So there I was... or Once Upon A Time? Anyway it's been a great trip down here to CO/WY. Just like I'm in the Twilight Zone between the field and home right now, this trip was in the zone somewhere between hunting and killing; not what I'd call a true hunt but more than just a killing. Persuing a 20 critter herd on 1200 acres of low fenced open range. The greatest part of the trip was by far all the wonderful people and new friends that I've come to know and all the knowledge freely given. You guys just can't comprehend how hard these critters are to kill unless you've experienced it. We had 8 bison to put on the ground and process in 2 days so we were plenty busy. Will (iamyourhuckleberry) warned me that there was going to be a lot of "ball busting work" but I'd term it more accurately as "ball busting fun". We started out on day 1 not being able to find the herd. Skinny Dave and I went looking for them in the drainages and I found them, or maybe they found me? In any case we found each other and at real close range! I had the herd at 5 - 15 yards but couldn't identify a shooter out of the bunch. We were targeting 3.5 y/o cows and the one I settled my sights on turned to show that it was an older 6-8 y/o matriarch cow from the bunch about the time she spotted me and spooked. We caught up to them again a couple hours later and the guys layed 2 down with the rifles. The herd milled about a bit after that and gave us the opportunity to use the truck as a blind for me to get a shot from riding "shotgun" on the back deck. I got a 47 yard shot and put the arrow clean through her just at the back of the ribs quartering away slightly (A little far back due to a just plain muffed shot in a stiff breeze.) The Elite Z28 at 70# with a 580 grain Axis performed perfectly. She cut out from the herd and the rancher and I agreed to drop her with the rifle if I was going to have to screw around much to get a 2nd shot in her. I got in to 50 yards and was trying to get the angle on her for another shot when Stan dropped her with a shot to the back of the head from the .243 but that didn't do it. She dropped but wasn't done yet. We went up and cut her carotid and it still took 10 -15 min. for her to expire; arrow through the liver, shot to the head and still 15 minutes to bleed out! I'm telling ya, these things are tough!!! I'm 100% certain that she would have died from the first shot and that I would have put another into her since she wasn't even moving from me as I went in on her. However, we just didn't have the time for it with the work load we had cut out for us and the weather deteriorating. The rest of the next 2 days was spent skinning and caring for the rest of the critters in 4 degree temp.'s. As anyone would expect, Will was a fabulous host and I had a great time visiting with him, his wonderful family and all the great new friends I met on this trip. Notice the curled up "Rob" horn. Is it a curse of the name?... Here's the rest of the pictures from my camera. Will has some great pics, video and a much more professional quality write-up that I'm sure he'll be adding soon. http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh22/robswanson/Hunting/Bison 09/?albumview=slideshow Time to pack and start the long trek back to the darkness and warmth of the north country.
That is one of my dream hunts. I've always wanted to go Bison hunting. I think the meat is delicious.
Sounds like you had a great time Rob. Congrats and thanks for taking time to share your trip and photos with us. The buffalo with a bow is one of my wifes wish trips. Hell, me to.
I never leave home without one; prarie dogs, ptarmigan, stumps... anything that it'll kill that I don't want to lose a $20 broadhead tipped arrow on. They're just plain fun to shoot.
447# hanging weight. Not quite as big as the only moose I've weighed (505# of boned out meat) but definitely the 2nd biggest critter I've killed with the bow so far.
Very nice Rob. And LMAO, a Rob bison! It might go hand and hand with the name! Careful what you wish for. :p
