Opening weekend success (lots of pic's and LONG)

osulogger · 08-26-2007, 07:20 PM

Opening weekend found myself and two friends from college hunting the coast range. We started off the morning out near a meadow that one of my buddies had seen a fair number of bulls in over the years. Just as we were ready to start our set-up, my other friend spotted two objects moving along the edge of the meadow..... two other hunters

We quickly changed our game plan and decided to make a loop on this large area we had on our photo. It held a lot of small little meadows and mixed timber so we thought we had ourselves something. Walking along the road to get there, we found a ton of elk sign; tracks, fresh rubs, droppings.... but the droppings and the tracks appeared to be about a week old. And all the tracks pointed back down the hill from where we were going. The rest of the morning we made a lot of small little set-ups, called, and didn't hear a peep. Breaking for lunch we came up with a new game plan and headed on out.

About 4:30 we were working our way back to a cut we had spotted most of the fresh sign in. As we were getting a snack and being tucked back up off the edge of the cut, my friend blurted out "there they are.... there they are!" About 800 yd. away, 3 cows and a calf come walking out of the timber.

We immediately start grabbing our stuff and come up with a game plan... all the while we're watching. After about 5 minutes, another elk appears on the timber edge with a blonde body..... boo yah! we got a bull in the bunch.

So then we start the long process of getting down from where we are, through the clearcut and hopefully to the stream buffer separating us from the elk. By the time we had reached the bottom, the elk were almost done feeding to the bottom of the clearcut on their side. It was all working out perfectly. We set up in one place; Tyler out to one side, and my buddy and myself on the other (I'm just the camera man). Brian started off with a soft cow call, and Tyler followed a couple of minutes later with a really light bugle. My buddy then cow called to which the bull responded with a bugle. He nudged his cows up and out of cut and got ready to come towards us. My buddy then let out a bugle, to which the bull didn't respond. About 5 minutes pass and the bull lets out a series of chuckles! Tyler responds with a bugle and his own little chuckle at the end and that did it. The bull started his way down the rest of the way and crossing the buffer. He had just made it up and out of the cut and was slowing down when Tyler let him have it at 30 yd. The bull immediately took off up the hill past Tyler and we cow called like mad to get him to stop.

The bull right as he came out of the stream buffer:

You can see Tyler in this picture at full draw ready to put another one in him.

My favorite shot of the trip:

Tyler and Brian with the bull:

Loaded up and heading home at 11:30 PM

The bull expired about 30 yd. off the main road... it made for an easy pack out!

I just want to tell Tyler congrats one more time. It was a crazy Saturday; from start to finish I think we were up for almost 24 hours. Tyler, you made an awesome shot and thanks for letting me be part of the experience.

One more thing to add to the whole trip: This was Tyler's first archery bull.... what a way to start off!

From the land of Big Sticks,

Osulogger

GO-FASTER · 08-26-2007, 07:23 PM

W O W U Guys Rock!!!

buck0523 · 08-26-2007, 07:26 PM

Congrats and awesome pictures!!!

Art Vandeley · 08-26-2007, 07:28 PM

That is awesome!! And it looks like there is a road nearby?? An easy packout always makes it better!

Yeti · 08-26-2007, 07:31 PM

Good job!

57chevy · 08-26-2007, 07:32 PM

VERY NICE!!!!

Wheels · 08-26-2007, 07:33 PM

Way to go Matt. Congrats to you and the gang for the success. Good job on the camera work. Good to hear the bulls are wanting to challenge. SWEEEEEEEEEEEEET !!!!!!!!! Wheels.

Terdog13 · 08-26-2007, 07:36 PM

Now that is a great story with incredible photos as bonus.

OSU- I felt like I was there.

Congrats to your buddy and good job.

T13

beardbuster · 08-26-2007, 07:39 PM

Very good work. That was cool to read and look at the photos. Congrats to everyone!!!!

motcha · 08-26-2007, 07:45 PM

Niiiiice!! Loved the story, and thanks for the pics to go along!! Wooooo-hooooo!! Congrats to you three!

garyk · 08-26-2007, 07:53 PM

Very awesome hunt!

scottishsetter · 08-26-2007, 08:04 PM

Way to put together a quick game plan(and a good one!)

scubaseth · 08-26-2007, 08:06 PM

Awesome pictures of your budy at full draw.

Scuba

Beamerfish · 08-26-2007, 08:08 PM

Great job! (So that's what they look like.)

H2Ofuzz · 08-26-2007, 08:09 PM

Great pics. I cant wait tell next weekend.

kodiakfisher · 08-26-2007, 08:17 PM

NOW thats how to back up a story with pics, I think with some more story telling and those pictures it would be a good one to submit to some of the magazines.

The story of sighting from far away to being at full draw....just an awsome story being told.

Congrats on the bull.....

Kodiakfisher

buckhunter · 08-26-2007, 08:24 PM

Well done!

BH

RAGHORN! · 08-26-2007, 08:43 PM

Very nice

DTSportsman · 08-26-2007, 08:52 PM

Great story and Excellent pictures, way to go

.

DTS

RoscoeP · 08-26-2007, 08:55 PM

Thanks for sharing the awesome story and pic's!! Congrats to all of you on a job well done....

Land Shark · 08-26-2007, 08:57 PM

Unbelievable !!!!!!! Great pics! What a way to start the season.

billc_sbio · 08-26-2007, 09:14 PM

Wow, that's an OUTSTANDING report w/pics!

speedshooterxt · 08-26-2007, 09:15 PM

Looks to have been an awesome hunt man! congrats and awesome photos as well!

Smokin'Bulls · 08-26-2007, 09:28 PM

Awesome photos and great story!!! Congrats to all.

Santiam338 · 08-26-2007, 10:31 PM

Good job Matt...

So when are you getting a bow and joining in on the fun???

Hookset · 08-26-2007, 10:34 PM

Great story and pics!! Very impresive how you guys worked it out through an entire day and talked yourselves into a nice bull. A very nice and short hunt.

Congrats to Tyler!!

sliverpicker · 08-27-2007, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Santiam338

Good job Matt...

So when are you getting a bow and joining in on the fun???

Well done lad!

Is that a pi$$ can in the back of the rig?(near left fender)

If you have nothing better to do, you can ride over to the Wenaha with me in about 3 weeks. I have too many cameras to pack, not to mention my elk calls!

jokester · 08-27-2007, 05:13 AM

Congrats to your buddy opn his 1st archery elk

Great story and great pics too!

-jokester

mtn300 · 08-27-2007, 06:52 AM

Awesome story and then to get the pictures also. Nice bull.

chukardave1 · 08-27-2007, 07:14 AM

Very worthy story

And excellent pictures!!! Congrats

Roseybulls · 08-27-2007, 07:17 AM

Really good job on the pics Matt. Nice bull!!

Limbhanger · 08-27-2007, 07:44 AM

Wow!!

Congrats on the first archery bull. Great picture story too.

That was an exciting read !

RidgeRunner · 08-27-2007, 07:56 AM

Congrats, great story and I liked how the pictures went along with the story. Job well done.

Got One! · 08-27-2007, 08:36 AM

Its great when a plan comes together!! Loved the story and the pics!

oregonmuley · 08-27-2007, 08:52 AM

So thats what all the fuss is about this bow thing - great story and pics - thanks for posting! Congrats on a fine bull.

tailwalker · 08-27-2007, 10:05 AM

Great story with even better pics!! Nice job to the hunter and the camera man, I felt like I was in the hunt with you guys. Congrats

Tailwalker

Quote:

Originally Posted by osulogger

Opening weekend found myself and two friends from college hunting the coast range. We started off the morning out near a meadow that one of my buddies had seen a fair number of bulls in over the years. Just as we were ready to start our set-up, my other friend spotted two objects moving along the edge of the meadow..... two other hunters

We quickly changed our game plan and decided to make a loop on this large area we had on our photo. It held a lot of small little meadows and mixed timber so we thought we had ourselves something. Walking along the road to get there, we found a ton of elk sign; tracks, fresh rubs, droppings.... but the droppings and the tracks appeared to be about a week old. And all the tracks pointed back down the hill from where we were going. The rest of the morning we made a lot of small little set-ups, called, and didn't hear a peep. Breaking for lunch we came up with a new game plan and headed on out.

About 4:30 we were working our way back to a cut we had spotted most of the fresh sign in. As we were getting a snack and being tucked back up off the edge of the cut, my friend blurted out "there they are.... there they are!" About 800 yd. away, 3 cows and a calf come walking out of the timber.

We immediately start grabbing our stuff and come up with a game plan... all the while we're watching. After about 5 minutes, another elk appears on the timber edge with a blonde body..... boo yah! we got a bull in the bunch.

So then we start the long process of getting down from where we are, through the clearcut and hopefully to the stream buffer separating us from the elk. By the time we had reached the bottom, the elk were almost done feeding to the bottom of the clearcut on their side. It was all working out perfectly. We set up in one place; Tyler out to one side, and my buddy and myself on the other (I'm just the camera man). Brian started off with a soft cow call, and Tyler followed a couple of minutes later with a really light bugle. My buddy then cow called to which the bull responded with a bugle. He nudged his cows up and out of cut and got ready to come towards us. My buddy then let out a bugle, to which the bull didn't respond. About 5 minutes pass and the bull lets out a series of chuckles! Tyler responds with a bugle and his own little chuckle at the end and that did it. The bull started his way down the rest of the way and crossing the buffer. He had just made it up and out of the cut and was slowing down when Tyler let him have it at 30 yd. The bull immediately took off up the hill past Tyler and we cow called like mad to get him to stop.

The bull right as he came out of the stream buffer:

You can see Tyler in this picture at full draw ready to put another one in him.

My favorite shot of the trip:

Tyler and Brian with the bull:

Loaded up and heading home at 11:30 PM

The bull expired about 30 yd. off the main road... it made for an easy pack out!

I just want to tell Tyler congrats one more time. It was a crazy Saturday; from start to finish I think we were up for almost 24 hours. Tyler, you made an awesome shot and thanks for letting me be part of the experience.

One more thing to add to the whole trip: This was Tyler's first archery bull.... what a way to start off!

From the land of Big Sticks,

Osulogger

Ni! · 08-27-2007, 10:20 AM

Nice story, nice pics. I wish I had a cameraman to follow me around. :grin: Of course then I'd feel obligated to actually shoot something.

RODACTION · 08-27-2007, 10:27 AM

Thats one of the best posts I have seen in along time......fantastic job !!!

Congrats to all of you

JCfisher33 · 08-27-2007, 10:39 AM

congrats good lookin bull!!!

johndeeregreen · 08-27-2007, 10:58 AM

Great job

Two Ducks · 08-27-2007, 12:46 PM

A job well done lads.

big fish · 08-27-2007, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Two Ducks

A job well done lads.

big fish · 08-27-2007, 02:07 PM

great job guys and awesome pictures.

waterflogger · 08-27-2007, 04:29 PM

It don't get any better than that!!!!
Great job.

Pond · 08-27-2007, 04:47 PM

That was an outstanding post! That's so awesome to have a friend as a dedicated camera man.

Pond

Super Fluke · 08-27-2007, 06:16 PM

Nice job, great story

Don Becker · 08-27-2007, 06:34 PM

Congratulations and thanks for the great story and pictures. Don

Steelie Ben · 08-27-2007, 06:58 PM

Thanks so much for sharing, those are great pictures and your story telling had me right there with you. That didn't do much for my jealousy though!!
Ben

Bugle4em · 08-27-2007, 08:15 PM

I love this pic. Nice bull and good luck on the next one. Congrats !!

fiddler · 08-27-2007, 08:43 PM

It don't get any better than that !
Thanks for the great story and pictures.
Congratulations.

HawkeyeBilt · 08-28-2007, 09:08 PM

Well done!!

You take superb pictures! Looks like one of those special hunts!

Oregonhunter · 08-29-2007, 04:15 AM

Nice pics and story! Awesome bull too!!!!!!!

Congrats!

oh