Day 2: Seems we got a late start. A shorter ride than Day 1 but we bumped 4 bulls along the ride through trees. Saw three of the bulls and each time we were held up about 15 minutes as did not want to chase them completely out of the drainage we were passing through. One of the bulls, a very nice 5x5 with about 10 cows was within archery range then went over the ridge then popped up again even closer for another look. Every tine was over 18" and nice mass but I did my best Barney Fife and kept the primer in my pocket.
When got to the destination, the bulls were not to be seen and soon the cow elk went into the pines. Had heard several bugles on the ride there and a couple once there. Was getting warm again and sky had very few clouds. Appeared would be another long wait until sunset without much to be seen now the elk were in the pines.
We shifted to a slightly different spot in the drainage and could get a bull to bugle. Worked our way about 1000 feet down and then the bull went silent. Worked back up to the horses and the high altitude had me sucking air like the old, fat flatlander I am. I did complete 30 workout sessions on the elliptical leading up to hunt which was helpful with my core strength and recovery time but I really like pastries so, eh, huff and puff was my breathing cadence by the time I got back to the top. About 15 minutes later my breathing was back to normal and I never got a headache or any other altitude sickness symptoms.
Clouds began to build about 2pm and the temperature dropped. The elk loved that and were streaming out of various stands of pine and bugling over an hour prior to sunset. A huge 6x6, easily 350 and maybe 370, was in an avalanche chute clearing but had over 30 cows. None of this made sense this early in the rut cycle. Small bulls are supposed to have the cows making early in this tag's season the easiest time to sneak close to a solo, mature bull who is focused on saving his energy until estrus is underway. The largest bulls we glassed all had cows.
Day 3: Rode the shortest distance yet for the morning ride and the destination was a ridge above a wallow next to a stream. Could hear the stream but not see the wallow from where we tied up the horses. We were about 700 yards above the wallow. We could hear bugles, glunks and chuckles as first light enabled us to glass. Could only see a solo bull on the opposite side of the creek but could hear 4 other bulls. Over the next thirty minutes 2 more bulls emerged from the creek headed up the other side. One was the largest bull had seen on this trip. Well over 350 but with....over 30 cows. One bull was upstream and one down in the wallow still. The wind was goofy as can sometimes be but sunset was a long way off, we had other spots could get to for the evening action though sky was again just about cloudless so might be more like Day 1 than 2 and was up for the challenge of trying to ease down near the wallow. We made a play for the unseen bull in the wallow. He was very responsive to calling and the bull upstream had him worked up as well. He did not have the deepest bugle of the 5 bulls so figured was not what I would want to tag. Beats being in the office so we began to ease down the slope using the mahogany and pines while looking for cow elk we might bump and that would be it for the stalk.
We worked out way to about 200 yards above the wallow. Never bumped a cow elk and the wind was mostly in our favor. The 3 bulls on the hillside were now bedded. The bull in the wallow had moved but perhaps to the hillside or maybe up our way. Sounds from down a steep slope are not always easy to pinpoint. We got set up, cow called softly every 5 minutes or so and then saw movement at 110 yards. Raghorn 5x6 would be what most of us would say was on the move perpendicular to us. I was loving every minute, though, and was often exchanging huge grins with the two guides with each new bugle. When the bull turned our way looking to and from and then headed down the 60 foot deep dry creek bed between the bull and us was when the guide checked if I was going to shoot. He expected I would not shoot based on passing up other, somewhat larger bulls we could have most likely stalked within my range the past two days. I whispered that I was shooting if the bull provided a shot. With the goofy wind the bull could have bolted downhill while still in the creek bed so no guarantee, of course, would get a shot. I could not see how any other bull this hunt would be this interesting of an experience which involved over 2 hours of bugling by up to 5 bulls and us pulling this bull out of the wallow towards us.
About 5 minutes later antler tips emerged as the bull slowly stepped along in search of the cow. We were set up in a clump of trees on a 25 degree slope but the creek bank was 45 degrees or steeper. Then more antler, then the head, then the whole bull which was still looking for the cow. I touched off the primer at 33 yards. The bull crumpled as I got one lung high as also shocked the spine apparently. The bull fell out of view as the smoke cleared. I could hear what you hear with a lung shot. I reloaded and by the time we moved so could see down the creek slope then the bull was done. Had tumbled onto his antlers so a color-muted photo is more appropriate.
