BIG BULL DOWN!!! - UPDATED PICS AND story

well, you'll have to wait for pictures till tomorrow- sorry for that-

but It's been a long day, and it all ended with me tagging a great 6x6, should be over 300", tonight.

I'll tell the story and add pics tomorrow, I'm beat!

WHAT A GREAT DAY OF ELK HUNTING OREGON'S "GENERAL" SEASON! -- STORY
Well For starters- I've been super busy at work this year so I haven't been able to take a day off for bow season, That said , Where I was hunting is really only an early morning and late night hunt. The junipers are so thick that if I start wandering around I'm more likely to blow them out of the country then to ever get a shot at the elk.

So I have been hunting this same herd for a couple week.In fact, I should have killed this bull last monday mornig when I had him at 46 yards, broadside ,standing still,and everything you could ask for. My string hit my coat and Imade a perfect hit on the rock that was a couple feet behind the bull! ](*,)

I figured I would give the elk a few days to settle down and hopefully not leave the area.
well Sunday morning I went up, and glassed the open flats while it was still night time,This is a HUGE advantage of having nice glass, I can see if the elk are in there or not. If they are I can go get right out in front of them and maybe get a shot, if not - then I know they have already made it through there so I head farther up the mountain to try and get a shot.

This morning there were elk bodies in the flat so I headed over to get in front of them. the herd bull had taken his cows out the other side by the time it was light but all of the other bulls were still out there. 2 new 5 points had joined the herd since a week prior and they started fighting 80 yards in front of me. when this happened, another 4x5 and 5x5 started fighting at 84 yards. So at one time I had 4 bulls fighting right on front of me- That was pretty cool.

Now when all the antlers were going at it, the whole rest of the herd turned and came right back out into the flat. All in all I had 6 bulls and 10-12 cows out in the wide open at anywhere from 80-100 yards. There is no way to get closer , there is no cover what so ever out there so I just watched the show and hoped they would come my way. As luck would have it, the wind turned and the whole herd left the other way!

After that I figured I better go out the next morning and try again. Sure enough everything worked out the exact same until daylight ( spotting them at night, getting out in front,etc..)
this time right at light, a little after 6 a.m., the elk were coming out of the flats right where I wanted them to. the first cow came by and I ranged her,48 yards- A little farther than I want to shoot, but I can make it. Next was the herd bull, I drew my bow when he went behind the first juniper and as soon as he came out I sent it flying. WHACK!! It seemed to me to be almost perfect shot. The bull ran 70 yards to the other side of the flats and stopped at the very first juniper and just stood there. A couple of times I though he was wobbleing and about to fall but he just stood there. I had a perfect view of where the blood was coming from,I was right in the crease of the shoulder and about 1-2 inches above the halfway line on his body. Yes, it was a little high, but I should be in lungs and I can't figure out way he is not falling down?? I didn't get full penatration, there was about 8-10 inches still hanging out.

I glassed him for 21/2 hours with him not going 50 yards more. He would take a step then stop for 15 minutes. for the life of me, I just couldn't figure out what was going on (???)

Finally he went into a juniper patch and I couldn't see himso i figured best thing I could do is leave!
I came back at noon with my father in law to start tracking. there was blood right where I hit him, and all the way across to where he stood for so long, then we lost it. There were so many elk track,it hasn't rained here fora month or so and everything looks fresh, we couldn't find his track for sure. I didn't know what I was going to do, It was not looking good at all. All I could thinks is for some reason I only got one lung and I've seen elk go for A LONG TIME on one lung. And with so many tracks I didn't see how we would ever keep on him. we decided to make a quik look through one little draw then I would come back with some buddies and just sweep the whole area. well I walked right up on him! I TOTALLY screwed up a shot a 60 hitting a juniper right in front of me that I was trying to shoot through. the bull took off and was running pretty good. I could see my original shot and still could not believe what was happening. He had only went 200 yards and bedded, but why he was not dead in 50 yards made no sence.

that was 2 p.m. so I went home again and at 5 came back with my buddies Matt and Dave (hunterdk1) they are always the one people when the SERIOUS tracking needs to be done.

We went to my flagging and got on his tracks- luckly this time he was going the opposite direction of all the other tracks making them WAY easier to follow. he only went another 200 yards and we spotted him