“Bull coming in.” I despatched that textual content to my looking buddies on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023 at exactly 4:15 p.m., as we sat, separated by a number of hundred yards, on a north-facing meadow within the mountainous terrain of southeastern Kentucky.
It’s a textual content I by no means anticipated to have the ability to ship, primarily as a result of I solely had a day and a half remaining of a really lengthy elk season, which had me questioning if we have been going to get it carried out in any respect. Only a couple minutes after sending the textual content, because the bull got here slowly into bow vary, I got here to full draw on a Bluegrass State 5×5.
Instantly, 25 years of dreaming, 13 years of making use of for this tag, 7 months of preparation, and 220 hours of blood and sweat had come right down to this one shot alternative. I steadied my 40-yard pin proper behind his left shoulder, took an extended breath and launched the arrow.
And… then watched my arrow zip proper beneath his chest. It was onerous for me to grasp that I had simply blown my one shot on the solely elk I had in bow vary since archery season opened three months earlier.
An Elk Hunt Years within the Making
I first realized concerning the Kentucky Elk Restoration Challenge again in 1998 in my highschool library in Linton, Indiana, whereas studying a looking journal. The state of Kentucky efficiently partnered with the Rocky Mountain Elk Basis to obtain seven elk donated from Kansas, and in 1997 the restoration of a once-plentiful herd of Japanese elk within the Appalachian Mountains was underway. I believed this is perhaps an superior alternative to sometime hunt elk in a neighboring state, and commenced dreaming of a time after I may need my likelihood to take part.
Quick ahead to 2010. As I used to be shopping for a web-based license in preparation for a turkey hunt in Kentucky, I added $10 on a ticket within the Bluegrass State’s elk lottery. Evidently I didn’t get drawn that yr, however I did proceed to go turkey trying to find the subsequent few years in Kentucky, and every year when buying my nonresident turkey license, I’d enter the elk lottery. And for the subsequent 13 years I continued to use hoping my luck would change.
Kentucky publicizes their lottery winners reside every year at numerous out of doors reveals all through the state. The date and site for the 2023 occasion was set for Might 13 on the Kentucky Elk and Out of doors Fest in Bardstown. On that day I used to be serving to out in softball match concession stand after I obtained a telephone name from certainly one of my looking buddies. All he mentioned was, “You fortunate canine!” Not figuring out what he was speaking about, I requested him to additional clarify. He mentioned, “Dude, you bought an archery tag!”
I nonetheless didn’t know what he was speaking about and I may inform my buddy was annoyed with my thickness so this time he raised his voice just a bit bit and mentioned, “Kentucky elk lottery, man! You drew an either-sex archery tag!”
I had completely spaced the very fact the draw was that day, I actually don’t even keep in mind what the subsequent phrases have been out of my mouth. The following Half-hour consisted of me calling and texting nearly each hunter I knew, to allow them to know I had simply drawn the unicorn tag.
Based on Huntinfool.com, in 2023, 78,590 hopeful hunters utilized for the elk lottery. Of these candidates, 36,791 have been non-residents. A complete of 594 general tags have been issued. Solely 57 of these tags have been awarded to non-residents, and solely 17 of these non-resident tags went to archery hunters.
Actuality in Coal Nation
By that night, actuality was setting in that I had completely no concept what the subsequent transfer was. I didn’t know a single one that had ever been drawn for the Kentucky elk lottery, so I had no concept the place to begin. This pressured me to develop into a Kentucky elk looking sleuth for the subsequent few months. I can promise you there may be not a video on YouTube that has the phrases Kentucky and elk within the description that I didn’t watch.
As soon as I used to be assigned my unit, I did handle to squeeze in a pair three-day scouting journeys over the summer season, which was essential in serving to me achieve information of the terrain, and allowed me to put eyes on a number of elk. Archery season opened September 9 and ran by way of September 22, then took a pair months off to slot in the assorted rifle seasons, earlier than a late archery season ran from December 2-8.
On Sept. 8, I discovered myself, together with longtime looking accomplice Mike Parks, again at that very same campsite I had develop into so accustomed to over these summer season scouting journeys. After setting camp we hopped on the ATV and took off to get some glassing in earlier than darkish. Sadly the one factor we glassed that night was hunters, and plenty of them. I found by way of each of my early archery journeys in September, the identical options that attracted me to a few of these large coal-mine properties appealed to many different folks as nicely, and never solely elk hunters. I had quite a few encounters with deer hunters, locals operating bear canines, and households out pleasure driving on their ATV’s.
That early archery season mainly consisted of a lot of strolling, a lot of glassing, a lot of folks, a lot of ATV’s, a lot of rain, a lot of bears, ATV bother, trailer bother, and no elk. September proved to be a bust for me and I actually wasn’t positive I’d return in December for the late archery season.
I had a pair months to really feel sorry for myself, however because of the motivation and encouragement of native southeast Kentucky Conservation Officer Kevin Miller, I made a decision to suck it up, change up my technique, and check out once more.
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Remaining Shot
On my last journey right down to Appalachia, I now had longtime looking companions and high-school classmates Jake Gennicks and Andrew Bredeweg with me. Nonetheless, this time I made a decision to vary issues up a bit. As an alternative of looking massive tracts of land on the southern finish of the unit, I made a decision to test on some smaller pockets of public land within the northern a part of the unit.
On the six-hour drive down from Linton the three of us mentioned potential methods we’d be capable of use on a late season hunt to achieve success. My plan was easy, however not simple. In Fred Bear’s “10 Commandments of Searching,” certainly one of his techniques is, “Don’t ignore recent signal.”
So the morning of Saturday Dec. 2, opening day of the late archery season, discovered us pulling right into a public spot earlier than daylight in hopes of getting on a few of that recent signal. After a brief dialogue with some rabbit hunters we parked the truck and headed up the mountain, the place we ultimately got here to a really excessive level which allowed us the chance to do quite a lot of glassing and strolling. We noticed some stunning nation that regarded “elky” to us, however no recent signal.
One other certainly one of Fred Bear’s 10 commandments is “Hunt the place the sport is, not the place you assume they need to be.” So, nearly as good as that spot regarded, the shortage of latest signal saved us from burning an excessive amount of time there. We spent the remainder of the day protecting quite a lot of floor, mountain climbing nearly 11 miles. We noticed elk signal nearly the entire time however nothing tremendous recent, in order that night time we drafted a brand new plan for Day 2.
The very fact we had cell service in all places proved to be a recreation changer for this hunt. We determined to separate up on the second morning and talk repeatedly on our findings. About midway by way of the morning hunt, Jake texted stating he was on the freshest signal we had seen but.
Throughout a brief lunch across the tailgate we studied onX and checked the wind to assist decide our plan for the afternoon. We pushed in deep and till we got here to a gap that was as soon as a phenomenal meadow. Cedar thickets and autumn olive have been starting to take it over, however it was evident the meadow was getting used repeatedly by the native elk. We discovered a closely used recreation path, recent tracks, a couple of half dozen beds, and droppings that have been nonetheless moist and glossy. “We discovered ‘em,” Andrew mentioned.
We determined to deal with this like a sluggish afternoon turkey hunt. Figuring out the rut was just about over, I didn’t convey a bugle tube, however I did have calls with me. So we popped up a Montana Cow Decoy, and I constructed a floor blind between two small cedar bushes with the wind in my face. Andrew went low and to my left, and Jake went excessive and to my proper to broaden our visibility.
The following few hours have been spent consuming the occasional snack, checking on soccer scores, and thoroughly glassing the mountain hillside reverse of us, whereas progressively cow calling each 20-Half-hour.
As I regarded up into the meadow, and earlier than I may get my binoculars to my face, I noticed antlers! “No means,” I believed to myself. I couldn’t consider our plan had labored.
I had ranged the decoy at 33 yards and the bull was working in from the 12:00 place past the decoy. I used to be on my knees in my pure cedar floor blind, bow in my left hand, rangefinder in my proper. The bull was working slowly, eyeballing the decoy with each step. As he drew nearer, I feel the bull began to comprehend this was in contrast to any cow elk he had seen earlier than, however he was simply younger sufficient, and lovesick sufficient, that he continued on to test her out a bit extra, simply to substantiate.
Because the bull was closing the space I attempted to vary him however the numerous rank grasses on this reclaimed meadow saved giving me false readings. So I ditched the rangefinder, bought clipped in, and ready for a shot. One thing caught the bulls consideration and as he regarded again towards the ridge he got here from, I slowly drew my bow, an Elite Ritual 35. Shortly after I drew, the bull turned straight broadside. Another look at my decoy had me estimating the bull proper at 40 yards, which by now, you realize wasn’t correct. I introduced the string to my face and settled the inexperienced 40-yard sight pin proper behind his shoulder and launched the arrow.
Proper beneath his chest. Ugghhh! He needed to have been nearer to 45 yards. Being a whitetail hunter and a fairly inexperienced elk hunter, these massive animals look nearer than they’re.
Instantly he gave just a few hops right down to the decrease bench within the meadow and I may solely see the highest of his rack.
For just a few milliseconds I used to be frozen strong and simply wished to sulk in my sorrows. However then I made a decision to get again on the decision. So I laid it on fairly heavy, doing my greatest to sound just like the cow elk he heard previous to getting into that meadow, was nonetheless close by and concerned with assembly up with him for a rendezvous.
I reached for an additional arrow and after I bought it knocked on the string and regarded again up, he was gone. “That was it,” I instructed myself. “The one factor you labored so onerous for, the one alternative you could have invested over 220 hours into since July, and it was gone on the snap of a finger.”
Then, out of the nook of my eye on the 10:00 place I caught motion.
I slowly turned my head to see the bull had skirted round a cedar thicket, and was strolling straight towards me at 30 yards. I had to attract my bow down low, behind the duvet of my floor blind and maintain it till I felt snug elevating for a shot. I got here to full draw and rested at my anchor level, whereas protecting the bow pointed on the floor. Another scan of the bull confirmed me he was nonetheless curiously and cautiously making his approach to the sound of his potential date for the night. I used to be very vigilant as I slowly raised my bow for the shot, the place I began to get the shakes in each my shoulders. Possibly it was bull fever, or perhaps it was the very fact I had been drawn again for nearly 90 seconds at this level, however in any occasion I needed to calm myself down.
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Finish of the Street
The bull was nonetheless going through straight at me, as his entrance ft stepped up onto the bench I used to be on. All I may see was from his brisket space on up. As I steadied my anchor level, I positioned my crimson 20-yard sight pin on the underside of his throat. I had ready many instances for a frontal shot and had put myself on a 25-yard restriction. By this time the bull was standing at 20 yards and he was locked in on me. I knew I needed to shoot quickly, or he was going to spook. One final deep breath, and I launched the arrow, this time listening to the sound each bowhunter loves because the arrow penetrated deeply into the bull. He spun and took off over the bench towards the bottom of the mountain he got here from. I sprinted over to the spot he was standing after I shot, simply in time to look at him run into the thick timber. It was at the moment I turned again to see my pals popping out of their hideouts to rejoice with me within the meadow. Because it seems, Jake (who had been above me on the subsequent bench) may see me and was in a position to watch the hunt unfold in its last moments.
After a number of excessive fives, fist bumps, and some hugs, I gathered my gear and we got here up with a recreation plan. I needed to discuss myself into giving the bull loads of time to run out, because it was onerous to disregard the plain massive blood path we may simply see from the place we stood.
Finally, we adopted the blood path roughly 100 yards to the place he piled up. The following wave of excessive fives and hugs quickly wavered although, as we simply silently sat in awe of this creature the place we gave because of the bull for his life, to the mountain for offering the panorama, and to our Lord for blessing us with the chance.
Then we labored tirelessly into the darkness quartering the bull up. Two, one-mile journeys out to the truck later and we have been completed.
Seven months of preparation, studying, finding out, calling, emailing, podcast listening, scouting, and looking, and my Kentucky elk season was over. The frenzy of emotion continued to overhaul me for days and weeks after the hunt. To assume again to my 17-year-old self and the way cool it was to learn concerning the Kentucky elk restoration venture, and to know 25 years later, I used to be one of many few, fortunate, out-of-state archers to attract an elk tag, and kill a bull on a DIY, public-land hunt, is a sense I merely can’t describe.
With the ability to share the expertise with two guys I used to be looking with and taking part in soccer with in the course of the time I learn that first journal article again in 1998 made it even sweeter. Of all of the textual content messages Andrew, Jake, and myself have exchanged over time, and can proceed to trade for years to come back, I can promise we’ll always remember the one which merely says, “Bull coming in.”
