Does Bill finally get a shot at a British Columbia bull elk? In the final installment, he comes face-to-face with a bull at just five yards and releases an arrow—but the hunt becomes an emotional lesson in shot decisions, recovery and the extraordinary resilience of elk.
After several days of chasing bulls through steep Goat River country, the team rides into a new drainage and hears three bulls answer. One sounds territorial and aggressive, giving the hunters hope that they have finally found a bull willing to commit. They move into his bedding area, begin a calling sequence and hear him approaching through the timber.
The bull suddenly appears at five yards. Bill passes on a difficult frontal angle and waits for a better opportunity. When the bull takes another step, Bill begins his shot—but the elk detects him, wheels sharply and changes the angle as the arrow is released.
What follows is the part of bowhunting no one wants to experience. Bill and the Saddle Axe team give the bull time, follow a difficult blood trail through steep, brush-filled terrain and return with additional people, pack horses and equipment to continue searching. Despite an exhaustive effort, they are unable to recover him.
Months later, the story receives an unexpected ending: a trail-camera photo captures what the team believes is the same bull alive in the same drainage, with a scar consistent with the arrow’s exit point. After reviewing the hunt footage and trail-camera image, they are confident the bull survived.
Part 3 is an honest and emotional conclusion to this British Columbia horseback elk hunt—one that explores hunting ethics, recovery responsibility and the lasting respect hunters have for the animals they pursue.
Missed the Beginning?
Experience the entire British Columbia horseback elk hunt from the first ride into camp to the final, unexpected update.
