Having a four day weekend I planned on doing some elk hunting Saturday but I didn�t plan on really getting after it until the last week of the season. I took the idiot dog out quail and grouse hunting at first light. We got one grouse and four quail so that went well enough. About 8 am the dog and I where driving down an old grown over logging road when a hundred yards or so down the road I spot a cow standing in the brush looking am me. I just stopped the truck and watched as four cows, three calves and this bull walked across the road and up into the 25 year old reproduction growth above the trail. I slowly backed the truck out of the area and left as quietly as possible. We hunted a birds a couple more hours and headed home. I didn�t have my bow with me because, �I never see elk in this area.�

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I headed home, dropped off the dog, got geared up, grabbed the tree stand and headed back up. I planned to set up the stand near where the elk crossed the road that morning. I dumped the truck a half mile short of where I wanted to hunt, grabbed my stuff and took off about 5pm. I had not gone down the old logging road 10 minutes and I hear elk crashing through the dry reprod. I figured I got busted but that�s cool. I thought I�d just set up the stand and hang out anyway. Then I spot a cow chowing down on grass along the trail. I set the stand down as quietly as I could and took one side step deeper into the brush on the left side of the side trail. The cow lasered 104 yards. I snuck forward another 20 or so yards as a calf stepped next to the cow. Then the bull walked past the cows towards me. I had enough brush between us that I was able to laser him at 64 yards. As the bull feed I took a side step right to clear some brush. Before I could draw he lifted up his head and pegs me. I was frozen but the wind was now over my back and I was screwed. The three elk I could see and few others bolted up the canyon and away. I gave a few soft mews as they ran. I also soaked myself in a bunch of cow in estrus stuff I had in my pack.

Even though I got busted I figured I�d still set up the stand and wait for dark. I snuck a few hundred more yards past where the elk had gone up the canyon. I tried to look up into the reprod best I could but the most I could see was 10-20 yards max. The wind was now blowing from the elk�s escape route to me. Listening it sounded like an elk or two may still have been up above me, so I stopped and just waited. A quad of a beater truck could make it down this trail so I�m half expecting other hunters any time, one of those places you don�t expect private hunting, but out of the way enough there is usually deer, bear and birds. Anyhow, I lazed brush up wind of me at 42, 64 and 82 yards. Well that cow in heat piss might actually work because after another 15 minutes or so of walking around up there the bull drops down into the trail facing straight away from me. He walked a few more steps straight away and then turned broadside slightly quartering away in a classic archery presentation, giving me a suicide look.

I pulled back my bow, settled between the pins and punched the trigger on my release. The arrow was perfectly in line as it arched towards the bull. It twacked hard, sending the bull twisting away from me and sprinting around the canyon. I gave a couple soft cow calls and looked at my watch it was 6:02pm. I could hear the bull moving away from me, breathing heavily with lots of fluid in his breath. He ran maybe 100 yards and crashed down into the brush below the old trail. His crash didn�t seem to go very far and then nothing. The way his breath sounded I felt good but I wasn�t sure if I had hit high or low. I snuck quietly down to where the bull was standing when I had shot. In the escape trail maybe 15 yards farther I saw the back third of my arrow with the fletchings. Blood on the shaft. I waited maybe fifteen minutes total since the shot then moved forward to where I hoped to find the bull. I didn�t find blood for maybe fifty yards then a few spots in the grass. Keeping an eye down the canyon and listening for any movement I crept along. I spotted antler tips sticking above some brush. The bull was done. He either died and fell down or broke his neck falling into a doug fir. It was maybe 6:30 pm when I got to work. From the sounds of the elk breathing and crashing I believe the bull was dead within 2-3 minutes. I was alone but luckily didn�t have a long pack.


This is how I found the bull.

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The Buck 110 is pointed at the entrance point for the arrow tipped with a 100 Thunderhead.

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The works in the back of the toyota after the work was over.

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At my dad's place after changing into a not so bloody shirt.

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My 13 year old son and 15 year old daughter after the high school football game.

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Not counting tenderloins and scraps the four quarters and back strap weighed 224 this morning hanging at �The Butcher Shop� in Eagle Point, Oregon. Jim Daniken a great guy and the taxidermist I dropped the head and hide off to this morning believes the bull to have been two and a half years old. The head will become a skull mount on myrtle wood plaque and hide will be tanned with hair on.

Right on

awesome. wow. congrats!

Thanks, it was the easy one that you earn with a whole bunch of 10-15 mile days. But I'll take it. I love the look of dark fresh backstrap.

Awesome, Rogue! Even with a decent elk population in Southern Oregon, one can hunt all day for many days/miles without even seeing any fresh elk sign. I usually find them like you did in an area that typically doesn't hold a lot of elk. Most bow hunters around here wait until the last week of the season before getting serious. I like the first week after the opener to find bulls that are wanting to herd cows but haven't yet done so. They are usually silent and sneaky, but very curious. The problem I have with the last week is all the dipshits sounding off bugles and hoochie mamas from the truck at every dead-end road. Now, Eastern Oregon is a different story...

Opening weekend I went to the northern coast behind locked timber land gates. We saw 18 elk but couldn't make it happen. Talked to my buds that back and they got into them Friday evening and all day yesterday but could close the deal.

I generally hunt Wilderness Areas and road closers but ya the bugle behind every tree sucks.

Mike:

Did you get any rain on Saturday or was it still parched? We got our first rain in 2.5 month yesterday (only a 1/3 of an inch). It's still very dry and crunchy. Great job on the elk, especially for this time of the year.

Logger

Very nice

Just a very lite sprinkle. Not enough to really claim anything. Luckily there was a lot of grass and rock.

Congrats!

A respectful congrads to Boise State, good riddens to Blunt.

I am a big TEXAS fan love seeing the shirt.

Thanks for the story, Rogue! Very impressive. Congrats.

Rogue,

Good story and even better looking kids. Congrats. Thanks for posting both.

Thank you, instead of hunting today the boy and I rode quads and plinked. It's wierd not hunting on labor day, but what a terrible problem to have, right.

Congrats.

Way to go!

Very cool. That's a great mixed bag

Much congratulations from here as well. Nice Rosey. Thanks for the story and the pictures. Gonna bring a bow from now on?

Yea fool me once.

Bueno, senor!

Mike,

congrats on a very fine elk, and a great story to go with it...

john chr.
seafire

Congrats,
Great story and pics.. thanks

Congratulations,

Good story and good to have some Elk to eat as well.

Well done.

JM.

Great luck and post.

Is that a pointing Lab or is it just being Goofy for the camera?

He's only 2 years old and last year he didn't get worked because I was in afghanistan. That was his first bag so it was a really good day.

nice work man!!!! you da man!!!!

we should go hunting sometime eh?

How much time are you gonna get during rifle deer?

Rogue,

Enjoyed reading your story. My mom used to live in Medford and White City. I enjoyed visiting her there. Pretty country!

Alan

Other than all the filthy libs and eco-freaks it's a great place to live.

Yeah Man!!! But that is a cool elk hunting story. Congrads and Thanks for sharing it with us.