Alpinebullwinkle

You ask what weapon that I would use on long shots in unit 27.     From 50 years of elk hunting experience, I use a 300 Weatherby Magnum -mark 5, 180 gn. Med. exp. (Weatherby Primier scope). : My max range is 250 yards. I never take a marginal shot. This way, I have never crippled or lost an elk.

Last week I crippled , or lost the largest Bull that I have ever seen. What caused this sad situation ? I did not recognize that my physical condition had deteriorated to a state that I could not retrieve a huge bull out of a very steep rugged canyon, that was part of Oak Creek Canyon.

On the 3rd. morning of the 11 M Archery elk hint , I called this Herd Bull out of his herd of about 50 elk. He came direct to me. I stopper him -rock solid -at 17 yards. 

Now! I shoot a Bow Tech -Samson, 105 lb.draw, 425 g. arrow, 400 + fps.                                                            ( This Bow- I modified-into a vertical Crossbow, the release is inc. on to the bow.)

At the instant of truth,  I press the release, the bull sees no movement. He is still accessing the situation. Then he hears the string and almost instantly feels the steel pass through. ( 17 yd. travel at 425 fps. =( no string jump time) I did not see the flight of the arrow, but I saw it inter ,the spot that my pin was on. He bolted out of there at full speed.

 The blood trail was straight to the canyon edge (75 yd). & down 1000+ ft.

I,m 82, have 2 big health problems,   I. Cancer for 7 yrs. with Several operations    2. heart(attacks) with 9 repairs. 

With all this excitement, my energy was gone & I was having , big trouble breathing.  after a while breathing improved some, but still very weak. If I want down there I would not be able to make back out. ( Caring nothing) I always hunt solo.  So, I headed for the truck (500 yd. ) Rested several times, short on breath & really shaking. Drank lots of fluid & drove back to the log- cabin.

I have decided- that -was my last Archery elk hunt. All good things do end. I have some hunter -friends that will go into that canyon and bring out the antlers. I believe that they will score around 430. I Harvested a bull in 2012 -same area that scores    4106/8.

Hope that you did not find this too boring.  But you got it first hand- from the source.

the ole outdoors man