Killed a big 5x5 bull in Colorado the day before I drove down to Arizona. He almost killed me! Some on here may remember that one...
Hunted every day of the Arizona elk season and killed a nice 6x6 bull at last light on the last day. Finished packing him out the day after the season was over. Was into multiple bugling bulls every day and a few monsters. Best elk hunt ever!
Last year’s bull was pretty down to the wire as well. Had two days of season left.
Sometimes it takes a little longer ‘cause I’m slow!
2 of the three bulls I have killed in my life were on the last evening of the hunt. There are many highs and lows in a hunt. To get to experience the whole hunt and still be able take home an elk on the last day is pretty dam cool. Or maybe Fridays are just my lucky day. One thing for sure there is nothing better than seeing it all come together.
Killed on the last day of a 14 day hunt two years ago. As I stated on his thread, I think persistence is the number one skill of all when it comes to elk hunting. It can be hard to stay motivated and for that long, but you just have to grind through it because you never know when your opportunity could present itself. I actually almost went home the 14th day after the morning hunt, but it clicked in my head that it would be a waste of the previous 13 1/2 days to go home one hunt early. I decided I didn’t get up early every morning and hunt hard for two weeks only to cut it short on the last day. Thankfully it paid off. Wasn’t a huge bull, but it was hard earned, and a true gift at that point in the hunt.
We always save the last morning or evening (depending on the schedule) of the trip for packing.... not hunting. Drive out and fly the last.... roughly. Killed elk that we had to cut and wrap in the walmart parking lot in the evening and freeze with dry ice on the drive to the airport..... I know two like that. Nothing like a 24 hour day.....
Just once I'd like to shoot something the first morning..... just to relax a bit and enjoy the trip..... =D That is the one thing that has NEVER happened to me yet.
naaaaaa...... the masochist in me likes the torture too much...... when you've worked so hard to get there to make it happen.... it should.... be..... hard....
My first elk ever was a Roosey in OR and I hunted the first 7 days of the season solo. Didn't get one and that tag was just burning a hole in my pocket all month. I just had to go back, so I flew up at the end of the month on Friday night after work with plans to fly back on Sunday. I only had a day and a half to hunt and I killed him on closing day. It was incredible. It was a race to get the meat to a butcher and the head to the taxidermist, but I did and barely made my flight, wearing blood-soaked camo. I got a lot of odd looks in the hippy stronghold that is the Portland airport.
TD I'm with ya on the 24 hour day. If 16 nights away from home and countless mountain miles wasn't enough to tire a guy out a 24 + hour day at the end of a trip sure makes it easy to sleep on the plane.
2015 I killed a bull on the second to last day and my buddy killed one on the last. I'd hunted 22 days, mostly helping friends, 400 + miles. Never worked harder for anything in my life
I've killed two spikes on the last day of the season, one with a rifle and one with bow. Had numerous other encounters just barely slip away on the last day
We planned on hunting 10 days, then pack up on day 11 and take off by 10AM or so.
On the afternoon of day 10, 2 of the guys didn’t want to hunt so they stayed in camp and began tearing down the non-essentials to get a jump on leaving in the morning. 2 of us went out for the “last evening” hunt.
About 2 hours before sunset a nice big fat cow came strolling past so I pushed a hole through both lungs. 45-yard shot and 40-yard recovery. I gutted her out and came strolling back into camp just after sunset.
We packed her out the next morning, took her to town and had the meat flash frozen, we cleaned up the camp area, and enjoyed an afternoon of camp fire stories, fresh back straps and a few toddies, picked up the meat first in the morning and headed home.
I've killed quite a few elk, muleys, whitetails, and a big caribou on the last day of the hunt or the season. My hunting partner calls me "Last Day Louie".
I killed two CO bulls on the last day of archery season. One was late in the PM, and Trackman doubled with me the same evening. We didn't get them out until midnight, and we both had to work the next day! The other bull was a last morning bull. I've also taken n AZ Coues buck on Dec 31...as well as Dec 30 and 29th. Add in a few CO and NE whitetails too....the last day has been a good day.
Almost every show will have that shot Him on the last day of hunting. There is some truth to that. Every animal I’ve ever shot was in the last day of my hunt. Might have also been the first day too.
Yup, last day elk are crazy --not as crazy as the mad-scramble, gotta be somewhere tomorrow, pack-out , though! I will never pack an elk out in two loads again! Not even to satisfy the clock.
I've had the privilege to kill 4 bulls and 1 cow in my life time of which 3 where on the last evening. The cow was one, sitting on top of a ridge meadow after 10 days of hunting. Sun went down and I said enough, time to go home to the family. While walking down to the trail was actually picking purple flowers for my wife and daughter, not trying to be quite at all and came to a ridge where I saw a cow feeding 25 yards below me. Knelt down in the grass as she picked her head up, nocked an arrow and smoked her. Walked out to our base camp (was already packed up), met my brother and walked out to the trailhead where I met my other brother and dad. We walked back in to get her that night. They weren't happy at the time but she sure tasted good through the next 10 months. Another bull on the last night of another 10 day hunt, killed him just before quiting time, walked back to spike camp where I woke up my Dad and 2 brothers. Made them get out of the woob to retrieve him. Oh where they pissed but after we got him out all was good. Packed him and our camp out the next morning. I never give up, 3 out of 5 on the last night, no regrets guys.
Last day bull, Colo otc. There were 5 cars parked at the same place as I in the morning.
Two years prior I was within 40 yds of him with no shot, his chest behind a tree. It was 15 min till the archery season was over, I chased him up the hill hoping to get another chance. I got closer only to see him chasing a cow 70 yds up a scree field with his manhood going Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong against his belly! I kept laughing the whole 11/2 hike out in the dark.
Last day bull, Colo otc. There were 5 cars parked at the same place as I in the morning.
Two years prior I was within 40 yds of him with no shot, his chest behind a tree. It was 15 min till the archery season was over, I chased him up the hill hoping to get another chance. I got closer only to see him chasing a cow 70 yds up a scree field with his manhood going Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong against his belly! I kept laughing the whole 11/2 hike out in the dark.
