drahthaar
Active member
So with one in football, another in fall softball, and working all over creation and out of Helena, hunting has really taken a back seat to everything. Football ended last weekend, I made it out to my honey hole and saw that there was finally some elk activity, just cows, but I firmly believed there would still possibly be some more action at the end of the archery season. Went out yesterday morning only to find more bucks wandering around; I am seeing more bucks than ever in my spot this time of year as well! Made it back out again in the evening, to find nothing but squirrels. Wife and kids were having dinner over at the lake and I was starving! But with only 2 days left of archery season, I decided I would only regret leaving my treestand before it was dark.
It was so dead, not even a deer. The sun had gone below the western mtns, I just started to dig the p-cord out of my pocket to lower my bow to the ground so I could safely crawl down the tree, when I heard it. The unmistakable sound of a cow, mewing. Or was I hearing things? Once, and you stop breathing, twice, oh yeah!!!
I grabbed my bow off the hanger, slid my hand into the strap and listened to the sounds of heavy hooves coming through the timber toward the clearcut. First was a calf of the year, mouth open, gasping for air. Then a large cow, same thing, tongue out, gasping for air. What in the world??? She was followed by a calf and then closely by another cow. Dang! All cows, and I'm not killing a cow in region 1, just rubs me the wrong way, kill the cows, you don't get calves, and we need every calf we can get in this predator filled, snowy part of MT.
But a stick cracked back in the timber, so there was still one more. Slowly turning my head, straining to see behind the tree I'm in, TINES!!! LOTS OF THEM, a shooter for sure!!! Wow, a great bull, wide and heavy, groaning as he walked gasping air, nosing after those cows. He probably has chased them all the way down the mountain. I turned looking away from the bull and I remembering saying almost out loud, "I'm gonna kill this bull." I hook my release on the loop and start figuring the best time to draw on this bull. By some miracle, he veers off the trail, giving me a better angle, as I am high in the tree. I draw, while looking at the cows that are directly below me. They don't spook!! I get to full draw and my excitement of knowing I am about to smack a bull starts to peak. Then the bull clears a large fir tree and stops!!! 12 yards from my tree, full broadside. I settle pin on his side and WHACK!!! Full pass through, the bull runs back to trail, cows are running everywhere, he then just goes into a slow walk out into the clearcut. He gets to 70 yards out and starts to sway. He laid down and slowly rolled over. The cows staring, wondering what happened. After a few texts to friends, I got down and hurried to get a pic before dark.
This area is so full a griz and lions, I decided to just gut him and leave him, go back in the morning for the work. The next day brought myself, my wife and kids, and couple buddies walking in to get this bull out of the woods. I just hoped some griz had not claimed this prize. It wasn't to be, the elk was in the very same condition I left it. The pictures were a little disappointing as it was in a horrible place with tons of new birch trees growing, and full rigor had set in, leaving little options for changing that position.
Bottom line, I got super lucky, and actually felt a little guilty for even telling some guys that I know have put in a ton of time but for one reason or another, it hasn't worked out for them. I just love this honey hole I have though, just give it a chance, it keeps on giving. The real beauty of it all is I haven't had a lion try to jump on me yet. One loud scream from one in the dark one morning, but that's it so far!
I'm with Randy11, we're not buying your lucky guy act. Congrats on another monster bull. I thought you killed the last bull in your neck of the woods last year. 
