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Very nice bull. Congrats.

Okay, Okay, here's the story

This bull was taken from a tree stand (insert gasp here). I will admit that tree stand hunting elk is definitely NOT the most exciting way to hunt them... and really pretty darned boring for most of the time. It is, however, very effective, especially when dealing with early season elk that aren't talking. My tree stand is set up over a very small "seep" that appears above ground for a very short distance and then disappears again, below ground. This has been a wallow in the past, but it isn't used every year.... However, with the hot/dry weather we've been having, it's only a matter of time before the critters get thirsty.

So, I sat this stand nearly every day since the season opened. I nearly had a nice bull on the 1st day, that came in from behind me, and stood DIRECTLY under my stand. I had only been there for an hour, but his sniffer knew something wasn't quite right. He was a respectable 5x5, and I badly wanted to get a shot off, but he was simply too close to risk much movement... It seemed almost like I could reach down and grab an antler He never did spook, but he didn't come into my shooting lanes either. He simply turned around (hitting his antler on my ladder) and walked back the same way he had come.

The following days didn't produce much action, except for a single cow that skirted my effective shooting lane & just wouldn't come closer. Before my good fortune with the bull pictured above, my freezer was void of elk meat, and I certainly wasn't about to let a juicy cow get a free pass. None the less, she didn't offer me a shot, and as it turns out, I'm glad she didn't.

Thursday, a week ago, I was sitting in the stand wondering why the elk weren't in the area, when I heard a faint bugle far below me. The elk, having been mostly silent, and knowing that other hunters were in the area, I wrote it off as a bugling hunter. 30 minutes later, I hear it again, but it's closer and this time I heard a single distinct/unique chuckle at the end of the bugle. It sounded very "authentic" and at that point I'm telling myself "that's either the real deal, or it's a hunter that is very good with a call". So I pull out my cow call and give one short mew followed by a slightly longer meeewww, and then I shut up.

Over my years elk hunting, my calling strategy has evolved from calling a bunch to hardly ever using a call (bugle or cow call). This is especially true when confined to one position in a tree stand, because I don't have the ability to move locations and I quite honestly don't want them "looking" for me. I much rather have them come in without the expectation of seeing another elk... this strategy clearly changes when hunting with a calling partner on the ground. This bull that had been bugling was still a ways out, so I felt comfortable in letting him know I was "over here" without giving away my precise location.

Nearly 45 minutes had passed and I hadn't seen or heard any indication of the bull. I figured he may have skirted my position, or perhaps he simply wasn't interested... it was, after all, pretty early to be chasing the girls around. About that time, my gaze shifts from my right side to directly in front of me, and there stands a magnificent 6x6 bull at approximately 80 yards. He was stationary, just looking, and I was convinced he had seen my head move. Damn it, I'm telling my self. He looks for several seconds longer (looking for that mysterious cow, no doubt), and then proceeds to walk directly at me. This is great, except my bow is still on the bow hanger, and I don't feel that I can move without him spotting me. He's walking at a normal elk pace, but it's happening faster than I want it too. His head goes behind the last tree I can use for cover, so I reach for my bow and get my hand on the grip, but he's quickly out from behind the tree and still walking directly at me. So, the bow stays on the hanger, while I pray for the bull to stop or get distracted, or do something (anything) that would allow me to move into position. 30 yards, 20, 10... I finally decide I need to do something, or I'll be forced to watch this bull walk away, just like the one on opening day. Throwing caution to the wind, I quickly take my bow off the hanger, hook up my release (hard to do when you're shaking with excitement), and draw. He's now at 5 yards and turns to follow the trail that goes behind my tree stand... I settle the pin and let the arrow go (at something less than 5 yards). The bull jumps and runs off 35 yards behind me. He's standing there wondering what just happened, and I'm expecting him to start wobbling... but it's not happening. It all happened so quickly; I begin to have doubts, but there is NO WAY that arrow missed.

After waiting for the bull to drop for 45 seconds, or so, I come to my senses and nock another arrow. I can see the upper 1/2 of the vital zone, but the vegetation is thick, so I'll have to "thread the needle". Again, I draw, settle the pin, check my level, and squeeze. This time I see the arrow hit the bull & I know I've hit my mark. The bull lurches, falls to the ground, swaps ends, and heads to the bottom of the canyon. My composure leaves me, as I begin to shake... better sit down before I fall out of this tree. As I relive the events in my head, it begins to rain. Uh-oh. This bull isn't going to get the customary hour wait time; I need to start on the blood trail now, before the rain washes all sign away. I get out of my stand and it begins to pour. The blood trail was good to begin, but as the rain came down, it was harder and harder to follow. Not to mention the difficulty in staying upright on a steep, slippery, slope. I trailed the bull until nearly dark, when I got to a point I could not find any more blood. Feeling very unconfident at this point, I knew the best course of action would be to let this bull sit overnight, and hope to recover him in the morning.

After a sleepless night, I took up the trail again the next morning. I still could not find the next drop of blood, so I began walking the likely routes from the last blood. 100 yards from where I had given up the night before, I hear something, and I see a bull stand up. It's "my" bull. I literally said out loud: "You've got to be #$&%ing kidding me". He's alarmed, but clearly not feeling well at all & is hesitant to move. I nock another arrow, settle, the pin, and let the 35 yard shot go. Again. This time I hit the heart & it was done in short order. As I walk up to him I realize I've killed my biggest bull in 21 years of elk hunting. I was elated, and I got to share the experience with my Dad, who has ALWAYS been there for me (thanks Pa!). I still can't believe that bull lived through the night. It may have been a blessing, however, because I didn't loose any meat to ground spoilage.

As for the pack out... it was steep, slippery, and required going over / through deadfall timber. It sucked. It was also worth every fall and curse word we had on the way out

The end.

Here's another photo showing the location of my second shot from the tree stand... very slightly high, so it must have missed the lungs.

Selling yourself short there, nothing wrong with taking one from a treestand or an improvised tree stand. Had there been a tree(s) available one year that I hunted the Missouri Breaks I could have killed a bull of a lifetime.

great story, love the part where the 5x5 hits his antlers against your treestand steps.
Congrats.

Very nice bull. Congrats!

Story makes it all the better! Just a great, honest bull earned the hard way, patience and skill. Very nice job congratulations on the hunt.

Fine looking wapiti! Lots of good eats right there man. Congrats

Congrats! Thanks for posting.

Congrats on a Great bull!

I'm heading up tomorrow and hope to have a bull volunteer to come home with me too!

Great story. Congrats my friend

Thanks for sharing your cool story and congratulations on a great bull!

Very, very cool.
Great work.
Congrats.

Nice bull. Congrats.

awesome story, and fantastic bull.

so where did the first shot hit him? or was that shot a clean miss? just hard to imagine that bull being alive when you found him the next morning.

thanks for sharing! I dont get to hunt this year, so these stories is as good as my elk season gets!

Congrats on a great bull done on your own. Good on you, thanks for posting.

Beautiful bull, congrats!

That's a beauty.

ANY elk with a bow, is a good elk.

That sir, is a fantastic bull! Congratulations.

Nice!
I've thought about a treestand , but all of my fav OTC archery areas have so much water and so many wallows, that I can't decide if a treestand is a good idea or not.

Casey