Wapiti/Bear combo

[Simple Man]

So in the late 70’s, my dad and a few of his best buddies set out for Colorado to hunt mule deer out west. They started with BLM land. After trading a park ranger a box of grits for a lead on some private land, they did that successfully for several years after that. In 1984, we drove out there from SC on a 2 week road trip vacation. In 1987, he took me out of school for a week to go hunt the same ranch they had hunted. We were unsuccessful but that trip solidified my desire to someday get back out west to hunt big game.

That all came together this week and God and my ol’ man smiled down on me in a BIG way. Glenn and I set out for Colorado on Wednesday 9/7 with plans to hunt 9/10-15. It’s been an emotional week and one that’s been the culmination of nearly a year of preparation - in equipment, in a recommitment to my health and getting back in the gym, and certainly the sacrifices my wife and kids have made to let me fulfill this passion. I have been building arrows, experimenting with fletchings and broadheads to find the perfect setup, and have shot countless times out to 50yds in the driveway. Seeing hard work pay off is more satisfying than I can put into words and I am so thankful I got to do it in such a beautiful place with the best friends in the world.

I had tags for bear and elk. Sunday evening produced a 30yd shot on a brown phase black bear. Shot was perfect, just behind the left shoulder, slightly quartering away - but I watched him carry my arrow away and despite looking for him for hours Sunday and twice again Monday, we weren’t able to find him until Monday afternoon - over 200yds away and through some really thick woods. We will be able to save the cape from him.

The first part of the week was eventful with several bears being killed from the property by guys in the group. Bugling by the elk was minimal so hunting them was a little tougher.

Wednesday afternoon’s hunt was on a herd that included a whopper of a bull but he had other plans and rounded up his cows and carried them over the ridge and off the property. We chalked it up to fate and headed back to the cabin. On the drive in, we passed a lone bull in an alfalfa field and with some daylight left, we decided to put the stalk on him. There were 100 different things that had to each go exactly right and if any one of them had not happened, I wouldn’t have had a shot.

We headed the bull off on his route, wind in our face, and as he started to scale the cattle fence in front of him, he reversed course and provided the perfect broadside shot at 42 yards, facing left to right. I settled the lower pin on him and let the arrow go. The shot entered perfectly in the pocket behind his right shoulder and exited just in front of his left leg.

Watching that nock disappear where it did sent me and the rancher into hysterics. The pictures speak for themselves, but we found that the arrow passed through the center of his heart and he was down in 30 yards from point of impact.

Colorado was damn good to our family again.