Mikey Rafiki
09-07-2014, 06:43 PM
My dad was in town for the weekend so I decided to take him to one of my choice elk spots. I admit we slept in a bit, and it was almost shooting light by the time left the house. After a 30 minute drive we arrived at our spot, a landing at the end of a spur road near an old cut. We geared up and crept into the cut working our way along the ridge top. After seeing some fresh tracks we decided we didn't want to walk too far from the truck to avoid spooking anything that had been feeding there so we split up and settled in to do some calling. I let out a bugle, heard nothing, then started giving a few cow calls. My dad was 40 yards away and he started doing an occasional cow call as well. At first I thought that his cow calls were echoing off the other side of the valley in front of me, but then the calls multiplied and I realized that there must be a few cows below me about 100 yards. I shifted my position to line up a shooting lane in the direction of the cows and continued to call. Right away I heard something to my left making a steady move in my direction. About 80 yards away I could see this bull making its way towards me through some thick timber. He was downwind, but fortunately I had just sprayed some scent in the air and which I think had him excited. I had the safety off the crossbow and hoped he would keep coming, but he didn't. He held up for the longest 30 seconds of my life, then started to run. I thought, "BUSTED, there he goes!" But he wasn't running away, he was trotting towards me and started to come across the slope below. He slowed to a walk, perfectly broad side at 25 yards and I knew at that range I had to make a good shot regardless of my Bull Fever shakes. Thwack goes the bolt and then he trots off, and stops at 80 yards. I try to look at him with the binos to see if I made a good shot or could see blood coming out but all I could though the lens was a shaking forest and a blurry blonde blob. He then walked off seemingly unscathed.
We sit for an hour then start the tracking. A decent blood trail, but I would have liked to see more, and it starts to lighten up to a few drips and I start to get worried. 50 yards later my worries were gone as the bull was laying down, and he wasn't breathing, less than 100 yards from where he was shot. We lucked out as the pack was only 500 yards a little uphill and a little side hill but we had the meat in the truck 3 hours after I took the shot. Couldn't be happier to share this successful hunt with my dad and I hope I can help him connect with one later this season.
Mike
Shooters view
http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r685/MikeyRafiki/DSCF5849_zpsc0672443.jpg
The agonizing wait...
http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r685/MikeyRafiki/DSCF5847_zps6f9ff227.jpg
As Found
http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r685/MikeyRafiki/S0015856_zpsce510c0f.jpg
He does have a small legal 6th point near that tangle of velvet but it would have been a tough call during rifle season
http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r685/MikeyRafiki/S0045882_zps1476743b.jpg
We sit for an hour then start the tracking. A decent blood trail, but I would have liked to see more, and it starts to lighten up to a few drips and I start to get worried. 50 yards later my worries were gone as the bull was laying down, and he wasn't breathing, less than 100 yards from where he was shot. We lucked out as the pack was only 500 yards a little uphill and a little side hill but we had the meat in the truck 3 hours after I took the shot. Couldn't be happier to share this successful hunt with my dad and I hope I can help him connect with one later this season.
Mike
Shooters view
http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r685/MikeyRafiki/DSCF5849_zpsc0672443.jpg
The agonizing wait...
http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r685/MikeyRafiki/DSCF5847_zps6f9ff227.jpg
As Found
http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r685/MikeyRafiki/S0015856_zpsce510c0f.jpg
He does have a small legal 6th point near that tangle of velvet but it would have been a tough call during rifle season
http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r685/MikeyRafiki/S0045882_zps1476743b.jpg