My First Bull Elk

There was only 30 minutes of light and I was not into an elk herd at all, despite being into them earlier in the evening. I decided to head back to my wheeler and to get onto a high point that overlooked a large drainage and begin to bugle to locate a bull. My plan was to locate him, get as close to him as possible, get him really fired up without him knowing that I wasn’t another bull and cows, then I would sneak out and get after him in the morning. I’ve been told that this tactic works as the bull’s will begin to gather their cows, they begin to really worry about other bulls stealing the herd. As soon as I got to the high ridge I bugled and heard many bulls bugle from the distance, but there was one bull that seemed to only be 300-400 yards away. He was farther down the trail towards my wheeler. So I headed down the trail and got to the spot where I thought he was. I had walked close to 3-4 miles, but by this time I was only 1/3 of a mile from my wheeler, I called one more time with my bugle and also used a series of cow calls. Before I knew it, the bull closed the distance from 400 yards to 100 yards in a hurry. It was exciting, he sounded like a very mature bull and I could hear him raking a tree violently not far from me. (I would hate to see what that tree looks like now!) It was nearly the end of shooting light, my plan had worked out perfectly, I called a little bit more as I stood in the middle of the trail, then suddenly I heard twigs breaking and footsteps over my right shoulder, I turned very slowly and that is when a spike stepped out 30 yards away. He stepped onto the same trail I was on and looked at me at 15 yards. I had an arrow knocked and ready to go, but I couldn’t draw because he came in so fast behind me I wasn’t ready. He spooked and ran but I drew and cow call called. He stood at 20 yards quarter away, I let one rip and I heard a loud WHACK. I was shooting between two large branches and I was afraid I hit one of those branches. After waiting 30 min, I went over where he was standing. It was completely dark by now and it was hard to see. Even though I had a flashlight, I looked for my arrow and blood from where he was. There was nothing. My heart sank as I was sure I missed him. I only looked within a 10 yard diameter because it was so dark and I returned to my camp spot. If I did hit him, I didn’t want to cover up any blood or bump him. The next morning I got back to that spot at sunrise. I looked again, no blood, no arrow. I moved down a game trail to about 20 yards from where I shot at him and this is where I found first blood, it was the size of a quarter on a pine needle branch. I was excited, but scared as there was so little blood. I took two more steps and found a little more blood on a small tree. Took another step and found my arrow, it was soaked in blood all the way through the fletchings and it was good blood. This is when I really begin to get nervous/excited. I found one more spot of blood on the ground the size of a softball before I looked up and found him piled up no more than 30 yards from where I shot him. I was PUMPED! I couldn’t believe I got him! The coyotes found him at night and opened his stomach up which made him pretty rank, but I only lost the tenderloins, the rest of the meat was good. My first bull elk! After three years of hard work I finally got not only my first bull elk with a bow, but my first animal ever taken with a bow as well! Thanks to all who have helped me along the way!