Wednesday, May 31, 2006

I found this bull in Washingtons Goat Rocks Wilderness area.
I backpacked in 3.5 miles or so and set up camp on a little ridge where i could see Mt Adams and several meadows and lakes. the first evening there i heard several bulls bugling and saw some elk from camp. The next morning i was up and glassing several elk a couple miles away on a ridge. When those ones didnt pan out i was working my way back toward camp when i heard a bull bugle about a quarter mile away or so. i picked a trail and got the wind crossing us and moved in fast. after a few minutes of trottin on the trail i figured i was getting close and slowed down. i heard cows and then saw them at about 70yds and then the bull came out. i remember getting the shakes and having to calm down a bit before i moved on. The elk were heading in the direction i had just come from so i trailed them with the wind perfect now and i was on a quiet trail i hadnt called at all yet.
Pretty soon i could hear the bull raking a tree and i could hear his cows beyond him. i knew this was perfect so i moved past the bull and started moving down the hill to get inbetween him and his cows. I got almost directly inbetween them and he was still raking the trees. Finally i saw him as he was trashing a tree he was about 15 yds away and in some thick trees where i couldnt shoot. After a few minutes he turned and went out of sight for a second then he appeared and started heading for his cows he walked out of the trees at 16yds and i drew and cow called but he didnt stop. he walked past a good opening and stopped in the middle of some small fir trees. I was able to thread an arrow throw a small gap in the limbs and it went through him without slowing down. He turned and ran back to where he had been raking the trees and paused i cow called and he ran up 10 yds and down 15yds and i heard him crash and then gasp a few times. He was dead in less time than it takes to read this. probably 20 seconds or so.

His official P&Y score is 327 3/8 gross and 317 6/8 net
He has over 5 feet in scoreable mass measurements.



jes' elk last year 05 6x6 with bow

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