Called in a (third) bull this season and no cigar yet

[Elktracker]

Im hunting with a stick bow John Strunk recently gave me its 55@24" bamboo backed blood wood and I shoot it better than any of my bows! I called in a bull a week ago that circled me and came into 10 feet behindme. this was the biggest Roosevelt I have ever seen in the wild, easily a 300 class bull. I heard a twig snap behind me to turn around from where I nealed on a hill side in thick brushy timber to see the monster hovering over me, im ashamed to say I let out a girly scream dropped my bow and rolled down the hill lol GAME OVER. I in no way would have had a chance to shoot this bull unless I would have heard him sneak in behind me wich I am amazed I didnt! For as big as these critters are and as brushy as the woods are where I hunt I cant believe how stealthy they can be!

     Then tonight I went out to a power line road I have seen a bull on in the past and it was pushing the limits of shooting light when he responded to my cow calls with light chuckles and glunking(trying to call the cows to him) then proceeded to try to impress the cows by raking a small sapling tree after he appeared on the power line road in front of me at 60 yards. Because It was getting dark quick I knew cow calls wouldnt coax the bull in quik enough so I let out a ripper bugle with grunts (challenge call) He threw his head up and responded with a monster bugle with grunts that made mine sound like a baby and then proceeded to tear every thing in sight up with his large 6 point rack, He was throwing dirt 15 feet into the air with his rack trying to intimidate me ( the other bull in his turf ) I let out another bugle with grunts trying to get him to come in, he started to respond with the same so I cut him off mid bugle with another bugle with grunts. I KNOW there is nothing that makes a bull madder than cutting him off mid bugle. He emediatly started makeing his way down the small hill closing the distance as he went out of sight I knew he was coming up the side closest to me. I set up to call just in front of a giant old growth stump so in doing this I couldnt call any more as he got closer or I would give away my position and be busted. As I saw his massive antlers start to poke over the edge of the hill my hart was pounding out of my chest and then his head pops up he is looking all around for this bull (me) he should be seeing it by now or the bull should be coming in to challenge him. He bolts from his position twenty five yards from me, NO shot! he stops on the hill 50 yards away near where he started and looks back toward me. By now its past shooting light so I crawl around the stump and make my way through the tall grass away from him and give another bugle and he responds the same.

    This bull will still be workable as he responded to my call as I was leaving, I am going back in with a friend who is a experianced caller tomorrow evening so I wont have to worry about calling as he will be doing it for me from 40 yards behind me while im waiting on the edge of the power line road for the bull to pass. I hope I can make it happen, this will be my 2nd year hunting archery Elk and I want to get one with my stick bow this year! I will let ya know what happens tomorrow, it is great hunting Elk in the RUT. I know anything could go wrong, bull moved on, hunters in there, among lots of things but this bull is heavy in the rut and has cows so he should be a good cantidate. I still have till the 25th so I should be able to make something happen by then.

Josh

[Gordon]

Looks like you found yourself a player Josh. I can't wait to hear the rest of this story!

[portlandfire]

   Great story.  I'm really looking forward to the next chapter.  Shoot straight!!!

[aaron]

hahahahaa- awesome story, josh- the part about you screaming, dropping your bow, and rolling down the hill was best! I have been out hunting too-
the other night i was slow-walking a local trail when i heard some twig-snapping noises. I stopped and cow called. then i had to sneeze. I tried to muffle my insanely loud sneeze, expecting the critter to bolt away, but nothing.I cow called again and waited a few minutes.  I had just about convinced myself it must be a bird i was hearing when i decided to peer into the dense brush i was walking past. I leaned in, trying to see past the maze of branches and saw a giant eye about 10 feet from me- a nice big doe! well i took a step or two to turn towards her and she still stayed there, but then i took another step to readjust and she ran away.

[criveraville]

I love the screaming like a little girl part.. Just shows us all that we are all human and prone to all sorts of emotions even while on the hunt.  Cant hardly wait to hear about how you got one down..

[lowell]

Very good story...wish I was there!!!

  Best of luck to you in getting him!!

[Elktracker]

Thanks guys unfortunately I wont be able to go in after him till this evening so allot could change by then as we all know Elk like to disapear (nock on wood!) I still have high hopes for this bull tonight! Just to clarify it wasnt a bugle type scream it was a short o shxx scream and after I retrieved my bow and regathered my self I had to laugh just a little at my self  

Josh

[Elktracker]

Well it was a no go tonight guys, that would have been too easy! Had the bull come to the edge of the timber to check out my caller wouldnt come into range for me. If I was still shooting the compound he would have been dead tonight at 40 yards but no go with the stick bow, my affective shooting range is twenty yards other wise my groups can get a little wide like 8" to 10" groups at 30 yards I can hold them around 3 to 4" at twenty so I feel comfertable with that. I would have snuck in on him but it is so dry it makes it hard to move without crunching everything in site and to sneak 20 yards from where I was setup wouldnt have happened without being busted. I will keep you all updated post pictures when I get meat on the ground Its gonna happen and if it doesnt wich it will, I will still have had a great season!

Josh

[lowell]

Sounds like your are doing a good job.

  Hunting with the primitive equipment isn't all about killing....it is about how we kill if given the proper opportunity.

  If it were just about killing the animal, we would be using scoped high powered rifles!!


.........IMHO

[Elktracker]

Coastal Elk Wallow on the side of the road I found today, looked very fresh as the mud and dirt in the road is still wet. He was really throwing some mud! Might try to sit on this wallow this evening, its behind closed gates so the road doesnt get a whole lot of traffic I work up there so this is why I was driving up here .   http://s1019.photobucket.com/albums/af314/mandoman1540/?action=view&current=VID_20110911_105538.mp4

[Pat B]

Josh, your hunts sure have been exciting ones so far. Hope you get to part the ribs of one of these monarchs! 

[Little John]

Good stories so far, sure is lots of things that can go wrong and spoil the harvest. stay with them  and get er done. Looking forward to the harvest pictures. Good luck.    kenneth

[Elktracker]

Just got back from a hunt had allot of action! I went to a grassy old road I know holds Elk this morning its only about 50 yards off the main highway but I have seen Elk there before so I figured I would give it a try. I arived at the gate at around 5:30am, knowing the Elk would probably be within ear shot I timed all my moves when cars or big trucks drove by Opened the door got my gear on and then not 30 yards away on the other side of the black berry patch I hear a bugle!! What the heck! So I take advantage of the passing traffic and only move when there are vehicles coming by, the whole time I can hear branches snapping, stomping and cow and calf talk. by now I sneak up to where I can see the elk but from where im at they are at all different yardages and they are all out of range. I sit there waiting for about 1 1/2 hrs watching waiting listening, hoping one will make the mistake of walking by me.

 All the sudden I hear something behind me and turn around as my heart jumps out of my chest and I see a giant Porkipine. I think I scared him more than he scared me but at 2 feet away when he flared up I was a little scared (No I didnt scream lol) He backed away and moved on. I ended up getting impatiant as the Elk were obviously feeding away from me and into the thick brush so I attempted to start to sneak toward them on my hands and knees when all the sudden I see a cow stand up from the tall grass ahead of me, I have been busted but at this time she is the only cow I can see so I do what I have had work for me in the past and just charge her as she would have been gone anyway but this way she didnt have time to sound the alarm(Bark) to the other Elk that were feeding in the brush off the side of the road. When she thundered into the brush I heard all of the Elk start to scatter wich is what I wanted. I reach for my bugle to let out a scream so the other Elk think the reason she ran was this intruder bull (me) When from my left side I see another cow running right in front of me at 15 yards, I automatically give a Popping Or nevious grunt to stop her, and she does broadside but right when I come to full draw and she darts off. I have NEVER been so close to wounding an animal as this! If I would have released she would have had an arrow in her back end because the stop was for just a split second but I expected more.

So I grab my bully bull grunt tube and let out a scream and cow in destress while stomping breaking brush and what ever I can do to make it seem real to the herd bull that there is an intruder bull stealing one of his cows or at least trying but she is putting up a fight! Satelite bulls will actually sneak in while the herd bull is away or not right near by and horn cows to try to get them to go with them and the cows in most cases will give out very high pitched whiny type screams and the satelite will give little screams while trying to get her to go with him.

Anyway so I start this ruteen and work my way away from the herd and where I think the bull is, then I stop the cenario when im a good 100 yards away from where I started then sneak back into where I think the bull will show. It only takes a second to hear him thundering through the thick brush toward me I ready my self where I think he will show himself but I hear him stop 20 yards into the brush from where I am, and he is tearing the heck out of a vine maple as I can see the top of it being thrashed around and I can see smalls bits of him now and then as he thrashes. All this time his herd is still moving away, I can hear them getting further and further away. he rakes for 15 min and moves away. I tried calling him back but at this point he doesnt want his cows getting any further away in fear another bull may come in and steal them away.

I left these Elk after this and I will let them cool down for a week and go back in after them and see what developes. I headed up to some other areas for the rest of the day till now and saw no Elk but did get some responses from bulls while doing location bugles into some deep knarly canyons, they are always options as far as Elk I can try to work but I like to stay down in those canyons for at least a couple nights or its not worth it because they are so steep!.

Ill keep you all posted! I will be hunting all day friday then a half day monday and then the 22 23 24 25 all day so I have high hopes! And the rut is just getting started!

[lowell]

Cool stories...feel like I'm with you and really wish I was.  Never hunted elk but it sure sounds like fun!! 

   Best of luck to you!!!!!!

[Elktracker]

It is its a BLAST! I absolutely love interacting with the Elk! They should be getting fired up even more in the next week or two, hopeing for some cooler weather and then its game on! Thanks

Josh