Ivory Tips Ira and I left Anderson, CA around 8 pm on Thursday night. We took turns driving all through the night. We arrived at our secret spot (somewhere in Oregon, USA) at around 8 am on Friday morning. With no sleep, we set up camp, changed, etc. By noon we were on foot headed down the mountain.

We could hear the eerie sounds of the male elk screaming through the forest. It made the hair on the back of our necks stand erect and our hearts skip a beat. We slid down one ridge and crawled up another until we could glass the hillsides surrounding us. From underneath a shaded pine tree high on a hill we spotted the heard. One after another the elk exposed themselves into the open spots between the trees. We watched in excitement for an hour. Then, it seemed they were moving down the hill toward the bottom. With little thought we quickly moved toward the bottom and set up near some still puddle water.

Ira and I waited and watched silently for over an hour and a half. I was nestled behind a bushy pine tree and Ira was kicked back against a log behind a small pine tree. We could hear the elk moving down, but it did take much time and patients. I was faded off in my thoughts for a moment when I heard a small crunch and then saw a tan elk standing in front of me. A cow. My blood started to pump now. I could just imagine the herd would soon be here. She moved off up the hill silently. My legs were starting to ache and my knees sore from kneeling down for so long. I stood up to silently stretch my legs and use the ladies room (behind my tree). I was whispering to Ira 30 yards from me when he suddenly looked as if she saw a ghost. With his eyes wide he said, "Get down"!

I slowly turned my head up and saw a beautiful white tipped 5x5 bull coming my way fast. In one swift movement, I pulled up, buttoned my pants, got back into my spot kneeling and knocked an arrow. I watched and he passed the last tree. I drew to full draw. He didn't hesitate when walking out into the open. But, he passed it all too quickly. I held still in full draw until my arms where quivering. I could see the tan rump and ivory tips of the bull as he gulped water from behind a tree. At last, I let down. With little noise and effort I re-knocked the arrow and pushed up the rest. A quick suction noised triggered me to draw again. The bull took only one step in the mud, still no shot. Again, I held until the quivering was too much. Hoping I didn't blow my cover I let down and got ready again.

The third time would do the job. I could hear the mud sticking to his feet and he turned his body coming closer to my opening. I was at full draw and still as the night when he appeared. I aimed my 50 pound Matthews Passion behind the broadside shoulder. I let the arrow fly. My PSE arrow connected slightly forward. The massive bull jumped up in the air and ran back. Ira cow called one time. He moved up into the trees about 40 yards from the impact sight. My heart was pounding so loud it sounded like a thunderstorm in my head. I could catch a glimpse of the bulls hind end and ivory tips from behind a tree. I leaned back on the hill and viewed him with binoculars. I could hear more screaming bulls coming down the hill.

I was leaned over trying to visualize my bull when, in less than 10 minutes from my own kill, another massive bull walked out. The 6x6 came out to my left right in front of Ira. Through the binoculars I watched my own personal hunting show. Ira pulled to full draw. I watched in awe as he steadied on the massive bull. I moved my attention to the vitals of the bull. Through the binoculars I watched a small spot appear in the lungs section of the bull. Ira again cow called one time after the hit. This amazing creature stood in one spot for over ten minutes. I looked patiently through the binoculars at his bull waiting for it to crash over. I took a second to view where my bull had bedded down. I thought he had his horns on the ground but I couldn't be sure. Ira's bull still standing would pick up one leg, then place it back on the ground, roll it's head side to side slowly. But still, no crash to the earth below.

Before I saw the third bull, Ira had a plan. He needed to get another shot into his bull but he would have to sneak it in before spooking the third bull. I got a visual on the 5x5 who walked out third. I had my eyes on him when I heard another loud solid hit. Then it sounded as if a herd ran off. It was Ira's bull who finally decided to leave the area. The new 5x5 crept near. At 19 yards below me the bull drank as I was desperately trying to get Ira's attention to see if he could see my bull. After all, the arrow looked slightly forward and after not much penetration it fell out on the ground. I needed to know if my first shot put my bull down or if he moved on unscathed. Good hunter ethics aside, the 5x5 eventually picked me out and moved up the hill after giving Ira and I multiple shots. At this time we heard the death groan. It was the sound of the end.

I was excited for Ira, finally a big bull. A dream. He pointed to me and gave me the thumbs up. I was confused. I thought it was his groaning. He pointed to himself with quick shoulder shrug. Now I was excited. I knew his shot was good, even though he didn't and he knew my bull just died and I didn't. I floated over the earth to his side. We silently discussed the next plan. We moved down the hill towards my bull together. We crept up the hill knocked bows in hand. Inch by inch we slowly crept around the tree line. My heart dropped to the floor and my arms wrapped around Ira. There he was. Lying to the side and his eyes wide open. My first bull down. A beautiful 5x5. I approached and pushed his coarse fur through my fingers while taking in strong whiffs of their pungent odor. I pushed up his head with his massive horns so Ira could see. Dream come true... almost.

Ira and I tracked back to his shooting lanes. The first shot was made through a tight group of branches in which he had to balance his body like a scale teetering one way or the other. I saw the shots and they where kill shots. Ira, however, didn't know because the bull just stood there just out of his view. The second shot is what started the blood trail. We followed only small spots of blood up over one hundred yards. He was starting to travel up hill. I felt slightly worried due to the small spots of blood and elevation climb. The trail began to level out and within the next fifty or so yards a blood bath was spilled. Ira looked up with the excitement of a little boy on Christmas yelled, "There he is"!

Dream come true. Two massive bull elk. 5x5 and 6x6 shot within ten minutes of each other. A husband and a wives dream hunt. From the planning, glassing, sitting and shooting, it all came together like a perfect story. We re-lived the hunt, the shots and when we first laid eyes on the dead beasts for hours after. For the next ten hours we worked cutting, quartering and hanging meat to cool. Lacking serious sleep didn't seem to keep us down from this extraordinary natural high. Even the next day, eight hours of packing meat over half my body weight each trip, couldn't bring us down. Three trips straight up hill just short of a mile, per person, per bull. We just hummed along to the songs of the ivory tips that echoed through the forest. This crazy afternoon will stand tall in our fondest memories forever.

Amanda Alexander