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Elliot Bull

4K views 19 replies 20 participants last post by  BeaverTales17 
#1 ·
We put one down Sunday afternoon down in the Tioga.
Between last Sat, Sun, Mon and this past Friday, Sat, and Sun we put in about 64 miles and almost 12000 feet of total elevation climb on our boots. There was a lot of ridge climbing checking all of our usual spots. After getting skunked last weekend, we got into 3 herds Friday. Mother nature humbled us on the first after we circled to get the wind in the morning. We made it within 50 yards in some thick stuff before I felt the breeze shift onto the back of my neck followed by the dreaded crash of elk hitting the highway.
Found a real fresh wallow around noon and started calling. Caught movement and then saw a head looking my way off in the distance. The elk hung up and I tried to circle around. Nothing, gone like a ghost without a peep.
In the early Afternoon we came up on a landing looking down onto to benches in the timber. I gave some calls off one side as my partner checked the other. After about 5 minutes, I could hear him calling at a good pace, so I went to investigate. About a 100 yards out, a branch bull was rounding up his cows and was getting out of dodge. Given the terrain at the time, we didn't have play on this herd, so we let em be.
Saturday was a little less eventful. Started off with a bang when we heard elk crashing around in a bottom, but by the time we made our way in they had moved out and gone silent. On our way out, we heard another crash. I circled to find Black Bear working up the timber. I made a 20 yard shot that got horrible penetration. Must of hit the shoulder as I could see the majority of the arrow hanging out as he ran up. We searched and searched and searched, but were unable to find him. That pretty much ended our day.
Sunday was quiet most of the day. Before heading home we decided to check the bench were we had seen the herd Friday afternoon. On the way in we had to pass the wallow, which we could see from the road. As I crested the hill I caught tan and black face staring right at me. Antlers! He had a tree covering the vitals. I stopped dead in my tracks and whispered to my partner not to move. Unquivered and arrow and knocked it. Attached the release to the loop and lifted my riser. The riser did not catch and my arrow fell back down. The bull instantly wheeled. In one motion I reset the riser and drew, pins glowing in my line of sight, I found the shoulder and let go. I heard it hit good and the bull crashed off. I gave some squeals and was able to stop him down on the bench he was headed for.
We went back to the truck to get the packs and kill time. When we got back I ranged the shot at 27 yards. He was downhill and quartering away. A quick search turned the bull up less the 200 yards out.
 

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