Well this morning has been a rodeo. I’m sitting in my truck contemplating what to do next. Spotted two bulls this morning and cow called them into a timber opening 323 yards away. One bull stood broadside a good few minutes long enough for me to range him, dial my scope, settle my nerves and fire a shot dropping him where he stood.
So he’s sitting there on his knees about to wobble over and then he stands up facing away from me for a bit then turns broadside again facing the way he came from. I shot again and he ran behind some trees. A few seconds later here comes a bull back out again walking like nothing happened. I wasn’t sure if it was the second bull or not and I didn’t want to shoot two by mistake so I didn’t shoot as I looked for signs of injury as he walked into the timber. Damn. I grab my binoculars and start glassing the hillside I see no other bull walking around. He must be dead behind that patch of trees.
I wait a while and start side hilling a loop around to get a vantage point to see into. I keep expecting to glass up a dead bull but the timber was too thick. By the time I made it around to where he was standing it had been about an hour. I found where he fell and got back up. No blood. I start following the tracks where I saw the one bull walk away, no blood but I keep following what fresh looking tracks I could find while glassing ahead of me, down hill and up hill from me.
I make it about a quarter mile or so and I smell elk. I looked up the ridge and about 100yds there stood a bull staring down at me, his vitals hid behind a tree. I shift to the left and right trying to get a shot but he disappears like a ghost. I slowly walk up hill and find his bed, no blood. Follow the tracks some more and find fresh droppings.
At this point I figured that must have been the other bull. I head back to where the bull was standing and start circling and glassing up and down the hill. I just can’t find anything substantial other than that area he dropped in and tore up the dirt getting back up.
I don’t know what to do at this point. Don’t want to just wonder the timber and push elk further in. There are fresh tracks, droppings and rubs everywhere up and down the mountain.
I decided my best option was to back out and come back this evening to see if a sick looking elk comes out to feed.
I had set my shooting limit to 350-360yds but maybe I should have waited though I knew they weren’t coming into the meadow and getting closer.
Really bummed. If I don’t see him again this evening or in the morning, I’m packing up and heading home.
