I'm sitting on my couch now having just hunted the last couple days and can't stop thinking about what happened yesterday. Having to come home from the backwoods to go back to work was tougher than I expected. Having a bull elk at 15 yards and not being able to take a shot was even worse. I can't stop thinking about it. As a fellow hunter/huntress, I'm sure you've all had those moments. Reevaluating your every move, criticizing the ones you did make, wishing you had done something else a little different. The moment continues to replay in your mind but there's nothing you can do about it except go out and try again. Successful hunts are great, but I really believe the ones that get away fuel that passion for bowhunting.
This was the closest I've ever been to a bull elk. ProSpooker Shawn T Norris and I had it ripping bugles from the moment we got to our summit on Stalk and Spook Mountain. Not by amazing skills but basically dumb luck. The wind was perfect, the temperature was still cool, and the smell of elk was in the air, literally. As we were heading up the hill Shawn mentioned "Can you smell that!? Smells like elk!" I agreed. Not long after reached our pinnacle in the early morning, we let out a simple cow call and instantly had a hot bull bugle back...and it was close. The bull was coming in quick and we had hardly any time to react. I sprinted across the open meadow and set up close to the corridor I thought the bull would head down. Shawn kept calling and within 30 seconds I saw the white ivory tips of a bugling bull come into view. The only problem was that it came below where I thought it might come from. As it passed behind some trees, I snuck closer and drew back my bow. The bull was about to emerge. Being at full draw, the 30 or so seconds seemed like an eternity as I thought the shot through my head. Focusing on my form, judging the distance, lining up the pins with my peep, and just waiting for the moment that this big bull stepped out from the trees and gave me a shot. I even laughed in my head a little thinking the pins were a joke, as every single pin I have would be completely buried into the bulls vitals.
But after waiting for that moment, it never happened. The bull simply jumped back 20 yards back into the timber and slowly disappeared. Maybe I flinched, maybe he winded me, maybe, maybe maybe...it goes on and on. The cow calls didn't bring him back, and as soon as he was there, he was gone. Meeting back up with Shawn, we couldn't help but laugh. Having such an amazing animal that close was something not a lot of people get to experience, but also dealing with the what if's and should have's made the moment a little hard to swallow. I guess we can't be Team Stalk and Spook without doing a little Stalkin' and Spookin'. I have one more day of work and its back out to the life of a bowhunter in Montana. Can't wait to blow another hunt if its anything like this one was. I drew a really fancy diagram to explain the situation so that you could follow it better. The bananas are Shawn and I for reference.
