Oregon Bowhunter Arrows New State-Record Cascade Roosevelt Bull

After more than two decades of hunting and five years of chasing the same bull, Josh Kelsey learned a crucial lesson: to kill the biggest elk in the woods, you must become the biggest elk in the woods.

The 35-year-old Oregon bowhunter reveals that most of his knowledge about elk hunting came from the mistakes he made. In the years since he first encountered Oregon’s new No. 1 Cascade Roosevelt bull, he has made numerous errors.

“Five years ago, he was a heavy 7×7. Despite that, we never got close to shooting him. He was intelligent and cautious,” says Kelsey. “There was a reason he grew so large. It just took us some time to figure it out.”

About two years later, Kelsey changed his elk hunting approach. Instead of day trips, he committed to multi-day backpacking hunts during the general season, always on public land. This gave him the freedom and mobility to deeply understand elk.

“Rather than returning to camp every night, I carried my camp on my back. This allowed me to continue where I left off the previous night,” explains Kelsey. “It was a game changer because I could stay close to elk and immerse myself in their world.”

Rather than continuing to set up unsuccessfully, Kelsey would move on to a different unit and harvest another elk. This would give him more time to reflect on the elusive bull.

“Solo hunting is mentally challenging,” says Kelsey, who spent an increasing amount of time alone in the wilderness. “You miss your family and everything else that comes with it.”

Call Your Wife – An Unexpected Turn of Events

On opening day, Kelsey hiked to a location in Jackson County where the big bull often frequented. The bull bugled in the morning, indicating its presence. Although it wasn’t particularly vocal, Kelsey managed to spot the herd by midday. Unable to resist the temptation to approach the bull he had been pursuing for years, he moved closer and tested the bull’s reaction with a challenge bugle, interrupting its midday rest. The bull gathered its cows and left.

Disheartened, Kelsey returned home and reflected for a couple of weeks. In mid-September, he returned to the same unit, determined to change his approach.

Unable to locate the bull in his original hunting spot, Kelsey decided to be patient and wait.

“I told myself to stick to the plan,” Kelsey says. “So, I waited and remained at the spot for a few nights. On the third day, I found a place with cell service where I could call my wife. She reminded me that it was time to come home. It was her intervention that led to the successful hunt.”

Although he agreed to head home, Kelsey still had two days of food left. He knew that on his way back to the truck, there was one more spot where there was a decent chance of finding elk. It might not be the same bull, but it was worth a try.

He let out a bugle, and an elk responded. He thought to himself, “I’m supposed to be heading home. What should I do? If I close the distance and take him down, she’ll understand. I’ll figure something out.”

Judging the wind direction, Kelsey moved to a different location on the slope and bugled again. The bull responded. Its temperature was rising.

Spooking a Record Bull

Moving cautiously through the densely wooded area, Kelsey bugled once more. A bull came charging towards him, but the trees were so thick that it was impossible to catch a glimpse of its antlers. The bull snorted twice, turned around, and returned to the herd. Kelsey patiently waited for 30 minutes, circled around to maintain a favorable wind direction, and attempted another locator bugle. At this point, the elk was still positioned higher up the mountain.

“I closed the distance and bugled again. At this point, I challenged him, trying to provoke a fight,” Kelsey recalls. “But this bull was not interested in a confrontation. I believe that’s why he grew so large. He always bugled softly and herded his cows away.”

Had Kelsey remained patient, the hunt might have ended right there. However, after years of studying the unit, he realized that he was in the perfect position to escalate the situation. It was past 10 a.m., and he knew the cows would soon want to bed down. He also knew that on the other side of the ridge, there was a cool, damp area with trees where they would likely stop.

Kelsey decided to direct the herd towards that location. He bugled, and the herd started moving. He waited for 10 to 15 minutes and bugled again. He kept pushing the herd like this until early afternoon, when they reached the far side of the ridge and Kelsey finally caught sight of the bull at a distance of 60 yards. The bull was massive, with long tines and a heavily palmated right antler.

“I saw him and thought, yes, it’s really him. This is the closest I’ve ever been to him. This is what I’ve been working towards,” Kelsey says.

Notably, the bull suddenly seemed annoyed by the competition that had been following his harem all morning. Perhaps he was searching for stray cows. Whatever the reason, he stopped retreating and walked directly towards Kelsey’s position. The bull came within 50 yards, but as Kelsey drew his bow, the bull got spooked and disappeared.

Third Time’s the Charm

Kelsey was too close to give up or remain still. He descended further down the ridge, hoping to spot the bull again. Suddenly, he found himself in the middle of the herd. Surrounded by cows and calves, he quickly dropped to his knees and froze. Due to his intention to return home, Kelsey still had his full pack on. He stood out.

The dominant cow stood up and barked, knowing that the next 30 seconds would determine what happened next. In that moment, Kelsey became the biggest elk in the woods.

“According to my elders, when you find yourself in the middle of elk and the bull is hot and heavy, you must act like a challenger,” explains Kelsey. “Chase the cows, position yourself in the middle, and let out a bugle that will challenge the herd bull to defend its cows. Make him come to you.”

And indeed, the bull came charging towards Kelsey, but not from the direction he had hoped.

“At first, nothing happened,” he says. “But then I started hearing something, and sure enough, he was coming from behind me. I was caught red-handed. Slowly, I turned my head towards the approaching elk. I turned slowly, very slowly. Finally, I could see an elk in my peripheral vision.”

As the giant bull moved closer, Kelsey identified two shooting lanes: one at 35 yards and the other at 45 yards. Just as the bull disappeared behind a bush, he nocked an arrow and drew his bow.

The bull was quartering away when it stepped behind the farther shooting lane. Kelsey used a cow call to stop the bull, took aim, and released the arrow when the sight settled.

“I shot from 47 yards, and the arrow remained in the bull with full fletching,” Kelsey recounts. “The bull ran for a short distance, stopped, and then walked towards the herd at the ridge-top, vanishing from my sight once again.”

However, Kelsey now had a blood trail to follow. Confident in his shot, he waited several hours before beginning the tracking. Eventually, he found the bull approximately 800 yards from where he had taken the shot. After setting up camp, he started the arduous process of processing the carcass. He did not make it home to his wife that night. She would have to be patient.

A New Record-Breaking Bull

By tagging the bull he affectionately called “Poppa Pig,” Kelsey concluded a significant and personal chapter of his life.

“I have tremendous respect for this animal, far more than most people could comprehend,” says Kelsey. “In the end, I had to keep the old man up past his bedtime, steal his woman, and engage him in a fight!”

According to official scorers with Pope & Young, Kelsey’s bull scored a gross score of 431 5/8 inches and a net score of 401 2/8 inches. NW Big Game Records, which maintains the state record books for Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and Washington, also measured the bull. According to NWBGR’s scoring system, which differs slightly from P&Y’s, the bull received a final score of 409 3/8 inches.

Kelsey’s bull has not only become the new No. 1 archery Cascade Roosevelt bull ever taken in Oregon, but it is also the highest-scoring Cascade Roosevelt bull in the state, regardless of the method of hunting.

Despite its resemblance to a non-typical bull due to its exceptional mass, especially on the right beam, the bull was scored as a typical elk. Such a determination was made according to the scoring criteria of both the Oregon Book and Pope & Young.

Although the P&Y entry is still under review, Kelsey will have to wait for approximately two years for a panel of scorers to officially recognize Poppa Pig’s rank. In the P&Y book, the bull will be scored as an American (Rocky Mountain) elk since the organization does not have a separate category for Cascade Roosevelt elk. The current No. 1 typical American bull in the P&Y record book scored 378 6/8 inches.

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