2015 ELK Photo Contest

[twall13]

20151023_175145 by jamaulwall, on Flickr

Tag soup for me this year, I only came across one bull in 5 days and he was 600 plus yards away. By the time I got closer he had jumped a fence onto private property I couldn't hunt. There's always next year...

 

[EATONANTLERS]

2015 Idaho OTC DIY

Third time in the last 4 seasons chasing elk in Idaho, and my second 6x6 in as many years.
Killed this bull at 2:30 p.m. on 9/22 at 15 yards.

 

[Josh Kuntz]

2015 Montana public land archery bull. Shot on opening day at 4:30pm. That night we got the first load back to the truck at 1:30am. This photo is packing out the last load the following day. 2 of us packed for 11 hours the next day to get the rest of the meat, our camp and the head. View attachment 30131

 

[Cantharellus]

Started hunting last year with a 4th rifle buck here in Colorado. This year I decided to try for 2nd rifle elk as well. My buddy and I both killed our first elk at the same time. It's not the biggest elk but I'm pretty proud of it, especially since we worked hard for them and got it done on our first season ever hunting for them.

.270 win at 300 yards, double lung, dropped where you see it in the picture. Luckily I had a little flat spot to work on, my buddy wasn't so lucky.

 

[JP7]

2015 WY General DIY

Picture of my last minute bull. Got the monkey off the back with my first bull at last light on the last day for 'any elk' in my area. Hunted through archery season and the first weekend of rifle with no luck, but a few close calls. My dad and I set up on a point between two drainages with the plan to stalk on whatever elk we saw. Late in the evening we spotted a cow and a calf in a canyon to our north that were the only elk we'd seen that we would have a reasonable shot at getting to. I wasn't sure we'd make it over there before dark but figured we had to try, and that if we got over there we'd see more elk. Got to around a 500 yard shot at the cow and kept hiking closer, and then couldn't see her over the trees. We kept hiking north and along the ridge to our northwest I spotted a bull, I turned and could see the cow. I hadn't killed a bull so I went all in on the bull, stalked in and had a few different opportunities, but no good rest. I kept moving forward, and a bull spotted me and started to leave the opening, so I mewed at him with my mouth. He turned and walked back in the opening. At this time I was closer to the bull, ranged him, and rested my rifle against an aspen I was standing next to. I was amazed that I was able to hold the crosshairs on his shoulders steady and squeezed the trigger. After the shot I lost the bull, and let my dad know that I didn't know where or if I even hit him. We went up to check for blood and I texted my buddy who was higher up the mountain that I'd shot at a bull and didn't know if I hit him. From his vantage he watched my bull take two steps and fall. Found him just after dark and got to work immediately. Forgot to take a pic, but we got a few on the pack out and when we got to the trucks. Pretty awesome experience and I am happy that I got to share the moment with my dad, especially being as his work commitments had him tied up for my first deer and my first elk. I was fortunate to have two of my best friends up there to help with the chores.

 

[HUNTCOAK]

2015 first big game tag and big game animal taken! Cantharellus is correct, worked our asses off and it payed off. Love hunting with good friends in beautiful country. Here is my 2015 Colorado 5x(5)

 

[Brado16]

2015 Elk Photo Contest



Bull taken 2nd Rifle Season Colorado
Convinced a good friend that was interested in hunting the West but never had the opportunity before to come with and gave him the first hand experience of DIY Hard work miles from the Truck. He is now hooked for life and is excited to head back next year, only next year he will have a tag in pocket. Shot opening morning- 570 Yards with 6.5 SAUM with 139 Gr Lapua Scenar.

 

[2rocky]

After 2 days of not seeing any elk, hearing a squeal response to cow calls on the third morning fired me up. I saw he was a branch antlered bull, and that was good enough.

This is my caller Dee, soaking up the moment.

 

[KClark]

 

[MTtrout]

Harvested this bull back on August 15th, Utah's opener. My first bull and only second animal with a bow. I feel that he's a once in a lifetime bull not because of his size but because he was still in full velvet perfectly intact.

 

[ndbwhunter]

Two years of planning and preparation paid off when I was able to notch the tag on my first elk. My 10 day backcountry archery hunt was cut short when my hunting "partner" decided that he'd had enough and was ready to go home. I learned a valuable lesson about proper partner selection. I ventured back out to MT on my own for the opener of rifle season. I woke up about 10 minutes before legal shooting light and make the 5 minute trek to the top of the ridge to glass. I spotted this guy below me almost immediately, and was given a perfect shot. Took me a day and a half, and three trips with meat and camp. Not the biggest bull on the mountain, but I couldn't be happier with him.

View attachment 30569

View attachment 30570

 

[Juan_ID]

Hunted 3 hard days looking for a big bull, spotted a stud 7x7 Saturday morning but some spike elk hunters foiled our plans. First thing Sunday morning I spot this bull a few miles out and kept an eye on him while looking and hoping the 7x7 would show himself again... He never did so we made a move on this bull and got 325 yards and put him down. My first bull, needless to say it was a long day but well worth it.

 

[Ross]

Tag2


Tag1

Tag3

 

[MonsterMuley31]

Here is my 2015 Nevada bull. I was super excited when I drew my first bull tag here in Nevada. We went on a few scouts and located a giant 8x6 that I had my heart set on. Unfortunately, the water in the area dried up and he disappeared. None of the Bulls were answering to calls and weren't very vocal. Another problem that I was facing, was going to college. I was trying to run up on Thursdays after class and hunt Friday Saturday and Sunday and do it all over again the week after. Therefore, I couldn't really pattern these Bulls. The last weekend came and I was only going to have 2 days to hunt. Day 1 of my last weekend I got on a beautiful 7x6 and never got a shot. On Sunday(which was going to be my last day) I sat water in the morning in hopes I would fill my tag. I really wanted to get it done spot and stalk but got desperate since it was my last day. Well, that didn't work either. My buddies that were with me knew that there had been some Bulls starting to rut down in the flats. I was about to give up. But then we picked out a bull thrashing his horns in the willows. We had no idea how we were going to get on him. We pulled out my Montana decoy and walked straight at him and cow called. He had 30 cows with him and was all fired up. We literally had to walk 700 yards to get to him. When we got close, his cows began to blow out, but he was super interested in the decoy. The only shot I had was at 107 yards because he too was going to bolt. I dialed to 107 drew back and settled my pin. I had the perfect release and ran it right through his heart!! He ran 50 yards and face planted! The arrow almost passed all the way through him! I began to tear up I was so excited! It was an amazing hunt and one that I will always remember.

 

[Chris Sloan]

150lb man vs. 120lb?+ pack. Head, cape, backstraps+ tenderloins and a guide lid bustin at the seams with gear. 2 horse hunters pass me on the trail and shoot a raghorn out of a herd of 60 RIGHT where i was headed on morning 6. Hunted on and followed some sign right to this guy about noon. 2nd bull in 3 years. 330 gross solo diy otc

 

[4ester]

My bull was killed on Public Land, DIY, Solo in Wyoming 2015. I've been attempting to kill a bull with my bow now for 6 years and everything finally came together.

 

[WRO]

Punched our clients out and decided to practice a little cowboying..

 

[elkyinzer]

9/15/15 – Public – DIY – ID OTC

First elk on my second attempt. This year I was able to go with my dad and he was cow calling 75 yards behind me when I shot him and was great help for the 2 mile packout. I bugled him into bow range and took out both lungs at 25 yards.

As the pictures show I had a smile on my face from the time I found him until the final pack trip out the next day.

I made a post with quite a lengthy chronicle of the trip here:
http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?34871-2015-Archery-Elk-Hunt-Recap-and-Pictures

 

[BOW1144]

09/23/2015 Idaho public land OTC DIY

It took me 13 years to get back into the elk woods and arrow my first bull. It was a long bumpy road. Ten years of school two job changes and raising two small children a hunt like this was just not possible. Three years ago I re committed myself to big game archery hunting and about the same time as my first back country hunt my wife was first diagnosed with cancer. For two years I had to put any big hunts on hold while we went through treatments. In 2014 I had to cancel going on this Hunt due to a massive earthquake in my home town a couple weeks before the season. 2015 brought improved health for my wife (Cancer Free 2 years now!) I was in the best shape of my life and had lost 40 pounds. I left for Idaho with my big brother for a 10 day hunt that I had been dreaming about for 13 years. After 5 days of hunting pressured animals I arrowed this 5x5 bull at 20 yards. He went 6 yards and dropped in his tracks. As we sat their watching him take his last breaths the wave of emotions over what I had just accomplished and what I had been through to get there over took me. This was my first big game animal that I had ever taken with a bow.

He may not be the biggest bull or a trophy in some peoples book but I don't care I will hang his antlers on my wall and it will always be reminder of that bumpy road. My smile says it all.

 

[coop2424]

Finally got it done after hunting elk seriously for the last 5 years.. Not the biggest bull but couldn't be happier and I thought I was obsessed before shooting this spike.. It now has hit a whole new level and not sure how happy the wife will be with that. I can truethfully say that all the scouting and trailcams I did this summer really made this hunt pretty easy since I filled the tag the 4th day in the woods. There was two other bulls with him but he gave me the shot..