A buddy invited me on a public land Idaho elk hunt. We were out there from Sept 15-25.
Sept 16 we went to a spot where he said he had luck in the past. Nothing at daybreak. Almost 4 miles in I decided to eat and wasn't long before we got interrupted by a bugle below us. We tried moving on him but he had the wind in his favor any way we tried to go. We decided to walk on around the mtn. I heard a bugle but he didn't and I even knew the exact direction.
We headed that way so he cld check a wallow as well. Well guess what we ran into? A freaking giant 6x6 at 30 yards that had our #. He knew we were there but wasn't really sure what we were but he didn't hang around long enough to get shot.
Sept 17 went to a diff spot and heard 6 blowing the mtn down at daybreak but shutup shortly after. Heard one bugle at 5:15 that evening.
Sept 18 didn't hear squat
Sept 19 decided to go sight seeing
Sept 20 we went to a spot a guy had told my buddy about. We had went there twice in the evenings to "roost" one but didn't have any luck so decided to give it a try this morning and if we didn't hear any we would cull this spot. We got in an hour before dark and it was absolutely spectacular what we heard. There were 2 bulls screaming there heads off at each other non stop. We snuck in while it was dark and kept following them.
Finally it got to breaking light so we started off calling to the them and they would answer but would not commit. They would finally get tired and move on up and we would follow suit. A few cows answered us back so we had a "henned" up bull like we figured. The areas we hunted were all nasty thick where if you could see 30 yards you were doing really good. After trying to manuever in and cut em off a cow busted us.
I figured the gig was up by then but it turned out to go in our favor IMO. The bull started panic bugling and running around trying to gather his cows. We finally seen him coming thru the brush but I had no shot. My buddy had a small opening to shoot thru but I never seen his arrow hit even tho I watched the whole thing.
We waited a few minutes and hear a bugle just above us where his bull went. We look at each other like no way its the same bull (we had forgot about the second bull that had been screaming at him but keeping his distance). We ease over to check for blood and his arrow. He said he watched it hit and he was forward.
We get to where he last saw him and had been standing there for maybe a minute when I hear something below us. My buddy cow calls and a small 4x4 comes to within 25 yards but I can't shoot cause he's facing me head on. He smells where we walked in and backs back out but doesn't run off.
Were standing whispering about what to do and we hear brush breaking above us. 3 cows are coming off. I draw back and was going to shoot one at 15 yards but he says nice bull behind em. I swing around and he's bout go thru the only opening around. I shoot as he steps and cld tell I hit a little back. How far I wasnt sure as it all happened so fast but I heard him lay down hard within 30 yards but can't see him.
We back out a little ways and decide what to do. He shot at 8:15 and I shot at 8:45. He felt mine was a better shot so we waited till 11 then went in to check and found him about 30 yards from where I shot him. A nice 6x5! We searched for his and never found blood or arrow also went in and grid searched all of the next morning and still never found anything.
Had a great time and seen some awesome scenery. Everyone told me that elk hunting will get in your blood once you go and I believe that is correct as im already planning a hunt in Colorado for 2013
Here's what I was in when I shot my bull. There's a small pine about 23 yards in the center of the pic and I shot him just under one of the limbs.
