First bowhunt

RobG

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Bozeman, MT
I went out this morning with a friend for my first hunt while holding a bow. After an hour of walking and hearing nothing my friend let out a bugle in hopes something would respond. Nothing. However, about 10 minutes later we heard some sticks breaking in the dry lodgepole forest. An elk was sneaking in to investigate the bugle and was occasionally stepping on some branches while negotiating the deadfall.

The cracking went silent for a while, then it reappeared in front of us. The cracking continued intermittently, but it stopped moving. He must be working a tree over I figured. Since it was no longer coming to us, we decided to sneak up on it. The trees were only 5-6' apart so it was a matter of taking a step and ducking behind the next tree, a technique I learned by watching Elmer Fudd chase Bugs. Fifteen minutes later we completed the sneakiest sneak ever made on a squirrel dropping cones onto deadfall from a tall lodgepole.

Damn, and I knew they did that too.

rg
 
Alright
Now tell us the rest!
An elk had been working the area around a wallow last week when I was just hiking, and I hoped he was still there but we didn't see or hear anything. Tomorrow I go elsewhere so maybe there will be a "rest" in the future.
 
Pretty tough to scare those little buggers off when they decide to raise a ruckus over your head.Maddening when you have a quiet woods, maybe an elk sneaking in and the squirrels are twisting off. More than once I have pondered squirrel stew.:D
 
Argh! Nothing hurts more after the world's greatest stalk, than to have a big squirrel or a herd of cattle to put your pin on!
 
I love/hate squirrels, sometimes they keep me awake. I wouls love to kow how a 1lb squirrel makes as much noise as a any ungulate in the country.
 
I have been known to shoot squirrels before. Nothing worse than the worlds best stalk only to be rewarded with a bunch of chattering letting the entire mountain know you are there.
 
Got within 50 yards of a nice bugling bull this morning but it was in heavy brush and his few cows told him to shut up and leave. I guess we know who wears the pants in that harem. A couple hours later he started bugling again and we were getting on him when we started hearing some hoochie momma talk behind us. The herd didn't like the obvious fake and moved on. About then the wind started gusting and swirling so we called it a day. We almost left a note on the guy's truck to work on his cow call :D. Oh look a squirrel.
 
I went out this morning with a friend for my first hunt while holding a bow. After an hour of walking and hearing nothing my friend let out a bugle in hopes something would respond. Nothing. However, about 10 minutes later we heard some sticks breaking in the dry lodgepole forest. An elk was sneaking in to investigate the bugle and was occasionally stepping on some branches while negotiating the deadfall.

The cracking went silent for a while, then it reappeared in front of us. The cracking continued intermittently, but it stopped moving. He must be working a tree over I figured. Since it was no longer coming to us, we decided to sneak up on it. The trees were only 5-6' apart so it was a matter of taking a step and ducking behind the next tree, a technique I learned by watching Elmer Fudd chase Bugs. Fifteen minutes later we completed the sneakiest sneak ever made on a squirrel dropping cones onto deadfall from a tall lodgepole.

Damn, and I knew they did that too.

rg

This made me laugh out loud. I love this story.
 
Went back this morning to see if those couple of bulls were still bugling. Got passed by two ATVs on the way in. They and two dirt bikes parked not too far from where I left the elk yesterday. Why they all parked in the same place is beyond me. Didn't hear any elk. Not sure why. :rolleyes:
 
Squirrels and grouse are what blunt tip arrows are for. It's fun and good practice. Don't shoot blunts at squirrels when elk are bugling.
 
I decided to do some scouting for my son's youth hunt last night. I found a pretty cool place with lots of hills and hiding spots to make it interesting instead of just waiting in a stand for a deer to walk by. After walking to the end of the section I saw several deer in a stubble field. Most were downwind but a pair of whitetail does were out in a field and upwind. I decided it would be best to reduce the population by one doe to make it more interesting for my son.

They were about 200 yards away but there was grass about 2' high along a fence so I got on my hands and knees and started towards them. By the time I got close my hands were full of splinters - especially annoying since I set a pair of leather gloves on my pack just for this purpose, but set them aside when I was packing and forgot to put them in. Anyway, when I got within 30 yards I knocked an arrow, got into a kneeling position, and did a full draw on the bow when the deer was distracted. The deer was still unaware, I pulled it off! Unfortunately as I was locking my knuckle behind my jaw my shirt got caught in the barbed wire fence I had been sneaking along. Sh*t! I didn't consider that in my calculation! Visualize the CF as I'm trying to untangle myself at full draw without twanging the whole fence, it must have been comical.

When I finally got untangled I put the sights on the deer but those dang fiber optic sights put out so much light I couldn't get a good sight picture on the deer in the fading light, so I passed on the shot.

I've gotten too lazy and meat oriented with the rifle and haven't put on a stalk like that in years so it was fun. And I think this spot will be a good option for my son on the 15th and 16th if it isn't overrun with other hunters sporting kids.
 
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HahahahahHh
You are a gent id like to hunt with man, love your sense of humor.
Kill an elk would ya?
 
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