Mike Megazinni, MA - 2007 Archery Elk Hunt


My bow hunt for bull elk with my guide Mel beginning on 9/10/07 was short and sweet. After only about two and half hours of hiking and calling Mel got an answer from a bull elk maybe five or six hundred yards away in the valley, on the other side of the huge clearcut we were crossing . Without any more communication we approached the edge of the clearcut overlooking a valley and cedar forest that we were sure the bugle came from. We decided to wait a little while because the thermals were just beginning to rise out of the valley and I needed that wind in my favor. It wasn't long before we were satisfied, and I descended into the valley and tucked in tight against the woodline and left behind a large dead v shaped tree as Mel made his way across the hillside and hid behind some second growth almost directly above me. Mel no sooner began to cow call when I heard the animal moving through the cedars. My heart started to pound and then I could hear him breathing, very conscious of my movements. I peeked out from behind my natural blind and there he was already in the clear cut and moving toward me like he was on a mission. He stopped at 25 yard thanks to Mel's calling but I didn't think it was safe to draw. He seemed very concerned, probably because there was no cow in sight. Then he began moving up and away, I took this opportunity to draw, then watched Mel work his magic. With just a few ensuing cow calls he turned the bull around presenting the right front shoulder and I took the 40 yard shoot with my Mathews Featherlite. The arrow is too fast to see it pass through but I felt that all my practice had paid off as he darted for the woods. The arrow was tough to find in the grass and debris of the clear cut but we found blood at the edge of the woods and then the arrow on the hillside, it was covered with pink bubbly blood, evidence that it had passed through a lung. Even more excited we sat down for half an hour (seemed like 2) and then set out on the blood trail. It was scarce but we would soon find that was because the arrow stopped the heart before passing through the lung. The bull ran maybe 150 yards . An incredible memory

Thankyou Mel Rick and Rita

Mike Megazinni, MA
413-586-2177