Hunter's Decision

Friend and avid outdoorsman James Roberts took his first guided archery hunt in 2012. It was booked through Outdoors International for a Colorado hunt with Rocky Mountain Outfitters. This was the first and only guided hunt James had ever been on since he had always done do it your self hunts with fellow hunting companions. On this particular hunt James went out of Buena Vista, Colorado in the Collegiate Peaks. They had horses and packed in about 14 miles to a base camp that about 10,500 feet in elevation. "We were hunting between that elevation and 13,000 feet. We were hunting between that elevation and 13,000 feet. We were right at the base of Mount Harvard and we spotted a bunch of elk above the tree line coming in. The next morning we went up to that spot which was about a 2000 foot gain in elevation, right at the break of daylight, right in the middle of this herd and there were probably four or five bulls in the herd. Called at them, the herd bull came straight toward us, and this little five point slipped in between him at 40 yards literally 10 minutes into the hunt. I just couldn't pass. It was just too good an opportunity to take that animal. I shot that bull at 40 yards, he didn't go 50, and we were able to get horses right up to him. Just to be clear, did you take the herd bull or the little five point the came in between? I shot this little satellite bull. The herd bull was coming in but this satellite bull presented to good of an opportunity and when you are archery hunting, you don't pass on those kinds of opportunities to often. I didn't want to go all the way to Colorado and have a great opportunity that I regretted not taking."