Archery Elk WY 2011. Small Bull but Rewarding!!
-
johnyutah5
- 2 point
- Posts: 258
- Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 10:53 am
- Location: Utah
Archery Elk WY 2011. Small Bull but Rewarding!!
Ok so it took me a bit to write this up..... 
So I thought I would take a few minutes to document last year’s Wyoming elk hunt for myself and thought I could share with my fellow MM members while I was at it.
If you don’t mind, I would like to share some background on why this hunt was such a big deal to me.
Dec 2, 2010- Davis Hospital ER
What the Doctor was telling me didn’t make sense. I knew my elbow was dislocated right after it happened but why was he telling me that it was most likely that I would only have 60% functionality when it was healed. Why couldn’t they just pop the thing back in and send me on my way? In fact that’s exactly what I had told my wife when I had called my wife to tell her that I would be late getting home, ‘I had to stop by ER to have them put my elbow back in place’. I told her not to worry and that I had the insurance card so she didn’t need to come to the hospital. I wasn’t trying to be a tough guy, that’s really what I thought. Since she is smarter than me she showed up anyway.
They wouldn’t put the elbow back in until the on-call orthopedic surgeon arrived. After a review of X-rays and CT scans the Doctors were telling me I had shattered the radial head of my left elbow and surgery would be necessary to repair it……..the on-call surgeon told me he had done this surgery a couple of times and that he COULD proceed if I wanted but he may end up just cutting out the radial head and sewing me back up. I decided a second opinion would be GREAT, so after they ‘reduced’ my elbow we were on our way to the U of U.......lots of unecessary detail.......off to surgery.
Broken bones with the elbow back in place......
So what does this have to do with elk hunting? Well after surgery one……..
2 plates and 11 screws later
And 3 months of rehab…….this was as straight as I could get my elbow, which makes drawing back a bow a bit of problem.
Mar 15th 2011-Second surgery
Now bone was growing randomly in the muscle of my arm, something called Heterotopic Ossification. So a second surgery was necessary to remove that and they were going to try to pull out the plates.
A few day after the Second surgery and my arm was getting straighter
Turns out they couldn’t remove the plates because the bone was not completely healed. During the operation the Surgeon cut a nerve to one of my fingers so it stopped working.
After 5 more months of rehab I was able to draw back my old Matthews Switchback. Granted it was only set to 58 pounds and it hurt like hatis, but it meant that I could hunt. By a miracle of God my finger started working again 3 months post surgery. The Doctor was recommending a 3rd surgery(one of the screws is broken and the odd bone growth had returned) but given that I was able to most things, most importantly type again. I opted to live with.
After 5 months of working my butt off and with the help of great physical therapist we made it this far(I kept going to PT for 6 more months but this is as straight as we coud get it)
And here is what it looks like inside my arm today with the HO and plates.
Bottom line, I am so grateful I can now hunt with my bow again!
Sept 2011-Wyoming Elk Rut
Idaho Paul (Who taught me everything I know about elk hunting),Wyoming Paul and my Brother Jim made plans to hit the back the backcountry Wyoming for 5 days in mid September. Wyoming Paul was kind enough to take us into his favorite hunting area on horseback. For a bunch of city boys this turned out to be a fun adventure.
The first morning found us on pine covered ridge between two river filled valleys. Our first call was immediately answered by a bull less than 200 yards away. We waited a few minutes and called again and again we were answered but the bull was now further away. This quickly became the theme for the next couple of days. Something was odd in the area, water holes and wallows from the past were not being used. Bedding areas were void of sign and pine needles lay undisturbed on previously well used trails. We later realized that the outfitter for the area had cut in a new horse trail on the ridge above our main canyon. Add that to the increased sightings of wolves in the area and we were starting to understand the odd behavior of the elk.
At the end of the 3rd day we decided it was time to try something new. The only elk we had seen were in an avalanche shoot about 2-3 miles from camp. The next morning we got an early start on the day and were in position to glass the Avalanche shoot at first light. Within a few minutes we had seen elk moving and could hear them talking. We dropped down a steep ridge, crossed the river at the bottom of the canyon and made our way up into the shoot. Wyoming Paul had decided that he was going to head back to camp at this point as he had church commitments the next day. He told us to let him know if we got anything and he would see what he could do about getting the horses back up to help us out.
We arrived in the avalanche shoot just in time to hear the last of the bugling before the elk bedded for the day. After a few calls with limited response we decided to wait it out until things picked up again in the evening.
We decided to make the most of the day by moving away from the herd and getting to know some new country. Sure enough, we were seeing more sign on this side of the mountain along with some good water sources and wallows.
We started to move back toward the elk as the evening approached. Our plan was to get as close as we could to the herd and then to sit and listen. After sitting for a half hour without hearing a sound we decided it was time make something happen. Paul let out a solid bugle and received an immediate response within 150 yards. We started to move toward the elk as they talked to us. Things were just right, we had the wind in our face and the elk in front of us and just like that……the wind switched and we were busted. Dejected, we could hear the herd crashing off. Bummer…..
With only an hour left of daylight so we decided to head lower down to call into an area where we had seen other elk that morning. We were calling as we went and got an answer from the bottom of the shoot on one of the side hills. On side of the draw was open hill side covered by grass, while the other side was covered in thick pines. A mix of shrubs and willows ran along a small stream in the middle of the shoot. We put our binos to work and found a spike grazing below us on the open hill side. Paul and I weren’t interested but my brother was all over shooting this spike. Paul thought the bugling bull might be close in the pines so they moved down together while I held back to call. The bull was responding to me and it was obviously not the spike. The low sounding bugle was slowly getting closer. Paul moved toward the bugling bull leaving Jim between us. The plan was that if the bull was small Paul would let it walk so Jim could shoot it. I couldn’t see either of them as they were 50 to 8 down canyon from me and tucked in the 8 ft tall willows.
No sooner had we set up than another bull joined in the calling up to my right about 100 yards away in the thick pines. A minute later another bull with several cows came out into the draw above us following the same path we had just come down. He was followed by another bull and then another. It was unreal; we had gone from virtual silence to being surrounded by 7 bugling bulls in 10 minutes. My heart was pounding as the bulls bugles echoed around us. These moments are the reason I hunt and those that have experienced it know that there are not words adequate enough to describe the rush.
It was obvious that the bull above me with the cows was the herd bull and he had a cow in heat. He would not leave her side. I did my best to draw him our way but every time I would call and he would start to move towards me one of his satellite bulls would make a move to steal the cow. As I sat there calling several of the other cows came running down in front of us. One of them came past me at 30 yards and then picked up the game trail that Jim was on. I found out later that it almost ran him over and continued on and almost ran over Paul.
At this point any bulls could have moved in on us from any direction. We were getting to the last 20 minutes of light and while we were surrounded none of the bulls would commit to us. Being new to calling elk I wasn’t sure what to do but I wanted to make something happen before we ran out of light. I started to get more aggressive in my cow calls and threw in a few estrus whines. I remember seeing the herd bull starting to head my way once more but as soon as he left his cow happily grazing in the meadow the 5 pt satellite moved in. The herd bull turned around and ran right at that 5 pt and when he did the 5 pt made a b-line toward me.
This was one of those made for tv moments (Too bad we didn’t have a camera rolling). He was 150 yards away and following the exact same path the cow had followed earlier. I ranged the bush I thought he would run past at 30 yards and put a reed call in my mouth. Now he was at 50 yards and moving quickly. As soon as he went behind the bush I drew back and waited for him to walk out. Once he was clear of the bush I blew on the call and he froze in his tracks staring my way. I put my 30 yard pin on him, settled it and then released. The tracer knock looked like a laser as it flew through dusk and hit its mark. He ran 50 yards and was starting to teeter when I heard the twang of an arrow being released……the bull took one more step and was down for the count.
After a bad experience with a wounded elk Jim and I had made a deal that if the other person ever gets a chance to finish off the animal he should do it. Jim had seen the arrow in the bull and knew it was good shot but didn’t want to take any chances. It was until we got up to the bull the bull that we realized he had missed.
This was taken from where the bull went down. You can see me in the bottom left....the bush in the middle of the screen the one he walked past when I shot.
The bulls kept bugling around us while my bull lay there but we could never get them to commit.
After dark we made our way up to my bull and drug him down the hill to the bottom of the valley. He is not the monster bull were after but he really is a trophy to me because of what he represents. I was grateful to share the experience with my friends and brother. We took a few pictures and then sent my brother up the hill to get hold of Wyoming Paul to see about getting the horses in the next morning.
Sure enough, Wyoming Paul rearranged his schedule and showed up to help us out. Once again I am in his debt. A big thanks to Paul, Paul and Jim!! I am still not sure they know how much this hunt meant to me.....
So I thought I would take a few minutes to document last year’s Wyoming elk hunt for myself and thought I could share with my fellow MM members while I was at it.
If you don’t mind, I would like to share some background on why this hunt was such a big deal to me.
Dec 2, 2010- Davis Hospital ER
What the Doctor was telling me didn’t make sense. I knew my elbow was dislocated right after it happened but why was he telling me that it was most likely that I would only have 60% functionality when it was healed. Why couldn’t they just pop the thing back in and send me on my way? In fact that’s exactly what I had told my wife when I had called my wife to tell her that I would be late getting home, ‘I had to stop by ER to have them put my elbow back in place’. I told her not to worry and that I had the insurance card so she didn’t need to come to the hospital. I wasn’t trying to be a tough guy, that’s really what I thought. Since she is smarter than me she showed up anyway.
They wouldn’t put the elbow back in until the on-call orthopedic surgeon arrived. After a review of X-rays and CT scans the Doctors were telling me I had shattered the radial head of my left elbow and surgery would be necessary to repair it……..the on-call surgeon told me he had done this surgery a couple of times and that he COULD proceed if I wanted but he may end up just cutting out the radial head and sewing me back up. I decided a second opinion would be GREAT, so after they ‘reduced’ my elbow we were on our way to the U of U.......lots of unecessary detail.......off to surgery.
Broken bones with the elbow back in place......
So what does this have to do with elk hunting? Well after surgery one……..
2 plates and 11 screws later
And 3 months of rehab…….this was as straight as I could get my elbow, which makes drawing back a bow a bit of problem.
Mar 15th 2011-Second surgery
Now bone was growing randomly in the muscle of my arm, something called Heterotopic Ossification. So a second surgery was necessary to remove that and they were going to try to pull out the plates.
A few day after the Second surgery and my arm was getting straighter
Turns out they couldn’t remove the plates because the bone was not completely healed. During the operation the Surgeon cut a nerve to one of my fingers so it stopped working.
After 5 more months of rehab I was able to draw back my old Matthews Switchback. Granted it was only set to 58 pounds and it hurt like hatis, but it meant that I could hunt. By a miracle of God my finger started working again 3 months post surgery. The Doctor was recommending a 3rd surgery(one of the screws is broken and the odd bone growth had returned) but given that I was able to most things, most importantly type again. I opted to live with.
After 5 months of working my butt off and with the help of great physical therapist we made it this far(I kept going to PT for 6 more months but this is as straight as we coud get it)
And here is what it looks like inside my arm today with the HO and plates.
Bottom line, I am so grateful I can now hunt with my bow again!
Sept 2011-Wyoming Elk Rut
Idaho Paul (Who taught me everything I know about elk hunting),Wyoming Paul and my Brother Jim made plans to hit the back the backcountry Wyoming for 5 days in mid September. Wyoming Paul was kind enough to take us into his favorite hunting area on horseback. For a bunch of city boys this turned out to be a fun adventure.
The first morning found us on pine covered ridge between two river filled valleys. Our first call was immediately answered by a bull less than 200 yards away. We waited a few minutes and called again and again we were answered but the bull was now further away. This quickly became the theme for the next couple of days. Something was odd in the area, water holes and wallows from the past were not being used. Bedding areas were void of sign and pine needles lay undisturbed on previously well used trails. We later realized that the outfitter for the area had cut in a new horse trail on the ridge above our main canyon. Add that to the increased sightings of wolves in the area and we were starting to understand the odd behavior of the elk.
At the end of the 3rd day we decided it was time to try something new. The only elk we had seen were in an avalanche shoot about 2-3 miles from camp. The next morning we got an early start on the day and were in position to glass the Avalanche shoot at first light. Within a few minutes we had seen elk moving and could hear them talking. We dropped down a steep ridge, crossed the river at the bottom of the canyon and made our way up into the shoot. Wyoming Paul had decided that he was going to head back to camp at this point as he had church commitments the next day. He told us to let him know if we got anything and he would see what he could do about getting the horses back up to help us out.
We arrived in the avalanche shoot just in time to hear the last of the bugling before the elk bedded for the day. After a few calls with limited response we decided to wait it out until things picked up again in the evening.
We decided to make the most of the day by moving away from the herd and getting to know some new country. Sure enough, we were seeing more sign on this side of the mountain along with some good water sources and wallows.
We started to move back toward the elk as the evening approached. Our plan was to get as close as we could to the herd and then to sit and listen. After sitting for a half hour without hearing a sound we decided it was time make something happen. Paul let out a solid bugle and received an immediate response within 150 yards. We started to move toward the elk as they talked to us. Things were just right, we had the wind in our face and the elk in front of us and just like that……the wind switched and we were busted. Dejected, we could hear the herd crashing off. Bummer…..
With only an hour left of daylight so we decided to head lower down to call into an area where we had seen other elk that morning. We were calling as we went and got an answer from the bottom of the shoot on one of the side hills. On side of the draw was open hill side covered by grass, while the other side was covered in thick pines. A mix of shrubs and willows ran along a small stream in the middle of the shoot. We put our binos to work and found a spike grazing below us on the open hill side. Paul and I weren’t interested but my brother was all over shooting this spike. Paul thought the bugling bull might be close in the pines so they moved down together while I held back to call. The bull was responding to me and it was obviously not the spike. The low sounding bugle was slowly getting closer. Paul moved toward the bugling bull leaving Jim between us. The plan was that if the bull was small Paul would let it walk so Jim could shoot it. I couldn’t see either of them as they were 50 to 8 down canyon from me and tucked in the 8 ft tall willows.
No sooner had we set up than another bull joined in the calling up to my right about 100 yards away in the thick pines. A minute later another bull with several cows came out into the draw above us following the same path we had just come down. He was followed by another bull and then another. It was unreal; we had gone from virtual silence to being surrounded by 7 bugling bulls in 10 minutes. My heart was pounding as the bulls bugles echoed around us. These moments are the reason I hunt and those that have experienced it know that there are not words adequate enough to describe the rush.
It was obvious that the bull above me with the cows was the herd bull and he had a cow in heat. He would not leave her side. I did my best to draw him our way but every time I would call and he would start to move towards me one of his satellite bulls would make a move to steal the cow. As I sat there calling several of the other cows came running down in front of us. One of them came past me at 30 yards and then picked up the game trail that Jim was on. I found out later that it almost ran him over and continued on and almost ran over Paul.
At this point any bulls could have moved in on us from any direction. We were getting to the last 20 minutes of light and while we were surrounded none of the bulls would commit to us. Being new to calling elk I wasn’t sure what to do but I wanted to make something happen before we ran out of light. I started to get more aggressive in my cow calls and threw in a few estrus whines. I remember seeing the herd bull starting to head my way once more but as soon as he left his cow happily grazing in the meadow the 5 pt satellite moved in. The herd bull turned around and ran right at that 5 pt and when he did the 5 pt made a b-line toward me.
This was one of those made for tv moments (Too bad we didn’t have a camera rolling). He was 150 yards away and following the exact same path the cow had followed earlier. I ranged the bush I thought he would run past at 30 yards and put a reed call in my mouth. Now he was at 50 yards and moving quickly. As soon as he went behind the bush I drew back and waited for him to walk out. Once he was clear of the bush I blew on the call and he froze in his tracks staring my way. I put my 30 yard pin on him, settled it and then released. The tracer knock looked like a laser as it flew through dusk and hit its mark. He ran 50 yards and was starting to teeter when I heard the twang of an arrow being released……the bull took one more step and was down for the count.
After a bad experience with a wounded elk Jim and I had made a deal that if the other person ever gets a chance to finish off the animal he should do it. Jim had seen the arrow in the bull and knew it was good shot but didn’t want to take any chances. It was until we got up to the bull the bull that we realized he had missed.
This was taken from where the bull went down. You can see me in the bottom left....the bush in the middle of the screen the one he walked past when I shot.
The bulls kept bugling around us while my bull lay there but we could never get them to commit.
After dark we made our way up to my bull and drug him down the hill to the bottom of the valley. He is not the monster bull were after but he really is a trophy to me because of what he represents. I was grateful to share the experience with my friends and brother. We took a few pictures and then sent my brother up the hill to get hold of Wyoming Paul to see about getting the horses in the next morning.
Sure enough, Wyoming Paul rearranged his schedule and showed up to help us out. Once again I am in his debt. A big thanks to Paul, Paul and Jim!! I am still not sure they know how much this hunt meant to me.....
Re: Archery Elk WY 2011. Small Bull but Rewarding!!
That was an awesome story... Thanks for taking the time to write it up and share with us! That is one trophy to remember for sure!
Re: Archery Elk WY 2011. Small Bull but Rewarding!!
Some serious dedication and perseverance right there! Congratulations on a fine elk and your continued road to a full recovery.
BOHNTR )))-------------->
Bowhunting Editor-Western Hunter Magazine
Pope & Young Measurer
Boone & Crockett Measurer
Bowhunting Editor-Western Hunter Magazine
Pope & Young Measurer
Boone & Crockett Measurer
Re: Archery Elk WY 2011. Small Bull but Rewarding!!
WOW, thanks for a great story
You worked hard and deserve the success you had
Congrats
You worked hard and deserve the success you had
Congrats
Watch your top knot!
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MuleyMadness
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- Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2002 9:34 pm
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Re: Archery Elk WY 2011. Small Bull but Rewarding!!
Outstanding read, that elbow sounds/looks like quite the ordeal for sure. Good grief!
Glad you got it back to where you can bow hunt, pretty amazing story. Can I ask how you dislocated/busted it up?
Glad you got it back to where you can bow hunt, pretty amazing story. Can I ask how you dislocated/busted it up?
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johnyutah5
- 2 point
- Posts: 258
- Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 10:53 am
- Location: Utah
Re: Archery Elk WY 2011. Small Bull but Rewarding!!
Thanks for the positive feedback. I love that about the MM community.
No I don't play soccer anymore, I am too old for that stuff. Wish I had realized that sooner.
Sure…..I was playing indoor soccer. I jumped into the air to 'head' the ball and the goalie came out and swept my feet out from under me. I was coming down on my back/head and stuck my hand below me to brace my fall….somehow my arm ended up underneath me and dislocated. Grateful to be where I am at with it for sure....could have been worse rightMuleyMadness wrote: Glad you got it back to where you can bow hunt, pretty amazing story. Can I ask how you dislocated/busted it up?
No I don't play soccer anymore, I am too old for that stuff. Wish I had realized that sooner.
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MuleyMadness
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9997
- Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2002 9:34 pm
- Location: St. George, UT
- Contact:
Re: Archery Elk WY 2011. Small Bull but Rewarding!!
That is one nice bull. Good for you.
Re: Archery Elk WY 2011. Small Bull but Rewarding!!
Sweet. That's quite a story.
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swbuckmaster
- 2 point
- Posts: 185
- Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:38 pm
Re: Archery Elk WY 2011. Small Bull but Rewarding!!
Cool story Tom. You and i have talked about the elbow several times on the phone. Until now I still didnt realize how bad it was. You are truly blessed it worked out as good as it has imho.
When I broke my elbow it was in the same spot as yours but I didn't have all the complications you did. It was also not as serious a break yours. Mine still creaks and is stiff at times.
When I broke my elbow it was in the same spot as yours but I didn't have all the complications you did. It was also not as serious a break yours. Mine still creaks and is stiff at times.