2021 Elk Down, Plus Comments

[5MilesBack]

• Sunday: Get on horse. Go scout. Horse is a dick

This made me laugh. In 1992 I had surgery on my left knee a few months before elk season, but I wasn't going to let it keep me from hunting. We're on horseback, and this horse I'm on is intentionally moving off the trail to the left and running my knee into trees. After the third time I got off and he and I had it out right there on the trail. He never did it again the rest of the hunt.

 

[yycyak]

The horse part is a bit of a story to itself.

She's brand new to me this year. Plan was to use her and pony another horse way out into the backcountry and skip the backpacking part of things. But stuff happens, deal on the second horse fell through. In the mean time she's been hanging out at the ranch with one of the neighbour's horses.

Well she and that neighbour horse are now best buds, and my horse gets a bit sour when she's out on her own (I'm told this can be common.) So that day scouting all she wanted to do was get back to the trailer.

I did want to use her to pack out the meat, but I haven't seen how she does around dead stuff yet. Thought hauling out a full elk as her introduction to packing might be a good way to start a rodeo...

This made me laugh. In 1992 I had surgery on my left knee a few months before elk season, but I wasn't going to let it keep me from hunting. We're on horseback, and this horse I'm on is intentionally moving off the trail to the left and running my knee into trees. After the third time I got off and he and I had it out right there on the trail. He never did it again the rest of the hunt.

 

[Still Hunter]

Loved this! Congrats on your whole adventure. Great Memories with great success!
Curious what diamond knifes sharpener you used. I have posted the one I use a few times in here, wondering it was the same model. Always fun to find the bullet all mushroomed up after is has done it's job!

 

[Tega52]

Great story!

 

[Firehawk]

Great story! Congratulations on your bull. Really enjoyed reading about your adventure. And....I totally agree that cutting up an elk all by yourself is a suckfest. I did a large cow by myself a few years ago when my hunting buddy had his down over the ridge. When I finally got my elk (luckily in snow and had a plastic sled for each of us) cut up and bagged, it was all I could do to make it down through the thick scrub to the trail in the bottom of the canyon. So glad to make it to that point.

My big bull I shot this year, I had me and four strong buddies with me. That was WAY easier, even though that elk was a lot bigger.

 

[yycyak]

I carry the blue and green ones like these. Handles shortened, and I just toss them in my kill kit. Nothing fancy at all.

Loved this! Congrats on your whole adventure. Great Memories with great success!
Curious what diamond knifes sharpener you used. I have posted the one I use a few times in here, wondering it was the same model. Always fun to find the bullet all mushroomed up after is has done it's job!

 

[Formidilosus]

• Get the Rokslide-Special out. Paging @Formidilosus . 6x SWFA on a T3x Lite stainless (30-06, not 6.5. Sorry Form...) 180gr Accubonds.

Terrible.


Good job man. I would highly recommend the hunting rifle drill done repeatedly. Several hundred rounds in a year doing that and your shot routine will be solid. Then take it into the field and do the drill with targets at varying ranges to incorporate ranging and wind calls.

 

[Odin509]

Thanks for sharing a great story

 

[ChrisAU]

Fantastic write up, congrats!

 

[HighUintas]

Great job! It's nice when it all comes together.

I like that you called out that puffy/rain jacket combo. That is the warmest.

You could have killed it deader with a 6.5CM though

 

[yycyak]

I resisted for quite a few years, and kept rocking either the Helly Hansen or the OG Sitka 90% soft shell. But packability sucked, and I was always too hot/cold. Made the switch last year.

Puffy + Rain shell is easily the smallest, warmest, most flexible method. Wish I'd done it sooner.

Probably need to bin the 30-06 now. Dead elk isn't good enough - Deader elk is better. And we all know the 6.5 is king of Deader. Mistakes were made.

Great job! It's nice when it all comes together.

I like that you called out that puffy/rain jacket combo. That is the warmest.

You could have killed it deader with a 6.5CM though

 

[Eyeman]

Feels good dont it.
Congrats

 

[claybreaker]

Congrats Man, I'm genuinely happy for you, 20 years is a long time. You did it, I mean you did it all by yourself. CONGRATS.

 

[Nwihunter]

Congrats man. Great write up.

 

[Rich M]

Very nice! Great bull and just glad you got him.

 

[Bazer3]

Great story and pics!

 

[SoDak16]

Great story! Always good to hear success stories

 

[Fallfreak]

Congrats on getting it done! Enjoyed reading your play by play account of the hunt.

 

[ShootOkHuntWorse]

Congrats! First Elk happens all the sudden!

 

[ShootOkHuntWorse]

The horse part is a bit of a story to itself.

She's brand new to me this year. Plan was to use her and pony another horse way out into the backcountry and skip the backpacking part of things. But stuff happens, deal on the second horse fell through. In the mean time she's been hanging out at the ranch with one of the neighbour's horses.

Well she and that neighbour horse are now best buds, and my horse gets a bit sour when she's out on her own (I'm told this can be common.) So that day scouting all she wanted to do was get back to the trailer.

I did want to use her to pack out the meat, but I haven't seen how she does around dead stuff yet. Thought hauling out a full elk as her introduction to packing might be a good way to start a rodeo...

Packed out my elk last year on our only and new horse. Hands full of blood and stuck our fingers up his nose, so that he couldn’t get away from it. Wife lunged him in a circle until he realized it wasn’t going to eat him. Then ALLOWED him to continually sniff a quarter and then lunge, sniff and then lunge until he got bored. Then he was over it and the packing began. She handled it great and the barrel horse turned useful to my hunting hobby finally paid off. It’s her barrel horse that she’s broke. Very proud husband moment.