My First Elk -2010
NotEnufTags
9/26/10 6:49pm
Hi Friends,
Several of you have been asking for pictures and a story of my elk hunt. So here goes. At seventeen years old I drew a cow elk tag. That hunt went unsuccessful. It was the only time in the previous 22 years that I hunted elk. When I drew the Expo tag for my hunt, it was in essence my first opportunity to hunt elk. I was told by many that the unit I would be hunting is a gold mine for big elk, and that I should be selective. Comments like “let someone else hold your bullets for the first day so you don’t shoot the first elk you see”, and “you’ll have no problem getting a giant elk down there”, had me expecting a fun easy hunt.
The truth of what the hunt held for me was much different. I arrived on the Friday before the opener. My brother, brother-in-law, and a friend came down to be my support (pack mules). Upon setting up camp, we rode the 4 wheelers around a bit to glass some area and decide where to be before sun up. We saw a small six point bull with 3-4 cows and a 3 point bull with about 6 cows. We were excited for the morning hunt. Upon getting out of the camp trailer on opening morning, we had a 10-15 mile four wheeler ride to get to where we would start hunting. The 4 wheeler ride was put on hold as we could hear 3 bulls bugling within 400 yards of camp. The picture below shows where the most aggressive bugles were coming from.
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq25/NotEnufTags/elkcampsized.jpg " alt="" />
By the time shooting light came, there were 12 hunters/spotters on these bulls. The bulls blew out of the country before it was light enough to see what any of them looked like. We rode our wheelers to where we originally had planned on hunting. Two bulls had been taken at the spot we had hoped to be. Not monsters, but bulls. We saw nothing and heard nothing for the remainder of day 1. We were out until after dark and didn’t even hear a distant bugle.
Day 2 – We were up before light and in position. We heard some bugles but they were increasing in distance. The heat and pressure were putting these bulls to bed before light and keeping them there ‘til after dark. We hiked in a ways to glass and listen but nothing was seen.
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq25/NotEnufTags/101_0248.jpg " alt="" />
We caught a break and heard a bugle. Don't know if it was a hunter or a second bull, but a bull was responding, and was moving away. I caught a brief glimpse of the bull. He was huge. Probably 350. I gave pursuit and got within 80 yards at one time. I saw his cows but not him. He continued onto private property where I ended my pursuit. I lost two of my “pack mules” and it was now me and my brother Kendall for the duration of the hunt.
Day 3 - I started to hit the wall. Everyone said I should be selective. How can you be selective when you aren’t getting any shot opportunities? We were up before light and out after dark.
On Day 4 we heard a bugle and followed it a mile or so. We were pinned down by a grazing spike in the velvet with the bull about 60 yards below us. Once the spike left we got to 15 yards from the screaming bull before I got a look at him. He was broken off on one side at the base and had about a 4 foot long spike on the other side (Unicorns exist). Day four and my first chance to be selective, is on a four foot single spike.
Here are a couple of shots of the area we hunted.
Moon Rise – No elk
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq25/NotEnufTags/101_0271.jpg " alt="" />
Autumn Colors – No elk
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq25/NotEnufTags/101_0249.jpg " alt="" />
Sunrise – no elk
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq25/NotEnufTags/101_0279.jpg " alt="" />
Sunset – no elk
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq25/NotEnufTags/101_0277.jpg " alt="" />
Day 5- We need help! A call to Deloss, a local gentleman and absolute stud paid dividends. Deloss drove about 40 miles to meet my brother and I at a local gas station. He took us to a rutting place and sure enough 6 point bull came down to water. Deloss said that if I waited we could get on a bigger bull, but I was ready to see family again and wasn’t so sure that I’d see more after what I’d been through. I made a stalk on the bull but didn’t get a shot off before it got dark. Deloss pointed out a spot way up on the mountain that is a good rutting ground. My Brother and I went back to camp and decided to hunt one more morning where we were with the same results –zilch-nada-nothing. We moved camp to just below the mountain where Deloss had pointed out the rutting ground. By the time we set up camp and figured out how to get to the grounds it was 515 pm.
As soon as we turned off the 4 wheelers we heard a bugle about 1000 yards down the mountain; then another bugle, and another. It was getting good for the first time in 6 days. It started to hail on us and rain. We huddled under a tree and glassed the elk. We had about an hour of daylight left once the hail subsided. We were 500 yards away from the bull I shot and trying to decide how to get around him to see a huge bull that we saw for a brief second before it disappeared over the next ridge. Our plan was to go straight uphill away from the elk and then circle behind a knoll trying to get to a point where the bull I shot would turn downhill with his 20-25 cows. It took us a while to make the stalk. With about 10-15 minutes of daylight left the cows started running towards the ridge that held the other bulls. I was spent and worried that this may be my only chance to get a bull. I said to my brother, “I’m going to take him”. I ranged the bull at 306 yards. He turned to us and bugled at us as if he was mad that we ran his cows off. He turned and began to run towards the ridge top. I threw down the bipods on my 30.06, sat down, and found the bull in my scope. Everything was surreal at this point. My brother excitedly told me you hit him. My brother had been an awesome source of encouragement throughout this hunt, but he was ready for an end to it also. The bull stopped instantly and stood there. After waiting for a few more cows to run infront of the stopped bull, I put a second shot in him and he wavered but again steadied. The third shot found the heart and the bull went down hard. It was dark when we covered the 306 yards over to him. Here he is.
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq25/NotEnufTags/101_0290.jpg " alt="" />
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq25/NotEnufTags/101_0289.jpg " alt="" />
I know this bull is small for the area I hunted. The first real bull I had a chance to shoot became the bull I took. The experience of it all makes him big to me. Sure, I would have preferred to have the bigger 350-360 bull we saw one ridge over but this was my first elk and instead of backing out to come back another day I decided a bull is more important to me than potential tag soup. I learned that maybe I don’t have what it takes to be a trophy hunter, but it was an awesome experience for me.
Being wet from the hail and rain made for a cold quartering job. With cramped hands and a throbbing back, three hours later the job was done. Now the pack out. It took my brother and me three trips each. Each trip took an hour. Here’s a picture of the final trip back to the wheeler. We arrived at 2:00 am.
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq25/NotEnufTags/101_0310.jpg " alt="" />
After strapping everything to the wheelers and finding our way down the mountain on a different road than the one we came up on, we arrived back at camp at 3:30 am. A half an hour later we had the elk in coolers and were ready for a well earned sleep. We got up that morning between 4:30 and 5:00 am. It had been a 23 hour day of morning hunting, moving camp, setting up camp, hard wheeler ride into new country, hunting, quartering, and packing. It was a long memorable day. Here is the 3:30 am picture.
http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq25/NotEnufTags/101_0313.jpg " alt="" />
A quick thanks to my brother for spending the hard days with me. A huge thanks to Deloss that I met through a hunting forum. It would have been tag soup without his awesome help. I’m so glad he’s the type that loves to see others succeed. Thanks again Deloss. And finally to my wife and kids who had to miss daddy while he was having fun but missing them too.
Several of you have been asking for pictures and a story of my elk hunt. So here goes. At seventeen years old I drew a cow elk tag. That hunt went unsuccessful. It was the only time in the previous 22 years that I hunted elk. When I drew the Expo tag for my hunt, it was in essence my first opportunity to hunt elk. I was told by many that the unit I would be hunting is a gold mine for big elk, and that I should be selective. Comments like “let someone else hold your bullets for the first day so you don’t shoot the first elk you see”, and “you’ll have no problem getting a giant elk down there”, had me expecting a fun easy hunt.
The truth of what the hunt held for me was much different. I arrived on the Friday before the opener. My brother, brother-in-law, and a friend came down to be my support (pack mules). Upon setting up camp, we rode the 4 wheelers around a bit to glass some area and decide where to be before sun up. We saw a small six point bull with 3-4 cows and a 3 point bull with about 6 cows. We were excited for the morning hunt. Upon getting out of the camp trailer on opening morning, we had a 10-15 mile four wheeler ride to get to where we would start hunting. The 4 wheeler ride was put on hold as we could hear 3 bulls bugling within 400 yards of camp. The picture below shows where the most aggressive bugles were coming from.
By the time shooting light came, there were 12 hunters/spotters on these bulls. The bulls blew out of the country before it was light enough to see what any of them looked like. We rode our wheelers to where we originally had planned on hunting. Two bulls had been taken at the spot we had hoped to be. Not monsters, but bulls. We saw nothing and heard nothing for the remainder of day 1. We were out until after dark and didn’t even hear a distant bugle.
Day 2 – We were up before light and in position. We heard some bugles but they were increasing in distance. The heat and pressure were putting these bulls to bed before light and keeping them there ‘til after dark. We hiked in a ways to glass and listen but nothing was seen.
We caught a break and heard a bugle. Don't know if it was a hunter or a second bull, but a bull was responding, and was moving away. I caught a brief glimpse of the bull. He was huge. Probably 350. I gave pursuit and got within 80 yards at one time. I saw his cows but not him. He continued onto private property where I ended my pursuit. I lost two of my “pack mules” and it was now me and my brother Kendall for the duration of the hunt.
Day 3 - I started to hit the wall. Everyone said I should be selective. How can you be selective when you aren’t getting any shot opportunities? We were up before light and out after dark.
On Day 4 we heard a bugle and followed it a mile or so. We were pinned down by a grazing spike in the velvet with the bull about 60 yards below us. Once the spike left we got to 15 yards from the screaming bull before I got a look at him. He was broken off on one side at the base and had about a 4 foot long spike on the other side (Unicorns exist). Day four and my first chance to be selective, is on a four foot single spike.
Here are a couple of shots of the area we hunted.
Moon Rise – No elk
Autumn Colors – No elk
Sunrise – no elk
Sunset – no elk
Day 5- We need help! A call to Deloss, a local gentleman and absolute stud paid dividends. Deloss drove about 40 miles to meet my brother and I at a local gas station. He took us to a rutting place and sure enough 6 point bull came down to water. Deloss said that if I waited we could get on a bigger bull, but I was ready to see family again and wasn’t so sure that I’d see more after what I’d been through. I made a stalk on the bull but didn’t get a shot off before it got dark. Deloss pointed out a spot way up on the mountain that is a good rutting ground. My Brother and I went back to camp and decided to hunt one more morning where we were with the same results –zilch-nada-nothing. We moved camp to just below the mountain where Deloss had pointed out the rutting ground. By the time we set up camp and figured out how to get to the grounds it was 515 pm.
As soon as we turned off the 4 wheelers we heard a bugle about 1000 yards down the mountain; then another bugle, and another. It was getting good for the first time in 6 days. It started to hail on us and rain. We huddled under a tree and glassed the elk. We had about an hour of daylight left once the hail subsided. We were 500 yards away from the bull I shot and trying to decide how to get around him to see a huge bull that we saw for a brief second before it disappeared over the next ridge. Our plan was to go straight uphill away from the elk and then circle behind a knoll trying to get to a point where the bull I shot would turn downhill with his 20-25 cows. It took us a while to make the stalk. With about 10-15 minutes of daylight left the cows started running towards the ridge that held the other bulls. I was spent and worried that this may be my only chance to get a bull. I said to my brother, “I’m going to take him”. I ranged the bull at 306 yards. He turned to us and bugled at us as if he was mad that we ran his cows off. He turned and began to run towards the ridge top. I threw down the bipods on my 30.06, sat down, and found the bull in my scope. Everything was surreal at this point. My brother excitedly told me you hit him. My brother had been an awesome source of encouragement throughout this hunt, but he was ready for an end to it also. The bull stopped instantly and stood there. After waiting for a few more cows to run infront of the stopped bull, I put a second shot in him and he wavered but again steadied. The third shot found the heart and the bull went down hard. It was dark when we covered the 306 yards over to him. Here he is.
I know this bull is small for the area I hunted. The first real bull I had a chance to shoot became the bull I took. The experience of it all makes him big to me. Sure, I would have preferred to have the bigger 350-360 bull we saw one ridge over but this was my first elk and instead of backing out to come back another day I decided a bull is more important to me than potential tag soup. I learned that maybe I don’t have what it takes to be a trophy hunter, but it was an awesome experience for me.
Being wet from the hail and rain made for a cold quartering job. With cramped hands and a throbbing back, three hours later the job was done. Now the pack out. It took my brother and me three trips each. Each trip took an hour. Here’s a picture of the final trip back to the wheeler. We arrived at 2:00 am.
After strapping everything to the wheelers and finding our way down the mountain on a different road than the one we came up on, we arrived back at camp at 3:30 am. A half an hour later we had the elk in coolers and were ready for a well earned sleep. We got up that morning between 4:30 and 5:00 am. It had been a 23 hour day of morning hunting, moving camp, setting up camp, hard wheeler ride into new country, hunting, quartering, and packing. It was a long memorable day. Here is the 3:30 am picture.
A quick thanks to my brother for spending the hard days with me. A huge thanks to Deloss that I met through a hunting forum. It would have been tag soup without his awesome help. I’m so glad he’s the type that loves to see others succeed. Thanks again Deloss. And finally to my wife and kids who had to miss daddy while he was having fun but missing them too.
14,731
Here's me wishin you luck. I hope your one of the truely lucky that seals the deal on a public land giant. They're few but they're out there and it may as well be you that happens upon one.
That's a great bull in my book. Pretty! I loved that story, thanks for posting it. The photos were awesome too, and they helped make me feeling like I was packing out with you. Your brother deserves some serious elk backstraps for all the hard work and dedication. In the end, I bet it feels very rewarding to have that bull on the wall and in the freezer. I'm like you, I have a wife and beautiful children that I hate being away from. I love hunting, but there is a fine line too on what is too much time away. I would have taken that bull in a heartbeat. Good job and be proud of that hard hunt you got through and a successful one at that. Well done! 10sign:
Brandon
And just think that this might just be a practice run for the next elk hunt that you get to go on.
Throw out the trophy crap, that bull is a 'trophy' to you and it would be to me also with all that hard work you put into the hunt. Glad Deloss was an awesome guy and pointed you in the right direction. Enjoyed the story/pics/etc. That MOON pic in the trees is AWESOME!!
Great job and thanks for sharing. :thumb
10sign:
i cant believe i missed this post . i feel cheated (???) while everyone was enjoying this post, i was, well i dont know what i was doing but reading the post would have been cooler:)
i love the detail of the hunt, makes us think we were there to.
as far as the size of the bull , and you thinking your not a trophy hunter , i believe your missguided by these public forums. when we are all old and on are death beds there will be times we look back in life and remember the most, i'll bet this trip is one of those memories. THAT is where the trophy is :thumb
i drew a top tier wyoming tag a couple yrs ago, and came home with a bull that wasn't as big as i was "supposed" to kill. that is still one of the best hunts i have ever been on.
so super kudos to you bud! you did great, put in some hard work and a long day of packing, i'm super jelous! ( as if i spelled that right :)) )
congrats and thanks for a super great read! it made my night :thumb
My "not cut out to be a trophy hunter" satement comes from the fact that just another 600 - 800 yards over the ridge was a 350-360 class bull. I only saw him for about 6 seconds as did my brother. We just looked at each other and said did you see that? We could have backed out and came back the next morning but I was mentally spent. I worried that they might blow out of the area that night and I could be going home empty handed. I'm happy with the bull I took. I wouldn't have posted if I wasn't proud of the accomplishment. I had just built up the tag in my mind to where I expected opportunities on B&C class bulls.
As killer bee mentioned it is easy to get misguided by all the posts of huge animals on these public forums. I had an experience to remember with my bro. Not much will top that when memory lane is visited later in life.
Thanks again for the good words.