Tales of big bulls from the Russell refuge

It was Sept. 1, the day before the opening of Montana's 2005 archery season for elk.

Camp was set up, so I had the day to scout our new hunting area. Less then one-fourth of a mile from camp, I stopped to glass a nearby lightly wooded hillside.

Within a minute, I spotted six cows and calves. Then I spotted other elk including two nice bulls. There were at least 20 to 30 elk scattered across this hillside in small groups.

I climbed back into the truck and drove a mile up the road where I surprised two huge mule deer bucks in full velvet. Later that day I scouted two other areas near camp and saw more elk, including two bulls.

Wow, I could hardly wait for daylight tomorrow!

My son Michael, his friend Brian Thomas from Iowa and I were hunting the well-known Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge in north-central Montana. Hunters usually just refer to it as the CMR.

This sprawling million-acre wildlife refuge offers the finest elk hunting in Montana. It is carefully managed to not only support lots of elk, but also managed to allow bull elk to grow to maturity. Mature bulls grow to mammoth size in this ideal elk habitat.

When Michael and Brian arrived later that day, I could see that Mike was skeptical about hunting close to camp. He felt we had to get farther off the main track to find bulls.

But I convinced him there was no need to drive many miles on bumpy dusty roads to find elk. The next morning I started hunting low, with a plan to hunt my way up ridges to where I spotted the elk the day before. Mike and Brian would drive to a higher location and work in from the top.

On the way to their hunting area, a large bull elk crossed the road in front of them and trotted into the area we were to hunt. They were now convinced this was good elk country.

We all saw elk that morning, including at least two bulls. Brian had a close encounter with a bull. But the bull had his butt to Brian and walked into the timber without turning broadside and offering a good double-lung shot.

Late that day, I spotted a nice bull with several cows. I watched from a vantage point while Mike and Brian made the stalk. At 50 yards the elk detected something was wrong. Brian estimated the range at 60 yards and took a shot. The arrow sailed over the bull because it was closer than his estimate of range.

During a thunderstorm the next day, Mike and Brian stalked within 85 yards of another two bulls. But the wind switched direction as the thunderstorm passed, allowing the elk to catch the alarming scent of the hunters. The elk raced off.

During the third day of the hunt, Mike spotted a herd of elk moving along the banks of the Missouri. He quickly moved to get ahead of the herd and set up an ambush. Several cows filed by, then came the herd bull. Just as Mike was getting ready to shoot, the bull apparently detected him and began to turn away.

Mike's arrow flew true, passing through the vital heart lung area. The elk trotted off, stood a few moments in the meadow, then walked into a large patch of cottonwoods to die. This was a fine 6 by 7 bull elk and Mike's first elk with archery equipment.

Over the five-day hunt we saw more than 200 head of elk and a couple dozen bulls. But seeing elk in this semi-open country and getting within 30 yards for a decent shot is another matter.

A thousand things can go wrong and usually something does. That's why archery hunting success for elk is only around 5 percent in Montana. You can be a good hunter in good elk country and hunt many years before killing a trophy bull.

The last morning we had our camp packed and were saying our farewells to each other when Brian spotted seven elk, including a nice bull, moving off a nearby meadow and heading up a ridge to bed down. What a fitting sight to end a great archery elk hunt.

And best of all, hunting season is just starting! Enjoy your Montana hunting heritage.