elk story I received from a good buddy

[Bait O' Eggs]

I got this email this weekend from a buddy who has killed a 5 point each of the last 2 years with his bow. I heard he killed a spike this year and emailed him asking for the details. I thought I would share the story he sent to me. I hope my buddy doesnt mind me sharing. :smile:

I had spotted 3 spikes skirting across the bottom of the
clear cut heading for some serious reprod. I had seriously doubted they
would have anything to do with me but thought...what the heck, let's see
what happens. The cut is approx. 3 years old and replanted with fir. The
scotchbloom and bull thistles are in full control of the unit however. I
worked my way to withing 20 yrds of the edge of the prod and set up behind a
scotchbloom. I pulled out my cover scent (which I am begining to swear by)
and spray some on the bush in front of me and the one behind me. I cannot
see the elk from where I'm at and for all I know this hunt may have been
over 15 minutes ago as I have been laying on my belly thinking someone was
on the road above me. Once I decide the coast is clear I
begin cow calling giving a squeek here and there turning my head different
directions. I can see down hill aproximately 70 to 80 yards (guessing).
Peering throught the broom I am suprised to see one of the spikes working
it's way up the hill towards me. It's a nice spike, about 20" tall, still in
full velvet. As I sit quietly it starts feeding at about 60 yrds. I cherp
again a couple times and it begins to head towards me again coming to within
and easy 30 yrds. At his point I must admit I have no intentions of shooting
a spike. It's only the 3rd day of the season! As I continue to just sit and
watch another spike, smaller and also in full velvet, comes into veiw, also
heading up towrds me. It is a meandering pace for both elk walking feeding
and looking but not at alert. The first bull walks withing 10 yards at one
point, broad side, feeding with the other just past it at about 15 to 20
yrds. At this point am am thinking no one would believe me if I would tell
them this. I then remember the camera in my pack and atempt to get it to try
to get some pictures. As I try to work the zipper the closest bull raises it
head. Watching throught the broom I can't believe it can't see me! I am only
wearing cheap camo paint (my beard) and my camo's. As I sit frozen for what
seemed like 10 minuets the bull puts his head down and starts to feed again.
This is where I believe the scent is playing it's role, I have a slight
breeze blowing in my face for the most part but at moments I feel it sweral.
In my opinion the bulls are smelling it also, just enough, so that when I
screwed up reaching for the camera, they aren't skidish. I probably watch
for about another 10 to 15 minuets as both bulls feed down hill to my right
heading for the prod. I hadn't yet used my bugle and decide to see what
would happen when I do. Crouched behind the broom facing towards the bulls I
let out a little high pitched squeal with my bugle directing the sound
behind me. Though the bulls lifted their heads, they didn't show the same
kind of interest as they did to the cows cherps and would go back to
feeding. To my suprise the 3rd spike was heading up hill towards me from my
left.
At first he stopped at about 60 yrds and looked up towards me, when he
put his head down I squealed again and again he started heading up hill
towards me. He was coming in with intent, he'stop, give a squeal and then
walk foward a couple more steps. at about 40 yrds I decided to knock and
arrow when he put his head down. I still wasn't set on shooting a spike but
this spike had potential. He was taller and he had been rubbing with dry
velvet hanging from his horns. I have never shot anything in velvet but
always thought a rubbing bull with velvet hanging from his antlers looked
cool.
As this bull continues to work his way up to me the others are now
almost out of site not seeming interested with what's taking place. This
bull literarally walks within approx. 7 yrds to my left standing broad side
to me and is standing looking uphill with nothing between me and him except a
spares bloom bush, I am amazed that he doesn't see or smell me. My bow is
knocked and resting on my lap, I'm somewhat rocked over it trying to hide my
fletching watching this bull out of the corner of my eye as he just stands
there looking up past me! He lets out a squeal,turns to the right and
finally heads away leaving the bloom in the direct path between me and him.
He heads across the hill to a vinemaple bush that's aproximately 60yrds from
where I'm sitting an disappears behind the bush. As I sit pondering this
situation... guilt and greed, I hear him thrashing on the viney. I'm feeling
guilty thinking of the other guys that would love to be in this situation
and will probably be ticked knowing that I educated these elk because I was
greedy wanting something bigger. Also feeling guilty knowing that Val and
the boys and home (as well as myself), praying that I'd get something ( Val,
also looking for a speedy end to the season) and here I am passing up the
golden opportunity. I give out a squeal on my bugle and low and behold here
comes the spike again. He is walking towards me but with more of an uphill
angle. I decide, Lord, If you give me the shot I'll take it. The bull works
his way up to me where he is standing broad side at about 15 yards with
another small broom blocking the shot. As he put his head down to sniff the
ground I drew back. He lifeted his head, took one step foward and spotted me
but I had already had him in my sights. The arrow hammered him through the
front shoulder. He spun to his right doing a complete turn heading down hill
with a quarter of the shaft and fletching showing. I made a quick squeal on
my bugle and sat and listened. I heard several moans over the coarse of
about 10 minutes and then walked over to where he was standing when I shot
him. Following his tracks from where he'd spun and run wasn't to hard as the
floor of the clearcut almost looked like fresh fallen snow with all the
thistle seed. He had gone approximately 50 yrds and dropped. I was suprised
that I could not find one drop of blood along the path he took.
Well I hope I didn't put you to sleep with all this. I could have told
you about how scary it is to roll your quad with an elk tied to it and how
hard it is to get it back on it's wheels, but that's another story!
Hope you guys get something. Let me know.

[TheRogue]

Awesome story....it's not always about the size of the tropy!!!

[k9jeff]

Its not the Kill,, its the thrill of the chase... :grin:

[WaterDog]

Now that was a hunt.

[ 09-09-2002, 04:14 PM: Message edited by: WaterDog ]

[Alligator]

great story!

It got me warmed up for this week's hunt. My brother flies in from the midwest at 10 am tomorrow. We are heading to eastern Oregon to hunt elk for seven days. Another of my brothers left today to get camp set up. I printed this story for both to read on the way to the La Grand area.

I love the bugling and would love to connect with a large bull, but I won't hesitate if a spike or even a cow gives me a good shot.

[tailchaser]

I also managed to roll my quad, with half an elk on the back of it. Funny how they handle a little differently with 400 lbs on the back end. I did learn something from it though, put a buddy on the front to help counter the weight. Next time I won't have to clean my shorts when I hit a little bump.

tc

[blackdog]

So what is the mysterious cover scent that your friend was using with so much confidence and obvious success? Inquiring minds want to know :grin: Great story. Chose not to bowhunt this year and stories like this make me regret it!

[KingFisher85]

I have a story to add to this, I hope no one cares. This story was last year elk hunting with my old man.
We were hunting up in an area that you have to walk in a good 4 to 5 miles. He was bow hunting I was just a long for the ride. We sat down and started calling on the cow call, with in like 5 min we could hear something in the brush. Its an elk and it one big one to. The wind was killer and he walked on in. The bull was a 6 by 6 and was in full rut. He walked about 15 yards from us. My dad was just waiting for a clear shot. There was a very small tree, like a 5 to 6 foot tree that the bull was standing be hind. All of a sudden the bull bulged back, that was something to be able to see the teeth on this bull elk. Still no clear shot. The bull ended up just turning away and walking on out.
This has happened to my dad the past 4 years of bow hunting, he gets a big bull come in and he can't take it because the way he think, if its over 40 yards away, he will not take the shot and if its under that and there is some brush in the way, sorry no can do. So he has had to pass up big bull elk because of the shot not being clear. He used to be the type of guy that would call bow hunters names and what not. Now I really don't think that he wants to go back to rifle any time soon.