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Lark Bunting

New member
Sep 14, 2016
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I was wondering if you could post up your elk hunting story from last year. (Correct me if I am wrong) I believe last year was your first elk kill, right? Since I am only going on my second year of hunting I would like to read it again and let me son read it also.

I remember reading it back in the fall but I did a search on the other site and couldn\'t find it.

Tom
 
lark i will post it, but take is as alot of dont do this.
last year was my second season of huntin elk, first one with a bow. i had gotten some help from some folks out here an was looking forward to season. i hunted quite abit an seen some elk but hadnt been able to close the deal. on the 23nd of september i went back up by myself an set up camp. i decided i was gonna go on a quick evening hunt afterwards so i went out an did a cold calling sequence, while i was standing in the middle of a lane because i didnt think i would have an elk come. well i stood there for about 5 minutes an i look up an here comes an elk right at me. so i back off the trail about 15 yds an realized i couldnt shoot from there, so i went back up to the edge. after seen some bone on his head i got all excited. at 40 he stopped but i couldnt see if he was legal, so i cow called softly. well he came right at me to 10 yds. turned out he was a spike an not legal, but i couldnt have shot anyway. so, dont call in the open, dont back into thick brush, dont think a elk wont come, an im not sure about calling when they are that close cause he came right at me with no shot. so anyway he finally walked off. i was pumped full of confidence. i hunted an called the rest of the evening without any success. 24th, i went farther in an climbed several steep moutainsides, seeing alot of sign but no elk. was cold calling cause it worked the day before. after several climbs i was worn completely out an in a bad frame of mind. as i was setting there resting a cow an calf came by at 125 yds, so i cow called at her. well she turned an went up the mountain in a flash. not sure why (no i dont own a hoochie). so after she ran off i was doubting calling again. hadnt heard any bugles in a day of hunting. as i walked out i found a spot that looked really good, so i went back to camp an got some lunch an planned for the hunt. i was pretty tired an dis spirited after all the climbing. i drove to a near by town an had a hot lunch an was texting cnelk. he said to keep at it, an elk would just show up when i least expected, an to try raking trees. so i went back out that afternoon an climbed again to my new found spot. i was sure this was the spot. set there for several hours an didnt see a thing. night time came an back i went to camp. i had put on several miles of climbing as was tired. an after a long season of not getting it done i was mentally beat. day 3 found me at the bottom of the mountainside i had to climb, an i didnt want to. i ran thru all kinds of excuses not to climb, wind was wrong, no point after not seeing any elk the night before, take it easy an get some rest then hit it hard later. you name it. but i decided i would climb an made myself do it. after i got to the top an my spot again i took a good sized limb an raked a tree pretty hard for a few minutes, stomped the ground, generally making alot of noise. then i SAT DOWN. dont sit down while your bowhunting, especially after you just tried to call one in even if it wasnt elk sounds. but i was tired an figured i would set for a few minutes then get up. about 5 minutes or so later i looked over my left shoulder an there he was, a 5x5, at 15 yds. i had knocked an arrow but he was angling towards me so i didnt have a shot an was sittin down with my bow on the ground beside me. if he had kept walking he would have gotten away without a shot cause i couldnt have gotten turned around an shot over my right shoulder. but, he didnt. he turned around an started back where he came from, i assume he was looking for the bull that had made the racket, an not seeing him was headed back towards the other elk. so anyway he took a couple steps an i picked up my bow an drew over my left shoulder still sitting down. the bull stopped between two trees with nothing but his vitals showing, how often does that happen. i shot him at around 20 yds. he took off an i thought i could see the arrow sticking out of him behind the front shoulder, i watched him go up the hill, or so i thought. well i set there or 30 minutes to get myself calmed down, then decided to look for blood. i went to the spot an found none, zero, not a drop. i went back to where i made the shot an looked it over thinking i was in the wrong spot. went back an looked, nothing. i started to think i hit a tree an thats the noise i heard. i looked in alll the surrounding trees for my arrow. couldnt find that either. about that time another bull started bugling about 200 yds from me. i wont lie i thought i had missed an was thinking about going after the bugling bull. but i didnt cause i wasnt sure what had happened yet with mine. so i started tracking him with his tracks he left in the mud. after about 50 yds i found a spot of blood, small but there. then lost it, then found another spot a few yds away. finally i found a spot about the size of a half dollar about 75 yds from where i hit him. it had bubbles in it an bright red so i was sure i had a lung shot but couldnt understand the complete lack of a blood trail. thougth maybe i had one lunged him somehow. well i followed a drop here an there, losing it several times. but turned out where i though he went up the mountain he had turned an headed down instead. i almost went the wrong direction. i topped a ridge about 125 yds away from where i shot still following a very weak blood trail an all the sudden there he was 25 yds away, dead. turned out i hit him right behind the front shoulder an hit him middle of the chest. but, he was above me an the arrow was angling up. so i got both lungs but high, the arrow hit the off side shoulder bone so i only had one entry wound. the bull bled out very quickly but bled internally an filled up, hence the lack of a trail. also, he ran right into the bull that was bugling an his cows, i think thats why the buglin bull went nuts, my bull busted his harem an he wasnt happy. i took several pics an the emotions were at a high. while i was dressing him the bull bugled across a valley, an a moose was right below me moaning. it was a perfect morning. as i was by myself i had to carry him out. i packed all the meat i could carry into my backpack, it was almost impossible to get it on my back, an started out. grabbed a saw from the truck after dropping the first load an headed back. i figured at least two more trips an maybe three. well i had to climb to the top again an it was killing me. so, i loaded my pack with a ton of meat, strapped the head on the outside, an with every thing i had in me, on the third attempt, i got it on my back. i grabbed the last load of meat in my arms an started down the hill with all that weight. let me say deadfall has a whole new meaning after that. i was so thankful i had a good stiff pair of leather boots on or i woulda popped a ankle, im sure of it. at the bottom of the mountain i dropped the load in my arms an packed the rest to my car, went back an got the last load an packed up an left. in hindsight i shoulda stayed for my bear an hunted over the carcass, but i was exhausted, dirty, hungry, an wanted to go share with my family an friends the amazing even i had just been a part of. i owe my elk to members on here prodding me to perservere, making myself put the work in even though i didnt want to, alot of luck, an a small amount of skill.
sorry its so poorly written, i dont have much time right now. hope it helps. stick with it, as brad says, it will happen when you least expect it.
 
Thank you for posting it again. I was reading it to my son last night and it provided a bit of a spark for him to get out and shoot more. We\'re in the busy-as-hell time of year with Lacrosse 3 nights each week, games on Saturday\'s and my daughter has made the competitive gymnastics team with three practices and meets to attend...all this on top of me working 56 hours last week. I now see why people go postal... :mg:

I enjoy the \"First Hunt\" stories more since I\'ve yet to take a big game animal.

Thanks again!

Tom
 
Great story Scott! :upthumb:

Loved the \"don\'t do this\" theme (and trust me, I\'ve done all of it)! :lolno:
 
thanks guys, it was poorly written cause didnt have much time. but it describes the heart of the hunt. yea i could write a book on what not to do while hunting. ive pulled about all the dumb stunts you can. but in a way thats what draws me back, knowing i wont always win.
 
Scott, great story and, I too, like the \"don\'t do this theme\". I\'ve made all those mistakes and more, but that\'s how we learn...or at least that\'s how I learn. Sometimes the hunting Gods just smile on us.
 
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