45 Blue Slide Road
Trout Creek, Montana 59874
tfl4932@blackfoot.net

Ben Mummert
406-827-4149
Jeff Smith
406-827-4932

Dear hunters and friends                                                        2008 Archery Hunting Report

Our archery season here at Bullseye Outfitting has come and gone now, and it’s time to fill you in on how it all played out. As we predicted, there were lots of bugling bulls. We managed to call in lots of bulls to within 25 yards and closer. We had quite a few well placed arrows as you can see by our photo gallery, and we had some misses also. But that is archery hunting. Once again we made some dreams come true and for others they got one hell of an archery elk hunt filled with memories that they won’t soon forget.

For those of you that have hunted with us before, the elk population and shooting opportunities are up and holding. And for you that haven’t hunted with us before, this archery elk hunting here is one heck of an opportunity to take home a good elk and experience calling in bull elk at close range on a regular basis. There are different reasons why we have such a high quality hunting opportunity here, starting with the country that we hunt. We have an area that is huge -- hundreds of thousands of acres of mountainous county. So much that we will never hunt it all in a lifetime. And the hunting pressure is next to nothing. 99% of our hunters (clients) will never see another hunter in the woods. This is an amazing thing, but it’s reality.

Also you have to take a look at our guides. Jeff and Ben own and run Bullseye Outfitting and guide every day. This is hands on. We know the country and we know how to call elk in close. We pass this knowledge on to our guides. They’re every bit as good as us and they’re learning more every year. You might say they are young versions of Jeff and Ben. This is a biggy, as good guides make or break the hunt.

People often ask when we start scouting. Well, we scout year around. We live in these mountains because it’s where we want to be and it’s where we are at.

Then there are our accommodations. We have some nice cabins along with a nice trophy room to lounge in filled with some of Jeff and Ben’s trophy heads. Very comfortable to say the least. The food is great and you're not going to go hungry. Most people gain weight while they’re here.

All in all, if you're looking for a great place to hunt, you better get a hold of us and we can put a hunt together that will be the hunt of your life. Along with the photos you’ll find a short story about how each hunter got his bull. It will maybe give you a better idea of how hunters just like you had an rewarding hunting experience they will never forget. Please remember to give us a call if you have any questions.

Good hunting,

Ben & Jeff
 

Al Percha-Mount Pleasant MI
Father and son team Bud and Al Percha showed up for the opening week of bow season. The week started with bulls bugling on the first day and continued all week. We were hearing bulls but we hadn’t called any into bow range until the fourth day of the hunt. We located a herd of elk early in the morning. There were 3 bulls bugling in the group. The herd bull was chasing cows on the hillside above us, so we sat up within 200 yards of where all the action was happening. We picked a spot in an open stand of lodge pole so we had good shooting lanes. Bud set up so he would have a good shot if the bull tried to get down wind of us. Al set up so he could shoot if the bull came straight in. After about 10 minutes of calling one of the satellite bulls decided he would come check us out. He came in half way between Al and Bud. He gave Al the first broadside shot at 15 yards. Al's arrow hit its mark just before Bud was ready to let his arrow go. The bull went 80 yards. Bud and his guide moved up closer to the herd bull but he moved his cows over the next hill. Al ended up with a nice 5X5.
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Dave Morten-Waterford, MI
Dave Morten made his way to Bullseye with some friends that had hunted with us the previous fall, so he knew what he was getting in to. He was ready and willing. He teamed up with Bob as his guide doing the calling. It was the 3rd day of his hunt when they hiked around a ridge and had three bulls respond to Bob’s bugle. They worked there way over across the creek and set up in the middle of all three bulls. There was lots of bugling going on and eventually they had one coming in to check out the new intruder. As the bull went by Dave he let him have it. The bull took off. Bob and Dave talked about the arrow placement and thought it might have been a little back so they gave him extra time to bleed out. After about 3 hours they started tracing, eventually running out of blood. At that point they started scouring the area. About 200 yards from the last blood they found the bull piled up. They were really happy as this was Dave’s first bull. Dave was able to do some relaxing the week went on and enjoy the camp and company of a couple other successful hunters. A nice bull for a great guy.                                                                      
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Merle Ross-Fremont MI
Merle Ross joined up with his nephew Brian to come out and try their luck at hunting elk in the rut with their archery gear. This was their first hunting trip hunting bugling bull elk. So everything was new and exciting and an adventure for them both. The day before Merle shot his bull he was hiking out a ridge with his guide, bugling to locate a bull or two. Way across a big canyon a couple of bulls were responding to the call, so plans were made to go over there the next morning bright and early, and hopefully be right below them when it started breaking daylight.
The plan worked well and shortly after daylight Merle, Brian and their guide were a short distance from two bulls that were bugling well. Setting up on a little ridge in some open lodge pole the guide started calling. It didn’t take much persuasion to get the bull coming. Merle could see the bull coming for 150 yards. At 40 yards merle drew and at 20 yards the bull was broadside. Merle let the arrow fly and made a good hit. The bull jumped and ran about 5 yards and stopped. Merle shot 2 more arrows in him before he went around the ridge and out of sight. After waiting an hour Merle, Brian and their guide walked around the ridge with a very good blood trail to follow. The bull went just out of sight and crashed to the ground. Merle and Brian had a very memorable morning. One they won’t soon forget. And Merle has a really nice 5X5 bull to put on the wall.

Later in the week another bull was called in for Brian with Merle on the video camera. The bull was 40 yards when Brian shot, however, the arrow deflected off one little limb. Brian didn’t get the bull. However Merle captured it all on video. So for this one they have more than just a memory. This was the final day of six action packed days of bugle hunting bull elk. We are looking forward to this group of hunters coming back in the future.

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Sean Malone-Eaton Rapids MI

Sean Malone and his hunting buddy Darren Green showed up hoping to get a shot at a bull elk. These guys are seasoned archery hunters having many white tails under their belt. Knowing a bull is a lot bigger than a whitetail they didn’t feel it would be hard to get on elk on the ground if they could get on
close enough. The first day of their hunt was a wet rainy day; however, they were out trying to locate a bugling bull. Late in the day they finally located one. The guide called the bull into 19 yards however there was just enough brush that Darren’s arrow didn’t make it to its mark. The next day with their guide leading the way they located several bugling bulls. But the weather was still rainy and the wind was swirling. So they decided to back off and hope the weather would be more stable the following morning.

Darren Green-Eaton Rapids MI

Patience paid off and the next morning was clear and cool. They returned to the same canyon, the bulls were there and bugling well. It took a little hiking to get in position, but a good set up area was located with the guide calling. One bull really started going nuts up the mountain a ways. It wasn’t long before he was coming in close at 13 yards. Sean let an arrow fly and it flew true. The bull then ran over by Darren who also shot and hit the bull well. The bull bolted away however he went down before he made it out of sight. As they walked over to the bull there was a lot of excitement. Let’s just say the adrenalin was flowing heavy. This was a great morning. Everything came together and Sean tagged a really nice bull.

A couple of days later it was Darren’s turn. Hiking up a canyon a bull responded to the guides call way up on the side of a mountain. It took a while to get up to where the bull was. Once there the bull worked away up toward the main ridge with Darren, Sean and their guide tagging the bull. They all worked there way up to the top. The bull would still bugle but he was keeping his distance. Now that they were on the top they were looking into another canyon. One locating bugle and a different bull responded close. We scrambled to get set up as we heard the bull coming across a rock slide towards us. Darren had the arrow knocked as the bull came into sight. It was close maybe 40 yards. He came in from below and circled around to Darren’s left and then straight toward him. The bull stopped and was looking and standing straight on with Darren at full draw. The guide could see what was going on and was trying to get the bull to move before Darren had to let off the draw. The bull finally started to turn and the guide cow called. The bull hesitated enough for a quartering away shot. The arrow hit perfect and the bull bolted away. The bull rand down the hill 100 yards before a big crash was heard. The guide and hunters waited a little bit before going down to find the bull. Darren had made a fine shot, double lung, and he didn’t go far. This was a real heavy horned bull and Darren was ear to ear smiling. Darren and Sean had worked hard preparing for their hunt and it paid off with two nice bugling bulls.

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Paul Moody-Bloomfield, MI

What started out hot slowed up until the last day of Paul’s hunt. Before daylight, Paul and his guide had located a bull bugling and chasing cows. In no time the bull was answering our calls and at daylight he was within 15 yards of Paul. He was standing head on so Paul had to pass on the shot. The bull moved back up the hill to his cows. We moved up with him and gave out a bugle. The bull came back instantly. This time the bull came in and stopped broadside at 15 yards. We heard the bull go down within 50 yards. A nice double lung shot and Paul had his first archery bull.

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Tony Wargo-Las Vegas, NV

Tony Wargo came on the second week of our bow season. Tony and his guide had been hearing bulls but had yet to get a good shot. On the fourth day of the hunt they had a bull that would bugle back to them and then move away. They followed him into the head of a big canyon. The found where the bull had a nice wallow and thick bedding area. They decided to give the bull a little time and let him calm down. After a little lunch, Tony’s guide let out a bugle and the bull was coming. Bull fever got the best of Tony and his first arrow was dead center in a pine tree. Tony’s guide called the bull back and this time Tony’s arrow hit its mark. The bull was recovered within 80 yards.

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Bob Onicaa-Keego Harbor, MI
This was Bob Onica’s fifth bow hunt with us. He had taken a bull on all four previous trips. Each year when he arrives he tells us he knows the odds are against him of taking a bull every time. We always say you make your own luck. When Bob shows up he has a great outlook on the hunt and he is in good shape. This and a good elk hunting area have made for great success for Bob. On the first day of Bob’s hunt his guide called in a big 6X6 and Bob’s luck wasn’t to be. His arrow missed its mark. Bob was disappointed but he kept the right attitude throughout the hunt. On the last day he and his guide had a bull bugling in a nice canyon. They moved within a hundred yards of the bull’s location and set up. The bull came to the call and Bob made a nice shot on him at 18 yards. The bull went just a few yards and was down. Bob is now 5 for 5 and is coming back next year and tries to
                                                                                   keep his streak going.

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