My First N. Idaho Bull!

[Jesse Minish]

Great job!

 

[realunlucky]

Excellent write up. Thanks for expressing the excitement of the accomplishment of all your hard work and the anguish of the reality that layed ahead. Congratulations on a hell of a bull. Got to love it when the plan finally comes together

 

[Huey]

Way to stick with it and get it done. Congrats.

 

[Browtine]

Great story Mike! Definitely a hunt you won't forget. Congratulations!

 

[Steve Perry]

I'll say again. Great job.
Now that some time has gone by I can say that it was a privilege to help pack that boy out.
Privilege wasn't the word I would have chosen a week ago though.
Now to plan on doing it again next year.

 

[Mike7]

Screw next year Steve, you still have muzzy season coming up.

You were a lifesaver, but as I sit here with my knees still not fully recovered, I am trying to think of ways to get the whole family out there if/when we are fortunate enough to get another one down. I figure my girls can carry at least 20 lbs of meat each, which would be a big help.

This is the cover story I'm thinking of right now to get them out there, "Hey girls, a supply plane with goods heading for the Mall went down in the N. Idaho woods... and they are saying that anyone who can hike in and get them, can have all the clothing they can carry free."

 

[Nalgene]

Nice

 

[Steve Perry]

wow, as if planning and getting the next elk isn't enough, you want me to plan on how to get wife and kids to pack meat!!
I will work on it. hell, if I can do that getting an elk should be simple.

 

[bjaegers]

Great Read- Nice Bull.

 

[Ross]

Great Bull, great accomplishment and nice write up Mike!

 

[Mike7]

Thanks Ross. I probably live less than a 1/2 mile just north of you it looks like.

I've had fun learning elk hunting the hard way some times by trial and error, but if I had gone a couple of more years without getting an elk, I might have been tempted to try to stalk you on your way to the woods.

 

[Ross]

I feel your pain with the knees, but a beautiful rack and a freezer full of meat dulls the pain just a little In most years that would have been a good bet, but not this year so far.

 

[Finch]

Congrats! Helluva story - felt like I was there! Couple questions if ya don't mind. Which caliber rifle were you using and how long would that have taken to pack out solo? I'm just trying to convince myself that packing an elk out alone is crazy.

 

[Mike7]

Finch,

I use a .308 with fairly cheap bonded lead bullets, and will be upgrading these to yet a better/higher ballistic coefficient bullet next year hopefully after some summer shooting/testing. I like the lack of recoil with a 308 so feel very comfortable with this rifle without a suppressor... and from what I've read, with good bullets a 308 is good to go on elk to 425 yds and deer sized game to 650 yds. I don't really know from experience though, because everything I have ever shot (except targets) has been 300 yds or under.

I am not in the greatest of shape, but the entire packout was uphill and off trail (easier on the knees but slower). It would have taken me at least 2 full days to pack out this elk on my own, if my body held up. By the last load, stepping over logs that were knee high, felt almost like major obstacles. I am frequently much farther from roads while hunting than this elk was, but this is because I will typically ride or push my bicycle w/ trailer or more infrequently pull a pulk in up to several miles on a closed road. Then while hunting I am within a mile of these transportation aids that I stash on the closed road.

I guess when judging your own capabilities, for a big elk, consider it is like dropping 5 deer all at once and then dealing with that.

 

[RamDreamer]

Great story and I love your analogy of dropping five deer all at once. Depends on the size of the deer

 

[Finch]

Wow, that's crazy! Good thing Steve came along. Congrats again.

 

[PaPaFrank]

A great write up of a great hunt! Thanks for sharing with the rest of us and
CONGRATS!!

 

[JPHuntingAUS]

Great story, great photos and great bull congrats