Julie Kreuter Takes a Bull Elk at 12 Yards
John E. Phillips 08.23.13
Author’s note: Rick and Julie Kreuter are the hosts of Beyond the Hunt that appears on the Outdoor Channel Mondays at 8:30 am EST and Thursdays at 3:30 and 8:00 pm EST. Rick and Julie have been married for 14 years and have hunted together for 15 years.
We were hunting in mid-September with Daniel Richins of the R&K Hunting Company once again. Julie was hunting for elk with her PSE Stiletto bow. We were wearing our usual Mossy Oak Brush for this hunt. We were hunting bulls every single day—both younger bulls and some really-nice mature bulls. But these elk caught us in an awkward position, and Julie couldn’t get a shot.
For some reason, luck just didn’t seem to be on our side. On the last day of Julie’s hunt, we went back to the spot where we had heard a lot of bulls bugling and had seen several herd bulls. There were two big herds of elk in the drainage we were hunting, and we’d been trying to pull one of them away from his herd. Once we reached the spot we wanted to hunt, we could hear several bulls bugling. Our game plan was not to call to the bulls until we’d gotten behind the entire herd and were as close as we could get to the bull. We were hoping we could get so close to one of the big herd bulls that when we started cow calling to him, and he would just circle back to us and try to push us into the rest of the herd with the other cows.
Julie and I got within about 100 yards of the herd while Daniel set up about 50 yards behind us to call. When Daniel started calling, we had five satellite bulls within bow range, but the herd bull refused to leave his cows and come back to us. We decided to stand up and spook the satellite bulls, hoping that when the herd bull saw and heard all that commotion, he would come over to investigate. Just as we were getting our packs on to try and spook the satellite bulls, the herd bull stepped out of the dark timber. We sat back down and quickly took off our packs. I turned the camera on, and Julie nocked an arrow as the herd bull started walking straight for us. He was at 60 yards out when we first saw him. He was bugling as he came toward us, and he had a tremendous bugle. What really surprised us though was that this bull didn’t look like a herd bull. He had five points on one side, but on the left side of his antlers he had a three-foot-long sword-shaped antler that split, and there was a large club-shaped drop tine coming off the main beam on his left side, making him appear bigger than he really was.
As the bull came to us, one aspen tree blocked the bull from seeing us and allowed Julie to come to full draw. As the bull got behind the tree, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Julie draw. He finally stopped about 10 yards from Julie, but she couldn’t take the shot. The big bull has turned to look for the satellite bulls, and his head was covering his vitals. He finally turned back and took a couple of steps putting him about 12 yards from Julie. Daniel cow-called again, and the bull turned broadside to Julie. She released the arrow and shot the bull in the heart at 12 yards. The bull ran about 30 yards and then tipped over. This was Julie’s first-ever bull elk with a bow. When you have an elk within 10 yards of two people, and he can’t see you, you know your Mossy Oak camouflage is working.
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John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
