ironranger
New member
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2012
- Messages
- 7
A friend and I ventured to North Central Wyoming (Unit 45) bowhunting. Saw lots of wildlife including some elk. We were bouncing around different areas and weren't hearing a ton of bugling. On a few mornings they were bugling hard and On my 3rd evening, I found a herd bull bugling hard across a stream but ran out of light.
Came back the next morning and he was bugling before first light and continued on as we tried to close the distance. My hunting partner had an issue which caused us to get in there later than I wanted. We crossed the stream that morning and split up. I snuck high and along a meadow and up to a 2nd meadow. The bull was going nuts bugling and growling. Wow, just a magic morning in the elk woods. He'd come back when i'd cow call but I still couldn't catch up with him and his cows. I was trying to sneak in close enough for a shot but just ran out of time. I probably got within about 70 to 80 yards but never got a look at him. Sure was awesome listening to him bugle and growl. Wow, something I won't forget. While this was going on I looked over across a little section of meadow and saw a satellite bull going the other way. After he went out of sight I snuck along a little trough in the backside of meadow and beat him to the corner. I didn't play it well at all from then on. I was focusing on where I thought he'd come down and was too focused on that one spot. I waited and waited for just a glimpse of tan to draw on and then caught movement to my right. He'd come out in another spot right into the meadow. I moved my bow over and he caught the movement. I was behind a stack of downed logs and I eased downward until he could just see the top of my hat. He didn't move so I I figured I might as well try to draw and drew my bow sideways and popped up into shooting position. I couldn't believe he didn't bolt. I was so close i didn't need to range him. I'm shootin a one pin sight andI put the pin on his vitals and released. Thwack! I had hit the top of that downed logs and the arrow flew off into never never land. The bull turned and trotted off. I turned my attention back to the big bull and snuck along the high side of the meadow as he continued screaming and growling. I got to within about 70 yards and they were in the timber already. The wind started switching and about the time I decided to get out of there they winded me and scattered.
I went back to camp feeling a tinge of disappointment. That satellite bull wasn't a monster bull but nicer than I'd arrowed thus far. Then again any bull with a bow is good!! So I did some thinking that evening and reflected on past hunts. I'd taken a bad shot in Utah a few years back and just felt that after this slip that I needed to make a good shot on an animal.
The next day I was sneaking along calling...waiting a few minutes after each sequence...then moving up and repeating the process....heard a few cracks of branches and saw the legs coming....The bull made his way up the hillside below me coming from right to left....he got behind some trees and i drew my bow...He came into my shooting lane and stopped....I picked my spot and made the shot....he wheeled around and ran downhill as i pulled out the cow call and gave him a few blasts...he stopped....I heard him breathe heavy...and he fell over....expired within another minute....I'd accomplished what I set out to and it was a double lung shot with a complete pass thru. He wasn't the monster bull I had thoughts of when I started out on that trip but I'm very happy I made a good shot and it was a confidence builder for me. The trip was so much more than that with the moose, deer, antelope, and other wildlife....getting charged by a bull moose on the last day of hunt....the fishing.....just hearing the bulls bugle....meeting two forest service workers who invited us to dinner....etc...I was shooting my Matthews Reezen with Gold Tip Hunter 5575 arrows and Tight Points 125 grain broadheads....
Came back the next morning and he was bugling before first light and continued on as we tried to close the distance. My hunting partner had an issue which caused us to get in there later than I wanted. We crossed the stream that morning and split up. I snuck high and along a meadow and up to a 2nd meadow. The bull was going nuts bugling and growling. Wow, just a magic morning in the elk woods. He'd come back when i'd cow call but I still couldn't catch up with him and his cows. I was trying to sneak in close enough for a shot but just ran out of time. I probably got within about 70 to 80 yards but never got a look at him. Sure was awesome listening to him bugle and growl. Wow, something I won't forget. While this was going on I looked over across a little section of meadow and saw a satellite bull going the other way. After he went out of sight I snuck along a little trough in the backside of meadow and beat him to the corner. I didn't play it well at all from then on. I was focusing on where I thought he'd come down and was too focused on that one spot. I waited and waited for just a glimpse of tan to draw on and then caught movement to my right. He'd come out in another spot right into the meadow. I moved my bow over and he caught the movement. I was behind a stack of downed logs and I eased downward until he could just see the top of my hat. He didn't move so I I figured I might as well try to draw and drew my bow sideways and popped up into shooting position. I couldn't believe he didn't bolt. I was so close i didn't need to range him. I'm shootin a one pin sight andI put the pin on his vitals and released. Thwack! I had hit the top of that downed logs and the arrow flew off into never never land. The bull turned and trotted off. I turned my attention back to the big bull and snuck along the high side of the meadow as he continued screaming and growling. I got to within about 70 yards and they were in the timber already. The wind started switching and about the time I decided to get out of there they winded me and scattered.
I went back to camp feeling a tinge of disappointment. That satellite bull wasn't a monster bull but nicer than I'd arrowed thus far. Then again any bull with a bow is good!! So I did some thinking that evening and reflected on past hunts. I'd taken a bad shot in Utah a few years back and just felt that after this slip that I needed to make a good shot on an animal.
The next day I was sneaking along calling...waiting a few minutes after each sequence...then moving up and repeating the process....heard a few cracks of branches and saw the legs coming....The bull made his way up the hillside below me coming from right to left....he got behind some trees and i drew my bow...He came into my shooting lane and stopped....I picked my spot and made the shot....he wheeled around and ran downhill as i pulled out the cow call and gave him a few blasts...he stopped....I heard him breathe heavy...and he fell over....expired within another minute....I'd accomplished what I set out to and it was a double lung shot with a complete pass thru. He wasn't the monster bull I had thoughts of when I started out on that trip but I'm very happy I made a good shot and it was a confidence builder for me. The trip was so much more than that with the moose, deer, antelope, and other wildlife....getting charged by a bull moose on the last day of hunt....the fishing.....just hearing the bulls bugle....meeting two forest service workers who invited us to dinner....etc...I was shooting my Matthews Reezen with Gold Tip Hunter 5575 arrows and Tight Points 125 grain broadheads....
