Lost in the Woods - Mental recharge season

[Lostinthewoods]

So let’s start with yesterday. I did one final check with no success.
So I then decided to get back after it. I did some exploring in an area that I wanted to check for water and I realized that I was dragging butt.
Day 9 in the mountains of getting after it and the mental drain of the non-recovery made me go with the call of a reset night. I drove down to Reserve NM, had a wonderful meal, got a hotel room, and did laundry.

So last night ended with a full belly, I was clean, and I was ready to go today.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Woke up this morning and felt like a brand new person! I was ready to go and felt great.

I hit a lower elevation area that was maybe 30 minutes from the hotel verse driving the hour and change back up to the top of the mountain and jumping into the nasty stuff again.

After a few mews and a bugle a bull fired off and I chose my direction.

I took it slow and every hundred yards or so I would bugle and he would respond.

I did this a few more times to where I was maybe 300 yards away.
I let out another bugle and then a different bugle went off under 100 yards away.
I threw up my Binos and I saw a bull going from my left to right about 70 yards away. He wasn’t on a string to me yet, but he was coming our general direction. I picked a kill spot, did some quick mews and a weak bugle and he came directly down towards me.

Trees were ranged, he his my window (approx 40 yards going to my right to get down wind) and I sent my arrow!

I watched my arrow sink and I threw out a few additional mews to slow him down.

He went maybe 25 yards, stopped, and was on his belly within just a few seconds.

I am so beyond happy and relieved!
My freezer is full and I’m off to my first tag notched for the year.

 

[kansasdad]

Admin/Staff approved Jacobsen bugle tube placement right on!

Congratulations of the whole adventure.

 

[Valley1320]

Can't beat how that played out with calling that bull in and watching your arrow sink in him! Great job you earned it!

 

[Outlaw99]

Great story with a great ending! Thanks for taking us along

 

[Valley1320]

What broadhead were you using? Looks like it put a hole in him!!

 

[Rie Bread]

Way to get an arrow in’m

 

[Lostinthewoods]

What broadhead were you using? Looks like it put a hole in him!!

It was a rage hypo I believe.
I usually carry QAD exodus and have killed most of my elk with those. This was my second elk I killed with a rage. Complete pass through and he didn’t stand a chance.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

My elk is butchered and in the freezer, gear is cleaned and repacked, and my bow is shooting darts.
Tomorrow I coach a soccer game and then make my way towards Malta Montana!

Elk and mule deer better be nervous!


I should also mention I got some great whitetail running around for when I return too.

 

[WildWill]

My elk is butchered and in the freezer, gear is cleaned and repacked, and my bow is shooting darts.
Tomorrow I coach a soccer game and then make my way towards Malta Montana!

Elk and mule deer better be nervous!


I should also mention I got some great whitetail running around for when I return too.

Goodluck on the soccer game! The rest will be easy after that.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Running around cutting lawns before soccer today and leaving, the trailer decided to give me a present.

Silver lining is it happened here and not on the way to Montana!

 

[Lostinthewoods]

I guess you can say things are getting pretty serious.
I’ll be set up here in a few hours and it’s game on.

I doubt I’ll have any service this trip, so I’ll put together some wrap up posts and take lots of notes!

Happy hunting anyone that’s out.

 

[Wyhunter]

Good luck!

 

[Lostinthewoods]

This surely won’t be any walk in the park. The entire landscape that my buddy is use to who hunted here before has changed because of some major flooding in 2019. Instead of super thick and mature willows, we are basically battling elk in the wide open.

It’s definitely interesting and like nothing else I’ve ever experienced before. So I’m grateful for the new opportunity.

I’ve seen over 70 deer so far and they are all does.

Then yesterday i found my first group of elk (about 40 of them with a giant herd bull)?
But I ran out of stalking room. The “dry” creek bed turned out to be thick nasty knee high in the middle. So I couldn’t take a shot knowing I wasn’t able to get across safely to retrieve it.

I’ll make it happen.

Last night was beautiful - the northern lights came out to play.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Here’s an idea of some of the terrain I’m playing in.

Very open! The elk stick tight to the willows on the river and it’s just grassy fields getting to the willows. It’s almost like I need to glass them to bed, tuck in on them and then ambush when it’s the evening.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

I know you were also worried we weren’t eating well. Have no fear.

Walleye on the Blackstone tastes pretty good.

 

[WestKyHunt]

Here’s an idea of some of the terrain I’m playing in.

Very open! The elk stick tight to the willows on the river and it’s just grassy fields getting to the willows. It’s almost like I need to glass them to bed, tuck in on them and then ambush when it’s the evening.

That's what my thought process would be. I'm also the kind of guy that is fully willing to low crawl for the right opportunity lol

 

[Rie Bread]

Hope the mud doesn’t get ya! Pretty soggy around these parts!

 

[Wyhunter]

Super cool country to be chasing elk around. At least there isn't much deadfall

 

[rogerthat]

Better check the weather and your schedule. It’s going to be grab a snickers time in that country after this week