Bryant and P.T. Get It Done!

Well…. There were lots of big bulls and even more small bulls that could make their way into this story.  It was a tough year, temperatures soared, hunting pressure was heavy, and the rut was a little slow, but isn’t that about the way most of these stories go?  P.T. Carter and Bryant McGee have been friends and hunting partners since they were old enough to wear big boy pants.  Just about every hunt one has ever been on the other has been there somewhere either helping, hunting, or getting in the way.

The two finally drew a coveted Northern Arizona archery elk hunt, and of course they had to start scouting in May!  It seemed like September was never going to arrive, the bulls eventually grew out their antlers and finally began to rub the velvet off.  Picture texts were sent if one or the other came across the first wallows of the year.  When the first bugle let out, that was it!  The days slowed to a grind that made the final couple weeks leading to their hunt seem like months.

Several bulls were passed up, both had made up their minds that on this hunt they would come out with a big bull or a unfilled tag in their pocket.  The first day of the hunt was about the one good day they had for calling in bulls, after that the hunting pressure and the high temperatures had limited any bugling to the first 30 minutes of the morning.  The bulls would shut up for the day and head to their bedding areas.

Finally, somewhere around the mid-point of the hunt, Bryant and good friend Jeff Pettit parked under a tree and started to get ready to hike in to a water hole that a small amount of elk, but an even smaller amount of hunters were hitting.  The two made themselves as comfortable as possible in a make shift ground blind they had made earlier that September.  Jeff’s job that day was to try to get a little video of anything that may happen that afternoon.  Shortly after arriving at the blind, two yearling cows showed up and gave Jeff and Bryant a good show as they played and splashed around in the water.  At about 10 minutes into it, a bull about a half mile away gave a bugle that sent the two kids back to him and their mom. 

About an hour later, the same bull began to bugle a little more, and it started to sound like he was headed their way.  One thought is, the two yearlings showed back up to where the bull and his cows were bedded, smelling of mud and water.  This may have made the rest of the elk think that going to the water sounded like a great idea.  At about a quarter mile out, the bull finally quit bugling.  About 30 minutes of silence went by when out of nowhere a bull began to rake a tree just above the water.  The cows finally appeared and made their way to get a drink.  The bull took his sweet time raking the tree when he finally walked out and showed himself, and it didn’t take long before Bryant made up his mind to try to shoot this bull if he presented an opportunity.  He came to the water about 20 yards to the left of the cows giving Bryant a broadside shot.  The arrow hit the bull perfect!  The bull jumped into the water and onto the opposite bank and back up the hill.  Bryant and Jeff just about jumped out of the blind trying to calm each other down.  The decision was made to sneak back to the truck and call P.T., Bryant’s dad, and some other friends to help recover the elk.

After a short tracking job using the lights from their flashlights, the bull was recovered.  This bull ended up being the biggest bull Bryant had taken, taping out at 377” and some change.

Fast forward to the second to last evening of the hunt.  P.T. had been tested, could he hold out, or would he give in and shoot the next bull that came in.  Well…. P.T. had his opportunity at a average bull that morning and let him walk, seems he’s gonna stick to his guns.  P.T. and Bryant had a big bull contest between the two of them, loser had to buy the winner a dozen arrows.  Bryant set the bar high, and the pressure was on for P.T.

Like I said, we are now at the second to last evening of the hunt.  P.T. had a great water that he had been sitting in the evenings, but most of the elk were waiting until just after dark to come in.  Bryant sat the blind with P.T. and a video camera a few times, but it was a tight fit, so Bryant was on a hilltop in another area trying to locate a bull P.T. almost had a chance at a few days earlier.

The elk started bugling early this day.  At about 3 in the afternoon, P.T. started sending Bryant texts telling him the elk were bugling all around him.  Sometimes it sounded like they were coming to the water, sometimes it sounded like they were going away.  P.T. had to make the decision to get out and try to sneak in on some of the noisy bulls, or wait and hope they would come in for a drink.  As luck would have it today, a handful of cows started to appear just behind P.T.’s blind.  P.T. waited and watched as a bull finally appeared.  It was one of the bulls he had his sights on during the scouting phase.  He was finally going to get a shot at a great bull when they came in to get a drink, if they came in to drink.  P.T. watched for the next 45 minutes as the bull chased his cows back and forth behind his blind, bugling at every bull that made any noise in the distance.  Back and forth, 20 yards away, 60 yards away, back to 20 yards away.  No elk were making their way to water and the day was starting to run out!  Problem is, straight behind the blind was the one direction P.T. couldn’t shoot!  Time was running low!  Something happened, the elk slowly began to leave!  Did one of the cows see or smell P.T.?  Seeing his chance may be slipping away, P.T. slowly started to climb out of his blind to try to get his shot.  About halfway out and balancing on a log, P.T. saw the bull was getting ready to leave!  He drew his bow and as the bull stepped into the last shooting lane he let it fly.

He started sending texts to Bryant, “I think I just shot the big 6X7, but I might of missed”, followed shortly by “I think I just heard him die”.

P.T. snuck out of the area and back to his vehicle while Bryant started his direction.  P.T. called a couple more friends and his dad to help with recovering the elk.

The bull only went about 10 yards after the shot!  This was P.T.’s biggest bull to date taping out at 381” and some change, which was bad news for Bryant who now owes P.T. a dozen arrows for the 4” difference!