Idaho Elk Down!!!
Sorry for the long read. Shortened version in RED
This hunt all started when I told my wife that I wanted to go on this hunt for my 30th Birthday present to myself and she said that I could not go… Unlesssss… she went with me. I said she can absolutely go and I wanted her to go. I did my research and figured for my first elk hunt, I wanted to go to Idaho. I ended up booking with Bryant Dunn of Sun Valley Outfitters for 9/6 to 9/12 for my first hunt. It was the best choice I’ve made!!!
9/6/15 – Pack In Day
About 2pm, we met up with Bryant at his house and loaded up his truck with our gear. We left his place and drove about 15 minutes to meet up with the horses and loaded them up. After we got the horses loaded up we started our 4 mile ride on horses to the camp that he had set up. This is where the adventure began… Sylvia’s horse would not stop turning around, he wanted to go back to the trailer. Well we came to a spot where the hill side was made up of loose rock. I guess the horse could sense that she got scared and then the horse got scared. He turned around headed down hill! Sylvia freaked out a little bit but luckily she jumped off the upside of the horse and came out unscathed. But she lost the horse as he walked back to the trailer and she couldn’t catch him. On a good note, there was nothing on the horse that we needed and we only had about ¾ mile to camp.
Once at camp, we unloaded the horses and got settled in. Bryant talked about what to expect for the morning hunt and what our plan was. Later that night we had steak, potatoes and salad for dinner and a couple “welcome to camp” swigs of whiskey.
9/7/15 – First Hunt
We woke up about 5:45am, at a quick Mountain House breakfast and headed up the drainage to chase elk. We made a few blind set ups but had no luck. Then we hiked up one side of the drainage towards a location we were could glass for a while. On the way there we made a few blind set ups but nothing called back to us. As we were walking to the next set up, I saw black legs under the tree limbs. I dropped to my knees and tried to nock an arrow as fast as I could without showing a lot of movement. Then out came a beautiful 6x6 about 40 yards from me. His tongue was hanging out like he was coming towards the calls from out last set up but we never knew it cause he didn’t respond. He spooked and ran up the hill to 60 yards but didn’t give me a shot. This first elk encounter got my heart racing!!!
We moved up the hill back to a location where we had lunch and took an “elk nap”. At about 3:00pm we hit the trail again and made a few bugles and cow calls we got a response. We rearranged our set up and got ready for the bull to come up the hill. I was facing north and I saw movement directly to my left, it was a spike that was coming in on a string right for the decoy and cow calls. Something spooked him and he stopped and ran behind me. I never had a shot at him. The next set up we were in the middle of a screaming bull for about 20 minutes but he was a walking bull. He would walk away and stop to bugle, then walk away and stop to bugle. He never wanted to come check out the cow calls.
At this point we started working our way back to the camp and made a few set ups along the way. We never got another response but we saw a nice bull walking about 800 yards away across the hill through the burned timber. We watched him and decided that he would be the one to go after in the morning.
9/8/15 – Day 2
We woke up and headed towards the elk that we saw the afternoon before. We made a quick set up and heard a big deep bugle come from across the creek so we jumped back over the creek and headed towards the screams. We set up and got ready for this monster of a bull to come out. Well it wasn’t him… it was his smaller elk spike friend. I already had it in my mind that I was going to save my tag for the nicer bull that I saw earlier. So I stayed as still as possible to see just how close this bull would get to me. He walked right towards me and turned slightly to my right. He ended up walking just 7 yards away from me perfect broadside shot (if I wanted it). He finally got downwind of me, caught my scent and took off. It was an incredible rush to be that close to a bull, even though it was just a spike!
We changed directions and headed the original way to an area that we were going to spike camp. On the way he said to drop our bags and make a quick loop around the flat top then pick up our bags on the way to the camp. We made about 3 set ups with no success. Then we sat for a while and discussed our plans. As we were walking over the top of a hill, the guide saw a nice set of antlers and backed down. He told us that there was 2 bulls bedded down and for us to set up and get ready. I got ready for him to call but I heard him whisper to me to come back and set up 30 yards further back than I originally set up. The elk were not coming up the hill, they circled around and were coming up behind us. I quickly got into position before the elk go to the top of the hill. I saw the antlers come over the top of the hill and I drew back. They stopped about 40 yards behind some trees and looked at me. Bryant cow called, the elk looked his way and walked towards him. They stopped again at 25 yards and looked at me, Bryant called again and the first elk stepped out in the open but his vitals were behind a tree. One more quick cow call, the bull stepped out and the arrow was on its way… THWACK!!!
The arrow hit the bull at 17 yards, double lung and he took off about 50 yards. I saw him stop and coughing up blood. He stood there for about 20 seconds and then walked off another 30 yards just out of sight, down the hill. Then I heard the unmistakable CRASH everyone talks about. Silent fist pumps and hugs/high fives were getting thrown around like candy at Halloween!!! We waited about 20 minutes before we walked up to the elk, my first ever elk! I was super excited and could not believe what just happened. I had taken my first archery elk! My guide gave me a quick “hand” score and he came up with 280”ish.
All in all it was an awesome hunt and I will recommend anyone that wants to hunt Idaho, to seriously look into Bryant Dunn with Sun Valley Outfitters. I have never been on any other guided hunt but this will definitely be on my list of guided to recommend and go back to in a few years.
Shortened Version:
We packed in on horses Sunday. My wife’s horse turned around on a hill, she jumped off and is OK. Horse went back to trailer and she had to walk the rest of the way to camp.
Day 1
We set out in the morning and did some blind set ups but no luck. We walked up on a nice 6x6 bull coming towards our last set up. We met him at 40 yards but I didn’t have an arrow knocked. He spooked and ran to 60 yards but didn’t give me a shot. Had a spike come in on a string towards the calls and decoy but went behind me. Headed back to camp and saw a nice bull across the creek and decided to go after him in the morning.
Day 2
Woke up and headed out for the bull we saw the evening before. We got a response but it was a spike that came in. The spike got within 7 yards of me and gave me a perfect broadside shot but I didn’t take it. We headed back across the creek to the original planned route. Nothing on the first set ups. Walked up on antlers bedded down, we backed up and set up. Realized that we were in the wrong position so we hurried to re-set up. Elk came up and stopped a couple times, the cow calls/decoy got him moving again. He stepped out in the open at 17 yards and THWACK!!! I hit the bull a little high but got both lungs. He ran 50 yards and stopped to cough, then walked 30 yards and crashed. We celebrated a little and walked to the elk to take pictures. Bryant guessed a score about 280”.
This hunt all started when I told my wife that I wanted to go on this hunt for my 30th Birthday present to myself and she said that I could not go… Unlesssss… she went with me. I said she can absolutely go and I wanted her to go. I did my research and figured for my first elk hunt, I wanted to go to Idaho. I ended up booking with Bryant Dunn of Sun Valley Outfitters for 9/6 to 9/12 for my first hunt. It was the best choice I’ve made!!!
9/6/15 – Pack In Day
About 2pm, we met up with Bryant at his house and loaded up his truck with our gear. We left his place and drove about 15 minutes to meet up with the horses and loaded them up. After we got the horses loaded up we started our 4 mile ride on horses to the camp that he had set up. This is where the adventure began… Sylvia’s horse would not stop turning around, he wanted to go back to the trailer. Well we came to a spot where the hill side was made up of loose rock. I guess the horse could sense that she got scared and then the horse got scared. He turned around headed down hill! Sylvia freaked out a little bit but luckily she jumped off the upside of the horse and came out unscathed. But she lost the horse as he walked back to the trailer and she couldn’t catch him. On a good note, there was nothing on the horse that we needed and we only had about ¾ mile to camp.
Once at camp, we unloaded the horses and got settled in. Bryant talked about what to expect for the morning hunt and what our plan was. Later that night we had steak, potatoes and salad for dinner and a couple “welcome to camp” swigs of whiskey.
9/7/15 – First Hunt
We woke up about 5:45am, at a quick Mountain House breakfast and headed up the drainage to chase elk. We made a few blind set ups but had no luck. Then we hiked up one side of the drainage towards a location we were could glass for a while. On the way there we made a few blind set ups but nothing called back to us. As we were walking to the next set up, I saw black legs under the tree limbs. I dropped to my knees and tried to nock an arrow as fast as I could without showing a lot of movement. Then out came a beautiful 6x6 about 40 yards from me. His tongue was hanging out like he was coming towards the calls from out last set up but we never knew it cause he didn’t respond. He spooked and ran up the hill to 60 yards but didn’t give me a shot. This first elk encounter got my heart racing!!!
We moved up the hill back to a location where we had lunch and took an “elk nap”. At about 3:00pm we hit the trail again and made a few bugles and cow calls we got a response. We rearranged our set up and got ready for the bull to come up the hill. I was facing north and I saw movement directly to my left, it was a spike that was coming in on a string right for the decoy and cow calls. Something spooked him and he stopped and ran behind me. I never had a shot at him. The next set up we were in the middle of a screaming bull for about 20 minutes but he was a walking bull. He would walk away and stop to bugle, then walk away and stop to bugle. He never wanted to come check out the cow calls.
At this point we started working our way back to the camp and made a few set ups along the way. We never got another response but we saw a nice bull walking about 800 yards away across the hill through the burned timber. We watched him and decided that he would be the one to go after in the morning.
9/8/15 – Day 2
We woke up and headed towards the elk that we saw the afternoon before. We made a quick set up and heard a big deep bugle come from across the creek so we jumped back over the creek and headed towards the screams. We set up and got ready for this monster of a bull to come out. Well it wasn’t him… it was his smaller elk spike friend. I already had it in my mind that I was going to save my tag for the nicer bull that I saw earlier. So I stayed as still as possible to see just how close this bull would get to me. He walked right towards me and turned slightly to my right. He ended up walking just 7 yards away from me perfect broadside shot (if I wanted it). He finally got downwind of me, caught my scent and took off. It was an incredible rush to be that close to a bull, even though it was just a spike!
We changed directions and headed the original way to an area that we were going to spike camp. On the way he said to drop our bags and make a quick loop around the flat top then pick up our bags on the way to the camp. We made about 3 set ups with no success. Then we sat for a while and discussed our plans. As we were walking over the top of a hill, the guide saw a nice set of antlers and backed down. He told us that there was 2 bulls bedded down and for us to set up and get ready. I got ready for him to call but I heard him whisper to me to come back and set up 30 yards further back than I originally set up. The elk were not coming up the hill, they circled around and were coming up behind us. I quickly got into position before the elk go to the top of the hill. I saw the antlers come over the top of the hill and I drew back. They stopped about 40 yards behind some trees and looked at me. Bryant cow called, the elk looked his way and walked towards him. They stopped again at 25 yards and looked at me, Bryant called again and the first elk stepped out in the open but his vitals were behind a tree. One more quick cow call, the bull stepped out and the arrow was on its way… THWACK!!!
The arrow hit the bull at 17 yards, double lung and he took off about 50 yards. I saw him stop and coughing up blood. He stood there for about 20 seconds and then walked off another 30 yards just out of sight, down the hill. Then I heard the unmistakable CRASH everyone talks about. Silent fist pumps and hugs/high fives were getting thrown around like candy at Halloween!!! We waited about 20 minutes before we walked up to the elk, my first ever elk! I was super excited and could not believe what just happened. I had taken my first archery elk! My guide gave me a quick “hand” score and he came up with 280”ish.
All in all it was an awesome hunt and I will recommend anyone that wants to hunt Idaho, to seriously look into Bryant Dunn with Sun Valley Outfitters. I have never been on any other guided hunt but this will definitely be on my list of guided to recommend and go back to in a few years.
Shortened Version:
We packed in on horses Sunday. My wife’s horse turned around on a hill, she jumped off and is OK. Horse went back to trailer and she had to walk the rest of the way to camp.
Day 1
We set out in the morning and did some blind set ups but no luck. We walked up on a nice 6x6 bull coming towards our last set up. We met him at 40 yards but I didn’t have an arrow knocked. He spooked and ran to 60 yards but didn’t give me a shot. Had a spike come in on a string towards the calls and decoy but went behind me. Headed back to camp and saw a nice bull across the creek and decided to go after him in the morning.
Day 2
Woke up and headed out for the bull we saw the evening before. We got a response but it was a spike that came in. The spike got within 7 yards of me and gave me a perfect broadside shot but I didn’t take it. We headed back across the creek to the original planned route. Nothing on the first set ups. Walked up on antlers bedded down, we backed up and set up. Realized that we were in the wrong position so we hurried to re-set up. Elk came up and stopped a couple times, the cow calls/decoy got him moving again. He stepped out in the open at 17 yards and THWACK!!! I hit the bull a little high but got both lungs. He ran 50 yards and stopped to cough, then walked 30 yards and crashed. We celebrated a little and walked to the elk to take pictures. Bryant guessed a score about 280”.
Very cool! Congrats
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