I Shoot Mathews

2003 Colorado Elk Hunt Yields Pope and Young Class Bull

While hunting elk with my father and brother during the Colorado 2003 archery season, I was fortunate enough to come face-to-face with this magnificent 300-class Pope and Young bull elk. After hunting for days, my father and I were walking along a bluff in the Colorado Mountains. Dad gave a squeeze on his cow call and for the first time I heard an elk bugle. Tripping and scurrying down the hill towards the elk, we suddenly realized the wind direction was wrong and made a dash across an opening to the edge of a bluff. The huge 6-point was 50 yards down the hill. Concerned that the elk would go up through the timber towards the area we last called from, I attempted to provide hand signals to my dad, trying to inform him that I’ve spotted the elk and to call again. Apparently I was excited, because he had no clue why I was moving my hands around like a mad man. Dad called again…. When I looked back at the elk, it was gone. Frantically I looked across the ledge, down the hill and through the thin timber. All of a sudden, not 20 yards away a huge rack began swaying back and forth as the elk came up the hill. I drew the bow before we made eye contact and held it for longer than I ever thought I would. After staring at each other for an eternity, the Mathews Q2 quietly went off and I heard the arrow sink deep into his chest. This was my first successful hunt with a bow and something I’ll never forget. Dad gets a lot of the credit… he found the spot, and called the elk in.