The Boomerang Bull

[Rattler]

I finally have some time to post up my elk hunt from earlier this fall...been busy moose hunting and will post that story shortly.

I couldn’t wait for the elk season to begin and it finally arrived. Myself and a couple buddies hiked into one of our spots. A couple basins later trudging through Rhodendron we arrived at our first basin soaked from rain and sweat.

We hadn’t been there a minute or so before the thunder cracked above us. After 5 or so minutes the rain let up just in time for our first bugle. I bugled back but no response. We tried cow calling and nothing. We waited 30min thinking the bull might be coming in quietly.

We decided to head up further in the direction of the bugle. We maybe went 200m. I was in the lead and was hiking below an alder patch when all of a sudden a bull lip bawled bugled at us from less than 20 yards...I just about crapped myself lol. I flipped my gun off my shoulder and pushed the safety off. We all looked at each other like deer in headlights. In moments like this you can hear a pin drop and hope the animal can’t hear your heartbeat. It wasn’t long before he winded us and took off. My buddy caught a quick glimpse and saw antlers but no count or shot could be made.

We made the decision to hike into a basin further up a tributary drainage. After another hour we were just about into the basin when we heard a bugle. We set up and called but after a while it became apparent this bull wasn’t coming in. He was challenge bugelling us like crazy...just awesome. We all met up and made a game plan that would see myself and buddy hike up towards the bull while my other friend stayed back calling.

Well the hike up was grim due to the 6’ Rhododendron and was much steeper than it looked. I could hear the bull but he sounded a long ways off. We set up and called but he didn’t come in, despite our best efforts including raking trees. We pulled the pin because I knew the wind was going to shift.

We met up with my buddy and decided to hike up to see if we could see a better view of the basin. I just sat down and spotted a bull and 3 cows. Now I understood why he didn’t come in.
I quickly pulled out the spotter and confirmed he was a six point. I managed to get some spotter pics.






To to be continued...dinner time.

[HarryToolips]

Beauty pics, can't wait for the rest....

[Rattler]

I looked at my watch and it was almost 1:30. We figured it would take over two hours to get to him and elected to make a try for him the next day. The weather was crappy and we were cold and wet, which aided this decision.After a long hike out I started to wonder about my sanity going that far back for elk.

A quick call to Brambles and I said I held up our deal and found a bull while he worked his last shift. The plan was for the four of us to head back after that bull. I was happy heading to bed knowing there were going to be four of us going back there...

The alarm went off and we were on the road. The bush looked super wet and as we started hiking it wasn’t long before we were in snow. We arrived at our basin well after daylight. We changed into dry clothes and lit up the morning with the first bugle. I should state Brambles can really bugle and it wasn’t long after his bugle we heard a bugle from the same area the bull was yesterday but further up. We were trying to nail down his location when another bull bugled off to our left. We set up and called but never heard from him again.

A decision was made to make a move on the bull higher up. As we were getting ready I ended up spotting him moving through a opening and confirmed it was the same bull.

Game on....my buddy and I were going to circle further up the basin which would require an ugly steep climb up a mountain face. Brambles and my other buddy were going to make a plan on the other bull that went quiet. Off we went...

[Rattler]

After almost two hours of hiking straight up and feeling like I was goat hunting we were in position so I thought. We snuck over the ridge and started glassing but turned nothing up. I was starting to wonder if he moved out when he bugled. I thought any second we were going to see him and got my buddy ready for a shot. More bugles and still we couldn’t locate him. He sounded like he was 500 yards across from us but never showed himself.

We crept down another two hundred yards or so and bingo elk sign all over with fresh beds. I suggested my buddy set up by a short snag with an opening 60m below. He opted to sit 10m to my left with a view to another opening. I stayed at the snag because it offered a good view of an opening below me.

With my buddy in position I cow called and right away the bull bugled. Again he sounded a ways off. I challenged bugled him and he went mad. I have to say there is nothing quite like a pissed off bull and I knew he was coming now. I was in the middle of exchanging bugles with the bull when I noticed a cow 50 yards below me. A minute goes by of silence then the bull lip bawled bugelled and he was less than 70 yards away! I thought damn I don’t have my rifle, it was laying two feet to my left. I thought my buddy was going to shoot, but could see he didn’t have a shot. I then looked back at the cow and she bolted. I quickly grabbed my rifle and noticed the bulls antlers moving through the trees. The bull stopped broadside at 60 yards in a small opening below me. I quickly flipped the safety off and managed to get a shot off before he ran off.

I was both happy and anxious at the same time. I really wanted my buddy to shoot and I knew we were in for potentially the longest elk pack out ever. We walked down found blood in the snow and started tracking. I didn’t go 60 yards and crested a small knoll to see this:

[Rattler]

He unfortunately died in some blowdown so that made the job of breaking him down a little harder. As I sat and admired the bull I realized his bugles were bouncing off the rock face above us hence like a boomerang. Brambles and my other buddy arrived 45 minutes later after hearing the shot. Pictures were taken and we quickly started boning out the bull.

[Rattler]

We managed to get all the meat in our packs and started hiking out with an hour before dark. 6 hours later we were at the trucks. What a brutal pack out!! We had to stop and take a break every 200m. Big thanks to my buddy for packing antlers. I tried but my pack was just too much and I knew I was going to hurt myself if I continued.

I cant thank my buddies enough. Good times with good friends!! Can’t wait for next year!

For those interested we weighed the meat and we packed out 368#. I was shooting my 300 wm Tikka T3 using 180gr Barnes TTSX. The shot was a double lung with next to no meat damage.

[Brambles]

With 150lb packs (meat and gear) it was terrible to need to rest...but you were sooo wet with sweat and the sub zero temps that you'd freeze your ass off...your only defence was to stand back up and keep moving. Good memories with good friends though.

[tinhorse]

Amazing how satisfying the bull will be on your plates after the work you went through to get it. Sounds like an awesome hunt. Great pics. Congrats

[tadpole]

The very top picture of the elk in a bushy branches is very artistic and worth framing. Congrats on a fantastic hunt.

[northof49]

Thats a dandy...congrats on a fine bull