Tradtitional Bowhunters of Texas

Elk Hunt
Horne Recurve, carbon express arrows, STOS broadheads, Chromo, Colorado. Public land, self guided opening day Aug 28th 2010.
Gene Bohannon

Day 1 - Left camp at 5am alittle late, had a 3 mile hike to area (10,200 ft). As I was walking I bumped around 12 cows and calves. I had traveled about 1/4 mile after getting startled by the elk and ran into a mule deer doe, she stopped at 12 yards and feed for about 20 minutes with me behind a big stump. Then she took off and gave way to a 200-250 lb black bear which came within 18 yards. I wish I had a mule deer or bear tag. Finally got to my spot at 656am and had a lonsome cow hang up at 66 yards. Headed back to camp at 11am. What a morning!!!!! This afternoon was very interesting! I got to my spot around 430pm. I had been sitting there about an hour when it began to pour buckets of hard rain with lighting and loud thunder. I have never in my life heard thunder that loud but I've never hunted at 10k feet. I quickly slipped into my rain gear and got ready for a long evening hunt, so I thought. Lighting began to hit alittle closer than I like so I backed out to a grove of aspens I had seen that morning. I sat down by two small pines and a large dead fall tree around 615pm and decided this is where I would finish the night. At 650pm I heard some crashing around coming from up above me on the ridge, it was 9 or 10 cow elk and 3 bulls. The cows were headed straight for me when they cut behind me offering me no shot but just at that time the bulls turned and headed for me. The lead bull was a 4x5 then a rag horned bull and then a wide 4x4 bringing up the rear, the first two bulls had me pinned down as they passed at 7 yards. The 4x4 swung out at 12 yards, stopped and looked at me with no worries. He then stepped behind a aspine as I drew my recurve. He took two steps from behind the tree and I released the arrow. It was perfect 4 inches behind the shoulder and buried to the fletching. The bull almost went down from the shot but stumbled to his hooves and headed back the way they came. I could see the arrow in him as he headed up the ridge. In what seemed like forever but really 60 seconds I heard the crash and the sound of something rolling down hill. He let out two big deep moans. I began to shake uncontrollably, I sat there with my head in my hands. ( I have never been that shook up in my life) I walked or (floated not sure) back to camp and told the story, gathered help (Wyatt, Dave and Curt) and we headed to find my elk. It was now 11pm, it took us about 30 minutes to find my first ever elk. Wyatt found him upside down next to a dead fall. We all shook hands as I sat next to this beautiful animal that GOD provided us. I had just fulfilled a hunting dream. After a few moments then the work began a big thanks to the guys especially Curt who showed me how to work on a elk. We got him quartered out and back to camp around 330am (3 mile hike)! I was so jacked up that I just sat on the tailgate of my truck holding his rack. He not the biggest or the best but he is mine. I DID IT ON MY FIRST ELK HUNT, OPENING DAY AND WITH MY RECURVE!!! I am hooked I will be back every year GOD willing. Pics are not the greatest. It was raining like crazy and dark ( I didnt want to ruin Tanya's camera, I want to go year after year) haha

Traditional Bowhunters of Texas