Jon's archery elk

Okanagan · September 27, 2015, 01:58:24 PM

Grandson Jonathan killed a dandy Roosevelt bull elk last Tuesday. His uncle was with him and called the bull to within 10 yards. Jon shot it as it walked slowly at a slight angle toward him. It is a heavy rack with a beautiful orange color from rubbing on alder.

As camp shuttle driver and hanger-on, I hiked the third of a mile down in the canyon to the bull and helped their uncle bone out meat while Jonathan and his brother Cody toted backpacks full of meat up to the road: three trips each for the teen boys plus one for their uncle David and me. Massive animal with 340 lbs. of boned out meat. Some Roosevelt elk are huge.

For the fuller story, four of us set up our tent beside a logging road in a drizzle at 3:00 AM on a Saturday. Only Jon had an archery tag.

At dawn Cody located a herd with a bull and the team went after him while I watched from a ridge across the canyon. It was rain-in-a-blender conditions. I watched a bull approach their calling set up without any way to let them know. He was walking aggressively toward them inside of 70 yards when a solid wall of fog blew across and shut off my view. They never saw the bull.

The rain got heavier. Everybody had essential gear wet and finally by afternoon on day two we sat under a tarp heating stuff on a backpack stove, retelling family tales and laughing a lot.

Monday, day three, dawned clear. Cody and I found a hot bull. We fetched the others and I moved to a ridge above while they went after the bull in a canyon. I couldn't see anything but for 40 minutes I listened to an elk symphony in the basin below. Bugles, grunts, chuckles, chirps from so many directions it was amazing. Amid it all was a bull absolutely screaming as he approached the hunters. He came in close, then left abruptly. No shot. That evening they worked the same bull with the same results.

Our last day to hunt, Tues., Uncle David and Jon went after the same bull while Cody and I checked other places. The loud hot bull came in to their calling, but again gathered his cows just out of visual range and left. They had given up and were standing together deciding what to do next when Jon saw antler tips very close. Both hunkered down behind a big stump. The bull stared at Jon, walked more into the open and stopped partly behind a lone spreading tree. Jon considered shooting but decided to wait, hoping the bull would walk on past the tree to give him a more open broadside shot. The bull bugled softly. Then he stepped out past the tree and Jon shot him mid ribs as he walked slowly, body angled uphill and slightly toward Jon.

In the photo below, Jon is sitting where he stood at the shot and Cody is looking up at him from where the bull was when the arrow hit him. Steep.

Uncle David was hunkered down to Jon's left because the bull had approached from the right. But as the bull moved right to left and Jon swung his bow ever more to the left, David had to lean left and back to clear the bow and tip of the drawn arrow.

They called me on the walkie talkie. Shot about 8:10 AM we had all of the meat and antlers to the road by 4:30.

FinsnFur · September 27, 2015, 10:16:05 PM

That baby is nothing short of amazing! Nice job gentlemen

pitw · September 27, 2015, 10:19:42 PM

The smile in the first pic tells the story.

Great write up and everyone involves should feel proud as you all deserve to.
Man is that a cool colored rack.

Hawks Feather · September 27, 2015, 10:40:56 PM

Thanks for taking me along (via the story) on the hunt. Great looking elk.

Jerry

riverboss · September 28, 2015, 04:23:46 AM

Wow great job!! I commend your family for getting the younger generation involved in what so many want to stop. Great story and great elk, tell that young man congratulations.

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HuntnCarve · September 28, 2015, 06:03:48 AM

Congrats to the lucky young man! That's a beautiful bull. He should be very proud.

Thanks for reliving the hunt for us Clyde. Its nice that you could be a part of it all.

Dave

Coulter · September 28, 2015, 06:03:58 AM

Never thought I'd say this to a guy, but Nice Rack! That is a dandy for sure, nice going and congrats to your grandson!

Steve

Frogman · September 28, 2015, 11:21:46 AM

Awesome!!!

Jim

Dave · September 28, 2015, 09:06:56 PM

Great story! I remembered your stories of Jonathon's shooting ability and was waiting for something like this! You guys really get after them.
Congrats to all of you for the hard work put in - nothing beats hunting with family.

coyote101 · September 28, 2015, 09:28:55 PM

What a beautiful trophy.

And another wonderful family memory.

Pat

HaMeR · September 29, 2015, 05:08:41 AM

WOW!! THAT was a heckuva hunt right there!! Congratulations on a damn fine Elk!!

Carolina Coyote · September 29, 2015, 06:18:35 AM

Well done Jon, I am sure you put a lot of time and effort in your archery shooting ability and it has really paid off, something to be very proud of. Congratulations.

Okanagan · September 29, 2015, 11:12:24 AM

Fun memory (and character) building time with some of my favorite people. That includes folks here where it is fun to tell the tale. Thank you for the good words.

A few tidbits: in the pic where Jon is pointing, his lower legs and boots are soaked, and that was a sunshine day. Photo below is mid-morning in the shade on a sunny day.

The bull went 150 yards after being hit with the arrow- all uphill and closer to the road.

That's an unusual gift!

Jon & his brother Cody tying the elk rack to a pack for the last load up to the road. Jon insisted on carrying out the antlers, natch!

nastygunz · September 30, 2015, 11:03:16 PM

Great story and great bull!

FinsnFur · October 01, 2015, 09:42:54 PM

Nice additions Clyde

KySongDog · October 02, 2015, 08:25:34 AM

Great, great story! Congratulations to Jon!

You are blessed with a fine family, Clyde.

Okanagan · October 02, 2015, 12:16:27 PM

Yes, blessed. And I'm grateful.

JohnP · October 03, 2015, 11:31:31 AM

What a great story and great bull. I am impressed by the mass, have you the measurements at the base? After living in the desert as long as I have I don't think I could hunt in that terrain. Please tell that young man that there is an old soldier out here in the desert that envies him and sends a very hardy congratulations for a job well done.

nailbender · October 03, 2015, 12:44:59 PM

Great story. Congrats to Jon!

Okanagan · October 16, 2015, 01:08:03 AM

Quote from: JohnP on October 03, 2015, 11:31:31 AM
What a great story and great bull. I am impressed by the mass, have you the measurements at the base?

Thank you!

Very heavy bases. Haven't heard any measurements, but I can't touch my fingers around the main beam below the smallest place between the third and fourth tines.