No Bull

A once in a life time meeting. After spending twenty years & countless hours at the bog holes, in Cache Valley, it finally happened. Lets start at the beginning. Justin has an archery Elk tag. And in my younger days, I hunted Elk with my dad for over twenty years in the same spot some sixteen miles north of the Hardware ranch. In those twenty years, if memory serves, we bagged four bulls, missed two and drank three vats of beer. However, Justin had never been up there, and I have only made the trip once in the past thirty years, but it’s just like riding a bike. We got lost three times before finding camp at about 11:00 P.M. After a restful night sleep, for me, Justin took off at around 5:00 A.M., who KNOWS why, anyway, he came back to get me, and we both traveled to the bog holes, after secluding ourselves some 70 Yards away in the brush, I told Just " lets give it an hour and see what happens”. About 40 minutes later a huge 5 point bull Elk appeared through the brush, and lumbered toward the bog holes, where he lay down, and began to waller in the mud. We watched this magnificent creature for well over 10 minutes. At one point he even got out of the mud, walked over to some grass and lay down again almost like he was drying himself, only to return to the pot holes and lay down again. When he finally got cooled down enough, the elk came out of the bog holes and headed straight for our position, we didn't move a muscle as that grand animal strolled directly at us. Finally at no more than 10 feet away and still coming, I raised my hand and took off my cap. The Bull immediately stopped, and then bolted. He left at a somewhat faster pace. I have never seen that grand of a sight in my whole life, oh by the way Justin had a spike tag.