bigeasygator
WKR
It's early November and even though it feels like it just started, my big game hunting season is over. It's a bittersweet time of year...probably more bitter than sweet that's for sure! The sweet comes in as I get to reminisce and record these hunts for prosperity. I made it out west twice this year -- once to New Mexico for an archery elk hunt in early September and then to Idaho for an outfitted elk/deer combo in mid October.
There were three of us on the New Mexico hunt: my buddy Dave who joined me from New Orleans, my buddy Griz who lives in New Mexico, and me. It was our first time hunting the area and the hunting was a little slow at first. It picked up later in the week, and I found myself in bow range on elk five or six times throughout the week. I passed on some cows and small bulls hoping to shoot something more mature. The last night while hunting a new drainage on my own I managed to get into a bugling war with what appeared to be a decent bull. I haven't elk hunted much on my own so it was a pretty awesome experience doing all of my own calling and actually having an elk respond. We went back and forth but I couldn't quite entice him any closer than about 75 yards. I only got a quick look at him, but he appeared to be pretty decent. As I was running out of light, I decided to make a move and ended up bumping him out. Regardless of not getting a shot, it was one of the most exciting nights hunting elk I've ever had. None of us took an elk on that trip, but we learned a lot about the area and plan on going back armed with our new found knowledge. Hopefully next year I can break my archery elk drought!
The second trip was an outfitted hunt with Boulder Creek Outfitters out of Idaho. They have hunting areas in the Clearwater Forest to the north of Idaho and on the western edge of the state in the Hell's Canyon area. Dave and I booked a combo elk/mule deer hunt with them for the second week of October. The hunting area is some of the most gorgeous country I've ever been in and the Rockies continue to amaze me with regards to the diversity of landscapes -- this looked nothing like the other landscapes I've hunted, be it timbered forests, rimrock canyons, or high country. The Hell's Canyon has a badlands feel to it and is some STEEP stuff.
We focused on elk first, and the hunting was fantastic. It was basically done by hiking ridgetops and glassing up the various draws and canyons in hopes of spotting elk. The elk were still talking and were often found in herds of 100+ animals. On the third morning, after passing up some smaller bulls, Dave and I both connected. While coming around a bluff, I spotted two elk feeding up a finger ridge that connected with the ridge we were walking. We quickly hit the deck and looked them over for a long time. The bigger elk was a respectable 5x6 with a red-looking coat. Dave decided he would be a great first bull and made a perfect 150 yard shot with the .300 WSM. The elk piled up and we started walking over to him.
Before we made it to his bull, we decided to pop over the other side of the ridge we were walking and quickly found more elk in the draws and drainages dropping off on the other side from where we were. Some cow calling produced a few distant bugles. After a few minutes, one of those bulls bugled a lot closer -- GAME ON! We didn't have much for cover, so we just dropped on the hillside and set up for the shot, not quite sure where the elk would appear from cover. Turns out he'd pop out from the pines about 225 yards away directly down the finger ridge we were watching. We were exposed on the hillside but the sun was to our backs. Picking him up in the scope, it was hard to make out exactly what he was as he was standing straight on, but he looked heavy on top and I decided I wanted him. As I settled in for the shot, I got to see him bugle one last time through the scope right before I squeezed off the shot. I was shooting a Sako A7 .308 pushing 150 gr TTSX and the bull literally dropped in his tracks. He rolled a few times and struggled to get to his feet before I put one more into him for good measure and anchored him for good. That's when the high fives commenced! We dropped two great bulls in less than an hour -- and then of course the work began.
My bull turned out to be a great 7x7. He wasn't very long on top, but it gave him a unique crowned out look, like a red stag. I later put the tape to him and scored him right around 300". Here's a few pics.
The three of us made quick work of the bull and left the meat on the mountain for the mules to get later and then made our way over to David's bull. Obligatory pack out pic.
Dave's bull was only about a 15 minute walk away. As I mentioned, this was his first elk (first big game animal as a matter of fact) since I infected him with the hunting bug a little more than a year ago. He was all smiles.
For the shooting crowd, I managed to recover both of the bullets in my elk, although I think I lost/misplaced one on the mountain in the excitement. They both looked identical. The first shot hit at the shoulder and penetrated midway through the body before stopping in the hide over the ribs on the left side of the animal. The other shot hit the elk as it was struggling to his feet and was recovered in the hide on the off shoulder. Here's what they looked like. I'd say not bad at all...looks like good expansion, got good penetration, and good weight retention.
The deer hunting was slower and neither of us punched our tags. We passed up some smaller bucks and David shot under a great buck at 300 yards. I passed on a 500 yard shot on what looked to be a 180-190" deer. All in all, it was a great hunt in great country. I managed to shoot a lot of video and actually got both kill shots on video (it's all handheld so thanks for the patience with some of the shakiness!). I've edited it together and hopefully it'll play (it may be blocked because of songs I put in the video, but that should be resolved soon hopefully). I may post the video of just my kill if it doesn't as a bit of a teaser in case the whole thing won't play. Hope you guys enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_ssCANLvPE
Til next season...
Jason
PS -- decided to post the video with just the kill in case the full video isn't working...pardon the guide's language, he got a little excited after I shot the elk!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL6FbUj41-E
There were three of us on the New Mexico hunt: my buddy Dave who joined me from New Orleans, my buddy Griz who lives in New Mexico, and me. It was our first time hunting the area and the hunting was a little slow at first. It picked up later in the week, and I found myself in bow range on elk five or six times throughout the week. I passed on some cows and small bulls hoping to shoot something more mature. The last night while hunting a new drainage on my own I managed to get into a bugling war with what appeared to be a decent bull. I haven't elk hunted much on my own so it was a pretty awesome experience doing all of my own calling and actually having an elk respond. We went back and forth but I couldn't quite entice him any closer than about 75 yards. I only got a quick look at him, but he appeared to be pretty decent. As I was running out of light, I decided to make a move and ended up bumping him out. Regardless of not getting a shot, it was one of the most exciting nights hunting elk I've ever had. None of us took an elk on that trip, but we learned a lot about the area and plan on going back armed with our new found knowledge. Hopefully next year I can break my archery elk drought!
The second trip was an outfitted hunt with Boulder Creek Outfitters out of Idaho. They have hunting areas in the Clearwater Forest to the north of Idaho and on the western edge of the state in the Hell's Canyon area. Dave and I booked a combo elk/mule deer hunt with them for the second week of October. The hunting area is some of the most gorgeous country I've ever been in and the Rockies continue to amaze me with regards to the diversity of landscapes -- this looked nothing like the other landscapes I've hunted, be it timbered forests, rimrock canyons, or high country. The Hell's Canyon has a badlands feel to it and is some STEEP stuff.
We focused on elk first, and the hunting was fantastic. It was basically done by hiking ridgetops and glassing up the various draws and canyons in hopes of spotting elk. The elk were still talking and were often found in herds of 100+ animals. On the third morning, after passing up some smaller bulls, Dave and I both connected. While coming around a bluff, I spotted two elk feeding up a finger ridge that connected with the ridge we were walking. We quickly hit the deck and looked them over for a long time. The bigger elk was a respectable 5x6 with a red-looking coat. Dave decided he would be a great first bull and made a perfect 150 yard shot with the .300 WSM. The elk piled up and we started walking over to him.
Before we made it to his bull, we decided to pop over the other side of the ridge we were walking and quickly found more elk in the draws and drainages dropping off on the other side from where we were. Some cow calling produced a few distant bugles. After a few minutes, one of those bulls bugled a lot closer -- GAME ON! We didn't have much for cover, so we just dropped on the hillside and set up for the shot, not quite sure where the elk would appear from cover. Turns out he'd pop out from the pines about 225 yards away directly down the finger ridge we were watching. We were exposed on the hillside but the sun was to our backs. Picking him up in the scope, it was hard to make out exactly what he was as he was standing straight on, but he looked heavy on top and I decided I wanted him. As I settled in for the shot, I got to see him bugle one last time through the scope right before I squeezed off the shot. I was shooting a Sako A7 .308 pushing 150 gr TTSX and the bull literally dropped in his tracks. He rolled a few times and struggled to get to his feet before I put one more into him for good measure and anchored him for good. That's when the high fives commenced! We dropped two great bulls in less than an hour -- and then of course the work began.
My bull turned out to be a great 7x7. He wasn't very long on top, but it gave him a unique crowned out look, like a red stag. I later put the tape to him and scored him right around 300". Here's a few pics.
The three of us made quick work of the bull and left the meat on the mountain for the mules to get later and then made our way over to David's bull. Obligatory pack out pic.
Dave's bull was only about a 15 minute walk away. As I mentioned, this was his first elk (first big game animal as a matter of fact) since I infected him with the hunting bug a little more than a year ago. He was all smiles.
For the shooting crowd, I managed to recover both of the bullets in my elk, although I think I lost/misplaced one on the mountain in the excitement. They both looked identical. The first shot hit at the shoulder and penetrated midway through the body before stopping in the hide over the ribs on the left side of the animal. The other shot hit the elk as it was struggling to his feet and was recovered in the hide on the off shoulder. Here's what they looked like. I'd say not bad at all...looks like good expansion, got good penetration, and good weight retention.
The deer hunting was slower and neither of us punched our tags. We passed up some smaller bucks and David shot under a great buck at 300 yards. I passed on a 500 yard shot on what looked to be a 180-190" deer. All in all, it was a great hunt in great country. I managed to shoot a lot of video and actually got both kill shots on video (it's all handheld so thanks for the patience with some of the shakiness!). I've edited it together and hopefully it'll play (it may be blocked because of songs I put in the video, but that should be resolved soon hopefully). I may post the video of just my kill if it doesn't as a bit of a teaser in case the whole thing won't play. Hope you guys enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_ssCANLvPE
Til next season...
Jason
PS -- decided to post the video with just the kill in case the full video isn't working...pardon the guide's language, he got a little excited after I shot the elk!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL6FbUj41-E
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