elkhunterUT
FNG
Here are some pictures from my 2013 elk hunting season in Wyoming. My Dad and I both had tags this year and were hoping for success during the archery hunt in late September. Some close calls on elk the first couple days of bowhunting were quickly squashed by some wild Wyoming weather that sent us home after a foot of snow and what seemed like 100 mph winds and frigid cold. The 1st pic shows me with my hammock after the snow dumped down hard on our bivy camp in the backcountry while bowhunting on our first trip.
Despite the disappointment from our earlier trip, my Dad and I decided we would return to our Wyoming unit for a quick 2 day rifle hunt this past Friday & Saturday. Friday we hunted some higher elevation, but did not see or hear a single elk after covering quite a few miles and the elk sign we did see appeared to be old. Saturday morning we opted to hunt a little lower elevation where we felt the elk might be due to less hunting pressure. At first light, we hiked to a high point hoping to find a bull. After about an hour, we started moving some sticks and rocks near us to make our perch a bit more comfortable to spend a few hours in the area glassing. My Dad had just sat down to resume glassing when I looked over to my right and out of nowhere it seemed appeared a 5x5 bull at around 60 yards. We think the bull heard us clearing the sticks and rocks in our glassing area and came in to investigate what the noise was all about. I really wanted my Dad to shoot this bull, but he had us pegged the moment we saw him and my Dad had set his gun down away from him just a few minutes before. I had my gun ready and in hand so I quickly took the safety off and took the shot. I hit the bull high in the shoulder dropping him on the spot with a quick one shot kill. The .270WSM and 150 grain Hornady Interbond bullet performed as well as I had hoped. Luckily, we were only about a ½ mile from the nearest road where I shot the bull and the pack out was mostly downhill, which was certainly ok with my Dad and I. Two quick trips packing meat and we were done with the tough work.
Not a monster bull by any means, but he will be great eating and the fun times with my Dad and Brother on these two Wyoming adventures scored pretty dang high in my book!!
Despite the disappointment from our earlier trip, my Dad and I decided we would return to our Wyoming unit for a quick 2 day rifle hunt this past Friday & Saturday. Friday we hunted some higher elevation, but did not see or hear a single elk after covering quite a few miles and the elk sign we did see appeared to be old. Saturday morning we opted to hunt a little lower elevation where we felt the elk might be due to less hunting pressure. At first light, we hiked to a high point hoping to find a bull. After about an hour, we started moving some sticks and rocks near us to make our perch a bit more comfortable to spend a few hours in the area glassing. My Dad had just sat down to resume glassing when I looked over to my right and out of nowhere it seemed appeared a 5x5 bull at around 60 yards. We think the bull heard us clearing the sticks and rocks in our glassing area and came in to investigate what the noise was all about. I really wanted my Dad to shoot this bull, but he had us pegged the moment we saw him and my Dad had set his gun down away from him just a few minutes before. I had my gun ready and in hand so I quickly took the safety off and took the shot. I hit the bull high in the shoulder dropping him on the spot with a quick one shot kill. The .270WSM and 150 grain Hornady Interbond bullet performed as well as I had hoped. Luckily, we were only about a ½ mile from the nearest road where I shot the bull and the pack out was mostly downhill, which was certainly ok with my Dad and I. Two quick trips packing meat and we were done with the tough work.
Not a monster bull by any means, but he will be great eating and the fun times with my Dad and Brother on these two Wyoming adventures scored pretty dang high in my book!!
