the "double" and thanks for sharing your story sir. RJ

[Puttncut]

What an excellent fairy-tale-come-true !! VERY well written...and a wonderful representation for all us Virginia wannabe elk hunters! Congratulations guys...AMEN on being blessed!!

[wawhitey]

we packed meat for 4 days straight.

Ouch. That would require sitting on my ass recovering for 4 days after.

[DBLGBL]

Where are all you Virginia guys from? Congrats on a great hunt.

2gbl

[Nuck]

We are from Little place called Callands. Between Danville and Smith Mountain Lake.