Yep and it's a good thing too. For my line of work I bill out more hours in August and September then anytime the rest of the year, and as the saying goes about making hay while the sunshines , I grin and bear it. Well it sure does cut into hunting time , with the weather taking a turn from perfect harvesting weather to cool drizzly fall weather the phone calls tapered off.
So on day 30 I got out for my second afternoon of bow season and had been doing some significant scouting on a chunk of crownland/ grazing lease that is surrounded by private land. This was too try and track down and pattern the small band of elk raiding the neighbouring farms crops and hay lot. This is the area where my Dad drew a cow elk tag, so I figured it doesn't hurt to learn it some what.
I took my time wandering thru the lease going slow and working the wind, I had 3 tags in my pack so I was up for Anything, a wt, Md, or an elk. But being my first year in 20 back with a bow my expectations were real , odds are stacked against me. Some where maybe an hour or so before sunset I thought I heard a cow elk mew, I answered with a open reed call and waited, nothing. Maybe it was the wind or something else but I couldn't be sure . I gained some altitude up to the top of the ridge as I scanned the valley to south I took in the beautiful fall colors a mix aspen, poplar and birch. With the bottom all willow. Breathtaking .
With 45 minutes now before sunset I figured I had better start working my way back to my work truck. I hadn't gotten very far down an old cattle trail leading off the other side of the ridge when I heard a cow elk mew, this time it was un mistakable and close. Sounded like 50 yrds or so down the trail and to the right. I proceeded slowly knocking an arrow and getting my open reed call ready. I made it 4-5 strides when then bush on my left exploded, I dropped down made my self small all the while scanning the woods, I made I light mew. I could see an animal between 25-30 yrds looking my way, as it turned I identified it in seconds as a bull elk. I had no shooting lane so a I back pedalled about 3 steps the lane opened up I could see shoulder and vitals and that's it. I think the rest is muscle memory from practice , but I was at full draw felt the kisser on my mouth , settled my 30 yrd pin tight behind the shoulder and tripped the release. Wow what happend, I never heard a thing no thwack no thud , nothing I can see him moving away from me going north and east but he isn't in a hurry, then I hear a Big Crunch like a rotten log being broke.
By this time light seems to be fading fast I search for my arrow and blood but nothing, I follow the freshly turned up leaves for 10 yrds I find blood alot of it on a blow down. I follow the trail and find my first animal in 20 years with a bow, and my first bull elk ever.
I am shaking I'm ecstatic I'm pumped , I'm running out of light....if I don't find and mark a trail out to my truck before dark ill never be able to locate where he is in the dark. I turn to almost panic mode following the cow trail snapping off willows at 6' to leave a trail. I use two big evergreens at the bottom of the ridge as land marks and find the path heading east. I get back to my truck as the sun sets. Whew. Now the work begins... To be continued
So on day 30 I got out for my second afternoon of bow season and had been doing some significant scouting on a chunk of crownland/ grazing lease that is surrounded by private land. This was too try and track down and pattern the small band of elk raiding the neighbouring farms crops and hay lot. This is the area where my Dad drew a cow elk tag, so I figured it doesn't hurt to learn it some what.
I took my time wandering thru the lease going slow and working the wind, I had 3 tags in my pack so I was up for Anything, a wt, Md, or an elk. But being my first year in 20 back with a bow my expectations were real , odds are stacked against me. Some where maybe an hour or so before sunset I thought I heard a cow elk mew, I answered with a open reed call and waited, nothing. Maybe it was the wind or something else but I couldn't be sure . I gained some altitude up to the top of the ridge as I scanned the valley to south I took in the beautiful fall colors a mix aspen, poplar and birch. With the bottom all willow. Breathtaking .
With 45 minutes now before sunset I figured I had better start working my way back to my work truck. I hadn't gotten very far down an old cattle trail leading off the other side of the ridge when I heard a cow elk mew, this time it was un mistakable and close. Sounded like 50 yrds or so down the trail and to the right. I proceeded slowly knocking an arrow and getting my open reed call ready. I made it 4-5 strides when then bush on my left exploded, I dropped down made my self small all the while scanning the woods, I made I light mew. I could see an animal between 25-30 yrds looking my way, as it turned I identified it in seconds as a bull elk. I had no shooting lane so a I back pedalled about 3 steps the lane opened up I could see shoulder and vitals and that's it. I think the rest is muscle memory from practice , but I was at full draw felt the kisser on my mouth , settled my 30 yrd pin tight behind the shoulder and tripped the release. Wow what happend, I never heard a thing no thwack no thud , nothing I can see him moving away from me going north and east but he isn't in a hurry, then I hear a Big Crunch like a rotten log being broke.
By this time light seems to be fading fast I search for my arrow and blood but nothing, I follow the freshly turned up leaves for 10 yrds I find blood alot of it on a blow down. I follow the trail and find my first animal in 20 years with a bow, and my first bull elk ever.
I am shaking I'm ecstatic I'm pumped , I'm running out of light....if I don't find and mark a trail out to my truck before dark ill never be able to locate where he is in the dark. I turn to almost panic mode following the cow trail snapping off willows at 6' to leave a trail. I use two big evergreens at the bottom of the ridge as land marks and find the path heading east. I get back to my truck as the sun sets. Whew. Now the work begins... To be continued
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