This archery season was a little different than the past couple have been on the eastern side of the state. Elk seemed to be extremely scattered and very few large groups to be found, mainly just small groups of 2-5. Bulls would bugle a little, but I didn't actually call in a single bull this fall and others hunters I talked with were saying the same thing about bulls not being responsive to calling. Our weather was also hot and dry throughout september, which didn't help. I was finally able to really get after it the last week of the season and located some elk on tuesday the 27th up in a large basin. I ended up chasing the herd a few miles that day without ever really seeing them. Thursday the 29th I was back in after them and it was pretty much a mirror image of the previous time, but I did figure the area out a bit better and worked things a little better. On Friday the 30th, last day of the season, I essentially didn't call at all and finally managed to really get on the herd well. After working my way in on them I watched the whole group feed across a brushy hill side and then up onto a ridge top. As I was making my way up to the ridge I had a spike peeking over the hill at me, but all I was able to see of him was his head. After watching him for nearly 15 minutes, he finally went over the top and I followed. The ridge top was really flat and a mix of burnt timber and open grassy areas. The majority of the herd was below me in the burnt timber, but mr spike was still up in the grassy areas. I put a quick little move on him around a small stand of trees and when he turned broadside at 30 yards I placed a great shot on him. He ran about 70 yards down the hill into the burnt trees, but was quickly staggering and soon fell. I had a tiny bit of cell service and relayed a GPS point to a friend who arrived with his pack right as I was starting out with my first load. We each did two trips packing meat at almost exactly 2 miles from the truck. I realize he isn't a big bull, but the freezer is full and there was no way I was passing a spike on the last day.
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