My muzzleloader elk hunt is over. I applied for 24 years (returned one tag in 2010), scouted 5 days, hunted six days.
At 1 pm on the 5th day I had finished hunting the north face of a ridge and jumped over to the south face to hike back to camp. I let out one cow call and had a massive deep raspy reply just a few yards below me. I could only see antler tips above the oaks. I stood up on my tip toes and had a huge bull staring me down. I raised my muzzy (while still on tip toes) leaned against an oak, and shot for the neck. CLICK! The primer had fallen out while hiking that day. Ugggggg!!!!
On Day 6 my wife joined me. I decided to try a new trail into the area we had been hunting. Halfway in I lost the trail, so we side hilled to a trail I had hunted before. Just as we hit it, we had a bull bugle about 200 yards above us in the eight foot tall oak brush. We waited as long as we could for the shooting light to improve (peep sights). The bull kept bugling, I'm sure he heard us and wanted us to respond. When we didn't reply, he started to move off. We quickly dropped in below him and let out a couple cow calls and he turned and came in. I got a 20 yard broadside shot through a seam in the oak brush.
We absolutely loved that place. I would do it again in a heart beat!
(P.S.: I likely won't be able to reply to comments for a few days since my wife and I are hanging out in Glenwood Springs for a day then driving home.)
At 1 pm on the 5th day I had finished hunting the north face of a ridge and jumped over to the south face to hike back to camp. I let out one cow call and had a massive deep raspy reply just a few yards below me. I could only see antler tips above the oaks. I stood up on my tip toes and had a huge bull staring me down. I raised my muzzy (while still on tip toes) leaned against an oak, and shot for the neck. CLICK! The primer had fallen out while hiking that day. Ugggggg!!!!
On Day 6 my wife joined me. I decided to try a new trail into the area we had been hunting. Halfway in I lost the trail, so we side hilled to a trail I had hunted before. Just as we hit it, we had a bull bugle about 200 yards above us in the eight foot tall oak brush. We waited as long as we could for the shooting light to improve (peep sights). The bull kept bugling, I'm sure he heard us and wanted us to respond. When we didn't reply, he started to move off. We quickly dropped in below him and let out a couple cow calls and he turned and came in. I got a 20 yard broadside shot through a seam in the oak brush.
We absolutely loved that place. I would do it again in a heart beat!
(P.S.: I likely won't be able to reply to comments for a few days since my wife and I are hanging out in Glenwood Springs for a day then driving home.)
