A little Pre-elk Season Story.

[Chumster]

Great thread, gets the blood boiling for this September.

[Bill Watts II]

Well, after setting camp I went out for an evening hunt. I worked my way along the main ridgline looking for sign and listening for elk. About 1/2 mile from camp I came upon a deep, nasty looking little draw and gave a few chuckles down it. Immediately I got a screaming bugle followed by some hard grunting back!
Game on! This guy wanted to fight! The hard grunts following a bugle is the turkey equivelant of "the second gobble" to turkey hunting. This was an animal that was game to play.

I checked the wind, -good. Moved closer to the edge and returned his challenge with my own bugle-hard grunting-bugle response. He fired back! I moved lower to get to his level and started breaking some brush with a big stick. He came unglued and started moving my way bugling, grunting, and busting some brush of his own. I spotted him at about 75 yards and started to come unglued myself! I was looking at a world class 6X6 with palmated fourths that each had a 6" sticker facing back on them. He had tremendous mass, and main beams that appeared to "melt" in the back they were so long. This was a good 375-385" bull!

I regained my composure, and when he disappeared behind a small cluster of pines I hit him with some more grunts. He fired a bugle back, but before he could finish I cut him off with my own bugle-hard grunt sequence.

I'm not exactly sure what it does to a bull who is up for a fight to cut his bugle off, but I'd assume it is akin to spitting in someones face, or insulting ones beloved mother. The bull came straight for me, bugling and grunting the whole way in. I nocked an arrow and turned my left shoulder to where he would come in, about 15-20yds broadside. He did just that, and at 20yards turned his head towards me and fired off one last challenge.

I picked a spot, came to full draw and loosed my arrow.

[Dirtybird]

I hope some pictures are on there way.

[Bill Watts II]

Water.  You never really grasp how much your body needs it until you can't get it.  The Gila has what many locals refer to as the Monsoon season which unfortunately is prior the elk season.  This year had a tremendous wet spring and summer, but for the last few weeks, nothing. At the lower elevation around the creeks there was plenty, but there was also plenty of other hunters, hikers, and smarter elk as a result.

At the higher elevation you had less of everything, so water was where you found it. Usually you would find a spring that came out of the side of a hill in a deep draw that would flow for a few yards and then disappear back into the ground.  It was clear, and you supposedly could drink right from the springs, but I wasn't going to take a chance of Ghiardia so I packed a Steripen "adventurer, a collapsible bottle, and a camelback bladder with me when I would set out in the morning hunting.

When water was found I would fill the bottle, hit it with the UV light from the pen, and render any invertebrate barren.  It doesn't kill them, it just makes them unable to breed once they enter your lower digestive tract thus keeping your stool very "bear-like," as opposed to "goose-like!"    Then I would fill the bladder, drink a bottle, and fill it once more for the pack for morning breakfast and coffee.

[njloco]

Oh man, your good !    

[Bill Watts II]

People often ask me why I prefer to hunt with traditional equipment and flyfish over compounds and spinning gear. I wish I had some proseful, philosophical response, but I just tell them it's because I love to swear. And cry. Not just a "shoot!" or to shed a small tear, but to rattle off entire paragraphs of profanity as if speaking the dark language of Mordor, and to cry rivers of inconsolable saddness.

[LoneWolf73]

Well now I have something to think/dream about tonight as to where that arrow is going.......

[Bill Watts II]

That being said I will only discuss what happened next over a cold beer and campfire with those willing to console me and wipe the tears away.  :(  
Maybe this picture will give you an idea of what happened.

[Biathlonman]

That took some work to get a grizzly to do that!

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

heartbroken... and just about ready to cry myself.

[MnFn]

Sorry man!  I have a head that looks somewhat similar.  But, thanks for the story. It is getting me even more stoked for September.
G

[Lone Ranger]

SOB %$#!Q*(&^%$%@^% !!!!!!!!


that SUCKS! lol


great story though~
L.R.

[MnFn]

Sorry man!  I have a head that looks somewhat similar.  But, thanks for the story. It is getting me even more stoked for September.
G

[MnFn]

Sorry for double post- got impatient.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

darn!

[23feetupandhappy]

:(      
Man that sucks!!!

Are you going to be able to compose your self
so we can here the rest of the story?

I cant imagine your frustration!!!!!

Heres for wanting more    !!!!!

[Bill Watts II]

Oh, this story is definately not over! More tonight!

[jean-vincent]

nice story  !!
when is it night .. here it's not the same time as you ... and i'm waiting for the rest of the tale ....

[Whip]

This story just went from the stuff dreams are made of to one of nightmares!!      
I know the feeling...  

[huntnmuleys]

Loving this!! Keep it coming.