Wapiti Talk | Elk Hunting Forum | Elk Hunting Tips
 

2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Moderators: Swede, Tigger, Lefty, Indian Summer, WapitiTalk1

2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby Charina » 09 27, 2017 •  [Post 1]

This year I drew a limited entry archery tag for a UT unit. Not a top tier unit by any means (far from it actually), but still, being limited entry does provide for some good bull:cow ratios, with lots of 6pt bulls mixed in. It was a blast despite all the challenges. I'll break the season up into several posts, and those that want the end result rather than the read can skip to the last couple paragraphs/pics at the end. I’m only telling a fraction of the encounters I had. Just the good ones that are illustrative of the challenges, successes, and experiences. I am not one to journal usually, but when I’m out hunting, I take daily notes on my phone - keep a log. There are so many encounters, I’d probably bore everyone with telling them all. What great memories though.

A few lessons and thoughts looking back on the hunt:

There were some significant challenges in this hunt. First of all, my sleep apnea was a significant difficulty at elevation, despite the cpap and O2 concentrator. Let’s just say I didn’t work the hunt from pre-sunup to post-sundown all days. I simply had to sleep in some mornings. Think I finally got somewhat adjusted to the elevation (9-10k) by the last week.

Deer hunters and bear pursuit presented challenges to the hunt. As well as tourists and youth groups. They certainly changed the behavior of elk at times. There wasn’t a day that I didn’t hear hounds on the trail of bears until after Labor Day. Had to change my plans a few times due to hounds working the area. Until that last week of the LE archery season (with the exception of Friday afternoon when the next hunters are filtering in) I was competing with many other users. For those not familiar, UT LE elk archery is concurrent with deer archery and spike archery the first three weeks of the season, with the last week reserved for LE elk only.

I knew my hearing would present a challenge. My left ear has lost much of its hearing in the high pitches. I wear a hearing aid in that ear, but I just couldn’t pick up the high pitches of a bugles in my left ear. So, I didn’t have stereo hearing for bugles. There were times that I thought bugles were 180 degrees from where they actually were, and I ended up hiking an extra ¾ mile to try triangulating where the bulls were actually bugling from. Can’t wait until my youngest boys get older to join me and assist with hearing direction, and distance. I simply didn’t realize how much of a handicap my hearing would present.

Going solo was tough. That was my choice, as I wanted to do it solo (and not slow anyone else with my sleep issues). I think I’m a pretty decent caller, and I did call in a couple dozen animals, but with their hearing depth perception, they knew right where to be looking when they came into view. I expected that, but didn’t expect how few opportunities I would have to draw undetected. I was busted quite a few times while trying to draw with no cover. A caller behind me would have allowed me to be pretty selective on which bull to take, rather than taking whatever eventually presented an opportunity.

Cattle were a pretty big problem in some areas as it relates to hunting. My primary spot selected in scouting had a whole bunch (over 900 according to the cowboy managing them) cattle moved into the pasture, and the elk seemed to vacate. Then, my secondary spot selected in scouting was severely overgrazed, and the several bulls that I had been seeing in there were nowhere to be found. On the State Trust lands, the cattle are not well managed for the health of the land. Pretty disappointed about the level of overgrazing observed on quite a few areas of the Trust lands. On the USFS lands, you have to watch for the cattle being rotated between pastures.

Honestly, the dates for LE archery in UT are not very friendly. I knew that very well going in, but it’s quite fresh on my mind, feeling I really only had the very last of the hunt that was suitable to match the challenge archery presents. For UT, I’d suggest rifle or ML if you are after a big bull, not the experience and high level of challenge.
User avatar
Charina
Rank: Rag Horn
 
Posts: 292
Joined: 03 17, 2015

Re: 2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby Charina » 09 27, 2017 •  [Post 2]

The season started off on a really good note, leaving me expecting I’d be getting a bull early.

Sunrise opening morning - August 19th.
OpeningMorningSunrise.jpg
OpeningMorningSunrise.jpg (279.51 KiB) Viewed 5963 times


After spending a bit of time glassing opening morning, just after the sun came up I found myself sneaking into an thicket of young aspens about 12-15 ft tall with a trail beaten through it. Unknown to me was that a 6 pt bull was just 20 yards away on the other side. No way I could have seen him, and he was silent. I never had a chance. But I did get a view of him as he headed downwind and doubled back behind me. I set a trail cam in the area, and found it very interesting that he came back to the scene of the disturbance that very afternoon. I suppose it could be a different bull, but the rack looked very familiar to the one I saw trotting away just 50 yards from me.

Here’s the damage he had recently done to the aspens. At least 17 snapped off, the largest about 1.5-2 inches in diameter.
broken aspens.jpg
broken aspens.jpg (390.8 KiB) Viewed 5963 times

brokenaspen.jpg
brokenaspen.jpg (253.96 KiB) Viewed 5963 times


About midday, I called in a spike I could have shot, and right at sunset, called in an unidentified bull that stayed just out of sight in the brush as we had a 30 minute standoff.
Given the success of opening day, I was quite optimistic that I’d be harvesting something pretty early in the season.

Day 2 and 3 were also ‘successes’ in that I was seeing bulls each day, even if I didn’t push to get any shot opportunities on the spikes and smaller bulls seen.

Day 3, Monday, I found my first raked fir tree with recently shed velvet. That was one of 4 raked trees where I found velvet.

Then things changed. . . I’m not sure exactly what happened. Perhaps I blew elk out of some areas, and the new spots I was visiting just were poor choices or unlucky timing. But I wasn’t seeing nearly as much as the first three days. While I called in two elk on opening day, I couldn’t call in any additional elk for some time, despite being in areas where I am confident no other hunters had called to these elk.
One significant challenge to finding elk through much of the hunt was the dry conditions, and how incredibly difficult it was to still hunt anywhere. There was no sneaking up on the elk, at least not for me. At times, I felt that if there were awards given for who could bump the most bulls from their beds, I’d be in contention for the top prize. I just couldn’t slow down enough in the right spots, or it was so crunchy in silent conditions, I’m not sure why I bothered much of the time. Except I was giving it my all and spending every hour I could out and hunting the beasts.
User avatar
Charina
Rank: Rag Horn
 
Posts: 292
Joined: 03 17, 2015

Re: 2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby Charina » 09 27, 2017 •  [Post 3]

Since the system limits me to 3 pics per post, here are pics of velvet I would have attached above.
velvet1.jpg
velvet1.jpg (391.92 KiB) Viewed 5963 times

velvet2.jpg
velvet2.jpg (358.08 KiB) Viewed 5963 times
User avatar
Charina
Rank: Rag Horn
 
Posts: 292
Joined: 03 17, 2015

Re: 2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby Charina » 09 27, 2017 •  [Post 4]

I came home on the 27th of Aug to see family, take care of finances, restock, and get some deadlines met at work. But after 5 days off the hunt, I was right back out there. That was the only 5 days I didn’t hunt at least some. Two runs into town for showers or supplies, but other than that, I was out there hunting all but 5 days.

On the 26th, I had bumped a narrow and tall 6 pt from his bed 800ft elevation above closest vehicle access. On the 1st of September, I was headed back to that area to look for him, as it looked like the grassy open aspens in the area were routinely used as a bedding area. I bumped him from that patch of open aspens, and found many active bedding sites on the hillside, so I had a series of waypoints marked on my GPS to work along and see if I could find him in bed. Well, after a 400 ft elevation climb up the back side and up over the top of the ridge at first light, I was set to start sneaking into the area. I hadn’t taken 2 steps into the open when I realized he was just 40 yards away, and headed for a rock slide as his escape route. That’s the type of story that played out over and over again through the season. Getting within range to see them, only to snap a twig or move to fast at the wrong time, and having one or more bulls move out hastily. At least I was seeing something!

My wanderings had turned up a handful of wallows that appeared to be actively being used. And trail cams confirmed periodic use. One wallow I did sit 4 or 5 evenings, but every time the story was “you should have been here yesterday” according to the trail cam pics. I’m pretty confident the issue was just one of chance and timing, as the wind was always right, I’d park the ATV more than ½ mile away around a hill, even one time parking the ATV 6 hours beforehand, and exploring other drainages before going over to the wallow. But it just so happened that only one elk came in while I was sitting the wallow in the evenings. I just didn’t have the confidence in the plan to stick to it every evening until one I could shoot showed up.
little wallow.jpg
little wallow.jpg (439.57 KiB) Viewed 5963 times

bigwallow.jpg
bigwallow.jpg (321.94 KiB) Viewed 5963 times

bullinwallow.jpg
bullinwallow.jpg (269.68 KiB) Viewed 5963 times


Then, on the evening of the 4th, I heard my first bugle at 7:52 pm. Way off in the distance, but a promising sign.

The 5th, well after dark as I was wandering around listening for bulls and bugling for responses, I had two bulls responding. Oh boy! Getting close to calling time!!!
User avatar
Charina
Rank: Rag Horn
 
Posts: 292
Joined: 03 17, 2015

Re: 2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby Charina » 09 27, 2017 •  [Post 5]

Crepuscular bugling started happening for real on the 6th. I had found a really nice bull was visiting the dark timber way up high via a trail cam. Actually, he was the largest bull I had seen in person or on camera.
bigbull.jpg
bigbull.jpg (351.27 KiB) Viewed 5963 times


I had spent much of the day on the 3rd trying to identify where he and the local cows in the area were coming down for water. I was not aware of any spring or seep anywhere on the ridge they were inhabiting. One option was they crossed large rock slides, which I figured out they will do, but I couldn’t find any active trails coming from the rock slide into the timber where water was. Another option was that they headed south about a mile (again having to cross a rock slide, albeit smaller one) to reach a stream. But the most likely option was a steep hillside (I named thunderstorm slope as I got caught on it twice with bad thunderstorms) down to a stream. The hillside was absolutely torn up with trails and hoof prints. And these were not cattle trails as most trails turned out to be. This was elk and deer only.

So, I had setup several cams on these various trails the day before, and had come back in this evening to check the cards and sit the trail waiting for the elk. It was the waxing new moon the several nights before. So, I was expecting the elk to be very active all night in the bright light, playing until morning, and bedding early. These were some of the mornings I took the opportunity to sleep in, rationalizing in my mind the elk were in bed well before I could get to them, or perhaps even before legal shooting light. Hence, I expected they would be anxious to hit the water in the early evening. Still hunting hadn’t produced, so perhaps ambushing on the way to water would.

But then that darn call of the bugle lured me out of my hiding spot. 6:12 pm, and I hear a good deep gnarly bugle up slope. Not a simple clean location bugle. This sounded to have some dominance to it. I couldn’t help but chase it!!! Stupid hearing . . . I went south and up 150 ft in elevation bugled, he responded, and based on the new info, I now headed north, and up another 150+ ft in elevation. Bugled, and he responded again, but now I thought I needed to go south again, and up another 100ft elevation. The response this time I simply couldn’t tell which direction, so I continued south and up, not trying to be quiet as I knew the bugle was a fair distance away. And there it was – a BIG beautiful . . . elk butt. I didn’t know if it was a bull or a cow, but it was a grand sight to see, and only about 60 yards away.

Turned out to be two bulls. A smaller 5x5 that I first spotted, and his junior buddy with him. Munching away on grass and completely oblivious to the noise I had been making closing in on them. I glassed them for about 5 min, debating whether or not to make a play on the 5pt, and decided it wasn’t late enough in the season that I wanted him, given the active prospects of that mature sounding bull nearby. But, I wanted to back out without detection, and for really good reason as I experienced.

I stood there glassing that 5x5 and his buddy for a few minutes, looking for any other elk nearby, and assessing the situation. When I was confident I wanted to back out, I had a short mental lapse. I had been very cognizant to only move when their heads were down in the grass/snowberry bushes to remain undetected. But when I went to pick up my bow, I took my eyes off them for just a moment while I continued to move. And I was busted during the tiny lapse of concentration. We had a 2:38 stare down (by my mental count – was curious how long I would be standing there, half bent over, having a redlight/greenlight game going on with this elk). He didn’t seem overly alarmed, but nervous enough to move off 20 yards and put some trees between us.

That allowed me to move and get some good cover, where I proceeded to bugle, in part to try to convince this bull I was not a danger, and in part to try to pick up the trail on the bugle I had been pursuing. Dang it! The response from the mature sounding bull was clearly to the north of me, and I think it was downhill now.

Meanwhile, this nervous 5pt had had enough of the unconfirmed suspicions, and gave a nervous grunt asking me to show myself. I thought it best to show myself, and move his rear out of there and over the ridge so he didn’t mess things up further. I showed myself, hiked right towards him, and he simply moved off a little ways. He didn't go over the nearby ridge like I expected, and other elk typically would have done. I figured, having clearly seen me, that he would now vacate the area, so I turned north and side-hilled to get another clue on the location of the bull I was after. All was well for a while, but when I bugled again to seek a response (which came from very far away, and back down near where I had been sitting the trail earlier – argh), I started getting some barking back from where the 5pt was last encountered. That cleared that hillside for the next few days at least, and the trail cams showed no elk using those trails on thunderstorm slope coming down to water after that. They changed their pattern to use water somewhere else. I should have pushed him further rather than expecting him to clear as others have done.

The 7th and 8th were much of the same. Unable to determine direction of bugles in morning and evening in time to close the distance, and bumping multiple elk during the day. I really didn’t hear much bugling on the 9th or 10th. Don’t know if it was just chance and the locations I had selected those days, or an effect of the bipolar weather. While the vast majority of the season up until now had been very dry and quite warm, it suddenly was in a pattern of cool and wet. I wrote in my notes on the 8th: “Yesterday was dry and miserably hot. Today is soggy and miserably cold (said to self while hands were freezing on a wet mid-afternoon ATV ride). As a rule, man’s a fool . . ."

As a rule, man’s a fool,
When it's hot, he wants it cool;
When it's cool, he wants it hot,
Always wanting what is not,
Never wanting what he’s got.


The 11th started the big push to sprint to the finish. No more sleeping in past sunrise, no more naps at camp, and defiantly no giving in until the last of legal shooting time.

The 11th, 12th, and 13th I was up well before sunrise trying my best to triangulate bugles and get close to the bulls. And each morning I was in a location where I was able to observe 5 bulls through the binoculars, way up a hill in open grassland grazing their way towards bedding. Between 6:45 and 7:40 they made their way across an area perhaps 80 yards wide and into the trees. After the third day observing this, I felt confident there was a pattern here that I could take advantage of to ambush them. So, Thursday the 14th, I’m up at 4:00am, hitting the dark chocolate before I even roll out of bed trying to get the energy to pull the covers off me. I was making the 800ft elevation gain (over about 1/3 mile – STEEP) hike to be in place well before first light to intercept these bulls. I knew there was one good bull in the bunch, with some smaller racks mixed in. Couldn’t tell exact size in the binoculars, but at this point, being an ambush situation, and the next to the last day, I had decided I would take the first one that came into range.

I made it up the hill in good time, getting settled in as the first hint of light began to appear to the east. The climb, even as steep and high as it was, was easier for me than getting out of bed. I settled down into a small patch of 3ft high oak brush, with the tree line 42 yards uphill, and a clear line of sight 45 yards downhill. I was facing south, as the bulls would travel NWN right through this area, with a good steady south breeze to the NEN. Perfect setup and conditions I thought to myself. Now, I just have to wait.

Sunrise from my hideout:
sunrise14th.jpg
sunrise14th.jpg (166.21 KiB) Viewed 5963 times


Time passed, and I waited, positively confident they would begin appearing any minute. Well, it’s light now, and a bit past time they should be here, but well within the window I had observed a previous day. Any minute now they should appear. Pushing 7:30. I hear something now, but now what I hoped for. Apparently a youth camp had come in last night and camped near where the bulls were going for their nighttime activities. I can hear some laughter and loud talk from more than a 1/3 of a mile away.

The bulls never came. Was their pattern disturbed by the campers? Being the 14th, had the band broken up to chase cows? I’m confident my setup was not the cause, but perhaps was there something I overlooked. I don’t know, but I suspect the campers changed their course. I can point to quite a few setups where the story was “if you had been here yesterday”. Such as: this ambush setup; wallow activity I observed on trail cams on nights I didn’t sit the wallow; wallow activity that dropped off when the cool weather hit, and setting up the tree stand on a wallow just a day or two before the cool weather came. It felt like I was a day late quite a few times. Just behind the curve of where I needed to be. Oh well, control what I can, don’t worry about what I can’t.
User avatar
Charina
Rank: Rag Horn
 
Posts: 292
Joined: 03 17, 2015

Re: 2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby Charina » 09 27, 2017 •  [Post 6]

Back up a little bit to the 11th. While the 9th and 10th were generally silent, the evening of the 11th things started to pick up again. Now, I found a bull that would respond to both bugles and cow calls (whereas previous to this I only received responses to bugles). Unfortunately, a cow and calf came in before he did, and we ended up in a 15 minute standoff as she stared at my calling location with an uncanny ability to know precisely where a sound originated, no matter how far away she was when the calls were made. I ended up following that bull’s bugles for a mile or more until it turned dark, but it became clear he wasn’t going to ever turn and come in to cow calls. Right at dusk, other bulls began responding to my cow calls as well, but no one was coming in that I was aware of. Time for the long walk back to the truck in the dark.

Some of the habitat I was finding bulls in at times:
thick.jpg
thick.jpg (384.81 KiB) Viewed 5962 times


The 12th was mostly evening action as well, as the bugles in the morning just didn’t last long enough, or weren’t close enough for me to determine direction to chase them. The bull I was working in the evening wasn’t all that loud or aggressive, so I was matching his bugles. I was getting close, and about ready to setup and really work his curiosity and bring him in. About that time, a dirt bike came up a trail a few hundred yards the other side of the bull. On the straightaway, closest to the bull, this rider really hit the throttle winding up the engine to a frantic rpm level. That shut down the action until an hour later, right at last light. What a miserable evening walking uphill to the truck in rain gear as a thunderstorm rolled in and poured hard. Not sure if I ended up wetter from the rain, or sweating inside the rain gear. If it hadn’t been so cold, I would have just decided to get wet and change at camp.

The 13th finally gave me a break on the morning bugles. The first plays on bulls in the morning had failed, but when I headed to the east a half mile or so, I was able to get good direction on a bugle that responded to a cow call. I estimated he was 200-300 yards away, so I set off at a brisk pace to close the distance quickly. I hadn’t traveled 40 yards when I entered a clearing in the oaks to see a 5 or 6 pt standing 70 yards away intently watching my movement into the clearing. Dang hearing! Not only is direction difficult, but depth perception is off as well.

Surprisingly, he only walks off to the east, but I do hear some breaking wood as he or another elk with him move swiftly through some dense cover. I’m hoping that there was another bull with him that wasn’t alarmed, so I put out a couple more cow calls and hike off the east to try to get ahead of them. Well, I lost my presence of mind about wind direction, and I was working my way upwind of them. I should have circled around to the west, then north, to get downhill to take advantage of the downhill thermals before I headed east to intercept. Turns out this bull was with a group of cows, as I ran into them just 50 yards moving into the oaks. They didn’t know I was there, but the wind did betray me. Still, hoping against the odds, I threw out a couple aggressive bugles, hoping the bull would try to put himself between me and his cows. Nope!

So, I set down to listen for additional bugles, and formulate my new plan. It’s the 13th. No time to say “try again tomorrow”. I’m out here all day, going to get it done today, not giving up. After about two minutes passing, I hear hoof steps behind me. Dang cattle. They are all over this range, and at times interfere as they crash off through the downfall announcing that something scared them off. I hear it again, but seems closer. I really ought to get up, turn around, and identify the source shouldn’t I? Why didn’t I sooner? Mental lapse. One of many small mental lapses that cost me an elk.

When I do finally get up to turn around and look behind me, a 4pt bull is just appearing about 20-25 yards to the SE, presenting a good frontal shot opportunity. Of course, he sees me move, and whirls around to run off, but a quick cow call stops him just 15 yards into his run. Now he’s curious again, but a bit more cautious than to walk directly in. So, he walks broadside about 40 yards out, and I get a good opportunity to draw as he moves behind some brush. Unfortunately, the hillside started to drop a bit between he and I, and his vitals were behind some snowberry brush. I was tempted to let it fly and poke through the brush, as it was not that thick, and right next to his chest. But I knew this guy would be trying to circle downwind, and expected I would have a much clearer shot as he did so.

And he did exactly as planned. While he worked his way downhill, turning to his left to circle down wind, he went behind some small fir trees. That gave me an opportunity to range a few trees down where I expected him to appear. 42 yards. Perfect. And he appears just behind those trees, so 43-44 yards away. I have this. I can shoot a softball at that range. I’m at full draw, waiting for a clear shot, and he stops about the only place down there that I wouldn’t have a shot. Quartering to me, with vitals behind two smaller aspen. Dang it! Now, don’t panic, this guy is dumb and I just might have an opportunity with this dumb of an elk. He begins to make his way back to where he came from, not having winded me, and I give another cow call to keep his interest.

He’s coming back through where he was the first time I drew, and while he’s behind the fir trees, I’ve crept 10 yards that direction to have a better elevation and clear the snowberry brush where he would pass. It’ll be a nice 30 yard chipshot. And that’s when the nemesis of that day appeared. Shifting winds. It shifted and blew right to him, and that was the end of that.

Someone missed threading the arrow between two trees:
badshot.jpg
badshot.jpg (325.14 KiB) Viewed 5962 times


The wind would blow up three opportunities that day that I was within 40 yards of a bull. I did my best to plan for and deal with shifting winds, and I’d get 95% of the way, and then one unexpected shift would unfold the entire plan.

The bulls were bugling midday the 13th, but I hiked a few extra miles attempting to triangulate the direction. This was the day that I ended up initially going 180 degrees of where the bulls actually were bugling, and made nearly a full figure 8 (about 3/4 mile) before getting within 40 yards, and having wind bust me. Hearing and wind. My nemeses this day.

So, on the 14th, after the non-event previously recounted trying to intercept bulls way up the hill, and noting that the wind was switching between all 4 directions once the sun came up, I jumped in the truck to get away from the peaks and ridges looking for more steady winds. And I found them fortunately. And I found mid-day bugles to boot!

I’m working my way in on a bull(s) that are responding to my location bugles. I’ve dropped off a rise and am working my way down a slope towards these bugles somewhere out there, I think over this direction. Or . . . perhaps they are that direction. Either way, there are bugles out here to chase. I believe they are a few hundred yards out yet, so I drop my pack to lose some layers and cool off. I’m not quiet about it, as the elk are still far off. Well, after getting my pack on, and walking 30 yard around some oaks, there is a cow in the open just 50 yards downhill – downwind. I think she only got a brief wind of me, as she simply looked my way, and then turned around and snuck back into the oaks it appears she had just come from (as her calf was behind her, still in the oaks).

A couple cow calls after moving into a covered position had a cow appearing 25 yards to my left, right in a perfect doorway, as expected (sans antlers). But . . . there is a 4 pt in the oaks down below me, and he’s trying to spot this sexy cow calling as well. Alright, I’m not picky at this point. I want my first elk with a bow. An easier-to-fool 4pt seems a bit more my speed, and I’m not ashamed of that. I’ll take him if I can.

Well, all these sexy cow calls I’m giving have some bulls off to my right all fired up and bugling. It took me a couple min to realize those bugles are getting closer. Now they are close! Dang it, I’m not setup for that direction – there is an 80 yard opening between where I am, and the most likely doorway where a bull will appear. I quickly start my way across this opening to get within shooting range of that doorway. I don’t make it but 1/3 of the way across when he appears. Just a 4 pt. And here we go again, another drawn out game of redlight/greenlight. Now, how long can I hold this position with my right foot behind me on my left side, and left foot in front of me on the right side?

All I can do is hunker down in the sparse 2-3 ft tall snowberry bushes. I was hoping he would circle uphill just a little bit to the other side of a patch of oaks, giving me an opportunity to draw before he would appear about 25 yards above me in the open. Nope. Of course not, silly me. He decides he’s going to come straight at me, being a curious and not to overly caution youngster. The only real cover between him and I which would allow me an undetected draw is a 7 inch diameter oak trunk. Not much! But, it’s all I’ve got. As his eye passes behind this oak, with the oak just 8 yards from me, the bull about 10 yards from me, I’m thinking: here it goes, my first shot on an elk being a frontal at point-blank.

Yeah, you guessed right. He detected some movement in my draw. Not enough to scare him off, as he only turned and went another 10 yards. But there is no real clear shot given some small oak branches and snowberry bushes. And, he can clearly see me, this dark blob, in the middle of the grass and snowberry. He may be young and dumb, but not that dumb. He eventually saunters off to where he came from.

Some of the oak/snowberry habitat hunted the last two days:
oaksgrasssnowberry.jpg
oaksgrasssnowberry.jpg (407.39 KiB) Viewed 5962 times


When I move to that location and call, a small 5pt comes in, peering through windows in between the oaks above and snowberry below. I really should have worked to find a better setup position. Oh well, let’s work with what I’ve got right now. I’m trying to reposition myself to get an opening between him and I when the REAL bull showed up. This little guy looked behind him, saw the large 6pt, and lept forward as if someone pricked his butt with a pin. Well, no opportunity on him now, but who cares! Look at that rack!!! Of course, with a poor setup in the first place, not shot opportunity occurred. He could see the calling location, and there clearly was no cow to be seen.

It began to rain steadily and heavily by 4:30 or 5. But hey, this is the 14th. No time to rest, even if the temp did just drop by 20 degrees in 10 min, and my hands are going numb from cold and wet. Dang I hate hiking around in a rainsuit! I sweat about as bad as the rain would be. At least the sweat is warm, not 40 degree rain with periodic hail.

I stayed out, except for a short stint in the truck to move and thaw out, until after dark, calling to, and playing with a few bulls. Noteworthy for tomorrow’s story was one small eager bull I played with right at last light. He really wanted to see this cow that kept calling to him. He would come in, hang up, whine, mew, moan, then back off and bugle, only to come back in with soft mews and moans after I called to him again. Did that four times before I stopped calling so I could start the hike back in the pitch black.

One more day to get it done. And what a day that turned out to be!
User avatar
Charina
Rank: Rag Horn
 
Posts: 292
Joined: 03 17, 2015

Re: 2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby Charina » 09 27, 2017 •  [Post 7]

Thursday’s cold front brought some snow up high, as observed Friday AM.
morning15th.jpg
morning15th.jpg (247.19 KiB) Viewed 5962 times


Friday is when the hunt went into full speed sprint. Very little time for taking photos.

First thing in the morning, I worked two bulls just east of camp, but one time a cow caught my movement, the next time the bull was so focused on my location (calling solo is HARD) that he saw my movement beginning to draw. So, I jumped in the truck searching for more vocal bulls. Didn't hear anything in my first destination from 10-12, so I headed back to where I had finished off yesterday. The rut was definitely in full swing there!

I hiked in and picked up my glove that had slipped out of my pocked the night before. Not receiving any responses, I decided to go deeper and hike in an additional 1/2 mile or so. I can hear some bugles now, and I hike some more trying to triangulate where the bugles were. Eventually I concluded they were about 200 yards in front of my current location, upwind. So I headed off at a moderate pace, only to see two bulls moving off after I had only gone 30 yards. Guess they were only 80 yards away!!! Again, a couple quick cow calls pulled a 4 pt back (lots of 4pts seen), and had I been alert, I could have shot him right there, but having such a hard time drawing with bulls focused on where I called from, I was trying to move quartering upwind 30 yards, and he saw me. Lots of mental lapses like that, not looking before I move. I should have had him (#1 missed opportunity for the day).

I hear the bugles move off, and I follow. 300 yards, and now it's silent for the last couple minutes. I throw out a simple location bugle, and I get a pretty gnarly response somewhere about 100 yards to my left, just past a rise. A few cow calls to see if he would come in, but I didn't have much hope, as he sounded pretty mature and likely had cows. Again, I tried moving closer and cross/up wind in order to try to not get busted at the point of calling, and be in position if he worked his way in on the downwind side. A spike was watching from a nearby rise, perhaps 40 yards off. I likely could have shot him, but he would have had to turn. I'll still count that as bull #2 for the day I should have killed if I didn’t make an error. I proceeded forward, tried glassing into the brush to see where this bugling bull was, and I start spotting bedded cows. 3, 4, 7, a bunch! There is the bull. With a nice large rack. I hunker down, back out walking bent over to keep my profile low, and swing wide to come to another position about 60 yards to my left, more directly above the elk, away from brush, and where the wind was a bit better. It was switching, but not too bad. In my face from right, then in face from left in this new position. It was perfect. Every few steps I would glass to identify where cows were, who could see my position, etc.

My mind raced. Do I sneak all the way in, knowing what a challenge that is given all the eyes? Or do I get in here tight, and give a challenge bugle and draw him over to deal with the intruder (as Joel Turner would suggest)? I debate the options for a moment, and go for sneaking in. All the elk seem relaxed, some sleeping, and I’ve got time, decent cover, a great setup, and good winds. What little I had observed so far showed him pacing back and forth among his cows spread out over 40 yards, so he would eventually circle around and give me a good shot if I get a little bit closer.

I began crawling to hide behind the low brush and avoid detection. It took a bit of glassing, but I finally see where the bull is, and his chest is perfectly broadside right between two trees. Huge opening - I can see his full chest. I can see 6 full points on each side of a typical, but large, rack. 48 yards. Ugh. If I were standing, and calm and relaxed, I might take that, but ideally, I wanted 40 or under. And I’m quite confident I can get there. So, I crawl closer. I'm exposed to one sleeping cow, but no problem so far, she is sleeping and had eyes closed. Bull is still in perfect position, and periodically is mounting a cow in front of him. I thought "at least he'll die happy!"

I think I’m ready to take the shot now. Nerves are calm. It’s going textbook perfect. Wind remains my friend this time. I reach for the range finder in my pack's waist belt to get a final yardage reading, and it's not there! My head quickly turned to look behind me to see if I had dropped it where I last used it. That quick head turn, that one lapse of mental concentration about slow smooth movements cost me. The sleeping cow had woke, and caught that movement. Ugh! She stood alert, and that put everyone on edge. I got an arrow knocked, about ready to draw, bull still in position, but that was too much for her. She moved off 30 yards, and everyone stood up all eyes on her, seeing what she would do, as she stared at me from 50-60 yards away. There must have been at least 15 heads I could see, plus calves, all intently watching her for sign. Well, her movement made the bull move to her to try to round her up. She would have none of that and stood her ground. He acquiesced and stood there looking at her, but now he was 50 plus yards, and no really good clear shot. Soon enough she decided to move off, and everyone else prudently did so as well. She was young, not the lead cow, but because she saw something and was on edge, everyone was following her lead.

Aggressive bugles didn't cause him to put himself between me and the cows as they began to filter off. Raking didn't cause him to come back (of course, but I had to try). But man was he fired up thinking I was a bull that pestered his cows! He was bugling every 30 seconds for the next 1/2 mile. They made their way close to private property, and to more open area, so I didn't follow after a half mile. I knew there was little chance given their recent rest that they would settle down anytime soon. That was #3. I absolutely should have had him. One little head snap cost me. He was BIG (at least to me). Full mature 6 pt. I have no skill in judging score, but to me he was huge. I think he had about 15-17 cows plus calves.

Where I left their trail, another bull was bugling really close by. He responded to cow calls, but was staying put after 5 min, and sounded dominate, so I figured I had another herd situation. Started to put the sneak on, but then he came in. Mental lapse - I didn't put the wind right before I started getting closer, and the wind betrayed me. No shot opportunity there.

It's getting on to 4 pm now. I pick a spot on the phone gps/sat image about a 1/2 of a mile away that looked/felt good from the satellite view. I overshot my mark, and immediately bumped into two spikes. My spot picked on the phone would have been within 100 yards of them, and I'm sure I could have easily called them in. After that last encounter almost shooting the herd bull, I was genuinely fulfilled. Now, I only needed to fill the freezer. I would have been happy with a cow at that point, if it was legal. So, a spike would have just put icing on my cake and fed the family.

Fortunately, being young and dumb, a couple cow calls settled down these two spikes, but they still moved on. I bumped into them again about 120-150 yards along, and pushed them again. Again, cow calls settled them - even though I was in a wide open clearing plainly visible, and they spooked at watching me come in. Seeing these dumb spikes were even more suited to my speed than the 4pts, I decided to finally think ahead this time and leap frog past them, and do a couple cow calls. I was literally 30 yards off a road I could drive my truck onto, and 100 yards from another. I smiled at the thought of an easy packout. And here they come looking for the inviting cow. I don't want to talk about that shot. My first shot of the season. I put the 40 yard pin on him even though should have used 20 pin. I had estimated a point out in the opening that was about 40 yards out, and that stuck in my mind when the pressure of stopping the moving elk and then shooting preoccupied my conscious mind. That, and a rushed the shot and the arrow was high. Wasn't going to ever find that high sailing arrow! #4 I should have had that day. Still, I looked for the arrow a little bit, hoping to get lucky, and listening for nearby bugles.

It's 6 pm now. Last day of season. I had heard a bull nearby while looking for my arrow. I move over to the area, but he goes silent for the next 10 min or so. Thankfully, he lights up immediately upon my bugling. I finally picked a proper setup to cow call from this time. Oak brush between him on my left and my position would mean he wouldn't come that way. So his most likely appearance would be directly ahead about 70 yards. After a few cow calls, I move ahead 30 yards towards the opening and plant myself next to a big tree. As soon as I moved to my location, and before he appears, I had ranged a few trees and knew where 30 and 40 yards were. I see movement coming my way. The wind is perfect. I see antlers. Here is a big tall 6 pt coming up right where I expected. I ignore antlers from that point on, determined to be mentally focused on the shot and proper pull through surprise release this time.

Here he comes, goes behind some brush so I can draw undetected - all textbook situation here. Diaphragm in mouth ready to stop him. It's perfect. He steps into the opening at 40 yards, bow hand relaxed, line up my sights, put 40 yard pin on center of chest, begin pull final pullthrough for release . . . OH NOOOO!!!! He's turning away!!!! Mental panic sets in before I can recognize it. I try to stop him with a terrible mew, and panic shoot. It was a standard 45 degree quartering away that I could have put in the kill zone EASILY if I was calm. I thought I heard impact (poor hearing) as he whirled around and headed back where he came from at a hard run. It's 6:18. I wait a few for him to expire. Now, I see 5 or 6 cows file up the hill through the opening. YES!!! He isn't following his herd!!! Wait another few before checking out the impact site.

Can't find my arrow on the trajectory if a passthrough. Not surprising given the quartering shot, but I still had to look. With difficulty I find a few tracks and mark them. No blood yet. But then . . . I hear bugling from 3-400 yards away that sounds awfully familiar. I move in trying to get a view, knowing I could recognize the bull easily from the muddy lower half of his body. Can't spot who is bugling. But he shuts up for 5 min at a time if I throw out cow calls from the same call as I used to get him to come in. I'm scared it is him. Go back to the scene of impact and piece together a few more tracks and find my arrow. 4 inches of penetration, very little blood, and mostly just some fat on the broadhead and shaft. No clue where I hit him, but clearly not lethal. That was chance #5 today.

Pic of arrow.
arrow.jpg
arrow.jpg (196.57 KiB) Viewed 5962 times



Still, the hunt is not over!

It's past 7 now on closing day. Time for a hail mary play. 1/2 mile away I played with a small eager bull the night before. I highly doubt he would be there, but perhaps - just possibly - it's part of his daily routine, or rather, part of the lead cow’s daily routine of the herd he’s orbiting. 1/2 mile directly going through brush and over a hill, or 3/4 to go around via a side road. I'm going the direct route as time is ticking down. I get to my intended destination, sweating heavily from the fast pace, just a few min after sunset and begin cow calling. The hills light up with bugles. Big gnarly ones from two bulls out there quite a ways away. They probably have cows, so not going to close the distance to my position, and certainly not in time. But no small/immature bugles are heard like I was hoping for. Again, my hunt is complete except for the freezer. ANY legal bull will do! I decided I better move closer to where I expect the elk to come from given my experience of the last couple day’s solo calling. I wait by a big tree.

15 min until close. 10 min. It's getting rather dark now with just a few min left, so I finally give in. It’s been one incredible day. I kneel by the tree to offer a prayer of gratitude for the amazing and wonderful day. It was by far the best day elk hunting I'd ever had. Finished, I grab my bow and am half way to standing when I notice a "horse" sized body just 20 yards away!!! Absolutely can't be a cow as big as the body is. I can clearly make the body out, so it should be an easy shot despite how dark it is. And now I see antler tips way up high as he turns his head! At least 5 pt, most likely 6 pt. I didn’t hear him walking in on my left side (dang hearing).

My prayer wasn't silent, even if quiet, and I moved quickly to grab my bow and stand, but this bull just stood there. And that set me up for the mental lapse. I didn't move slowly/smoothly enough, thinking for some reason (or rather, not thinking) that this bull wasn't bothered by my movement. Knocked the arrow, release on, turn on the light above the pins to make sure I can see a pin to put on him, bow up, ready to draw, and THEN, he decides to notice me and run off 40 or so yards. The lighted fiber optic pins probably caught his attention. I had quickly contemplated shooting unable to see my pins, expecting I could put in in there being so close, but, with the way he acted when I did move, I wrongly reasoned he wouldn't be bothered. Looked at the phone - 4 min of shooting time left. I almost filled the tag in the last 5 min of the season. And that was #6 for this day.

It was epic. A mix of emotions having had a GREAT hunt, esp those last three days. But . . . a lot of mental struggle failing at something I had in the bag six times on the last day alone. I had put my all into it, but still didn't have meat for the freezer. All worth it, with some amazing memories, learning tons, wonderful highs and close calls. But what a strange mix of emotions not coming away with at least the spike I made a poor shot on.

I was out there all but 5 days of the season, and worked hard, so the sweat and effort part was there. But it all came down to small errors all along. Bumping dozens of bulls from not slowing down enough in the timber when it was dry. Being a day late on deciding where to hunt numerous times. Ultimately though, it was really small mental lapses, like whipping my head in slight mental panic at the possibility of losing my range finder – those are what ultimately caused me to fail. Or failing to execute properly at the last moment in the shot cycle. I know I would have had the bull I snuck in to and watched breed a cow if I wasn't busted by another bedded cow. Because I was calm. No nerves whatsoever, and the bull was stationary. But something about a moving elk, mewing to stop him, and then shooting has me failing to execute properly in that last crucial moment of my shot.

What a wonderful season it was. Can't wait to do it again, perhaps next time with someone that can hear.

Now . . . WY or ID for next year’s rut action? Anyone have any suggestion on units to look at? I only have one pp in WY, so just looking at general units for archery.
User avatar
Charina
Rank: Rag Horn
 
Posts: 292
Joined: 03 17, 2015

Re: 2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby Deanmac » 09 27, 2017 •  [Post 8]

Great post, thanks for sharing
Deanmac
Rank: Satellite Bull
 
Posts: 362
Joined: 11 02, 2015
Location: Bremen GA

Re: 2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby Navesgane » 09 27, 2017 •  [Post 9]

Thanks for sharing! Sounds like a great experience. How many points did it take to draw?
Instagram @jeff.reilly1
User avatar
Navesgane
Rank: Satellite Bull
 
Posts: 309
Joined: 08 05, 2013
Location: Telluride CO
First Name: Jeff

Re: 2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby Elkduds » 09 27, 2017 •  [Post 10]

Great hunt, well told. You had more encounters in a few days than I have had many years.
User avatar
Elkduds
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 1536
Joined: 09 29, 2013
Location: Colorado Springs
First Name: Mark
Last Name: Scott

Re: 2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby Charina » 09 27, 2017 •  [Post 11]

Navesgane wrote:Thanks for sharing! Sounds like a great experience. How many points did it take to draw?

5. But for nonresident it would take 13. Just as many applicants, but fewer tags allotted to nonres.
User avatar
Charina
Rank: Rag Horn
 
Posts: 292
Joined: 03 17, 2015

Re: 2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby Navesgane » 09 27, 2017 •  [Post 12]

Charina wrote:
Navesgane wrote:Thanks for sharing! Sounds like a great experience. How many points did it take to draw?

5. But for nonresident it would take 13. Just as many applicants, but fewer tags allotted to nonres.


I just started putting in for Utah points last year, not sure if I'm going to continue or not as a non resident. Only live a few hours from the border so guess I just need to weigh the cost/benifit
Instagram @jeff.reilly1
User avatar
Navesgane
Rank: Satellite Bull
 
Posts: 309
Joined: 08 05, 2013
Location: Telluride CO
First Name: Jeff

Re: 2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby ishy » 09 29, 2017 •  [Post 13]

Great write up.
User avatar
ishy
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 1062
Joined: 08 18, 2013
First Name: Bryan
Last Name: L

Re: 2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby Charina » 09 29, 2017 •  [Post 14]

Navesgane wrote:I just started putting in for Utah points last year, not sure if I'm going to continue or not as a non resident. Only live a few hours from the border so guess I just need to weigh the cost/benifit

You know to time your applications so that you only need to buy the hunting licence once every two years, right?
User avatar
Charina
Rank: Rag Horn
 
Posts: 292
Joined: 03 17, 2015

Re: 2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby vertical limit » 10 02, 2017 •  [Post 15]

Awesome write up. Not all stories are successful (meaning a harvest), but this story seems to be successful in that you learned a lot and will be better prepared next time. Thank you for sharing!!
vertical limit
Rank: Calf
 
Posts: 54
Joined: 04 09, 2015

Re: 2017 UT LE Season Writeup (long read)

Postby Roosiebull » 10 03, 2017 •  [Post 16]

Thanks for the GREAT write up!

What an amazing and action packed hunt! Sounds like a very fun season with a ton of knowledge to take away, very cool!
User avatar
Roosiebull
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 1125
Joined: 02 27, 2017


cron