Member's Hunt: The Long Wait

by
posted on December 30, 2023
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
MH Clyncke

By Marvin Clyncke, Boulder, Colo.

Year after year, the application rejections kept coming in. Then, to my surprise, in 2017, a Colorado bull moose tag was awarded. I was jubilant after waiting 32 years. This is when the fun began. Scouting in areas within the unit where our hunting buddy Wayne took a bull in 2013, and our oldest son, Todd, killed a tremendous 51-inch Shiras bull in 2015, we located quite a few moose with several bulls in the Boone and Crockett range.

Opening morning found Todd, me and friend Steve, who also had a tag, glassing the areas where we had found bulls. I went after a very wide bull that was tailing a cow. He didn’t have wide palms, but they were long and he had a lot of points. Todd and I followed them for hours and finally I got into position and Todd circled around to the south where the bull would get his wind. The bull turned and headed right for me. I was down in a 4-foot-deep depression in the willows and when the bull was very close I drew my longbow and released a wooden shaft. The bull saw me draw and whirled like a cutting horse away from me and I missed! I couldn’t believe I missed a very close 4- or 5-yard shot.

That afternoon a friend who was elk hunting called and said he saw two big Shiras bulls fighting along a river to the north of where we were hunting. We immediately moved over there, but the bulls were gone. I decided to be there at daylight the next morning. Todd was tied up until noon and my hunting buddy Duke was the same. I told them I wasn’t wasting a half-day waiting.

The wind was coming directly down the river, so I started up the north side on a trail, and every 50 yards or so I cow-called. Nothing. A mile up the river with no answer I said to myself, “You old guy, what are you going to do with a moose up here if you kill one?” I crossed the river—now very low in the fall—and noticed a lot of moose sign in the thick willows along the stream.

I turned down an old mining road that ran along the south side of the river; half a mile and still nothing. I stopped and did a long cow call and immediately heard a grunt right below me. I was in a thick timbered area and carefully looked down into the willows. I could see a cow and year-old calf about 50 yards below, but no bull. I cow-called again and got an immediate grunt. I saw one antler and knew I was looking at a very good bull. I backed into some short, new pine trees across the old road and called again. The cow and the calf headed up towards me. The bull followed. They stepped up onto the old road 20 yards away, and when the bull stepped up I sank a sharp broadhead from my 50-pound longbow into his lungs. I knew I had him!

They turned back into the willow bottom and I walked over to where the arrow hit. There was a good blood trail. I immediately hiked down to the pickup and drove out to the highway where I could get some phone service. Todd said he would be right up and Duke was already on his way. I called my wife Judy—an experienced bowhunter too—and excitedly told her the news. She said she would get our grandson Owen to drive her up also. Duke arrived and we found the bull. Handshakes and hugs followed as the rest arrived. The next morning there were seven bowhunting friends to help pack out the boned bull and head out the half-mile. The bull ended up scoring enough to not only go well up in Pope and Young but also at the Boone and Crockett minimum. It certainly was a worthwhile wait for this 77-year-old bowhunter. That same day our good friend Steve killed the bull I missed at close range, and his bull scored very high, too.


Do you have an exciting, unusual or humorous hunting experience to share? 
Send your story (800 words or less) to [email protected] or to American Hunter, Dept. MH, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA, 22030-9400. Please include your NRA ID number. Good quality photos are welcome. Make sure you have permission to use the material. Authors will not be paid, and manuscripts and photos will not be returned. All material becomes the property of NRA.

Latest

SPD Ptototype
SPD Ptototype

#SundayGunday: Henry Special Products Division HUSH

This week on #SundayGunday, we’re checking out the HUSH Series, from Henry’s new Special Products Division, SPD for short.

New for 2025: Federal’s Personal Defense HST .44 Rem. Mag.

Federal Ammunition has recently added a new HST .44 Remington Magnum “Light Magnum” load featuring a specially designed hollow-point bullet, ideal for those seeking HST performance for self-defense with magnum revolvers.

Utah Wildlife Board Updates

The Utah Wildlife Board approved a few new and updated rules, some of which are necessary after recent legislative changes—including the wildlife management area license requirement for certain counties and the new process for regulating hunting guides and outfitters—along with a few other proposals during a public meeting Thursday.

Member's Hunt: A Tale of Two Moose

This month's Member's Hunt comes from John R. Bean of Tucson, Ariz.

Breeding Duck Numbers Decline Again in ND

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 78th-annual spring breeding duck survey conducted in May showed an index of about 2.66-million birds, down from 2.9 million in 2024 and 3.4 million in 2023.

2025-26 Pennsylvania Migratory Game Bird Seasons Set

Pennsylvania’s 2025-26 migratory game bird seasons have been set. There are two significant changes to waterfowl seasons. The regular season daily bag limit for Canada geese in the Atlantic Population Zone has decreased from three to one, and for northern pintail, there will be a flat daily bag limit of three.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.