2024 OFFICIAL ELK MEAT POLE

[MakAttack]

I posted a photo on page 3 of the photo contest and was asked for the story, here it is. I was able to draw the WY regular elk tag as a non resident with 6% odds! My cousin/best bud Aron lives in western Wyoming and was able to use llamas to pack into the high country 4 days before the rifle opener. We saw zero elk total. It was 85 degrees and no bugling. We had a zone we hadn't looked in yet that we saved for the opener. We're Christian and prayed in the dark at camp opening morning that the big bull would step out in front of us. Aron and I hunted down a ridge, didn't bring spotters because we figured we'd be shooting in timber, and had our scopes zoomed down to 2 power. We saw outfitters and clients on other ridges bugling with no answers. We stopped and I was glassing a distant face at 1300 yards with binos and this solo bull walked into the circle of my field of view, God answers prayers immediately sometimes. I had elevation on it and was looking down on it from the rear and all I could see were the white tips of his fronts swaying side to side as he was feeding. The guide off to our left was bugling and this dude didn't even look up. We were laughing that of all times to leave the spotters at camp! We could see the frame and knew it was big, so I ranged a bench lower down the mountain that we beat feet to. We were able to keep a few trees between us and the bull as we hustled down and it never even saw us. We happened to link up with Aron's brother Tyler and his son Cameron on the bench, they were hunting with us. Tyler got it in his spotter down ahead of me and was waving me to hurry up like a mad man! I thought I was hurrying until I saw him! I got a quick zoomed look at this stud and had to set up quick. We had a clear view of the bull across to the other face but it was feeding away, and if it stepped into the brush it would be gone. It was a now or never moment. I was able to set up on pair of downed trees almost like a shooting bench. I had 3 guys spotting for me, a 6.5prc set up for distance, and all my time in the 75th Ranger Regiment all on my side, plus those prayers which were the real reason for my success. The bull died at 822 yards, Hornady 147 eld-m's do work. Once he expired we were all super stoked and I couldn't be happier! Believe it or not about 3 minutes after the bull died a bull moose stepped out and walked up to the downed elk and was sniffing it in full view! We got to the elk and processed it but man it was hot. We used contractor bags to sink the meat in a cold creek after we made a rock dam to pool up the water. It worked awesome! I didn't want to but I ran the head up a tree with rope for the night since we had to hike all the way back to camp. The next morning we broke down camp and packed the llamas down to the meat and rack, cross loaded everything and made our way out. We walked around 30 miles on our feet total during the hunt. We taped the bull in the field and it was 367" gross, but back at my cousins house it turns out it was 370" gross exactly, 362 7/8" net. Such an amazing hunt with help from some great dudes! The part I know for a fact is that the Lord answered our prayers. They have saved my life more than once in combat and I flat know that is the reason this hunt ended so epically.
I posted the other photo in the contest because you can see the 21 1/2" fronts, the mass, and the crazy twisty 3rd in that other photo the best.

 

[Wolfpack03]

Awesome Bull, those eye guards look like rattler fangs!!

 

[GRR95]

Wyoming opening day was good to us this year.

 

[BrentLaBere]

Montana Archery

 

[Titanmoose]

Solo and First time Elk hunt success story.

I drew a good Idaho controlled hunt tag on my first-ever try—dumb luck, right? I ended up spending three weeks out there, solo, except for a weekend break for my anniversary (gotta keep the wife happy). I checked every pin drop someone gave me, every piece of intel I took and acted on it......and prior to this guy, I only found a couple 5x4's early in the hunt and held off. The weather was HOT, several days over 85+, and 13 of the 16 days I was out were over 80...

On my last full day of hunting, I spotted this bull while glassing—he was making his way from a cornfield to a creek, tucked into a tree grove, but all on private land. Typical, right? I figured if I was gonna have a shot, I’d need to call him on public that evening with his homies. I was pretty much out of options. It was my last day, so with a hour and a half of light left I set up about 300 yards from the boundary on state land and started throwing out some mixed cow calls, a light couple bugle, and a few chuckles—just enough to see if I could get their attention.

I had already lazed all my areas I thought they would appear and had my dials figured out for the most probable areas I thought.....

Sure enough, right as it’s getting down to the wire, here they come 15 minutes prior to legal time. Four bulls, including this guy. They all come in, and basically appeared magically it felt like, posturing and trying to figure out who the new guy is. I’m sitting there thinking, "holy shit they are close and this actually worked" as I zip my turrets back to 0 and range them and realize they are way closer then I expected and aimed right at me...

I took with him straight on front shot from about 140 and he was a dead man walking after the first 245 Berger in @Unknown Munitions custom loads in my Browning 300PRC (gun is now retired bc its heavy but C6 was a bit slower then expected with my actions.) He had stumbled down a hill, and no longer had much of leg use and was pouring blood out his mouth, but kept coming right at me bc suppressor and confusion I am sure. He got another one straight on again, just because elk and I was terrified he would run back to private and die.

He went down right there about 120 yards from my sit. I had awesome help for the short pack out from some locals who were out and about chasing critters too.

6x6 and was told by people with much more experience and time then me something roughly between 280-300". I dont care. I was stoked I didn't get skunked and passing the smaller bulls paid off.

I had lots of intel help through out the lead up to this hunt, but the weather and herd/s just weren't cooperating. I had lots of moral support ( alone in a truck camping for 3 weeks isn't THAT fun if you are a people person lol)

Very thankful and processing all the elk myself!


(I grew up hunting deer in western SD, and hunted in Western WA deer and bear the last 2 years, so not new to hunting but new to alot of things) my photo I tried my hardest to make it look huge, news flash dudes, she knows your thang is avg at best still when you try to get those angles and its ok.