Ted's Elk

Elk hunter Ted Koch had been following a massive bull for several hours as it strutted around tending to its herd of cows. With bow in hand, the moment approaches. “Goes along and he goes along and I don't feel a shot opportunity. Then all the sudden he turns and comes straight downhill at me, like directly at me behind this Doug fir. In retrospect, I'm sure what he is doing is a loop down low to pick up any stray cows and then follow his cows up because they're going to head out for the afternoon and evening feed as he's just doing this loop. I've seen it before where? Bull's loop behind the herd and then they take off. Now he's strutting straight down hill towards me from above. He’s huffing 30 yards, out and 25 yards out, and 20 yards out, and 15 yards out, 10 yards out, coming straight at me and I am frozen, ready to draw my bow. About seven yards out he turns because there's this four inch, five inch thick branch coming off this Douglas fir tree right at about eye level. And he's not going to duck under it. So he turns and he starts coming broadside at about seven yards, six yards, five yards. And I'm seeing his eyeball bob up and down above and below the branch, like six yards away from me. This 800 pound scary piece of meanness, he finally steps out towards the end of the branch. As I draw my bow and he stops because he sees my movement and he looks at me and flat buried my arrow.