CO Unit 2 Archery Elk

[Devil Diver Down]

Let the air out of a toad. Make us all drool.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Ha, ha, I just listened to a 5 minute message from Khunter babbling about Disneyland of elk hunting and big bulls sparring 46 yards away. Sounds like he is enjoying himself. Messages from friends this time of year is funny stuff. I am sure I have left a few myself.

 

[Oak]

It is fun up there. Too bad it's OIL. He better enjoy it.

 

[Buschy]

Put a monster down Khunter. I can't wait to see the pics and hear the story.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Pic of a pic, but he is making me crazy. I think I would have shot that one.

passed on this at 24 yards. then thought i should look again. called in to 17 yards and took a picture. weak 5th on one side, great thirds and good fronts. this idiot is having agreathunt.

 

[IdahoBugler]

Nice bull khunter. I can't wait to see what you come home with. Good luck and shoot a big one.

 

[highmountian]

Great frame on that bull khunter, like the tine length too!! Shoot straight and kill big.

 

[Oak]

That's a nice bull to pass up with a bow. Hope it pays off.

 

[Devil Diver Down]

That's a nice bull to pass with a Howitzer. I hope it pays off, too. I also hope there are some like that in the SW region. The hunt is a week old & I'm stuck in Phoenix for another 4 days. I'd get there just about in time for the Great Pumpkin Invasion.

I guess the rut is getting underway then in CO?

 

[Khunter]

That's a nice bull to pass up with a bow. Hope it pays off.

It already did pay off. He was the herd bull that day and mine for the taking which does not happen nearly often enough. Learned a lot and never got busted. Don't know if anyone is interested but I'll elaborate on the set-up leading to the picture.



Dogging this herd of 80-90 elk at 100-300 yards all morning, then after they go to bed, stalking in to 70 yards of the big bull of the bunch, threading the needle so-to-speak, and then bugling in a bull like that (twice) away from maybe 40-50 cows for easy broadside shots is pretty much what it is all about. I do all sorts of 'stupid' things that most folks say to avoid, but have a ball doing them, hunting this guy in his bed is one of them...One of the benefits of hunting solo is there is never that guy on your shoulder saying wait, hold off, SHOOT!, etc. or otherwise taking you off of 'your game'.

After stalking in to 78 yards, I pulled out the video camera and got footage of him feeding and chuckling as I evaluated if I wanted him. The video screen was actually a little better than using binos since I could zoom way in. He started raking and bugling (screams) in response to my bugles from 130ish yards but would not come in to. At 78 yards I could see some of his cows behind and to the side of him, all bedded as I ran the tape. after a minute or so of taping, I moved in to 70 yards and set-up, ranging stuff, etc. then let out a big bugle/scream that set him in motion my way.

When I called him in the first time from 70, obviously he expected to see a bull right away, I was at full draw, both eyes open looking him over at 24 yards as he stood there. Gave me a BIG Ole knot in my stomach as I realized I would probably not shoot. Truly a 'gimme' if there is such a thing and hard to pass. After he wandered back 10 yards into the trees again, he splayed his legs and got his head way down to the ground scanning under the low canopy. did that for 2-3 minutes without moving. very cool and educational to see at 35 yards or so. You always feel them burning holes into you with their eyes when things get dead quiet at close range in cover, but this time I got to see what he was doing.

So as he then ambled off back toward the cows, the knot in my stomach grew bigger, And I thought am I nuts? As he walked away, I waited till he got to some cover and I ranged his butt at 60 yards. Then I let another bugle rip and got to full draw as he trotted back a bit closer than the 20 yard mark I had ranged. He again stood broadside as I tried like heck to get my brain to fire the signal for my finger to loop over from the back of release trigger to the front and give that slight squeeze. As I again studied all those great features and the one dink 5th, I just could not do it with at least another 15 or so days I could hunt this tag, including the last 8 days when I know the bulls will be screaming nonstop. The thought that ran through my head was exactly this " This bull as as big as the benchmark I set for a 'shooter' but I don't want to stare at the dink 5th for the next 40 years knowing I killed the bull 5 days into a month-long season" The latter half of the thought won out.

After he stood broadside for 30-40 seconds, he walked past me for about 10 yards at which time I thought, "I should at least take a picture". Love the MR pocket waist belt since the point-and-shoot is always quick to access. I pulled out the camera, turned it on, and started firing as he walked back through the same gap to his cows. Got head-on shots (he heard the camera as it fired up). side views and the quartering away, all inside 25 yds with a crap camera.

Anyway, one of many really cool things that have happened so far...that I;'ll try to share as time allows.

here is a better quality version of the picture...and a couple others.

 

[Oak]

Good stuff there, khunter. Thanks for the details.

 

[Big Fin]

That is a cool encounter. The great part of hunting is that the hunter gets to decide what defines the trophy experience for him, not those of us wishing we were in his shoes.

That being said, I am sure I would have sent an arrow his direction, hoping my nerves had calmed enough that I could pull off a 24 yard shot.

Good luck with the rest of it Kirby.

 

[Buschy]

Kirby,

It sounds like you are having fun and a killer hunt. I can't wait to see which bull gets to ride home with you! Enjoy the experience!

 

[highmountian]

Great pictures and story. If that fifth would of been there! Very good looking bull but you did the right thing, cause now you get to keep hunting..

 

[Khunter]

here is another bull from that herd. He walked by me earlier the same day and then at a spring a couple days later. The bull I almost shot was at the spring too, and I would have had another tough choice in a minute as he was headed along the same path 3 other bulls took 23 yards in front of me, except a cow barked in a manner that 'electrified' 40 elk that were 15-100 yards away like nothing I have ever seen. They scrambled up the mountain like their butts were on fire.

Later I'll share a story of the two shooters that were fighting for 20 minutes or so in the middle of a pasture devoid of cover...gotta earn a living for a while today so I can get get back on the mountain.

 

[noharleyyet]

As descriptive narratives go, your's really put the reader in the moment, thanks and good luck closing the bull you're looking for Khunter.

 

[shoots-straight]

It's amazing to me, how elk that are heavily hunted areas become soooooo educated. If you give them cover (good habitat) like the Root use to have, then bulls can live to become big. If the habitat is poor and full of predators of both the 2 legs and 4 legs variety then the old age class suffers.

 

[TheTone]

Awesome encounter, thanks for sharing with us. Both those bulls look great to me, looking forward to seeing how the rest of the hunt goes.

 

[Khunter]

A bull I glassed up in a fairly barren U-shaped saddle. He was working the elongated shade from the ponderosa to stay cool. Got up and moved a few feet to keep in that shade. Sure, I would have loved to run right up there in the open for a heroic shot, but, alas, he was just inside National Park Service ground...Geez are they persnickety about hunting 'their' animals.

 

[Khunter]

not all fun and games. Like I said I do dumb stuff. In this case and in bone-dry conditions I managed to land my truck in one helluva rut. lots of digging and wrangling to get out. Worked my way through 3 chews in the process. Actually did not destroy the side of the truck near as much as I assumed it would. New truck is getting old ( or broke in as I tell the wife) fast.

I keep driving this new wide-ass tundra like I am in my previous and narrow 200 chevy. Not good...