First Elk

Pics of my first elk.


After hunting with a longbow for 16 years i finally I decided to change hunting tactics and rifle hunt. I've been shed hunting the area for the past 8 years and knew the caliber of bulls that would winter in the unit, so i burned my 5 points . I scouted a few places 2 weeks before the season started and saw a total of 31 bulls. Five of the bulls were bigger than the one i harvested with one pushing 400 ". Opening morning i had a chance at nice 6x6 but past . I was prepared to go home empty what was one more year right! So the second morning i saw the big boy i was after and made a move on him not knowing there was 5 others in gulch with him, i got busted and watched them head for the trees. After a long day on the mountain i had to decide tomorrows strategy.I knew bad weather was in the forecast soon so i had a small window to get in my favorite spot.While glassing the spot a week before i spotted 2 good bulls and told myself if i get a chance i would take either of them.On the third day i went in and found the 2 bulls i spotted the week before. My buddy ranged them at 535yds and with the sun going down and the wind at my back i had to get serious.I got down on a sturdy rest to take the shot i mentally prepared for since i got the drawing results.I had shot my new 325 WSM a ton at longrange.letting my friend know when i was ready to shoot since he was filming i let off a round, with one shot the bull laid down and expired. It took me 20 minutes to get to him which felt like an hour. It took us the next day and a half getting him off the mountain.
With all the time i had to prepare and get ready i felt like it could'nt have been better. To end the great season my buddy had a surprise and found in his pile of elk sheds my bulls shed from the year before. They are almost an exact match except this year the elk put alot of energy into his 5th and 6th points. I sent in the teeth to the DOW for an aged data analysis and it came back as a 6 year old bull. The genetics are awesome there.

I could'nt hunt the way i do without the support of my wife,daughters,family and friends.I hope there are many more chapters in the field with my daughters and friends.