Last Light Bull

Heather Calder
Utah, 2009, DIY, Public Land 

After years of being unsuccessful in the Utah draws and getting anxious to make it happen, I decided to switch my strategy and apply for a unit that was easier to draw. Amazingly, it worked! With tag in hand, I immediately did whatever I could to up my odds of success. The summer was spent scouting elk and I went into the hunt feeling good. That all changed when the elk in the area I focused on moved out right before the hunt started.

The first weekends were rough, and my tag went unfilled. Luckily, I had the final two weeks off and decided to give it all I had.

Back on the hunt, my brother Jared and I were able to sneak in on a 350-class bull late one evening but couldn’t get closer than 60 yards. The next morning we spotted him again and waited for him to bed down before starting a stalk. Amazingly, I got to 23 yards of him and another bull before the wind shifted and they were gone.

One day later we were glassing when Jared said, “There’s your bull!” Seconds later he followed with “He’s shot!”

For a full account of Heather's adventure, go to page 46 in the May/June 2010 issue of Eastmans' Bowhunting Journal.