Brambles 2017 Archery Elk

[Brambles]

Well crap.... since Ourea and Rattler posted up their stories I guess I can't be a pussy and hord mine.

I got off work September 5th, had a month booked off...then I had to work 2 tours that ran right into another month off. Used Sept 5th as a recovery day from nightshifts and to get my gear more squared away.

September 6th rolls around and I go in search of a bull that has been eluding me for years...never seen him, just seen his tracks. I work some low ground in the morning and head up onto a ridge for when the wind switched.
Still hunted the ridge for a couple kilometers with no sound or sign of elk, far to dry and the aspect was wrong. I knew better with the scorcher summer we had but it was a spot I wanted to hike for fun anyways. Thankfully I didn't shoot a bull that day because I woulda ate my gun if I had to pack one off there solo.

September 7th I picked a much more appropriate location, I start hiking at first light slowly working my way into no-mans land. I was Bugling and cow calling sporadically. Along my way I see a monster elk rub....certainly inspiring. Not much for sign but better than none.

5 or so hours into the hike I decide that its time for a sandwich. I remember thinking to myself that it wasn't the best place to sit down but "well crap, nothing is gonna come in when Im sitting here anyways"
I just finished by sangie and I hear a small branch break above me approx 80 yards. Now I don't know about the rest of you cowboys but my mind immediately goes to "bear until proven otherwise" LOL.

A split second after the "Bear" notion I hear an antler knock a tree.....at this point my interest is peaked.

At this point I'm gonna walk away from the computer for a pee break and pull a Srupp and let you sweat it out for an undetermined amount of time.....lol....I wont take long... I promise.

[Brambles]

So after I hear the antler knock, I start burning through the bush with my eagle eyes and see a bull elk walking down the mountain coming right for me, he then takes a minor detour through some brush, working his way to my right. I let out a couple soft cow calls, and I slide down into a deep depression Im sitting on the edge of.... He clears the brush and is still coming in my direction.

I range a tree at my furthest shot opportunity at 31 yards, he doesn't slow down as he cruises past the tree and now he's headed straight towards me. Only offering a full frontal shot, I decide to wait.

This bull is showing ZERO care in the world....full suicide march. Now the only problem with him coming into my right was this one erroneously placed 3" pecker pole piece of deadfall that was suspended horizontally 3-4 ish feet off the ground approx 12 yards in front of me. He walks right up to the deadfall and cuts hard to my right 90% broadside. The deadfall was spanning right across his prime vitals but I aim just below it and go for a heart shot and send an arrow on its way.

[Brambles]

I see the arrow JUST miss the deadfall and THAWACK bury all but 8" of the arrow shaft right behind the elbow. The bull spins and runs his backtrail right to where he came from.

I hear him moving around for 10 minutes or so up above me, then nothing......did he die??.....did he move out of earshot?? It was ALL I could do to wait 20 minutes, though I knew I should wait an hour. I replay the shot in my head and think, was it too low? was the shoulder forward or back? Is he just laying up there?

[Brambles]

I convince myself to go look for blood to see how much I had to work with. He started bleeding within 20 feet or so, and after 20 yards he dumped 2 large 1 foot by 18" pools of blood, pretty good since he didn't stand there, he was running past. I figured this one is dead just up the hill..

Ever so slowly I start ribboning the blood trail and start working straight uphill.....decent blood all the way up....after 200 yards I can hear something moving quietly in the bush in the direction the bull went......the hell with this I don't want to bump him out of his bed.. I pull out and hike all the damn way back to the truck to grab some more bodies. It was painful coming out empty but it was the smart play.

[35 Whelen]

OK....I went for a leak and back......more please

[Brambles]

I manage to get a hold of 2 guys. My brother and a coworker(we'll call him CT).....Rattler was at work and couldn't break free.

We hike all the way back in and pick up blood. But almost immediately it starts thinning out. After a couple of spots where we had to CSI the area we came to a deadfall coral and we lost the blood. I start doing a loop above and Brother and CT keep looking for blood. 10 minutes later I hear them call me that they found blood so I come back down and we start side hilling the slope. Blood is spotty but followable. We have to slide though a few brushy spots and half way through one Brothers eye's get big. The bull just getting out of his bed but can't stand, just leaning against a tree. I slide forward and put in a finishing shot, the bull slides down off the tree and I run up and grab his antlers and hold him down while he goes to sleep. This is now 7 hours after the shot...wow, what a relief.

[Brambles]

We have an hour before dark and after a few pictures while fighting off blackflies and mosquitoes we get to work. Bro and I have dealt with our fair share of elk but CT hadn't seen it done, gutless method and 100% deboned in 1 hour. Loading the packs in the dark and the 3 hour march out by headlamp to the truck the bull was out in one trip.

[Rattler]

As I told you when you called killing a bull elk with a bow and the way you accomplished is quite the feat!! Wish I could have been there...always next year. Job well done on all accounts.

[35 Whelen]

Thanks for sharing Brambles.......bucket list for me, but with these knees now, it may be a while.

[Brambles]