# No tag soup this year



## ckamanao (Mar 20, 2010)

I would like to think that I'm a great hunter, steeped in woodlore and could sneak up on a stiff breeze. The truth is, being 6'5" and 290lbs, I'm not sneaking up on anything, living or dead!

I hit the hills at around 5 am. I knew an area that has elk every year, its just getting in on them. I wade across the river, bloody hell that's cold at 5 am. I get into a decent spot and wait for a bit of light. I can hear cows and calves chirping, but I didn't want to go any farther and blow them out.

It starts to get a little lighter and now I can see a bit. I start moving in. No bugles, just chirps in the distance. Its pretty thick and I can only see 25 yards max in a few clearings. 30 minutes into my "stalk" see a hind end of an elk but I can't make out what it is. Fortunately, it's an "any bull" unit and everything is fair game. 

I start to follow. I make it 50 yards and the trail splits around a small stand of trees that I can't see through. I can now here some serious thrashing about 50 yards out. Breaking branches and shaking bushes. I take a step around the stand and come face to face with a spike. ****.

He bolts straight east. I stop and wait, a few minutes later the thrashing continues. I know what it is making the ruckus, hell we all know what it is. I continue north along the trail. I get within 25 yards and I still can't see the source of the noise. But, somehow, I register movement. The spike came back.

"Stoopid mother puss bucket, go away!" came the thought. Which I find ironic considering if he had given me a broadside shot I would have taken it less than five minutes before. He stands there at my 3 oclock not moving. He finally steps back into the bushes, I go to take a step, and the dirty bugger pops back out. After looking at each other for 20 seconds he steps back and I see him take off, away from the bull. 

By now my heart is pounding and I'm starting to breath like I'm running a marathon. Some where in the middle of all that I drew an arrow and knocked it, but I don't remember doing it. I move closer and can now see him through a stand of thick willows. He is raking a tree facing me through the willows. I take a half a step and can see he is inside 20 yards. He stops raking and looks like he is going to step out. I come full draw and he goes back to raking. Crap!

I'm too afraid of letting off because he might see that quick motion. So I stand there at full draw, FOREVER! I finally bring my bow down and hook it on my thigh to help take some of the pressure. Then he moves. A 90 degree turn on his scratching post giving me a beautiful broadside. I lean out and take the shot. I realized that I had waited there so long my heart rate went back to normal and so did my breathing. I hit him high and farther back than I would have liked and he takes off through a wall of trees like they aren't even there. (how do they do that?)

I'm really worried about my shot so I walk over to the crime scene and find frothy, bubbly blood EVERYWHERE! Now I'm not so worried anymore, it looks like I still him a lung. I give it, what I think is 20 minutes or so, but it was probably more like five. I start tracking his blood trail. He crosses another stream and I find him 100 yards away on the bank of the stream.

I couldn't believe it. Talk about luck of the gods. The planets and stars must been in a synchronous orbit that morning. I went in looking for a cow, if I was lucky, a spike. Its one of those moments where you look around to see if anyone is watching just for conformation that what just happened......really just happened!


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## flyfisher20 (Aug 5, 2011)

Awesome. Congrats!


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## phorisc (Feb 2, 2011)

ckamanao said:


> I would like to think that I'm a great hunter, steeped in woodlore and could sneak up on a stiff breeze. The truth is, being 6'5" and 290lbs, I'm not sneaking up on anything, living or dead!
> 
> I hit the hills at around 5 am. I knew an area that has elk every year, its just getting in on them. I wade across the river, bloody hell that's cold at 5 am. I get into a decent spot and wait for a bit of light. I can hear cows and calves chirping, but I didn't want to go any farther and blow them out.
> 
> ...


wow, congratz!


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## Bowdacious (Sep 16, 2007)

Awesome bull! Congrats!!!


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## hansenusn (May 19, 2014)

That is a great bull. Congrats. Good work.


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## Archin (Oct 5, 2013)

How many years of tag soup did it take to get that beaut? Good job! Awesome bull


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

Congrats!


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## Huntin8 (Jul 15, 2013)

Congrats! Thats an awesome bull!


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## ckamanao (Mar 20, 2010)

4 long years of that bloody soup. It such a superb feeling. I would have been tickled pink with a cow or a spike. I just got lucky. 

I hope you all are as lucky as I was in your hunts.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

That bull has really cool fronts. Good job!


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Awesome bull, for an open bull area with stick flipper, phenomenal!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Well done, congratulations.


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## kailey29us (May 26, 2011)

Very cool congrats!


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

Wow very cool, congrats!


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

Cool story. That was a good read. Awesome bull congrats. I like your face in the picture. It still hadnt quite set in haha. Probably wont for awhile.


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## Bow hunter mojo (Oct 12, 2013)

Great Story. Great Hunt. Great Elk. I enjoyed reading about your experience. Thanks.


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## shortbreath54 (Apr 23, 2009)

Wow Great Bull 
Congratulation


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Awesome story and more awesomer bull....congrats


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

That is just simply awesome!


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## Flyfishn247 (Oct 2, 2007)

Awesome bull and even better story. It almost felt like something I had been through myself. Future in writing articles for some outdoor magazine? I think so.


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## APD (Nov 16, 2008)

congratulations! can you take a pic of that bull with a mere mortal for size comparison.;-)


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## elkmule123 (Aug 14, 2013)

Congrats on a nice bull!


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

Great Bull and awesome story! Huge congratulations! Love the honesty and humility.


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## El Casador (Aug 27, 2009)

Congrats! nice bull


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## mjensen1313 (Jul 29, 2015)

Thanks for the great read! and congrats on a great bull!


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## AJ13 (Apr 28, 2015)

Awesome Bull!!!


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

Wow, nice job!


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

Being 6'7" and 310lbs myself, I feel your pain buddy!! Those animals sure get spooked by trees that can walk... Congratulations on punching your tag with an awesome bull on a any bull unit!


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## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

Great bull. Guys on a LE unit would be happy with that boy. Let alone an any bull unit! That's sick!!


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Very nice bull! Way to go.


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## Watcher (Dec 31, 2008)

*Sweet*

General season, any bull area, archery, in Utah.
One of the hardest (and sweetest) trophies there is!
You da man!


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## torowy (Jun 19, 2008)

You shot that on an anybull unit? Wow


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## bamacpl (Jun 1, 2010)

Congrats man!! Great bull!!


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