For the first time in nearly 15 years I wasn't situated up in a tree fighting the heat and mosquitoes that dominate Southeast Texas. Two Sunday's ago I was finishing up alligator season. I had left my phone in the truck and when I got back to it I had a few missed calls and a couple text's asking to call back immediately. For a second my mind switched to something bad had happened. So as I made my way to the alligator processor, I called my friend back. He asked what I had going on the upcoming week and I explained the same as usual, working. He asked if there was anyway I could "sneak away" for the week, he had an opportunity that I wouldn't want to pass up. The elk were rutting and he wanted me to have an opportunity to chase a bull with my bow. I made the 12+hour drive the next day.
We hunted hard for 3 days and on the evening of the 3rd day we called this bull into 12 yards. He spooked but was able to stop him long enough with a cow call at 22 yards to send a rage through his shoulder. He didn't make it 30 yards after the shot and was down for the count. This is my first elk and was able to do it free range, on 30k acres with my bow. His left eye was gouged and torn from fighting and his left whale tail/backscratcher/beam was broken and appeared to be missing at least 10-12 inches judging from the mass of where it was broken. The broken portion was covered in blood/meat/hair from another bull. He also had busted a 4-5 inch section of his right G4. He still taped out at 339 6/8's.
I am now spoiled and ruined when it comes to elk hunting, but also absolutely hooked on it.
We hunted hard for 3 days and on the evening of the 3rd day we called this bull into 12 yards. He spooked but was able to stop him long enough with a cow call at 22 yards to send a rage through his shoulder. He didn't make it 30 yards after the shot and was down for the count. This is my first elk and was able to do it free range, on 30k acres with my bow. His left eye was gouged and torn from fighting and his left whale tail/backscratcher/beam was broken and appeared to be missing at least 10-12 inches judging from the mass of where it was broken. The broken portion was covered in blood/meat/hair from another bull. He also had busted a 4-5 inch section of his right G4. He still taped out at 339 6/8's.
I am now spoiled and ruined when it comes to elk hunting, but also absolutely hooked on it.
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