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rookie year with the recurve

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rookie year with the recurve

Postby Roosiebull » 09 27, 2019 •  [Post 1]

there was a LOT that went on this season, so it may take me some time to finish this thread ;) but i'll start from the beginning, and share the highlights.

i didn't see an elk opening day, i got close to some, but it was crazy crowded, and a local guy ended up corking me opening morning, and i didn't want to risk bumping those elk into them, so i didn't get too aggressive opening day, and just kind of scouted the afternoon.

Sunday I ended up watching some elk feed out, but could only see about half of them, and they were cows. I knew there was some antler in the group, but not being able to pinpoint where, I ended up not moving on them, because I knew this area well, and decided to come back the next morning and not bump them out.

the access to this area is a gas line road, and down in the bottom it goes along a big swamp, with a sizeable river to my left. the elk were about a mile and a quarter down this bottom, then up a hill, and when you get to the peak of that ridge, there is a clear cut dropping down to another swampy creek bottom. the whole walk through the bottom is chest high grass, the "road" is very grown up with one muddy trail down the middle.

the next morning, I walked in while it was dark, stopped and listened often, because the elk will come back down the bottom, and go to another area to the northwest (and closer to my pickup, which has pros and cons) I get to the end of the swampy flat portion of that bottom and decide to wait there for light, because the elk could be 2-300yds from where I was and I didn't want to bump them trying to get into their feeding area too early.

as I walked in there, I noticed some elk tracks heading back down towards my rig, but I didn't know if it was from a different herd of elk that had crossed the river, or the same herd I watched the previous day, but they have been feeding late, so I figured it was wise to stick to my plan.

it was starting to get light, and I sit there listening, not hearing anything, and something catches my eye up ahead on that hill, about 50-60yds away.. as soon as I noticed this figure, it moved, and I instantly knew what I was looking at, it was a big lion that had appeared out of nowhere, and it was heading my way, and i'm standing on the only trail there is :?

here is what i'm facing, i have a big tom cat steadily walking my way, and about half way between us the trail turns into chest high grass, and i realize that when the cat disappears into that grass, i will not see it again until it's 7 or 8 yds, and don't think i'll have any warning of when it will pop out.

my mind starts racing, weighing my options, and i decide this is a pistol scenario, i know i can't hold draw very long on my recurve, and if i wait to see it, i will be drawing in plain sight at 5ish yds, which is bad for a couple obvious reasons.

when it goes into the first patch of grass i set my bow down, and unholster my pistol and quietly rack a shell (10mm glock, 15+1rds) there is a big tank trap about 20 yds in front of me, and that's where I catch my last glimpse. I have my finger tab flipped around so I can shoot and watch this big cat disappear into the tank trap, knowing the next time I see it, it's gonna be in my lap.... this is where things go sideways....

I have this fleeting thought of how cool it would be to have this lion in this scenario be my first trad kill.... screw it, i'm using my bow... I ut my pistol back in the holster, pick up my bow, and pull an iron will tipped arrow out, get it on the shelf, but before I can get the arrow nocked, I hear the cat coming through the last bit of grass.... crap!

now I have my bow in my left hand, arrow on the shelf but not nocked, and finger holding it in place, and I get my pistol out of the holster in my right hand.... I have the pistol raised, and start taking up slack in that glock trigger when I have the real oh crap moment, this cat is coming through the grass, now in view, way too freaking close, and my finger tab is blocking my trigger!, i'm trying to shuffle the tab out of the way (cat is still walking at a steady pace looking through me standing in the wide open) finally get the tab moved enough to feel the trigger and punch the trigger in one big motion, the cat whirls, runs through the tank trap, gets on the other side and pauses, then bounds into the solid salmon berry brush... I sit there in the fog at first light, in complete silence listening for any sign of the cat going down, but also know the shot didn't feel good at all, but I couldn't miss at that range.

I hear the cat circling me and going around me to my right by the sticks occasionally breaking, then silence.... obviously in the solid brush, with a huge tom cat, I need to give it time to follow up.... I go back towards my rig and go up to where I thought the elk were, and end up walking right up on an elk feeding in the cut still, which surprised me.... I snuck into about 15-20yds, and it ended up just being a cow and calf.... after they fed off, I worked up to the top, and saw where the elk had all balled up and ran into the timber.... I guess they don't like a gunshot starting off their morning.... go figure.

after a couple hours I went back to where I had shot, and followed his tracks into the brush, they were actually pretty easy to follow for a bit in the soft ground, and about 30yds in I find a smear of blood on an alder, then about another 30yds find a small smear on an elderberry bush... no drips at all.... after looking all over and not finding anymore sign, I walked out, and cut his track again crossing the creek.... he didn't even let me change his morning plans, he simply walked around me and went about his way.... that is a cat I have been trying to put eyes on for quite awhile.... finally got a good look at him in person :shock: and cannot believe i couldn't claim that cat after that encounter.

best i can figure is i grazed his left shoulder (i felt i pulled the shot right, and he was of course facing me)

for the next several days that ate at me not just sticking with my bow... but now looking back, I think the pistol was the right decision.... i'm sure you guys will agree when I finish this thread....
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Swede » 09 27, 2019 •  [Post 2]

Welcome back to the forum Roosie. Well did you get the kitty or are you still just hoping? Did you get an elk or do I need to move this thread to the Other Big Game forum? Don't dilly-dally around with the rest of the story please. :D
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Elkhunttoo » 09 27, 2019 •  [Post 3]

Just left us hanging didn't he ;)
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Roosiebull » 09 27, 2019 •  [Post 4]

later that week, after some decent action, but nothing to really get going, I decided to walk into the same area I had my kitty encounter... there was a high ridge I could sit on and glass... try to get something going for the next morning (or less likely, that night) i'm sitting on top of a big cut, back towards my rig there is a year old cut that game has been liking, then to my west, I can see half of another cut, and am almost within earshot of all of it.

probably about 6:30 I see a couple cows feed into sight up a ridge in the clear cut to my west, then about a half hour later, I see some feed into the cut closer to my rig...… the plan is working well. with the amount of light, and scenarios i'm looking at, I want to go chase one of those groups, but I know it's not a good plan for the end goal of killing a bull.

both herds are too far to see what's in either group bull-wise, but I can easily hunt both herds in the morning, I know the areas really well. before it gets dark I bugle just to see, and get answered which sounded like between me and the herd to the west, then he got on a roll and wouldn't shut up... after a bit, the cows I watched feeding came trotting back down the hill, which I assumed the bull had a part of, but I didn't know how... I walk back to my pickup excited for the morning, I had a good plan, and knew it would at least be a good morning for action.. what more can you ask for? can't shoot a bull every day ;)

so the next morning i work into the closest herd of elk, knowing it's a big wide open cut, so first I needed to locate them, then make a plan.... it was super foggy for awhile, which made things difficult, they see much better than we do in the fog.

i slowly move through, and hear cows talking right away, and the fog finally lifted enough for me to see, and they were feeding at the far edge of the top, and all that was left was 4-5 cows/calves.... i let them feed out of sight and worked my way up, and decided to skip those elk for now, and head over to the bull that was bugling the night before.

when I got to the top corner I was being cautious making sure the cows weren't still feeding down the road, and I didn't see them... I started walking down the logging road to my west, got about an 1/8th mile and decided to check the wind to make sure this was the route I wanted to take.... it wasn't... back down the road to the next spur, and that would be my access.

I planned on slowing down when I got to that spur in case those cows were feeding down it, they weren't in the first 50yds I could see when I just walked by, so I thought nothing of it approaching that road, but at a fast walk still, I turn the corner and freeze in my tracks, here is a spike standing there looking at me.... dang! he was probably 30yds, a little too far for myself and the recurve, so we had our stare down, then he turned around and starting walking off annoyed... it took him a long time to get out of sight, because he would walk a few steps, stop, stare at me awhile, then repeat.

he finally disappeared, and I snuck down in the clay hoping he was dumb enough to hang out so I could get another chance at him, but a distant bark told me he wasn't gonna be hanging out around the next corner.... oh well.

I drop into the timber about a half mile later, heading towards where that bull had bugled a bunch the previous night. when I got into the bottom, it was a mess of fresh tracks, and it looked like they may have come over to where I was after I left the night before, but couldn't confirm. I snuck down the bottom, and planned on bugling when I got to the main drainage that connects the 2 areas, and go from there.

I finally get over there, and let out a loud locate bugle, which is cutoff by that bull, and he's close! I did not expect that, so I had to improvise, and purposely crashed through the dead salal and vine maple making a lot of noise to sound like a posturing bull, but my real intention was to cut off his wind before he could do it to me. once I got superior wind position, I bugled again, but with more intensity, and again he cuts me off and one ups me with a long fast chuckle.... i'm thinking this bull is gonna come in, and it's gonna be easy.... I work down a little further, and make sure he can't get around me to get my wind, and kneel down and get setup thinking the next time I make a peep, he's coming.

I get all setup to shoot, thinking he'll come through an opening in front of me in the swamp, then veer to my right, offering a close broadside shot (of course this is always a guess)

I chuckle at him, and he fires back at me, and all I hear is crashing coming my way! he hits the swamp, and I hear him charging through the tall saw grass, and crashing through the brush on my side, then I see him coming, he appears at about 20 yds and doesn't even slow down or veer right like I had thought.... he was walking as fast as he could navigate his antlers through the limbs and brush, he paused once at about 15yds, I drew, but then he turned back towards me, so when he went behind the next tree I let my draw down...

I somehow got turned about 90* to my left as his head went behind trees, and now i'm in position to shoot as he passes by me, I get my bow drawn back as he went behind the last couple trees (noticed something odd on the draw, but stayed hyper focused on the bull) and he got even with me, and stopped to look for the bull he needs to beat up, I release my arrow and all hell breaks loose. there is this horrible loud noise, and my arrow zips over his back.... WTH??!! he wheels, runs a few yards and stops and turns around.... now I think I just broke my bow from the sound it made as my bottom limb hit a vine maple branch when I released the string, but that was instantly out of my head for the moment and I got another arrow ready.

he was standing in the brush, I could see him fine, but there was no clear shot, so I just waited... he was really wondering what the heck that was, and kept taking a couple steps to see what that just was... by the time he got back in the open he was too far, probably 30yds or a little less, and after he watched for awhile, he snuck off.

I was pretty bummed out I didn't notice drawing my limb over a 1.5" limb, I felt something, but in the heart of the moment, I discounted it, and just missed a really nice bull at 7 paces.... I think to myself, "good job on that shot... good luck getting another opportunity that good *in disgust*) little did I know, getting easy shots wasn't going to be the hard part the rest of the season....
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Swede » 09 27, 2019 •  [Post 5]

Roosie, you are working closer and closer to the campfire forum. We want to see the pictures.
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Trumkin the Dwarf » 09 30, 2019 •  [Post 6]

Where'd you go Roosie? Cat got your tongue? :lol:

I can relate to all the struggles of hunting with the trad bow! Stick with it, success will come. And finish this story up properly!
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Swede » 09 30, 2019 •  [Post 7]

I think he and our fearless leader are taking Big Red out for a spin. They are likely sucking down a milkshake at the the local DQ. Maybe they are discussing their successful hunts and just keeping us waiting. :roll:
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Roosiebull » 10 03, 2019 •  [Post 8]

ok, ok :D

another morning, guessing middle of second week after working a couple days, I had to sort back out where the elk were, so I planned on making a big loop through 3 areas scouting for sign. my morning got stalled out being stuck for about an hour with a cow and calf feeding about 50yds in front of me, but they finally fed over the ridge so I could sneak through.

I was coming up blanked, lots of day or 2 old sign, but nothing from that morning and no elk in the flesh besides the cow and calf. now it was getting warmer, and sun was out, so I decided to head back to the top, and I had to walk up about a 2 yr old clear cut, which usually sucks, but the elk have a pretty nice trail up one ridge, which made it pretty painless. it was about 500yds up a steep ridge.

as I started up the ridge, I dropped my pack in the bottom to shed my last couple layers, it was now getting warm, and the sun was beating down in this cut the whole way. as i'm stuffing a shirt and vest into my pack I hear a snap above me, then another.... "what was that?" I look up the hill and right into the sun, but see 2 silhouettes that I thought were does, and figured I bumped them out of there, because the wind was going up the hill by now. I watched for a minute, one got broadside and then I see them for what they were... cow elk. I am then more surprised to see one drop off the top to my side of the ridge.... guess I didn't bump them.

I sneak up a little further into the only shadow I could find, behind an old rotten stump, and keep watching, then I see a big spike drop over my way, but the excitement was short lived being so in the open with the wind blowing their way. I was trying to find a way to sneak out, so at least I didn't bump them, but I would have to make lots of noise in the wide open, so it looked like I was bumping them no matter what I did... dang!

I set my pack down and watched, more elk appear on the skyline, but stay on top and move left, only about 6 drop down my side including that big spike, so my hopes did go up a tad, but the chance of this working out were slim at best.

the spike bugles, then starts chasing the cows my way, and they veer to the left side of the ridge, and the wind is blowing uphill and to the right, so now i'm thinking if they keep coming that way, there could be a chance. they get below my sight, and the spike bugles a couple more times, and I hear them getting closer, then really close....

I see 3 cows come right below me, 12-15yds, but I can only see their heads and necks, and the tops of their backs, but when they get past me, they are coming into the open at about 15yds, with a wide open shot, and the wind was perfect, and now looking towards me, the sun was in their eyes.... dang, this might happen!

the next elk that show up (2 cows) squash my optimism, they appear about 10yds, on my level, and are feeding my way, and i'm in the open tucked in the shadows of a rotten stump, which isn't good cover. now I know i'm about to get busted, any second one of those cows is gonna pin me, and I can't see the spike, and my anxiety is going up.

I had just went from thinking I was getting an easy shot to feeling like there is no way, and the cows are still feeding my way, then the spike bugles again, then another cow comes trotting up, which turns the other 2 cows, and there he is.... I know he's under 20, no elk are looking my way, so I come to full draw on the spike, and before I get a really good sight picture, or expand into the shot, there goes my arrow right under him! wth???!!!

I got rattled and rushed an easy shot, and another miss :oops: when i went to go get my arrow, i stood where he was, and ranged the stump thinking it was further than i thought... nope, just choked.... 18yds
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Swede » 10 03, 2019 •  [Post 9]

Ok, Ok. So when do we get the next installment in this story? When do we get the pictures of your elk?
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Roosiebull » 10 19, 2019 •  [Post 10]

Swede, did you use all of your patience up in the tree stand this year? :lol:

ok, i'll try to rip the rest of my season off like a bandaid here ;) because currently, the moral in the woods is getting better....

so where was i ?........ oh yeah :mrgreen:

there is a pattern here if you pay attention...

so now it's middle of the 3rd week, and i had a good thing going in one area, but i broke my own rule and parked in the same spot too many times, the past saturday was one of them (i know better than parking at a spot i like on a weekend) i got there early like normal, and as it got closer to daylight, a couple big jacked up "mall crawlers" started doing laps on the road (for those that don't know, a mall crawler is a shiny new 1 ton pickup jacked up too high to make it a practical woods rig, and also ruin it's capability to do what they were designed to do.... basically a big shiny pickup that is no longer good for anything but looking cool... when they are towing, they are squatted down really bad in the back, and you'll never see one off road.... too hard to clean those shiny 22" rims)

so now I have a ford and a chevy mall crawler driving by every 5 minutes, and the big shiny ford keeps slowing down going by me, and it looks like they are waiting for me to leave my pickup so they can park by me.... but i'm hoping i'm wrong.

I get out, and walk down into a creek bottom as it's getting light.... I make it through the bottom, come up the other side and hear a bull torch off... normally I would be excited, but this day, my thought was "why do the elk have to be right here this morning??!!"

I go around a little timber patch, and see the elk are moving to the front of it, so I sneak around the other side and setup on the other edge, I didn't have great cover, but elk were already feeding out in front of me.

that bull was the 5pt I called in and missed the first week, and he wouldn't shut up this morning. there was another bull across the paved road answering him in the distance too.

a few minutes go by, and I hear elk close, coming through the timber patch i'm set up by, then I hear what I think is hoof beats in the gravel behind me... great... I knew it was a possibility elk could come up behind me and catch my wind..

then the loud gravel crunching just keeps happening, and sounds like it's coming from the same spots, so I turn around and see 2 guys walking right down the middle of the road towards me...WTH??!!

I have elk all over in front of me, some really close to my left, and a bull bugling non stop, and these guys are holding their bows obliviously walking down the middle of the road :roll: i got their attention finally, and after some hand gestures, got them turned around.... it was one of the most bizarre hunter encounters i have had in the woods, i was in disbelief, but i saw it coming that morning when i was parked.... i don't know where these people come from, but the weekend crowds are hard to deal with... but i knew i had to give this area a break.

i hunted it a couple more days, but laid off of that area. the next time i hunted there, a pickup pulled up as i was getting ready, it was a couple young guys, and they wanted to hunt that area too, and asked where i was going, and then told me their plan.... though of course my selfishness wants the whole area to myself, those young guys were courteous, and we were able to work out the details to not mess each other up.... why is that so hard for some people?
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Roosiebull » 10 19, 2019 •  [Post 11]

ok, back to the 3rd week....

I have been keeping an eye on the big area of NF behind my house, and the couple access points have had little pressure, so I decided to hunt from my house... having not hunted it much so far, I decided working a big long canyon that ran about 2 miles as the crow flies to the next road system, I would work through with my bugle calling into all side drainages.

I have an awesome access point into national forest from home, and I started in there.... after about a mile I started getting into a little sign, and I started getting very optimistic.... I was seeing some bull tracks skidding around from chasing cows, and the sign kept getting better. I wasn't paying attention to where I was, but as I crossed a steep drainage, I was coming up on a spot I really like.

when I got over there, I bugled... then bugled again with a chuckle and was answered a bit ahead of me and up the ridge... I checked the wind and it was perfect. I decided to walk another 100yds at my level to get the wind advantage right off the bat, and bugle again... he answers again, and that answer wasn't as lazy as the first. he wasn't too worked up, and I figured I wasn't calling that bull in that night, but I was excited I would have a good starting point in the morning.

I walked up the ridge towards him about 50yds through the jungle brush, and started raking, and he answers that, and this time he sounded a lot more excited. I plowed through about another 50 yds of thick brush towards him and bugled at him with more intensity and he answers immediately and chuckles... hmm, maybe this will work 8-)

i decide to make a real play on him, and do some more raking, then deliberately close the distance on him some more and chuckle at him, and he rips another bugle, and he is closer, and he sounds ready to fight now. this is typical thick Oregon coast jungle, with tall ferns, and thick vine maple, salmonberry, huckleberry, and elderberry.... can't see far.

I look around to find out how to get this bull called into sight, and there is a strip of ferns in front of me, and on both sides it's a solid wall of brush, if he comes in, he'll be forced to come to me. I find a big rotten log, and see it as the perfect spot, he will be forced broadside by that log if he commits.

I stop, nock an arrow, rake a little more, then scream at him (now guessing inside 40yds) and he screams back and then I hear brush crashing coming my way... oh boy!

I make a practice draw, just to check for limb clearance, and get my sight picture as i'm tucked in front of a big huckleberry bush, and this bull is coming.... mixed in with the sound of crashing brush, I start hearing him bull chirp every breath! this bull is now out of his mind.

the chirping and crashing get closer and closer, and I see the brush moving in the salmonberry patch in front of me, and I slowly come to full draw, the scene unfolds in a textbook fashion... the bull doesn't pause as he gets to the log, and comes around it perfectly, still chirping every breath, and he's just looking right through me.

he comes around the log, exposing his whole front half, the spot I want to shoot is right at the line of the fern tops and I release the arrow, and see the flash of my 5" white feathers leave the bow on a perfect line to his vitals.... I don't see or hear the arrow hit, and the bull wheels and out of sight he cuts to my left and stops only about 20yds.... I hear some other elk rustling around in the brush to my right, but nothing runs off or goes far, they were all within 40yds of me, and I sit in silence waiting for my bull to crash just out of sight.

a couple minutes pass (that feels like an hour) and still silence, now I think my bull must have just laid down.... I saw my arrow going perfect, there was no possibility of missing, but as the minutes pass, I wonder why I didn't hear my arrow connect, and I surely didn't hear my arrow hissing through the ferns... not a big deal, I made a perfect shot on him.

about 10 minutes pass, and I hear an elk exactly where my bull went coming back towards me, just on the other side of the salmonberry bush, then I start seeing little flashes of movement through the brush... this elk was maybe 15yds, and at one point, through my binos, I saw an eye, part of an ear, and the base of an antler..... weird.

now I think there must be 2 bulls, because the one I shot couldn't still be on it's feet, and especially not sneaking back in trying to see me.... more time passes, that elk inches it's way around me, and the rest of the elk to my right start moving towards me and down, and slowly work down the ridge to my right, the bull also meets up with them, but he breaks off again getting closer, and I hear him coming through the vine maple to my right, and he is right upwind of me, less than 20 yds, and i'm in a cloud of rutty rosie bull stench.... after a few minutes, he works down to my right like the others.

I wait a few more minutes, now 45 minutes has passed, and it's getting close to 7pm. I walk up to where the bull was standing, look around for my arrow but don't find it, then walk over to where the bull went.... nothing. I saw the tracks from where the bull was, right over to this opening where it stood for a long time... no sign of blood or any sign of a hit.... now my concern grows.... what's going on.

I look all over, and it starts getting dark, and i'm frustrated.... I couldn't have missed, but the bull isn't here... what happened? the thought keeps coming about not hearing my arrow hit anything... not the elk, not the ferns... nothing..

as it gets dark, I work my way back down the hill, when I trudge my way through, and get to the bottom, that bull fires off about 75yds away.... what?!

I decided to start making my way out, i'll have to come back in the morning. I get back up there first thing, and keep scouring for any sign of a hit, but keep coming up empty.... I keep starting over from where the shot took place, then one of those times, I step over this crooked elderberry tree for probably the 15th time.... wait a second... this is exactly where the bull was standing, and it grew out of the ground, made a hard right behind the tops of the ferns, then back skyward.... I start looking at it, and see a chunk where the moss is knocked off, and a little spot of green wood is exposed.

I throw a chunk of flagging tape around it on that spot, back up to where I shot from, and... sunuva!! mystery solved... I must have touched the top of that elderberry, which sent my arrow into orbit. I couldn't believe I didn't notice it before that... I must has stepped over that thing 20 times between that morning and the evening before.... another iron will sent who knows where.

I was walking back out around noon or one, and got that bull fired up again, but was so dejected I walked away... crawling through all of that brush, my feathers were soaked, and they shoot like crap when they are like that.... I don't need any other factors working against me apparently :cry:
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Roosiebull » 10 19, 2019 •  [Post 12]

I am now extremely frustrated with myself.... 3 slam dunk shots, not an elk harmed... I was wondering if I should even try to shoot another one... at this rate I feel like I have a better chance of making a bad shot than a good shot.... i'm disgusted with myself.

I have a full week to hunt, i'm shooting really well, I decided I will give myself one more chance....

now it's the last Monday, and the weather is terrible... I put on my rain gear and decided to go do some scouting for when the weather broke. it was a nasty rainy morning, and I covered a bunch of ground in an area, coming up empty I decided to walk out, it was now around noon, and the weather was breaking, so I planned on going home, drying off, and hunting somewhere else that afternoon.

I got on the last ridge before dropping into the bottom and heading out, the weather is now pretty nice, sun was breaking out, and just some gusty wind left... I was walking down that last ridge, that's clear cut on both sides, peek over the edge, and holy cow! there are about 25 elk laying down and some feeding!

just behind me there is an active logging operation, they are literally yarding logs up the hill 300yds away, there is just one patch of trees between the logging operation and these elk. i'm trying to figure out a play, they are down on the bench about 150yds, i'm on top, and there is no cover between us. if I got down the tree line, the wind will be iffy at best, and it looks like a low likelihood of working out with so many eyes and noses, so I just watch.

a few elk feed towards me heading up a little ridge in front of me including one of the spikes, so I drop my pack, and start scooting down the hill while watching the elk to not get busted. I make it about 50 yds, and surprisingly, I hadn't got busted, and the elk below me are now about 60yds from me, and still feeding my way... all I can do is wait.

about every 20 minutes a dump truck hauling rock will go by, in plain sight of the elk, but they just quit feeding, watch the truck go by, then go back to feeding. after a bit, I have a spike about 40yds below me, and still feeding my way when a logging crummy comes by, but they stop right above me, probably checking the elk out.... i'm thinking "are you serious?!" everything was going to plan, and now all of the elk are looking up there... i'm also getting nervous because my pack is up there... this sucks

after a little time, the crummy drives off, and over to the logging operation, so if they did take my pack, I know where they are. this scenario made the elk a little nervous, but only one elk trotted off... of course it was the spike that was my only chance... dang it!

after that, the elk started feeding towards the trees, so I snuck back to the top somehow without being seen, and over to the tree line. I snuck down into the trees, go to an elk trail, and look down and here are about 3 cows staring at me, and run off... crap! I sneak down a little more, figuring they were all spooked, but still see some nervously walking around the edge of the cut.

I back track a little, then drop down to a little ledge hoping the elk come that way, and they are.... they get about 40yds, and the wind swirls, they smell me and go running out of my life... oh well, didn't see it working out, but had to try.

I start walking back out, going back up to the road, come around a big stump and come face to face with a calf at about 10 yds staring at me.... crap! I thought they were all gone! I see the butt of another elk in front of the calf, and the standoff ensues... I slowly tuck over to the stump, and pull an arrow out and nock it, then peek around and the calf is still staring at me.

i'm waiting for it to run off and start a stampede, but to my surprise, after some more time, she just puts her ears back and walks away following the cow. I get turned around, I hear more elk, and I am ready to draw if there is a bull in this group... I hear a snap to my left, and an elk walks out right in front of me, and it was the biggest bull in the herd... a tall spike :lol: (all of the crappy weather we had, the bulls broke off of the herds for a few days)

he comes out, completely in the open, completely broadside, and i'm already coming to full draw, and turns his head to look directly away from me... too good to be true almost! i come to full draw, hit my anchor, and the arrow is gone, and he bolts.... i could not believe my eyes as i watched the arrow go right over his back.... AT 13 YARDS!!!! he stopped to look back between 20-25yds and just stood there looking at me.

the thought never crossed my mind to pull another arrow out, but the thought DID cross my mind to throw my bow at him :x i was in disbelief i just totally choked on another slam dunk shot.... i couldn't finish the shot, i touched anchor and the arrow was gone.... no aiming, no expanding into the shot, just choked and snap shot.

i went and got my arrow, they stood there looking at me about 50yds out, and i walked up the hill to the road in disgust.... to add salt to the wound, I got up the the road, and hear snapping right below me, then that same group of elk comes out of the timber, walks down, and goes back into the trees where I was just standing.... they did a victory lap around me.... if I would have stood there and sulked, a little longer, they would have came back by me twice.... crazy
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Roosiebull » 10 19, 2019 •  [Post 13]

that was it for my shooting, I cut myself off.... I still went, because I can't not go, and had a really good last week of action, but never pulled another arrow out of my quiver.

it was by far my best season of action, I lost track the last week, but either had 14 or 15 bulls within 40yds, stationary and broadside.... legitimate opportunities with a compound. in that regard it was awesome, but it was a humbling month.

hopefully humility is indeed the best teacher, because I had my share this season..... apparently I have some shot anticipation issues under pressure with the recurve.... that will be the focus between now and next September. I will get that sorted out, and this year gave me confidence that a recurve shouldn't slow me down in the future.

I thought the difficulty was going to be getting close enough, and getting my bow drawn undetected.... I had no thought of the actual shooting being a factor... the part I thought was going to be hard came pretty naturally... but the easy part was my issue. i'm shooting my bow really well, and have been.... until it matters.

I have a late season cow tag, and late season blacktail tag, so I have decided to have a compound relapse for the remainder of 19'. I think I have always had that tendency, but with a compound, there are so many mechanical things you can fall back on, and still have a shot process where I can shoot well under pressure..... that process is a lot more vague with a recurve, and there isn't really anything to fall back on, so I will have to actually solve that problem, which there are resources to do so.

next year will be "recurve redemption" and i'm already looking forward to it.... same plan for 2020, recurve for deer and elk, but plan on a different outcome.... I know what I need to work on, the rest will work itself out.

my wife has really taken a liking to hunting, so I may be hunting blacktail with my bow mostly moving forward, so I can dedicate rifle season to her... that will be another thread soon, but i'm proud of her... we had an amazing hunt the other night, and she is all in now ;) she put the first meat in the freezer for 2019 :lol:
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Swede » 10 19, 2019 •  [Post 14]

I am amazed Roosie. You are the most sure bull killer I see here. I figured you were just playing us along. In some ways my season was like yours. I had many opportunities, but just could not bring home the butchered out meat. Best wishes for the late season and congratulation to your wife.
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Roosiebull » 10 19, 2019 •  [Post 15]

it was a weird year for me.... it reminded me of my first couple archery seasons, trying to regrasp lessons I learned 20 years ago.... the silver lining is I learned about 5 seasons worth of experience.... approached some things differently, which worked out, when in the past I wouldn't have tried.

I had the mentality of not caring if I bumped elk, I would just go find different ones, and that led to a lot of opportunities I wouldn't have had in the past... I also learned if I bumped them, then walked away, they wouldn't really change their program.... that will give me more freedom in the future to be more aggressive, I have always been a little afraid of bumping elk... but I also had a tendency to get redemption on those elk after bumping them, which led to me pursuing those elk more, and actually spooking them and making them harder to hunt later.

i'm also excited I have more elk season coming up, and I have some serious drive to put an elk in the freezer :P it all works out at the end of the day, i will not walk into the woods next September with the same problem i did this September.... the beauty of failure is the motivation to do a better job next year.... will just fuel my ambition
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 10 19, 2019 •  [Post 16]

Holy catfish, what a season (so far)! Good luck during the remainder of your 19 season Roosie.
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Roosiebull » 10 19, 2019 •  [Post 17]

thank you sir! i'll need it!

next year I think i'll just chuck spears :lol: that way i'll have a valid excuse for an empty tag after the season.

makes a guy wonder, had i been packing a compound, and just passing up bulls (which would never happen.... i remember passing a spike one season because it was early and I didn't want to fill my tag yet.... well, those elk kept lingering, and I had myself convinced in a few minutes I HAD to have that spike! I started thinking of all of his positive attributes :lol: so then i'm thinking "please get broadside!"... he did, and i had myself a spike!) would i have had all of that action?

when i was young into hunting, i remember similar seasons, lots of action and missed shots.... then i got better at shooting my bow and it seemed like those opportunities became less frequent.... was it me or circumstance? same deal this year....
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Trumkin the Dwarf » 10 20, 2019 •  [Post 18]

Hey Mike, that's really tough to swallow. I know the struggle though! Looking back, I believe the only reason I made a good shot and killed my first longbow bull was that a sapling blocked his vitals, and made me lean left and re-aim before releasing the arrow. At the time I was in touch the face and let go mode. I still felt like I rushed my first shot this year on a mule deer, and that may not have been why I missed, but it didn't help.

I have to ask though, did you have fun?
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Re: rookie year with the recurve

Postby Roosiebull » 10 21, 2019 •  [Post 19]

It was the most fun season I remember, I had a blast.

The last week was tough though, feeling I couldn’t responsibly lose another arrow on an elk. I did have a somewhat hopeless feeling because I knew the problem I faced could not be corrected in time to bail myself out... it was a weird week, still going through the motions, still hunting hard, but knowing no matter what I did, the chance of me shooting was next to none...the last week was good, and I never pulled an arrow out of the quiver.

My 2 closest encounters were probably not good strategy on my part, calling bulls in solo does not lend well to the problem I was having, it creates more of a rush when you get that shot... it’s gonna be too close, and it’s going to happen fast... hard enough in that situation with a compound.

I think I learned more this season than any other 2 combined, a lot of that was from being in the woods longer, if I had a compound in hand, even if I was a screw up, it would have been a short season... too many easy encounters.

Always several ways to look back on things, and my season was certainly the highlight of 19’, everything I could hope for besides an elk in the freezer.

I did make a stalk on a buck that last week and kept my mind in the game, but I think that is because I knew I wouldn’t be shooting, but it was some progress. I snuck inside of 25yds in a pretty open clear cut, but I told myself inside 20, and he couldn’t know I was there if I was going to consider a shot... he finally caught me ranging him, but just stared at me... no way to get closer, ran out of terrain features.

It was a crazy season, and I cannot wait for it to come back around. I’m getting Joel’s course and following it to a tee... not going to be overconfident in my ability to stay in the shot instinctually, because I proved to not be good at that this season.

Also have a fairly long list of gear revisions to make, I despise feathers, especially 5” feathers... if it’s foggy the night before, feathers are getting soaked no matter what you put on them... going to 4 fletch rayzrs (they do better in moisture) or more likely aae trad vanes.

I’m also going back to standard diameter arrows, no more 4mm... hate them and hate outserts... I will shoot standard diameter and 200gr ethics stainless inserts... strong and easy.

It’s crazy having hunted 20 years, and how much room there is for growth... I think that’s what draws us to hunting, it’s something we’ll never master
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