Dean Parisian
Well-Known Member
In 2016 I met a young man who I had asked to help me get some physical work done, helping me move some things into a storage unit prior to moving to Dallas, Texas from Atlanta. I couldn't do by myself and it was hot, humid and rather rough. The young man subsequently moved to Montana to attend college and our friendship has steadily improved. His Dad moved to Montana as well and they live in the western part of the state. He played free safety in High School football behind my son in Georgia and has turned himself into a great archer and outdoorsman. He took a nice bull with his bow in 2021, a great antelope on public land and finished it off by tipping over a good buck at my place on the Yellowstone river in Montana, the Ghost Ranch.
He is a testament to hard work, constantly trying to get better at his craft and putting in the time. Hard work pays off in the field and he understands that you can't shoot big horns if you shoot little horns. It sounds simple but is hard for many to put into practice.
I want to give you the highlights of his hunt in Montana for the 2023 archery opener. The weather was HOT and he and his Dad packed in about 3 miles. When they took off on foot from the trailhead on Friday to get back into the high country for the archery opener on Saturday morning there were about 20 vehicles in the parking area. Not exactly his closest friends! His Dad was with him, his Dad having had a mild heart attack a couple of years ago and now doing well and strong enough to last a few days in the high country. They camped low and met some other hunters and introduced themselves and wanting to know where everyone was going in the morning so they weren't on top of one another. A common courtesy in Montana, something you don't often find in other parts of the West on archery elk.
In the dark they left camp and started climbing towards timber line. As dawn was breaking they heard a couple of soft "mews" from cows and heard some branches breaking. They never once heard a bugle. The wind was in their favor and figuring the elk were headed higher to bed they got up above them in a couple of crossing areas, small timbered fingers from one drainage to another and sat down. My pal took the higher trail, his dad the lower. It wasn't long and this bull came feeding up through the timber, loudly munching his teeth on the dry grass. He ranged him at 45 yards and when the bull walked up toward him behind a small couple of trees, he drew back for the shot. He touched off and the arrow flew right over his back! The bull bolted a few strides and stopped, not knowing what had happened. My pal, had quickly knocked another arrow, ranged him and let fly. At the shot, the arrow penetrated one lung, the front shoulder and the arrow then deflecting and going up and out through his esophogus/neck near his ear. It was a sight he said, the bull pumping blood like my friend had never seen. In retrospect, the reason he had missed cleanly the first arrow was the bull in all of two strides had moved from 45 yards to 30+ yards when he let fly. Big bulls have a long stride! It was a rather hot recovery and they did what they could on Saturday and went back in on Sunday and recovered the rest of the meat and horns, having hung the meat in game bags in the trees. In all they saw 5 elk. He credits all of his practice and exercise regimen in getting this bull. He shoots an 80 pound bow. Making memories with his Dad in the mountains on opening day. It doesn't get much better.
He is a testament to hard work, constantly trying to get better at his craft and putting in the time. Hard work pays off in the field and he understands that you can't shoot big horns if you shoot little horns. It sounds simple but is hard for many to put into practice.
I want to give you the highlights of his hunt in Montana for the 2023 archery opener. The weather was HOT and he and his Dad packed in about 3 miles. When they took off on foot from the trailhead on Friday to get back into the high country for the archery opener on Saturday morning there were about 20 vehicles in the parking area. Not exactly his closest friends! His Dad was with him, his Dad having had a mild heart attack a couple of years ago and now doing well and strong enough to last a few days in the high country. They camped low and met some other hunters and introduced themselves and wanting to know where everyone was going in the morning so they weren't on top of one another. A common courtesy in Montana, something you don't often find in other parts of the West on archery elk.
In the dark they left camp and started climbing towards timber line. As dawn was breaking they heard a couple of soft "mews" from cows and heard some branches breaking. They never once heard a bugle. The wind was in their favor and figuring the elk were headed higher to bed they got up above them in a couple of crossing areas, small timbered fingers from one drainage to another and sat down. My pal took the higher trail, his dad the lower. It wasn't long and this bull came feeding up through the timber, loudly munching his teeth on the dry grass. He ranged him at 45 yards and when the bull walked up toward him behind a small couple of trees, he drew back for the shot. He touched off and the arrow flew right over his back! The bull bolted a few strides and stopped, not knowing what had happened. My pal, had quickly knocked another arrow, ranged him and let fly. At the shot, the arrow penetrated one lung, the front shoulder and the arrow then deflecting and going up and out through his esophogus/neck near his ear. It was a sight he said, the bull pumping blood like my friend had never seen. In retrospect, the reason he had missed cleanly the first arrow was the bull in all of two strides had moved from 45 yards to 30+ yards when he let fly. Big bulls have a long stride! It was a rather hot recovery and they did what they could on Saturday and went back in on Sunday and recovered the rest of the meat and horns, having hung the meat in game bags in the trees. In all they saw 5 elk. He credits all of his practice and exercise regimen in getting this bull. He shoots an 80 pound bow. Making memories with his Dad in the mountains on opening day. It doesn't get much better.
