Well, the elk Gods were very nice to us this year. We were luckily enough to draw (4) left over cow elk tags this year for the 5BN-Limited Hopi Hunt.
My daughter was able to fill her tag on 10/10, with a 80 yd shot. Miserable drag out, it rained the entire time quartering the animal and with the multiple 3/4 mile pack outs, it was literally a compete mud bath. Trucks getting stuck, every article of clothing completely soaked and about 15 extra pounds of mud on each boot. It really sucked...but got it done!!!!
Fast forward a week, me and my two boys had the same hunt just a week later. We started hunting the area where my daughter dropped hers, nothing but just a bunch of sign on opening morning. Same thing that evening. Saturday hunted that are again hoping we would find some, nothing turned up. Decided to get up high later that morning for better glassing and while climbing the mountain both boys heard a bugle, I did not, but told them to get up high and start glassing. As soon as my youngest gets on top, he motions to us with three fingers he has eyes on elk. We get up there and there is a large 6x leading with 10-12 cows following. The bull bugles again at 10:45, I thought that is strange because we hadn't heard a bulge at all during the first hunt and not even the day before especially so late in the morning. I range the bull at 167 yds and tell the boys use your main cross hair and pick a cow. The elk are getting closer now without knowing we are above them. My oldest rips off a round and misses, all the animals stop. He chambers another round and down goes 1st elk, the elk start to walk a bit faster so my youngest picks a cow and shoots. He misses and rechambers, shoots again and misses again. I notice he is standing on top of a large rock, I tell him to get low and brace the rifle on a rock for support. He does and down goes the 2nd elk. I am thinking, wow........ we already have my daughter's elk at the butcher, we now have two more down. I think we are good. The elk are still there, not really knowing what to do. My oldest hands me his rifle and says "dad, shoot yours, you have a tag". I look at where my youngest just dropped his and out walks this elk at 100 yds, I aim and squeeze off a round. 3rd Elk down at 10:53. At this time all the elk finally high tail it out of there. We all high five and now the work begins. We shot 3 elk under 8 minutes, absolutely crazy!!!! We gut each elk and were able to get all three in elk and headed into town by 5:30. Long long day.
My daughter was able to fill her tag on 10/10, with a 80 yd shot. Miserable drag out, it rained the entire time quartering the animal and with the multiple 3/4 mile pack outs, it was literally a compete mud bath. Trucks getting stuck, every article of clothing completely soaked and about 15 extra pounds of mud on each boot. It really sucked...but got it done!!!!
Fast forward a week, me and my two boys had the same hunt just a week later. We started hunting the area where my daughter dropped hers, nothing but just a bunch of sign on opening morning. Same thing that evening. Saturday hunted that are again hoping we would find some, nothing turned up. Decided to get up high later that morning for better glassing and while climbing the mountain both boys heard a bugle, I did not, but told them to get up high and start glassing. As soon as my youngest gets on top, he motions to us with three fingers he has eyes on elk. We get up there and there is a large 6x leading with 10-12 cows following. The bull bugles again at 10:45, I thought that is strange because we hadn't heard a bulge at all during the first hunt and not even the day before especially so late in the morning. I range the bull at 167 yds and tell the boys use your main cross hair and pick a cow. The elk are getting closer now without knowing we are above them. My oldest rips off a round and misses, all the animals stop. He chambers another round and down goes 1st elk, the elk start to walk a bit faster so my youngest picks a cow and shoots. He misses and rechambers, shoots again and misses again. I notice he is standing on top of a large rock, I tell him to get low and brace the rifle on a rock for support. He does and down goes the 2nd elk. I am thinking, wow........ we already have my daughter's elk at the butcher, we now have two more down. I think we are good. The elk are still there, not really knowing what to do. My oldest hands me his rifle and says "dad, shoot yours, you have a tag". I look at where my youngest just dropped his and out walks this elk at 100 yds, I aim and squeeze off a round. 3rd Elk down at 10:53. At this time all the elk finally high tail it out of there. We all high five and now the work begins. We shot 3 elk under 8 minutes, absolutely crazy!!!! We gut each elk and were able to get all three in elk and headed into town by 5:30. Long long day.
