Eric.MN
Well-known member
Finally I can post in the elk thread section. My brother and I set out this last Saturday to Wyoming with our general archery elk tags. We got there and setup camp Saturday night giving us two full days to scout before September 1st opener. We decided we would pack a spike camp up the mountain above us and on the way up we spotted these two bull moose. 
We made our way up 9500’ where we set camp to glass the hill sides.
It was a cold night and the first time I experienced August snow! And wow we had a crappy tent, it pays to have nice things. Near our camp we bumped this guy
But it was a very beneficial move as we glassed elk on a different hillside across the valley and made a plan for opening day.
Opening day came and we hiked to a new area where were saw elk. Lot of fresh sign around, the smell was in the air. We tried to put ourselves in a good spot and after some calling a lone cow peaked her head out 50 yards down the game trail. My brother and I were standing a few feet apart with me in front of him, well I froze still and he grabbed his bow. This cow walked to 10 feet from me starring me eye to eye when my brother only a couple feet behind me released his arrow.
It was a crazy thing to have a animal so close to you and not know your there but yet starring right at you. Wow what a encounter that was.
Next morning day 2 of season we hiked back a little farther where we heard some bugles the night before while packing out the cow. We set up on the open edge of a meadow and we heard a bull bugling near by a few hundred yards. After some failed attempts to call back and see if he’d come in we made a move. I then in a different direction then where the bugles were coming from I caught the glimpse of a Lone bull grazing in a meadow. I ripped a bugle and put my binos on him and sure enough I got to see him bugle back! Wow that was cool to watch. But then he just went back to grazing so we busted down the hill threw the timber towards him. Made a set up and called some more with no responses, he fed his way into the dark timber. Well waited it out and off to my left came a different bull out of the timber. He started to make his way toward me and man was my heart a racing! He fed his way right in front of me at 65 yard and I had to just watch walk away as that’s beyond my comfort.
I tried to cow call him, he payed no attention to me. But what a rush that was.
After that exciting morning I knew were they went to lay low for the day so that night we went back to that area for the night hunt. As sun went lower I started to cow call and bugle, nothing was talking that night. The sun started to cast some long shadows as I gave my bugle tube a blow and a bull ripped one back right after me. It came from up ahead so I decided to move forward as the wind was perfect in my face. I moved up about a 150 yards to get to another little crest to look over. As I took my binos out to look beyond this bare grassy knob out of the side of my eye I saw a bull at the edge of the timber. I hit the dirt as he made his way out. He walked out and made his way to some brush where he started to thrash it. He was about 100 yards away at this point. I knew I had to do something so while he was making a ruckus I backed down the knob, if I backed up 10 yards it would put a couple pine trees between us. I made my way down then crept to those trees as he was still making a mess of this small trees. I made it to the two pines and he was 40 yards out but in the brush yet. As I waited a spike also came out and was up to my left. He was scanning the area more then I liked but never knew I was there. Finally the bull took a turn to his left out of the small trees and presented a 40 yard shot. I drew back and put a arrow through him. Double lunged and made it into the timber and crashed down into a little creak bottom.
My first elk! What trophy he is! Man what a rush that was. Never have I ever felt my heart thump and pump so hard.
Very grateful for all that happened on this trip. Great memories were had, coolers were filled.
Thanks Wyoming for the awesome hunt.
We made our way up 9500’ where we set camp to glass the hill sides.
It was a cold night and the first time I experienced August snow! And wow we had a crappy tent, it pays to have nice things. Near our camp we bumped this guy
But it was a very beneficial move as we glassed elk on a different hillside across the valley and made a plan for opening day.
Opening day came and we hiked to a new area where were saw elk. Lot of fresh sign around, the smell was in the air. We tried to put ourselves in a good spot and after some calling a lone cow peaked her head out 50 yards down the game trail. My brother and I were standing a few feet apart with me in front of him, well I froze still and he grabbed his bow. This cow walked to 10 feet from me starring me eye to eye when my brother only a couple feet behind me released his arrow.
It was a crazy thing to have a animal so close to you and not know your there but yet starring right at you. Wow what a encounter that was.
Next morning day 2 of season we hiked back a little farther where we heard some bugles the night before while packing out the cow. We set up on the open edge of a meadow and we heard a bull bugling near by a few hundred yards. After some failed attempts to call back and see if he’d come in we made a move. I then in a different direction then where the bugles were coming from I caught the glimpse of a Lone bull grazing in a meadow. I ripped a bugle and put my binos on him and sure enough I got to see him bugle back! Wow that was cool to watch. But then he just went back to grazing so we busted down the hill threw the timber towards him. Made a set up and called some more with no responses, he fed his way into the dark timber. Well waited it out and off to my left came a different bull out of the timber. He started to make his way toward me and man was my heart a racing! He fed his way right in front of me at 65 yard and I had to just watch walk away as that’s beyond my comfort.
I tried to cow call him, he payed no attention to me. But what a rush that was.
After that exciting morning I knew were they went to lay low for the day so that night we went back to that area for the night hunt. As sun went lower I started to cow call and bugle, nothing was talking that night. The sun started to cast some long shadows as I gave my bugle tube a blow and a bull ripped one back right after me. It came from up ahead so I decided to move forward as the wind was perfect in my face. I moved up about a 150 yards to get to another little crest to look over. As I took my binos out to look beyond this bare grassy knob out of the side of my eye I saw a bull at the edge of the timber. I hit the dirt as he made his way out. He walked out and made his way to some brush where he started to thrash it. He was about 100 yards away at this point. I knew I had to do something so while he was making a ruckus I backed down the knob, if I backed up 10 yards it would put a couple pine trees between us. I made my way down then crept to those trees as he was still making a mess of this small trees. I made it to the two pines and he was 40 yards out but in the brush yet. As I waited a spike also came out and was up to my left. He was scanning the area more then I liked but never knew I was there. Finally the bull took a turn to his left out of the small trees and presented a 40 yard shot. I drew back and put a arrow through him. Double lunged and made it into the timber and crashed down into a little creak bottom.
My first elk! What trophy he is! Man what a rush that was. Never have I ever felt my heart thump and pump so hard.
Very grateful for all that happened on this trip. Great memories were had, coolers were filled.
Thanks Wyoming for the awesome hunt.
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