dk17hmr
09-14-2013, 04:27 PM
Day 13 of season, hunt number 4, alarm went off at 0405, I was already awake wondering if I should brave the weather, I had already took the day off of work and figured I would make the best of it either way. Coffee pot started brewing at 0415. I got stuff around, got camo'ed up, filled my coffee cup and thermos, fired the truck up at 0445 and headed to the gas station to fill up.
We have been getting some serious rain and my normal route up the switch backs to the Ice Caves turns into a ride straight out of hell when the road gets wet. I opted to take the safe route, although slightly more mileage the time is about the same. I parked my truck at about 0615 and I couldn't see anything through the fog, so I waited in the truck for the sun to hopefully burn some of it off. Shortly after I parked the truck it started to rain, so I laid my seat back and took a nap....for an hour. When I woke up I couldn't see more than 100 yards so I geared up and started my hike hoping things would clear up a little.
About 1/2 mile into my hike I could see on a far ridge the outline of something through the thick fog I just went across the open desert right to the object. Through my binos at about 200 yards I could make out the dark head and light body of an elk, although I couldn't tell if it was a bull or a cow I continued to close the distance. At about 100 yards I heard a cow call out and I knew I was getting close. I had ok cover so I nocked an arrow and made a couple cow calls to see if it would close the distance for me. She did, coming to about 75 yards, we called back and forth for about 5 minutes and she must have gotten tired of it because she turned and walked straight away feeding. I made a quick game plan to get up hill of this cow and get in front of her. With the wet ground and thick fog I could cover ground quickly without making a lot of noise.
So I turned and headed up hill just as I was cresting the hill, arrow still nocked, a spike bull was feeding out in front of me at about 15 yards unaware I was there. At first I didn't look at its head I just saw an elk body so I clipped my release on the string loop. I stopped myself from drawing when I saw 12" spikes on his head. At the same time I was looking up at the bull I caught movement to my left and heard a soft cow call. I turned my head just in time to see a cow stop 32 yards out, broadside to me and look back at the spike bull. I muscled my 72 pound compound bow back and laid my 35 yard pin on the center of her chest. Her head turned and she looked directly at me just as I hit the trigger on my release. I watched my arrow disappear into her chest, the bright orange FOB popped off as the arrow completely passed through her. I saw blood pouring out of her chest cavity as she half walked half trotted away stopping just 25 yards down hill. Her legs gave out and she was done kicking 30 seconds after I sent the arrow.
After I made a phone call to dad and made sure she was down for good I took a couple pics and headed to the truck to get it closer.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f208/dk17hmr/IMG_20130913_072000_zpseb93979b.jpg (http://s48.photobucket.com/user/dk17hmr/media/IMG_20130913_072000_zpseb93979b.jpg.html)
She is an average sized cow.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f208/dk17hmr/IMG_20130913_081747_zps883d1747.jpg (http://s48.photobucket.com/user/dk17hmr/media/IMG_20130913_081747_zps883d1747.jpg.html)
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f208/dk17hmr/IMG_20130913_081927_zps63e74cb1.jpg (http://s48.photobucket.com/user/dk17hmr/media/IMG_20130913_081927_zps63e74cb1.jpg.html)
I hunt mostly solo, there are only a handful of people that will hunt with me the way I want to hunt and it just so happens none of them live close. So all the heavy lifting and work was left to me.
I was able to get my truck parked on a two track about 150 yards from my downed elk. I was able to get her back to the truck in two trips with the pack frame. One front, one rear quarter, backstraps, inner loins, and some flank meat in a game bag on the first trip. Second trip was the other front and rear, my day pack and the head (proof of sex)
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f208/dk17hmr/IMG_20130913_094413_zps0d368fd2.jpg (http://s48.photobucket.com/user/dk17hmr/media/IMG_20130913_094413_zps0d368fd2.jpg.html)
On the road and heading home by 1030.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f208/dk17hmr/IMG_20130913_095348_zpsbcb9d0a2.jpg (http://s48.photobucket.com/user/dk17hmr/media/IMG_20130913_095348_zpsbcb9d0a2.jpg.html)
One cow tag punch only one doe antelope, one deer, and one more cow tag to go.
Meat is all cut and packaged in the freezer.
We have been getting some serious rain and my normal route up the switch backs to the Ice Caves turns into a ride straight out of hell when the road gets wet. I opted to take the safe route, although slightly more mileage the time is about the same. I parked my truck at about 0615 and I couldn't see anything through the fog, so I waited in the truck for the sun to hopefully burn some of it off. Shortly after I parked the truck it started to rain, so I laid my seat back and took a nap....for an hour. When I woke up I couldn't see more than 100 yards so I geared up and started my hike hoping things would clear up a little.
About 1/2 mile into my hike I could see on a far ridge the outline of something through the thick fog I just went across the open desert right to the object. Through my binos at about 200 yards I could make out the dark head and light body of an elk, although I couldn't tell if it was a bull or a cow I continued to close the distance. At about 100 yards I heard a cow call out and I knew I was getting close. I had ok cover so I nocked an arrow and made a couple cow calls to see if it would close the distance for me. She did, coming to about 75 yards, we called back and forth for about 5 minutes and she must have gotten tired of it because she turned and walked straight away feeding. I made a quick game plan to get up hill of this cow and get in front of her. With the wet ground and thick fog I could cover ground quickly without making a lot of noise.
So I turned and headed up hill just as I was cresting the hill, arrow still nocked, a spike bull was feeding out in front of me at about 15 yards unaware I was there. At first I didn't look at its head I just saw an elk body so I clipped my release on the string loop. I stopped myself from drawing when I saw 12" spikes on his head. At the same time I was looking up at the bull I caught movement to my left and heard a soft cow call. I turned my head just in time to see a cow stop 32 yards out, broadside to me and look back at the spike bull. I muscled my 72 pound compound bow back and laid my 35 yard pin on the center of her chest. Her head turned and she looked directly at me just as I hit the trigger on my release. I watched my arrow disappear into her chest, the bright orange FOB popped off as the arrow completely passed through her. I saw blood pouring out of her chest cavity as she half walked half trotted away stopping just 25 yards down hill. Her legs gave out and she was done kicking 30 seconds after I sent the arrow.
After I made a phone call to dad and made sure she was down for good I took a couple pics and headed to the truck to get it closer.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f208/dk17hmr/IMG_20130913_072000_zpseb93979b.jpg (http://s48.photobucket.com/user/dk17hmr/media/IMG_20130913_072000_zpseb93979b.jpg.html)
She is an average sized cow.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f208/dk17hmr/IMG_20130913_081747_zps883d1747.jpg (http://s48.photobucket.com/user/dk17hmr/media/IMG_20130913_081747_zps883d1747.jpg.html)
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f208/dk17hmr/IMG_20130913_081927_zps63e74cb1.jpg (http://s48.photobucket.com/user/dk17hmr/media/IMG_20130913_081927_zps63e74cb1.jpg.html)
I hunt mostly solo, there are only a handful of people that will hunt with me the way I want to hunt and it just so happens none of them live close. So all the heavy lifting and work was left to me.
I was able to get my truck parked on a two track about 150 yards from my downed elk. I was able to get her back to the truck in two trips with the pack frame. One front, one rear quarter, backstraps, inner loins, and some flank meat in a game bag on the first trip. Second trip was the other front and rear, my day pack and the head (proof of sex)
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f208/dk17hmr/IMG_20130913_094413_zps0d368fd2.jpg (http://s48.photobucket.com/user/dk17hmr/media/IMG_20130913_094413_zps0d368fd2.jpg.html)
On the road and heading home by 1030.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f208/dk17hmr/IMG_20130913_095348_zpsbcb9d0a2.jpg (http://s48.photobucket.com/user/dk17hmr/media/IMG_20130913_095348_zpsbcb9d0a2.jpg.html)
One cow tag punch only one doe antelope, one deer, and one more cow tag to go.
Meat is all cut and packaged in the freezer.