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Ouch. That was a painful read. I won’t complain about a couple of mine that barely register compared to that2007- I’m driving down a Forest service road mid-day, after hunting whitetail that morning. Come around a corner and there’s a herd of elk on the hill, with one spike in it. This is a fresh burn, and I bail out and get set up in an opening where the elk are going to pass through. Cow, cow, cow, spike, try to pull the trigger and the safety is on.
2008- I hiked 3 miles in before light to watch a large canyon for the morning. At first light, I rattled in a couple young whitetail bucks. Shortly after rattling in the bucks, I noticed two bull elk feeding up into my canyon from lower down the drainage. A 5x5, and a 6x6. They’re feeding very slowly up the ridge, but right into the canyon I’m sitting. After waiting for what seemed like an hour, they finally clear some burned timber and I have a clear shot at 220 yards. I shoot 6” above the 6x6’s back and watch the bulls run out of my life forever.
2010- I’m archery hunting in the breaks. First morning of the hunt I follow a young 6x6 across a couple canyons, and he leads me to a very, very large 6x6 with a dozen cows. I sneak within maybe 60-80 yards of the herd in a timbered draw with the sun at my back, and let out a bugle. The large bull gathers his cows and comes ripping in to my draw. He stops across the draw and lets out a monster of a bugle right in my face. I send my arrow straight over his back. He rips another bugle, I send my second arrow into the very, very top of his hide above his backstraps. I see him three days later chasing cows, with my arrow still in him, looking like it was balanced on his back.
2011- I’m archery hunting deer in September in the river bottoms just West of Missoula. I’m in a ground blind in a thick cottonwood/willow stand when I see a cow sneaking through the willows. I pull out my camera to tape her walk by, when I notice a 340-350” 7x7 on her tail. I drop my camera and get my bow up in time to watch him walk out of the lane at 30 yards.
2012- I’m in a cottonwood treestand hunting whitetail in a SW Montana river bottom on the opener of rifle season. We knew there were elk in the area, and late morning a herd got pushed through. They’re real close, and there’s a bull in the rear. I rotate in stand to reposition myself, which causes my wallet to fall out of my pocket, stopping the lead cow in her tracks. The herd bails, and I graze the bull with a rushed shot as they’re exiting, and never see him again.
2014- I have a breaks elk tag I waited a very long time for. Opening day of rifle season I hike 4 miles back in to the same canyon I missed the giant bull in 2010. There’s a young 6x6 feeding on a ridge, and I watch him until he beds. I sneak into 50 yards of the bull, dry fire on him, and walk away. He was the only bull I had in range in 14 days of hunting that rifle season.
2016- I drew a very good elk tag in Wyoming. This elk tag also happens to be during the mule deer rut in a pretty good unit. I’m driving down a two track when I see an impressive buck chase a doe into a draw. I grab my camera and sneak over to the edge of the draw, maybe 20-30 yards from the truck. When I peak over, I see the buck with the doe, and I also see 3 mature bulls, the biggest being a 340” 6x6. I’m sky-lined, and they take off. After retrieving my rifle, I spend the rest of the day trying to catch back up to them.
These are just the obvious ones, there’s countless other less significant encounters.
I no longer hunt elk.
Ouch. That was a painful read. I won’t complain about a couple of mine that barely register compared to that
ugh...did you copy this from my hunting journal?!2007- I’m driving down a Forest service road mid-day, after hunting whitetail that morning. Come around a corner and there’s a herd of elk on the hill, with one spike in it. This is a fresh burn, and I bail out and get set up in an opening where the elk are going to pass through. Cow, cow, cow, spike, try to pull the trigger and the safety is on.
2008- I hiked 3 miles in before light to watch a large canyon for the morning. At first light, I rattled in a couple young whitetail bucks. Shortly after rattling in the bucks, I noticed two bull elk feeding up into my canyon from lower down the drainage. A 5x5, and a 6x6. They’re feeding very slowly up the ridge, but right into the canyon I’m sitting. After waiting for what seemed like an hour, they finally clear some burned timber and I have a clear shot at 220 yards. I shoot 6” above the 6x6’s back and watch the bulls run out of my life forever.
2010- I’m archery hunting in the breaks. First morning of the hunt I follow a young 6x6 across a couple canyons, and he leads me to a very, very large 6x6 with a dozen cows. I sneak within maybe 60-80 yards of the herd in a timbered draw with the sun at my back, and let out a bugle. The large bull gathers his cows and comes ripping in to my draw. He stops across the draw and lets out a monster of a bugle right in my face. I send my arrow straight over his back. He rips another bugle, I send my second arrow into the very, very top of his hide above his backstraps. I see him three days later chasing cows, with my arrow still in him, looking like it was balanced on his back.
2011- I’m archery hunting deer in September in the river bottoms just West of Missoula. I’m in a ground blind in a thick cottonwood/willow stand when I see a cow sneaking through the willows. I pull out my camera to tape her walk by, when I notice a 340-350” 7x7 on her tail. I drop my camera and get my bow up in time to watch him walk out of the lane at 30 yards.
2012- I’m in a cottonwood treestand hunting whitetail in a SW Montana river bottom on the opener of rifle season. We knew there were elk in the area, and late morning a herd got pushed through. They’re real close, and there’s a bull in the rear. I rotate in stand to reposition myself, which causes my wallet to fall out of my pocket, stopping the lead cow in her tracks. The herd bails, and I graze the bull with a rushed shot as they’re exiting, and never see him again.
2014- I have a breaks elk tag I waited a very long time for. Opening day of rifle season I hike 4 miles back in to the same canyon I missed the giant bull in 2010. There’s a young 6x6 feeding on a ridge, and I watch him until he beds. I sneak into 50 yards of the bull, dry fire on him, and walk away. He was the only bull I had in range in 14 days of hunting that rifle season.
2016- I drew a very good elk tag in Wyoming. This elk tag also happens to be during the mule deer rut in a pretty good unit. I’m driving down a two track when I see an impressive buck chase a doe into a draw. I grab my camera and sneak over to the edge of the draw, maybe 20-30 yards from the truck. When I peak over, I see the buck with the doe, and I also see 3 mature bulls, the biggest being a 340” 6x6. I’m sky-lined, and they take off. After retrieving my rifle, I spend the rest of the day trying to catch back up to them.
These are just the obvious ones, there’s countless other less significant encounters.
I no longer hunt elk.
Man don't quit... You finally figured out your pattern. When you have to pop a squat, bring your rifle/bow with. Be ready every time! Next time it happens, you're gonna be sitting there mid dump with your rifle in your hands and another hunter is going to walk by!Holy crap where do I begin. Crap is where I begin.
Two that stick out.
2014: I am sneaking through the timber mid day. I figure I am not close to anything and I had to make a cow pie. I lean my rifle against a tree and take some gear off and proceed to pop a squat. That's when the 6x6 bull jumps up and runs away from me at about 50 yards.
2018. It's early morning after a brutal uphill hike to the ridge line. It's about an hour after sunrise and I had to make a cow pie. I lay my bow down and hike up the hill about 20 yards to pop a squat. I hear twigs breaking... I see a 6x6 bull walking down the trail 35 yards from me. My bow is between me and the bull.
I've also had my fair share of rushed and missed shots. I've also been extremely lucky a few times... but.. after the 2018 fiasco..
I no longer hunt elk.