In 2011, My brother and I went elk (we only had cow tags archery) and deer hunting. Well we arrived at our first hunting area; which was private land, and as we were walking we heard a few cow elk chirping. So we did what any hunter would do, we chirped back. The more we chirped, the closer they came. Then at one point we saw them walking out into the open, but there was one problem, the cows were on the other side of the fence and we were in a bad position to where they could see us. The there were 3 young cows and 1 older cow. The older one caught our sent, but never saw us. She turn around and took off leaving the other three cows wondering why she ran away. We never got them called in, but we heard this loud nose like two rams head butting. So we went to investigate. As we reached this one area, we heard cows chirping and we found out we walked right in the middle of them, without them or us detecting each other. No cow gave us a shot, but we played with them chirping and talking to them. They kinda got a little nervous cause they couldnt find what cow was chirping, so they left and we followed, until my brother had a shot. He raised the bow, pulled it back, and missed. The cows took off running, not knowing what happened. We followed them through an opening and headed for a small patch of trees, as we reached the small patch of trees we realized that we were in full view of the elk. They were not in the small patch of tree, but in another patch of trees, 50 yards away from the other patch of trees were the elk, there was an opening between the two patches. So my brother and i stood really still in the opening and chirp. Then a young cow chirp and came to us curiously. We didnt make a move and we watched the young cow pass us and then the older cows were like ok its safe and proceeded passed us. The last cow the biggest and oldest cow came up and my brother pulled up his bow, drew it back, and shot. The sound i heard was like an arrow hitting a tree. My heart kinda sank and i said you hit the tree, but he said he hit it. We watched the cow run up a hill and fall into the tree and all we heard was thrashing and silence. We waited 5 minutes and headed up to where the elk was last seen. As we walked up the hill we saw the elk laying on the ground, my brother got the elk.
Well the story doesnt end there. My brother was excited and we got a couple of pictures (it was first time he got an elk with a bow). Then he went to get the game cart. It was close to dark by time he left and a full moon out. I was left with a knife and a bow and my first thought was i hope no predator come, then it dawns on me, im next to a dead elk with blood in the air of course they will come. Just then i heard maybe a dozen coyotes that sounded like they were all around me, but i laugh and said im not scared of you and they left. Then the elk started chirping and a few elk bugles. They sounded really close. When they went silent i was like what made them go silent. 15 minutes later i saw a outline of a mountain lion circling me (remember its a full moon and there was enough light to see). It looked like a big male, moving like a house cat stocking a mouse, i was like crap! I knew if it charged i wouldnt have enough time to pull back the bow and shoot it, so i pulled out my knife and got a big stick, while keeping my eyes on the lion. After it made a full circle it started to walk to me! I yelled at it and it got really low. Im like CRAP!!!, Lord what do i do?! Then it came to me, speak in tongue (Talked about in Acts Ch 1 and 2 Bible). So i spoke in tongue loud and it freaked out and ran away. I was like thankyou God, didnt really want to be like David in the bible there. As i thanked God i heard a bear some where behind me in the open field i looked out there and saw nothing, so i kept the front of me facing the trees and the back facing the opening, thinking i was able to see farther in the opening than the trees. 15 minutes after i heard the bear i saw it, it looked like a large male black bear. It walked lazily and circled me. It stopped and turned towards me; by this time i picked up the bow and said i only got one shot, I yelled at it. It stopped and stared, then took another step and i yelled and yelled at it again, then picked up a rock and threw it at its feet. The bear looked down and sniffed it and looked at me. The way i compare my self in this situation was a chihuahua with a bone. The bear then turned away and walked further into the forest. He was gone for 2 minutes and i heard him rolling logs and rock, i believe trying to find insects. Then i heard a game cart rolling in the forest going clink, clink, clink. As i listened, it grew louder and louder and then fainter and fainter. Then i yelled you are going the wrong way; my brother finally came, he yelled where are you? I yelled by the tree! I hear Where are you?! This conversation went for 10 to 15 minutes. When he finally got to me i pulled out the knife and gave it to him (it was his knife) with hands shaking from adrenaline winding down. He told me while he was down where he first heard me, he said the hair on his neck went up and i said ya that is the direction that the bear went! All he said was OH! Well we loaded the elk and as we did it, we heard the elk start chirping and bugling again not far from us. As we moved the elk across openings, we saw a shooting star that made everything as bright as day, it was as big as the sun, and it was green. It was so cool, but at first i wondered if i was going to die, cause it came bright, big, and fast, then disappeared. We got the elk to the truck at 2 am and slept at the ranchers house till 10 am.
I think back every now and then and said to my self, "the thought never crossed my mind to ever leave that elk, basically like a chihuahua with a bone"