First Elk

by Vince Campbell
(Hinton, Alberta, Canada)

45 Minutes and a Cut Block

One early morning last September a buddy and myself headed to an area that he knew there were elk and moose.

He was hunting elk and I was hunting both elk and moose but my priority was archery moose.

We had finally arrived where we were going to hunt. We open the doors to hear a bugle up in a cut block a ways away. We got our gear together a started hiking.

We never saw any moose or elk but enjoyed the hike none-the-less.

As we arrived back at the truck we heard that same bull bugling. We got into the trees and started to bugle and cow chirp. The elk responded right away. We could hear him getting closer and closer coming down the hill in the cut block.

A truck comes down the road and stops, sitting and watching.
This horrible occurrence stopped the bull and we could here him retreating back up the hill but still going hard.

I thought my only chance was to go grab my rifle from the truck a 100 yards away and go after him. I started up the hill with my Hoochie Mamma call in hand and my rifle.

The 45 minute and a cut block journey had begun.
I had finally got to the top of the hill and he kept retreating after getting close so many times and not seeing him I stepped out to a new cut block with slash piles. I thought to myself, "if I cannot see him from the top of one I would head back to the truck".

I got on top of a slash pile and there he was, looking straight at me. I calmed my nerves and took the shot.

It's a hit.

He spins around goes trough a clump of trees and comes out like there's nothing wrong so I loaded another bullet. I take a broad side shot and another hit. He circles and staggers. He lays down.

Finally, my First Elk, a respectable 5X5.

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