I decided that I would like to try bow hunting elk, being as I had never done that, and to add to the challenge I wanted to make a kill beyond 100 yards. So I purchased a new bow and for a year and a half I had practiced to regain old skills and learn about new archery gear. The bow is a 70# PSE X-Force Long Draw in left hand with a drop away rest and seven pin sight. The sight was set so that 20 yards was at the inside top of the housing and a fiber optic thread was taped to the bottom outside of the housing and was found to be correct for 115 yards. A home made stabilizer is used. Arrows are ACC 3-71s which are overspined for the bow and NAP 125 gr Thunderheads. While I lose some speed and trajectory I carry a lot of weight downrange. Arrows are carried in a hip quiver. By the time I was ready to leave for hunting I felt I was reasonably proficient to 80 yards but that beyond that my skill was lacking.
I drew an archery deer tag in Utah and bought an over the counter spike elk tag which allows one to shoot either a spike elk or cow/calf. The two seasons run concurrently so even though I was not too interested in deer hunting, I was wiling to shoot one if the opportunity presented itself. About a week before the season opened I packed up the truck with all of my gear and headed to Utah.
