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Very cool, Will. congrats!

I drew an archery antelope tag in 11M.

15 years old nephew drew a 23N trophy bull with one point. How the heck does that happen!?!?!?!?

Wow thats cool theo thats a better tag than we got

That 3C hunt is a great unit to kill a 350 class bull. Not a great unit to kill a 400 class bull. We saw one bull last year in the 380-400" range and at least 15 350s. I have no idea what the antler expectations are for this year. We are having red flag days already!

Oh, and my 9 BPs didn't get me the 23N tag I wanted...

I didn't draw 23N or 3C with 10 points... lol

I should draw 3C next year or for sure the year after. If I want the 23 tag I'll have to stop putting in 3C. Drawing one of the 3 20% pass tags will depend on what other high BP applicants apply any given year.

3C next year will depend on what we see on Enrique's hunt this year.

Kent

That's true.

He's gonna kill a monster...

He'll probably shoot the first spike I call in...

Kent

LMAO. No spikes this year. First few days I wanna hunt for 350 plus unless a 320ish bull comes within range. Then again that depends on what we see scouting and during the hunt.
then again if I have to wait till the last day to kill, a spike might not look so bad lol

I will tackle him if he tries to shoot a spike- I had to do that to a buddy two years ago in unit 9 on an early rifle hunt. He would have shot a rag but I pulled him over backwards and told him no. He ended up shooting a small 6x6 while I was evaluating it with my binos anyway.

Hahahaha

2010 had a hunter with a 3C archery tag. He had one tag before in unit 1, was with an outfitter and killed a decent bull. He's a neighbor of a friend, called to find out if I'd take him after hearing my friend brag me up, sure why not.

He wanted a 350+ this time, a little bigger. Last time he was handled by two guides, one calling and the other whispering in his ear. They didn't call many in and lucked out on the bull he killed, it walked right by them as they were moving, they saw him first and ambushed him.

I'm not a big numbers guy, if you like the way a bull looks... shoot it... but OK, I know what a 350 bull looks like.

I told him I won't be standing next to him whispering and he'll have to decide on the shot.

He was going to have to learn to judge size on the go.

First morning I'm calling and a bull's coming in from way off. He ended up being an old regression bull, had a big main frame but no fifths, not broken, just none, which made his tops look like huge whale tails at first. He was getting close to Vince before I could see him good and waved off the shot. Vince wasn't sure what I was waving so I stood up and told that bull to git.

Couple days later we could have killed that bull for an hour while he tried to steal cows away from a bull a hundred yards away we couldn't get close to.

Had 12 killable call ins the first seven days and more call ups but no shot. None of the call ins were quite big enough.

Funniest was when I was calling and a 300ish bull comes to me with Vince behind. I lay down so Vince can see him. I look over at Vince and he is plastered to a ponderosa with a spike peeking around at him, nose about a foot away. Vince lets out a squeak on the mouth call he was practicing with. Bulls are jumping, Vince is jumping, I'm chit'n a brick laughing... the spike is staring at him 10 yards away and slowly walks back where he came from.

Vince, did you see the bigger bull?

What? uhhh no.

Vince.

What?

Welcome to the petting zoo...

7th evening we went to a great spot but is above a huge canyon so we had been avoiding it. Bulls were going crazy early afternoon. just over the edge and ready to come up to feed soon. A beautiful bull walks under us about 60 yards and stops, looking down where a herd bull is bugling. We can see his back and head fine but need him to move up over the rise just a little. I hit a cow mew and he hauls ass without even looking at us. Every elk is different, had his butt kicked already probably.

We waited for the herd to come up but they didn't before dark, stayed down in screaming at other bulls. We had a 330/40ish bull next to us the last hour, he knew we were there calling but he didn't care. Vince was still hyped about the other bull and the one just under us bugling.

Next morning we go back in, bulls are screaming everywhere, more than one herd mingled.

I get to a spot and look over the edge and cows are coming up with a bull in tow, thick so I can't judge much. I set Vince up on top and move back to call. They boil over the edge right on top of us. Stop to look around and then the cows start slowly walking by, the bull standing close to Vince. I see he's palmated on top, big bull that can kick some ass but won't score. We've turned down better, time to go check the other bugles close.

Pstttttt, whack... I see an arrow hit him way low, maybe in the leg as it flopped and fell out. I hammer the call and he stops, I hear another arrow shot but don't see a hit. The bull starts off and I call, he turns back to the edge 20 yards away and I'm really calling. He goes 10 yards and lays down, coughs a couple times and that's it. He died less than 20 yards from where shot.

I'm in shock that it happened but ok, I'm looking at Vince and he at me, I think he was surprised too... and that 330 bull walks over the edge bugling, goes and sniffs the dead bull, then stands close to Vince bugling some more, other bulls are still close and screaming.

Vince's first shot almost missed under but angled enough up to get the heart, his second he didn't get it attached to the string right and it went 20 feet.

Giving the bull a little time we walked a hundred yards and a herd was walking by, we were just standing there in the open, cows at 20 yards look at us as they passed, herd bull crab walking and screaming at 4 rags following. He was big.

Vince, what do you think of that bull and shot?

I F'ed up!

Well, your bull's unique, let's go get him out.

That stuff happens a lot. It gets a LOT of adrenalin flowing when a bull is screaming his guts out 50 yards away. No video can prepare you for it. Bring baby wipes for the first couple of days is all I can say!

Most shots, you have 5 to 10 seconds to decide when that bull is finally 'right there', cause soon he's not going to be anymore.

Most the time it's been hours, days, even a week of almosts... one more step, stay there, turn, elk chase, F'n wind, F'n cows, F'n scouters, Damn raghorn that is like a mosquito constantly hanging on you... F'n squirrels...

And then it's there, the bull and a shot. The reality of it can surprise you, all those almosts can distract you.

Killing is 90% mental, the ability to change from hunting to killing in 5 seconds. That 5 seconds can be an eternity of a clear mind, smooth draw, concentrated aim and release.

Or it can be an instant of confused thoughts, hurried motions and flung arrow.

Kent

Enrique, Steve and I went fishing today at black river. Fishing was poor, I don't think it's recovered yet from the Wallow fire.

We did catch a few, and discussed their elk hunt coming up.

It'll be fun.

That sucks about Black River. I went bear hunting! Last hoorah for spring bear. Only saw rabbits and deer!

no tags for me this yr but my wife drew a Muzzy bull tag for unit 10-

hell I might be able to tag out on my own land -