(https://i.imgur.com/Xm426n4.jpg)
One of my sons and his son are bow hunting for elk in Idaho, no guide but non-resident licenses.
Son killed the bull in this pic a couple of days ago, his first with a bow, a 3 year old 6x6.
His son, Riley, killed a bigger, mature bull last evening. They have pack horses and got the first bull out to their rig today, about 11 miles.
I don't have details and don't have a pic of Riley's bull yet.
These men who hunt Roosevelt elk in the rain forest are absolute elk killing machines when they hunt them in open timber, or anywhere other than the wet jungle!
Big critters
Tell him congratulations!
Awesome. Their meat bill should shrink.
The elk hunters came out of the mountains yesterday evening. Below is a pic of my grandson's bull. His girlfriend hiked in and came with them on the final pack out, so she's in the pic. She is good with horses.
(https://i.imgur.com/rND70Sg.jpg)
Grandson had spotted the bull and had stalked pretty close when it suddenly cut across close upwind of him. It was close enough that he didn't bother to range it, just shot it in the ribs. He hit it a little far back in the ribs but it didn't spook much so he shot it again as it walked away and buried the second arrow to the fletching. It didn't go far.
This is a big bodied mature bull that looks more like a Roosevelt than it does a Rocky Mountain bull. It has heavy bases and main beams, big eyeguards and not much on top.
My son hit his bull at 55 yards, then again at 61 yards with a second arrow. He is confident to 60 yards so took the 55 yard shot, then when the bull didn't run off, he flung another one at it. That's the 3 year old 6x6, his first elk with a bow, picture of it in the first post of this thread. It was hit high in the ribs with huge bleeding internally but not much for blood trail till the chest cavity filled with blood high enough to leak out the hole hear the top.
A couple of very nice bulls. Have been told that the first legal elk you see is a good one. Tracks don't fill the freezer. Have heard more than one story of letting a small bull walk off, hoping for a bigger bull, and ending up empty handed.
Yes sir. Very nice harvest :congrats:
Last evening I helped the elk hunter clean and cut meat while we watched Monday Night football. That's become a tradition, and its a good one. This morning had little odds and ends chunks of elk steak and eggs for breakfast, surprisingly tender and very tasty. Another good tradtion! :yoyo:
My son said that his 6x6 bull is the first animal he's ever killed with a bow. I'd forgotten that because so many in the family bow hunt. Not a bad start, though he's gotten a bunch of elk, and some big ones, with a rifle.
Another pic of son's bull below.
(https://i.imgur.com/Jj8PSUM.jpg)
Errata: I said that my son and grandson hunted on non-resident licenses, but actually, my grandson had moved to Idaho long enough ago that this season he is a resident there. He couldn't stand the politics here in Washington. Two of his cousins, also my grandsons, are looking to move there or maybe to Montana.
Of course, Californians are flooding away from California, and bring their politics with them, never seeming to realize that they are creating what they fled in CA.
My grandson had made acquaintance with an older timer who has a walk-in cooler and freezer, grinder and everything needed to process big game. He helped my grandson process his big bull. He opined that for two non-locals to come to Idaho in archery season and kill one six point bull, he'd consider it luck. But for the two of them to each kill a six point bull with a bow moved it beyond luck. Ah, fodder for granddad bragging! :huh: :laf: