Love and Elk Hunting- The Big Bull on the Two-Med Story

I let out a long location bugle (the sound a bull elk makes when he is trying to let all the other elk know where he is at).  It was almost more of an afterthought.  I had bugled back and forth earlier with a couple bulls and been within 50 yards of a timid smaller bull, but it was hot now and we were going to take a brief nap before hunting our way back down to the trail and heading back to the car. 

Suddenly, I was jolted back into reality by the bellow I heard in response from 200 yards below me.  I looked at my fiancé, Allie, whom I would marry a mere 2 weeks later and a smile crossed my face.  This new bull sounded very interested in meeting this new bull (me) who had the gall to walk right through his domain.  I waited a few seconds and bugled back over my shoulder, as if this new bull (me) was just on the other side of the ridge that we were on.  Another quick response back from the bull below, showed he had closed the gap in half and was definitely coming our way.  Allie lay down near a bush behind me and I quickly slid up to a tree where I would have a couple shooting lanes. 

I heard him before I saw him, but when I saw him, my heart began to palpitate like that of a humming bird.  Big, thick, black antlers emerged from the underbrush.  He was covered in mud and swayed from side to side when he moved, almost like he was a mechanically engineered FrankenElk.  I caught myself starting to count the tines as he neared 60 yards.  Suddenly all the failed elk encounters rushed back through my memory and the two instances where I had hit a bull and never found him jolted me back to the task at hand.  This was no time to count tines!  It didn’t matter how big or how small this bull was, if it was in my power, he was going down.  Given his approach, I had two lanes; one at 25 yards and one at 10.  He chugged up the hill so fast I forgot to draw before the 25 yard window, but had enough composure to draw right after when his head was obscured by a tree. 

 

He was resolute in his movement and belief that there was an intruder just over the hill.  As he broke into my 10 yard window broadside, I let out a mew that sounded more like a cat than a cow elk, but it was all I needed.  He stopped for a split second and I squeezed my release with my 10 yard pin pegged right behind and below his shoulder blade.  He spun around so fast, taking me from my concentration zone to a place of adrenaline and elation!  I had just arrowed a bull that was as big, or bigger, than any I had ever seen!

It would take two hours and another arrow before I would stand over this magnificent creature with Allie.  Marveling at how lucky and blessed we were to have that experience.  I measured him by B and C standards and though many people, including myself, believed him to be over 350, he measured a “mere 331” after deductions.  We got married about two weeks later in Glacier, in the rain and it was awesome!

This year’s bow season is drawing to a close, as is our first year of marriage, and both have been fun and enjoyable.  I’m sure I’ll shoot more elk with Allie by my side(maybe she’ll even shoot some with me at her side), but we will never forget and always treasure that first elk together!  That’s True Montana!