2023 OFFICIAL ELK MEAT POLE THREAD
- Thread starter fngTony
- Start date
Lost a bull with my bow in my home state a month ago unfortunately, glad I'm gonna have meat in the freezer
ColoradoV
WKR
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2013
- Messages
- 547
The freezer is again full…
mcr-85
WKR
I'm on a road trip to Phoenix right now and have time to write about this year's elk hunt.
I tagged out on the second to last day of the spike elk hunt here in Utah.
Opening morning I took my two boys out. We made a short hike and glassed up a herd of elk that someone else had bumped out of the bottom. There were at least two spikes in the herd. I didn't get a chance to get my spotter on them before they worked out of the clearing towards us. The bull was bugling a lot and there was another in the burn below us going nuts. Both my boys can bugle and cow call with their voice pretty well and they were having a good time talking back and forth with those bulls. We then glassed up another bunch that had two spikes, one of which got shot. My boys watched the other one in the spotter a long ways away. There were a lot of hunters and shots that first morning.
Then some more hunters came to the point we were on and dropped in after the herd in the burn below us. They busted them out.
A life flight helicopter came into the canyon that morning as well. When we hiked out we ran into the ambulance that was looking for the patient and helicopter. I escorted them around to another road that would give them better access to their patient.
My wife headed to Hawaii on a trip with my mom and sisters that night. My dad and I took all three of my kids and my niece the next day but we didn't see anything. I went for a drive with them one more night that week and didn't see anything but hunters.
My wife got home the next weekend and I planned a last minute trip with a buddy. I went in Monday evening set up camp a rough mile from the road. Tuesday morning I got up and hiked a little over a mile up a ridge towards a bull I heard. At around 9:00 I finally glassed up 3 bulls. My buddy had came in that morning and dropped his gear at camp and hiked up the ridge to find me. We sat on them all day waiting to see if they'd feed back out with hopefully a spike and were making a plan to get on them the next day. We were high on the ridge and it was hot and we were out of water. It was a little miserable for a while.
My buddy went to relieve himself and heard another bull in a different drainage. We grabbed all our gear and made our way towards them. We got to a point to glass and I turned up the bull on top of the opposite ridge. Below him were a bunch of cows and calves. We dropped off the ridge further towards them to another good point to glass from. I got my spotter out there to find a spike. It took about 20 minutes but I found one. He was 1147 yards and we didn't have time to get closer before dark. We made a plan to get on them the next morning and headed back to camp.
The next morning we made our way up over the hill between camp and the drainage the elk were in. Then we had 1.2 miles or so to go up that drainage and up finger ridge opposite the elk to get to our planned shooting spot. It took about double the amount of time we thought it would getting through the mess of deadfall in the bottom of the main drainage. We got on the finger ridge and heard the bulls bugling and I found the elk with a quick look in my binos. It was 8:30ish and we were 600 yards from them. We had the sun at our back and good wind so we just hustled across the top of the ridge towards them to close the gap.
The sun was on the top of the ridge where they were and they started piling off into the quakies in the bottom. There was a spring in the bottom and another bull was in there drinking and bugling. I got my spotter on them looking for the spike. I looked for probably 3 or 4 minutes and found him. He was the furthest in the bottom feeding. I ranged him at 425 and changed my spotter out for my gun on my tripod. I took a quick look at the screensaver on my phone with my dope and dialed 1.7 MIL and asked my buddy to back me up with his gun. He dialed and got ready. I shot and the bull dropped. The herd headed up the draw towards a saddle. My buddy took off up the hill to get a better angle and I switched out for my spotter again and followed him. We set up and when the herd came into view I looked and there were no more spikes.
We made our way up to him and boned him out. It was hot and the flies were terrible. We each took half of the meat and headed to camp. We had about 1.5 miles to go from where I killed him. We're not sure how long it took to get him out. I killed at 8:50 and we had the meat to camp at 1:30.
We hung the meat in the best shady spot we could find and broke down camp. We hauled our optics and guns out. Yesterday my dad, niece and I headed in on horses and mules to pack the elk and camp out. It only took 40 minutes to get there and 1 hour 20 minutes to get everything out. Mules are so much more efficient than my legs.
Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
I tagged out on the second to last day of the spike elk hunt here in Utah.
Opening morning I took my two boys out. We made a short hike and glassed up a herd of elk that someone else had bumped out of the bottom. There were at least two spikes in the herd. I didn't get a chance to get my spotter on them before they worked out of the clearing towards us. The bull was bugling a lot and there was another in the burn below us going nuts. Both my boys can bugle and cow call with their voice pretty well and they were having a good time talking back and forth with those bulls. We then glassed up another bunch that had two spikes, one of which got shot. My boys watched the other one in the spotter a long ways away. There were a lot of hunters and shots that first morning.
Then some more hunters came to the point we were on and dropped in after the herd in the burn below us. They busted them out.
A life flight helicopter came into the canyon that morning as well. When we hiked out we ran into the ambulance that was looking for the patient and helicopter. I escorted them around to another road that would give them better access to their patient.
My wife headed to Hawaii on a trip with my mom and sisters that night. My dad and I took all three of my kids and my niece the next day but we didn't see anything. I went for a drive with them one more night that week and didn't see anything but hunters.
My wife got home the next weekend and I planned a last minute trip with a buddy. I went in Monday evening set up camp a rough mile from the road. Tuesday morning I got up and hiked a little over a mile up a ridge towards a bull I heard. At around 9:00 I finally glassed up 3 bulls. My buddy had came in that morning and dropped his gear at camp and hiked up the ridge to find me. We sat on them all day waiting to see if they'd feed back out with hopefully a spike and were making a plan to get on them the next day. We were high on the ridge and it was hot and we were out of water. It was a little miserable for a while.
My buddy went to relieve himself and heard another bull in a different drainage. We grabbed all our gear and made our way towards them. We got to a point to glass and I turned up the bull on top of the opposite ridge. Below him were a bunch of cows and calves. We dropped off the ridge further towards them to another good point to glass from. I got my spotter out there to find a spike. It took about 20 minutes but I found one. He was 1147 yards and we didn't have time to get closer before dark. We made a plan to get on them the next morning and headed back to camp.
The next morning we made our way up over the hill between camp and the drainage the elk were in. Then we had 1.2 miles or so to go up that drainage and up finger ridge opposite the elk to get to our planned shooting spot. It took about double the amount of time we thought it would getting through the mess of deadfall in the bottom of the main drainage. We got on the finger ridge and heard the bulls bugling and I found the elk with a quick look in my binos. It was 8:30ish and we were 600 yards from them. We had the sun at our back and good wind so we just hustled across the top of the ridge towards them to close the gap.
The sun was on the top of the ridge where they were and they started piling off into the quakies in the bottom. There was a spring in the bottom and another bull was in there drinking and bugling. I got my spotter on them looking for the spike. I looked for probably 3 or 4 minutes and found him. He was the furthest in the bottom feeding. I ranged him at 425 and changed my spotter out for my gun on my tripod. I took a quick look at the screensaver on my phone with my dope and dialed 1.7 MIL and asked my buddy to back me up with his gun. He dialed and got ready. I shot and the bull dropped. The herd headed up the draw towards a saddle. My buddy took off up the hill to get a better angle and I switched out for my spotter again and followed him. We set up and when the herd came into view I looked and there were no more spikes.
We made our way up to him and boned him out. It was hot and the flies were terrible. We each took half of the meat and headed to camp. We had about 1.5 miles to go from where I killed him. We're not sure how long it took to get him out. I killed at 8:50 and we had the meat to camp at 1:30.
We hung the meat in the best shady spot we could find and broke down camp. We hauled our optics and guns out. Yesterday my dad, niece and I headed in on horses and mules to pack the elk and camp out. It only took 40 minutes to get there and 1 hour 20 minutes to get everything out. Mules are so much more efficient than my legs.
Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
Looks like the place to share @abbrown and I's DIY rifle hunt.
I've been looking forward to this hunt since abbrown's return from New Zeland last year and my tag soup on an OTC tag last fall. Much Roksliding (probably too much), reloading, shooting, e-scouting, one family scouting mission, and fretting over gear filled the time.
Late August I was thrown a curve ball in life and wasn't sure what would happen to fall hunting season. Immediate formalities were completed and hunting season was a beacon of light in a time of need.
Thursday prior to the opener on Saturday I was able to break away and head for the predetermined location. That night high up on a look out I was treated to a full bugle fest, 4-5 bulls in the canyon doing what bulls do. That night I conferred with @abbrown and decided to reoccupy my roost Friday morning hoping to discourage any other asshole from hearing what I was. The bulls did their part and I was again treated to a cacophony like I've never before heard. @abbrown was able to join Friday afternoon and we again returned to the glassing spot for the appearance of a amazing looking 6x6. That 6x6 was over 1200 yards out with an unclear approach route, we were stoked but needed a plan.
We headed for camp just prior to dark only to stopped by a herd of at least 30 elk and 4-5 bulls who gave us one hell of a show and forced us to reroute our return to camp. Being only a mile from camp over easy terrain, dreams of a big 6x were traded for a potentially easy double up opening morning. You can imagine the elk dreams and restless sleep that night. A delicious dinner of Meateater Mississippi pot roast lead to a cacophony of a different sort in the camper that night.
O'dark thirty and it was time to move in for the easy double. We approached in the dark hoping to beat everyone else to the herd. Halfway to the herd we look back to see an ebike and headlamps heading our way shining their lights right at the meadow where the herd was the night before. Pushing forward we realized the some of the herd had moved below the trail with bulls bugling above and below the trail. Below trail was mostly private and while sorting out what to do with hunters coming in behind us a new truck appeared to pull onto the private. There was a difference of opinion and I ate a heaping plate of humble pie right before legal light when the herd scented us and we lost our easy opportunity at a double up with the herd below scenting us and the bulls above leaving with them. It was probably the Mississippi roast's fault really, nothing could survive being 100 yards downwind of its aftermath. 10 minutes later it seemed like every rifle in a 2 mile radius was opening up, probably on the herd we had spooked. The bugle fest was over.
Sometimes easy isn't what we need in life. Instead of doubling up and having our season end at shooting light on day 1, we were blessed with a full season in the mountains with a spectacular ending.
Another day was spent ensuring the bulls had left the initial canyon, they may still have been there, but we weren't going to find them easily. The decision was made to pivot to plan B and C, backing packing into the wilderness. The wilderness was spectacular but thoroughly occupied by an outfitter's drop camp clients. Two fruitless, but completely gratifying nights were spent up high. Abbrown's new 4 person Argali TP and my woodstove made the nights downright cozy, a nip or two of Bourbon didn't hurt either. With water only to found much lower on the mountain and no elk up top it was time to pivot to plan D with another stop at plan C (via a different kind of Mississippi gift).
Warm sleeping bags and a cozy wood stove were hard to leave that next morning and we had to push a little to make it to the morning lookout after packing. Shooting light found us sitting on a steep hill side over looking some of the most beautiful elk country you could every imagine. As if to complete the image I spotted a bull standing right in the middle of a small meadow 454 yards below us. In our pair, spotter gets to shoot, or if potential for a double up the suppressed rifle shoots first. With the bull looking our way I maneuvered my pack out front for a rear rest and crossed my hiking poles for the front rest. The bull was getting antsy and a slight quartering too was the best option I was going to get. After remembering to dial up the crosshairs settled on the front of the shoulder and round 1 was sent. Hit! The bull stepped behind a tree and then turned down hill, shot, hit. The bull turned back up hill and was moving away, shot- hit. Then again turn up hill mostly obscured by a small blue spruce except part of his neck being visble, shot, shot, shot. Bull moving up hill, grab pack, pivot left 20 yards to flat spot with view prone, shot --drop!!!! 7 shots, 4 hits, under 30 seconds and 20 yards travelled by bull. I'm confident the bull was dead on his feet with shot 1, but I didn't want to find out. All connecting shots appeared lethal only two lung lobes remained in a sea of lung batter.
Time was taken soaking up what just happened, pictures, and then careful skinning for some Rokslide necropsy photos. With camp, elk meat, and a full heart we headed down with the first load out. The second trip up we attempted to carryout the remaining 3 quarters and caped head. Turns out after a quarter mile or so neither of our bodies thought this was such a good idea. Feeling slightly disappointed that another trip up the mountain was necessary we were comforted by the thoughts of the T-bone dinner and celebration whiskey waiting for us at the camper.
Morning again came early and a conversation was had about the utility of carrying up a rifle just to pack out meat. @abbrown was advised he didn't want to be standing there with just his pocket pistol when he saw the biggest bull of his life. A quick plan was made and @abbrown headed up the mountain double time while I enjoyed a leisurely cup of coffee in the warm truck. I made it to the meat stache and headed down with my last load. Upon arriving at the truck I received an inreach text from my wife congratulating @abbrown! Some how his 5 messages of BIG bull down, bring help only made it after I received the update from home.
Fortunately this delay fit our preconceived plan perfectly. We were parked next to what turned out to be some of the most salt of the earth, saving grace of an outfitter you could ever ask for. I must have looked and smelled quite the part, despite having a full day this gentlemen agreed to turn his horses uphill one more time later that evening and ensure we made it to work on Thursday. Not only that, I was treated to a ride back up the mountain to reach Abbrown and retrieve my last load. That afternoon true to his word, the gentleman put the cherry on top of an amazing week and saved us from working through the night.
I've been looking forward to this hunt since abbrown's return from New Zeland last year and my tag soup on an OTC tag last fall. Much Roksliding (probably too much), reloading, shooting, e-scouting, one family scouting mission, and fretting over gear filled the time.
Late August I was thrown a curve ball in life and wasn't sure what would happen to fall hunting season. Immediate formalities were completed and hunting season was a beacon of light in a time of need.
Thursday prior to the opener on Saturday I was able to break away and head for the predetermined location. That night high up on a look out I was treated to a full bugle fest, 4-5 bulls in the canyon doing what bulls do. That night I conferred with @abbrown and decided to reoccupy my roost Friday morning hoping to discourage any other asshole from hearing what I was. The bulls did their part and I was again treated to a cacophony like I've never before heard. @abbrown was able to join Friday afternoon and we again returned to the glassing spot for the appearance of a amazing looking 6x6. That 6x6 was over 1200 yards out with an unclear approach route, we were stoked but needed a plan.
We headed for camp just prior to dark only to stopped by a herd of at least 30 elk and 4-5 bulls who gave us one hell of a show and forced us to reroute our return to camp. Being only a mile from camp over easy terrain, dreams of a big 6x were traded for a potentially easy double up opening morning. You can imagine the elk dreams and restless sleep that night. A delicious dinner of Meateater Mississippi pot roast lead to a cacophony of a different sort in the camper that night.
O'dark thirty and it was time to move in for the easy double. We approached in the dark hoping to beat everyone else to the herd. Halfway to the herd we look back to see an ebike and headlamps heading our way shining their lights right at the meadow where the herd was the night before. Pushing forward we realized the some of the herd had moved below the trail with bulls bugling above and below the trail. Below trail was mostly private and while sorting out what to do with hunters coming in behind us a new truck appeared to pull onto the private. There was a difference of opinion and I ate a heaping plate of humble pie right before legal light when the herd scented us and we lost our easy opportunity at a double up with the herd below scenting us and the bulls above leaving with them. It was probably the Mississippi roast's fault really, nothing could survive being 100 yards downwind of its aftermath. 10 minutes later it seemed like every rifle in a 2 mile radius was opening up, probably on the herd we had spooked. The bugle fest was over.
Sometimes easy isn't what we need in life. Instead of doubling up and having our season end at shooting light on day 1, we were blessed with a full season in the mountains with a spectacular ending.
Another day was spent ensuring the bulls had left the initial canyon, they may still have been there, but we weren't going to find them easily. The decision was made to pivot to plan B and C, backing packing into the wilderness. The wilderness was spectacular but thoroughly occupied by an outfitter's drop camp clients. Two fruitless, but completely gratifying nights were spent up high. Abbrown's new 4 person Argali TP and my woodstove made the nights downright cozy, a nip or two of Bourbon didn't hurt either. With water only to found much lower on the mountain and no elk up top it was time to pivot to plan D with another stop at plan C (via a different kind of Mississippi gift).
Warm sleeping bags and a cozy wood stove were hard to leave that next morning and we had to push a little to make it to the morning lookout after packing. Shooting light found us sitting on a steep hill side over looking some of the most beautiful elk country you could every imagine. As if to complete the image I spotted a bull standing right in the middle of a small meadow 454 yards below us. In our pair, spotter gets to shoot, or if potential for a double up the suppressed rifle shoots first. With the bull looking our way I maneuvered my pack out front for a rear rest and crossed my hiking poles for the front rest. The bull was getting antsy and a slight quartering too was the best option I was going to get. After remembering to dial up the crosshairs settled on the front of the shoulder and round 1 was sent. Hit! The bull stepped behind a tree and then turned down hill, shot, hit. The bull turned back up hill and was moving away, shot- hit. Then again turn up hill mostly obscured by a small blue spruce except part of his neck being visble, shot, shot, shot. Bull moving up hill, grab pack, pivot left 20 yards to flat spot with view prone, shot --drop!!!! 7 shots, 4 hits, under 30 seconds and 20 yards travelled by bull. I'm confident the bull was dead on his feet with shot 1, but I didn't want to find out. All connecting shots appeared lethal only two lung lobes remained in a sea of lung batter.
Time was taken soaking up what just happened, pictures, and then careful skinning for some Rokslide necropsy photos. With camp, elk meat, and a full heart we headed down with the first load out. The second trip up we attempted to carryout the remaining 3 quarters and caped head. Turns out after a quarter mile or so neither of our bodies thought this was such a good idea. Feeling slightly disappointed that another trip up the mountain was necessary we were comforted by the thoughts of the T-bone dinner and celebration whiskey waiting for us at the camper.
Morning again came early and a conversation was had about the utility of carrying up a rifle just to pack out meat. @abbrown was advised he didn't want to be standing there with just his pocket pistol when he saw the biggest bull of his life. A quick plan was made and @abbrown headed up the mountain double time while I enjoyed a leisurely cup of coffee in the warm truck. I made it to the meat stache and headed down with my last load. Upon arriving at the truck I received an inreach text from my wife congratulating @abbrown! Some how his 5 messages of BIG bull down, bring help only made it after I received the update from home.
Fortunately this delay fit our preconceived plan perfectly. We were parked next to what turned out to be some of the most salt of the earth, saving grace of an outfitter you could ever ask for. I must have looked and smelled quite the part, despite having a full day this gentlemen agreed to turn his horses uphill one more time later that evening and ensure we made it to work on Thursday. Not only that, I was treated to a ride back up the mountain to reach Abbrown and retrieve my last load. That afternoon true to his word, the gentleman put the cherry on top of an amazing week and saved us from working through the night.
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mtnbiker208
WKR
I went 2 for 2 in Idaho this year. Nothing big, but i love chasing them.
SonnyDay
WKR
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2019
- Messages
- 586
Finally got it done in CO after 5 years of trying on public land. I've never had the time/freedom to scout pre-season... so we've always had to go in blind. This year my son and I got out 2 1/2 days before 1st rifle opened, and were able to confirm there were bulls and cows in the area with the help of about 6 inches of fresh snow. We packed our camp up to 11,000' so we'd be ready for opening morning:
Day of the opener we headed to some water at around 10,500' to catch first light... but got side-tracked by some fresh bull sign. The bull had clearly been spooked by a tent it encountered in a saddle... and headed downhill like a freight train for 500 feet before angling out into a traverse. It was pretty light at this point and we figured he was headed for some north-facing steep slides and dark timber another mile or so away. We did run into a cow moose feeding in a meadow:
Sidebar: we could have killed cow and bull moose on all but one elk hunt in CO... so hoping CPW eases up on those tags so I can hunt one before I die!
My son needed a nap as he had been out late retrieving some forgotten gear from the truck 2 miles away the night before and hadn't slept well after that. So we headed back to camp to eat breakfast and grab coffee. While he slept, I still-hunted down to the water/meadow and set a trail cam and made my way back up to camp. We headed back mid-afternoon to still-hunt the woods and figured we'd close down that meadow for last light. There were plenty of progressively-newer tracks in the snow... but we did not see any animals.
Next morning we staked out first light on another shoulder of the mountain where my son had seen fresh tracks and a newly-destroyed sapling on his nighttime jaunt to the truck. Beautiful sunrise and a great spot to shoot elk at multiple distances and in varied terrain--if there had been any. We again went back to camp for a proper breakfast (freeze dried breakfast skillet and instant coffee), prepped firewood for the coming night (tipi with shepherd's stove), and got ready for the afternoon/evening hunt.
We headed out planning to make our way over to the steep slides and dark timber a few miles away where we figured that bull from the previous day was bedding. We stopped by the meadow with water to check the game cam (nothing but shots of us setting it), and headed onward. Fairly quickly we got onto a braided game trail with a series of tracks going both directions including cows and bulls. We had either sex tags so decided to follow this obvious travel corridor since it was headed toward the steep areas we intended to check out anyhow.
After less than a quarter mile, we hit some VERY fresh bull tracks:
We went into super-sneaky mode... and luckily the wind was in our faces. One other thing we had in our favor was all the snow in the trees was melting, so every few seconds there was a "whump!" of snow hitting the ground and various other drips, snaps, and whooshes. Perfect cover!
All of a sudden my son tapped my arm, and motioned forward into the timber. He was mouthing "there it is!" He didn't have a shot, but I took a step or two to the left and could see the bull. I didn't have a great shot (shoulder or neck), but given the distance (~40 yards) I figured he was not going to stand there much longer!
As soon as I was able to count 4 points (making him legal in CO) I shot him. He went down, but popped right back up and started running downhill into a nasty canyon of deadfall and dark timber. I shot him again and he turned a summersault... but got up and kept running. I shot him a third time, and he went down for good. We gave it a few minutes and could confirm he wasn't breathing, and that his eyes were open and his tongue hanging out. He probably would have died soon enough with the first shot... but I had read enough horror stories of elk running off and dying in a hell-hole never to be seen again. While I hit him in the front right shoulder with the first shot, the other two were right into the heart and lungs. He was dead within two or three minutes of the first shot (at about 2:20 pm).
He was a smallish 5x5, but had broken some points off the top of his rack, so was pretty goofy looking. We went gutless on him and were done inside of two hours. Took another hour to bone everything out since we had about 2 1/2 miles to haul it all to the truck. I can't imagine NOT boning out an elk unless we had horses, mules, or machines nearby.
We were able to carrying it all in two trips between the two of us. Got one load to the truck that evening, and picked up the rest the next day. Went back for our camp... and that was that. Beautiful area and a great trip. I did not grow up hunting and got into it pretty late in life. Very much self-taught... but appreciate all the insight and information I have gotten here on the 'Slide!
Day of the opener we headed to some water at around 10,500' to catch first light... but got side-tracked by some fresh bull sign. The bull had clearly been spooked by a tent it encountered in a saddle... and headed downhill like a freight train for 500 feet before angling out into a traverse. It was pretty light at this point and we figured he was headed for some north-facing steep slides and dark timber another mile or so away. We did run into a cow moose feeding in a meadow:
Sidebar: we could have killed cow and bull moose on all but one elk hunt in CO... so hoping CPW eases up on those tags so I can hunt one before I die!
My son needed a nap as he had been out late retrieving some forgotten gear from the truck 2 miles away the night before and hadn't slept well after that. So we headed back to camp to eat breakfast and grab coffee. While he slept, I still-hunted down to the water/meadow and set a trail cam and made my way back up to camp. We headed back mid-afternoon to still-hunt the woods and figured we'd close down that meadow for last light. There were plenty of progressively-newer tracks in the snow... but we did not see any animals.
Next morning we staked out first light on another shoulder of the mountain where my son had seen fresh tracks and a newly-destroyed sapling on his nighttime jaunt to the truck. Beautiful sunrise and a great spot to shoot elk at multiple distances and in varied terrain--if there had been any. We again went back to camp for a proper breakfast (freeze dried breakfast skillet and instant coffee), prepped firewood for the coming night (tipi with shepherd's stove), and got ready for the afternoon/evening hunt.
We headed out planning to make our way over to the steep slides and dark timber a few miles away where we figured that bull from the previous day was bedding. We stopped by the meadow with water to check the game cam (nothing but shots of us setting it), and headed onward. Fairly quickly we got onto a braided game trail with a series of tracks going both directions including cows and bulls. We had either sex tags so decided to follow this obvious travel corridor since it was headed toward the steep areas we intended to check out anyhow.
After less than a quarter mile, we hit some VERY fresh bull tracks:
We went into super-sneaky mode... and luckily the wind was in our faces. One other thing we had in our favor was all the snow in the trees was melting, so every few seconds there was a "whump!" of snow hitting the ground and various other drips, snaps, and whooshes. Perfect cover!
All of a sudden my son tapped my arm, and motioned forward into the timber. He was mouthing "there it is!" He didn't have a shot, but I took a step or two to the left and could see the bull. I didn't have a great shot (shoulder or neck), but given the distance (~40 yards) I figured he was not going to stand there much longer!
As soon as I was able to count 4 points (making him legal in CO) I shot him. He went down, but popped right back up and started running downhill into a nasty canyon of deadfall and dark timber. I shot him again and he turned a summersault... but got up and kept running. I shot him a third time, and he went down for good. We gave it a few minutes and could confirm he wasn't breathing, and that his eyes were open and his tongue hanging out. He probably would have died soon enough with the first shot... but I had read enough horror stories of elk running off and dying in a hell-hole never to be seen again. While I hit him in the front right shoulder with the first shot, the other two were right into the heart and lungs. He was dead within two or three minutes of the first shot (at about 2:20 pm).
He was a smallish 5x5, but had broken some points off the top of his rack, so was pretty goofy looking. We went gutless on him and were done inside of two hours. Took another hour to bone everything out since we had about 2 1/2 miles to haul it all to the truck. I can't imagine NOT boning out an elk unless we had horses, mules, or machines nearby.
We were able to carrying it all in two trips between the two of us. Got one load to the truck that evening, and picked up the rest the next day. Went back for our camp... and that was that. Beautiful area and a great trip. I did not grow up hunting and got into it pretty late in life. Very much self-taught... but appreciate all the insight and information I have gotten here on the 'Slide!
GSPHUNTER
WKR
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2020
- Messages
- 4,369
Congratulations, first one is always the best one.
Backofbeyond
FNG
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2023
- Messages
- 25
GSPHUNTER
WKR
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2020
- Messages
- 4,369
Not bad. 
Marshfly
WKR
First bull down on the opening day of Montana Rifle with my oldest son and wife there to see it. Had scouted a herd moving back and forth across a saddle for the prior two days so set up there. That herd didn't materialize but another herd got bumped over the saddle with a decent bull in tow. Amazing day with absolutely perfect weather for the tear down and pack out.
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Hackleback
WKR
MallardSX2
WKR
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2016
- Messages
- 2,516
Wife was so excited for me that she walked right into the elk wallow up past her knee. had a heck of a time getting her out of there. I had to go get a log to lay in the muck just to get her out. Never a dull moment. lol
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Cirlin Crowe
FNG
Nice going, glad to see that you filled both, did you get this one out on the bike too?
Ikmclean
Lil-Rokslider
Managed to put my wife to work during the first snowfall
mtnbiker208
WKR
Yep on the bike.
Picture coming out. Light it up!
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Cirlin Crowe
FNG
Was this a solo hunt? Great job.
Sierra Hunter
WKR
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2021
- Messages
- 721
mdp22
FNG
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