A friend and I ventured to North Central Wyoming (Unit 45) bowhunting. Saw lots of wildlife including some elk. We were bouncing around different areas and weren't hearing a ton of bugling. On a few mornings they were bugling hard and On my 3rd evening, I found a herd bull bugling hard across a stream but ran out of light. Came back the next morning and he was bugling before first light and continued on as we tried to close the distance. He'd only come so far on the cow calls so I was trying to sneak in close enough for a shot but just ran out of time. I probably got within about 70 to 80 yards but never got a look at him. The swirling wind change gave me up and the bull and his cows scattered across the hillside above. While this was going on I looked over across a little section of meadow and saw a satellite bull going the other way. After he went out of sight I snuck along a little trough in the backside of meadow and beat him to the corner. I didn't play it well at all from then on. I was focusing on where I thought he'd come down and was too focused on that one spot. I waited and waited for just a glimpse of tan to draw on and then caught movement to my right. He'd come out in another spot right into the meadow. I moved my bow over and he caught the movement. I was behind a downed tree and he could see the top of my hat. I figured what the heck and drew bow sideways and popped up into shooting position. I couldn't believe he didn't bolt. It was so close i didn't need to range him. I put the pin on his vitals and released. Thwack! I had hit the top of that downed tree and arrow flew off into never never land. The bull turned and trotted off. I went back to camp feeling a tinge of disappointment. He wasn't a monster bull but bigger than those I'd taken thus far. So I did some thinking that evening and reflected on past hunts. I'd taken a bad shot in Utah a few years back and just felt that after this slip that I needed to make a good shot on an animal. The next day I was sneaking along calling...waiting a few minutes after each sequence...then moving up and repeating the process....heard a few cracks of branches and saw the legs coming....The bull made his way up the hillside below me coming from right to left....he got behind some trees and i drew my bow...He came into my shooting lane and stopped....I picked my spot and made the shot....he wheeled around and ran downhill as i pulled out the cow call and gave him a few blasts...he stopped....I heard him breathe heavy...and he fell over....expired within another minute....I'd accomplished what I set out to and it was a double lung shot with a complete pass thru. He wasn't the monster bull I had thoughts of when I started out on that trip but I'm very happy I made a good shot and it was a confidence builder for me. The trip was so much more than that with the moose, deer, antelope, and other wildlife....getting charged by a bull moose on the last day of hunt....the fishing.....just hearing the bulls bugle....meeting two forest service workers who invited us to dinner....etc...I was shooting my Matthews Reezen with Gold Tip Hunter 5575 arrows and Tight Points 125 grain broadheads....
Hey congrats thats awesome. Any elk with a bow is a trophy. Can't beat chasing elk in the hills. Congrats again
Way to go. I agree with cowboy, any elk with a bow is an accomplishment. Just bow hunting elk is a thrill.
Good job on the elk. I grew up hunting that area and still hunt it today whenever one of us can draw a tag.
Congrats on the elk. Starting to plan an elk hunt for next fall. Love reading success stories. I would like to hear more about the bull moose charging you. That had to be intense.
