Got back late Sunday night from my San Juan hunt of a lifetime. I put in for 25 years. Got Unsuccessful letters for 24 of them and ate tag soup on the open bull units for 24 years straight for a variety of usually self inflicted reasons.
Video taped a ton of bulls. Got close, very close to a few decent 6's. Finally after 14 days straight of filming, being in, calling with and stalking elk every day, I took a day off to sit a tree stand location my buddy Bill Allard set up on his San Juan hunt in 2006.
I parked the bike at a pond a half mile from the stands and immediately heard bulls screaming in the dark. They followed me down the canyon to the stands screaming the whole way. As I climbed in at first light I was able to almost immediately identify 5 different bulls running all around me.
For the next 10 1/2 hours I had bulls insulting each other all around me, but not a single bull approached the wallows I was hunting. Finally at 5:00pm two bulls got into it on either side of the little meadow I was sitting. I caught the last two bugles before my bull stepped into view, all on HD video. I caught a full wallowing session, a great bugle and some incredible close up footage of him facing me at 35 yards.
Finally he stood and turned to face another challenger coming from uphill behind him, leaving me a perfect 36 yard quartering away shot. Fifteen seconds and 38 yards later my bull of a life time was laying on the ground in full view at 55 yards from my stand.
Truly one of the most incredible things I've ever had the privalege to be part of!
Here's a few pics from the last couple days. There's way more to the story, but the gist is a pipe dream came true and I'm thankful to the Lord for laying the bull of a lifetime in my lap. Thankful to my wife of 28 years for putting up with all my disappointment, never understanding why I kept at it in the face of more than a few set backs over the years. Thankful for the folks who helped me make it all happen in a way that is beyond what words can describe.
Here's to all of you that some day you might get a hunt like this to call your own. Keep the Faith !!!
Excellent story (you should write for a magazine) great photos and great job! The look on your face says it all my friend. Congrats on a hunt of a lifetime and a beautiful bull. Who says patience and hard work doesn't pay off. Thanks for sharing.
Great Story Pete. It's good to see all your hard work and long years of waiting have paid off. That pict of your bull all covered in the mud is a great. Congrats.
Congrats Pete, that is way cool. I knew you were into them, seen your bike at the pond. Still holding a deer tag in hand. Love the sticker off the 4th!!
Dandy Bull! I've been waiting about 1/2 as long as you have but I hope someday I can have as successfull a hunt as you did. Congratulations on a sweet hunt.
Congrats Pete. That is an awsome hunt you had, all those years of waiting left you with a lifetime of memories. Were you able to share the hunt with family and friends?
