Standing with Elk

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Dan
Posts: 517
Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2015 6:21 am

Re: Standing with Elk

#11 Post by Dan »

Oh man. Awesome hunt so far

Lowcountry
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Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2018 5:47 pm

Re: Standing with Elk

#12 Post by Lowcountry »

You're killing me smalls...

stumper
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Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2016 7:40 pm

Re: Standing with Elk

#13 Post by stumper »

Cruel and unusual punishment.
Nothing clears a troubled mind like shooting a bow.

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Elkman
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Re: Standing with Elk

#14 Post by Elkman »

Standing with Elk - part 4.

Now I am faced with a difficult decision. Do I go for a cow or hold out for the Bull?
The three cows all step out onto the big trail and just stood there. Then out steps a different cow. Now I have a young cow walking across from right to left. She is slightly quartering to me. She is probably one of last years calves. I decide to let her walk by so that the rest will feel more at ease when they start out. She gets to the big tree in front of me. The one with the cut off branches in the pictures. She is on the other side next to one of the little tiny trees. Instead of walking by, she decides to start eating and stays right there, almost facing right towards my tree. From the right, on the big trail the first three start walking again. The first one stops. Oh! that's a good shot. Then out of nowhere her calf comes running up to her. I pass on her. Then the next cow walks up and stops. She has two calves jump out next to her. The third cow walks on over and starts licking the side of the last calf that had followed the second cow. Okay, they all have calves. Now I have seven elk standing below all at 18 yards or less.
I remember thinking, this is so cool😎. I love watching them. I glance over to the big trail and another young cow steps onto the trail. Another young one comes up behind her and nips at her rump. She then jumps up on the first ones back. The first one reaches her head around and bits the neck of the one that jumped on her back. Then both of them trot out in front of me at about 25 yards or less, just out further than the first group.
Way out over to the front right the Bull starts bugling again. Now I am focused on him. What is he going to do? Where is he going to go? This time after the Bull bugles my neighbor in the blind down below starts cow calling. The Bull, myself and my neighbor are all lined up. The cow calling from my neighbor may just help me out.
I look even further to the far right and now there are 5 cows and a spike Bull over there. WOW! More and more elk. This is so great! Then back to where the first group came from another spike steps out. Soon followed by two more cows. Those three angle out even further in front and soon they start feeding. Then the cow in estrus starts her calling again as she starts heading back over my way towards where everything first appeared. It looks like there are at least five or six other cows with her. The herd Bull bugles really loud with maybe 6 or 8 grunts at the end. He is getting really fired up again. I can hear his heavy breathing as he quickly follows the cow in heat. He ends up pushing them far to my right. Crap! Are they going to go behind me?😟 They better not. The Bull starts making his clucking sounds. He is all over that cow.
I am in awe of all the action, especially from the stand. It is a very different perspective, as I am usually on the ground with the perspective that my neighbor has down below.
Okay, I will take all the Internet head slaps you guys give out. I decided to hold out for the Bull. 😐 He has moved well over to the right. I am hoping that the group of elk with the spike head out to where the first groups are feeding. When I look out in front of me I have at least 15 to 20 elk. Most of which have moved out beyond my 20 yard limit. I would prefer 15 though. Especially since my shoulder isn't 100%.
My neighbor continues to call a little bit. Four more cows come out almost exactly where the very first ones did. The Bull bugles again back to my right. These four are going to tempt me again. They are walking straight towards my tree. Then my neighbor starts calling again. All four of these elk stop and are now looking straight towards me. They are looking for the cow my neighbor is pretending to be. I definitely can't move now. I will get busted. All you can do is wait and be patient.
After what seemed like ten minutes, they all turn and walk across in front moving behind the big tree with the cut branches. They are about 13 yards quartering away and start feeding. Yes the Bull is still bugling and the cow in heat is still whining.
A few more minutes go by and I am steady watching for the Bull to move my way. That group that has the spike in it start to head for the tree line. They walk up to the edge of the big trail. In the right view picture there is a small opening they are heading towards. There is a low hanging branch this side of it. That group walked up and everyone of them cross the trail there inside of 20 yards. One big cow stops and stands there giving me all day to shoot at her. Since that group went through by that low hanging branch I knew that the rest most likely would also. At least the cows would. Quite often, like Whitetail Bucks, the Bull doesn't take the same path. That cow just stands there, perfectly broadside. My Elk Seeker longbow is pointing right at her. I catch movement to the right. Here come the rest of the cows. Four more and another spike. That makes 3 spikes in the herd altogether. That one big cow is still standing there with her nose at the small tree left of the big trail. The last bunch walk up beside her, then go on by. The Bull bugles and grunts. He is right there! Not 20 yards away, behind the last few trees. I ready myself. You can do this, I tell myself. As he starts to the opening I lift my Elk Seeker and as his head hits the edge he catches my movement and stops with only his head in the clear. I freeze. He is is looking my way. He's not looking up? Maybe he didn't catch me? The cow in heat calls as she and that spike move off. The spike jumps up and down like he wants to play or something. The herd Bull turns his head back towards the big cow, who was still standing there. He starts to move forward and I draw my bow. What's he do! That sucker quickly jumped out and trotted up and stopped on the other side of that cow. I didn't even have time to get to full draw.😔 That cow just may have saved that Bulls life. When she finally started to move he went right with her. By the time he got clear of her and the small trees he was at 25 yards quartering away. I had a very narrow opening to thread an arrow through but at 25 yards I didn't feel comfortable with the shot. All I can do now is see how the last 35 minutes of legal light plays out.
WOW! How frustrating! I took the chance and held out for the Bull. I had, I don't know how many shots at cows. There was maybe 30 head in that herd. Many crossed way out in front of me. I didn't see them until they went through various openings on my view to the left front.
The Bull went on out and continued bugling his brains out running around chasing the hot cow. The herd just kinda hung around and continued feeding. One cow actually walked over and bedded down in the middle of the large opening in the left front view at about 25 yards. And another just left of her. Just past the trail. As the hot cow and the Bull did their thing most of the other elk just stood around waiting for darkness so they could move down to the hay and Alfalfa fields. The Bull ended up getting close two more times. Once he was 30 to 35 yards and the other maybe 40. I just stood in the stand, standing with elk, till they finally moved off to feed in the fields.
Calling Elk - Awesome! !€

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Graps
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Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2014 8:39 pm

Re: Standing with Elk

#15 Post by Graps »

:o That's trad hunting. 8-)
"Maybe the truly handicapped people are the ones that don't need God as much." ~ Joni Eareckson Tada

Carpdaddy
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Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2013 7:36 pm

Re: Standing with Elk

#16 Post by Carpdaddy »

Oh wow, what an exciting hunt, I can imagine how bad I would have been shaking, and probably the entire tree!! But I don’t think I would have been able to shoot a cow either with the Bull present. But I probably would have already shook all my arrows out before the Bull arrived! 😫

stumper
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Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2016 7:40 pm

Re: Standing with Elk

#17 Post by stumper »

wow
Nothing clears a troubled mind like shooting a bow.

kennym
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 6:05 pm

Re: Standing with Elk

#18 Post by kennym »

Most excellent!! :D

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Dan
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Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2015 6:21 am

Re: Standing with Elk

#19 Post by Dan »

Awesome hunt

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Greg Felty
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Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2018 5:32 pm

Re: Standing with Elk

#20 Post by Greg Felty »

Glad you took us along on the hunt.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

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