lbirch
Member
As I walked outside I looked up and I saw stars, the Milky Way and the moon. I haven't seen them in 5 days and I knew what that meant. Let's get to that trailhead because its going to be a great day!
We started our hike before light with enough time to get to our first glassing spot about a mile away. The bull we had been after for two days ducks into the trees early just after first light. He is a smart bull.
One. Two. Three were out feeding. The fourth was not there. How could he be in the trees already? We setup the Vortex Razor spotting scope to get a look at the three bulls and confirm they were the three standing lookout for their bigger friend. Two we've seen before, the third was a new 6 by with a broken sword. Watching him from 2 miles away we could tell he was a good bull but he wasn't the bull I was after.
I studied him some more as he feed to the left. Just then in the corner of the scope I could see a bull bedded in the trees. He looked heavy, he appeared to have all his points and he was a 6pt. It looked like him. Still at 2 miles away he didn't come through the scope all that well. We needed a closer look.
At 3/4 of a mile we stopped to glass again. It was at this point I decided we needed to get this bull. He was in a good spot and it appeared he was bedded there for the day. The small knoll off in the distance looked to be a good spot to head to and glass him another time, then make the final decision. On our way there we glassed the bulls through our binocs and we could see him standing, feeding and on the move obviously searching for a better bed. He didn't know we were closing the distance but we didn't have time to waste.
We made it to a pile of boulders below where the bulls fed on the hill. We put the spotting scope on him again and it looked like he was working his way toward the bottom. He looked good but while deciding whether or not to take him we glassed other places on the hill. There was a good bull higher on the hill about a mile away and we needed to look at him through the spotting scope. It revealed a giant 6x7 with main beams that looked 60" plus. I debated with myself for what seamed like forever.
The higher bull was so high up the Mtn I wondered if we could get to him. I doubted our chances. The lower bull would be out of sight in two minutes and was standing broadside.
I quickly made up my mind and told Dave I'm taking a shot. I threw my backpack onto the rocks for a steady rest. I grabbed Dave's pack and put it up too for a solid rest for my entire rifle. I only needed to squeeze it against my shoulder because it was perfectly balanced. Dave called out the range as I settled for the shot. Anticipating the slight uphill angle I squeezed one off.
I could see the bull standing there wondering what happened. I chambered another round and steadied for a second shot. I couldn't believe my first shot missed. I practiced all summer and I felt very confident. I touched the trigger for the second shot and I saw him fall.
It took us an hour to get to him. The snow drifts were crazy deep and the bulls in this area live like mtn goats. As we walked up to him it was finally sinking in that I had a good bull lying in front of me. He was mine and I was excited to have him. His main beams measured 52". He had mass, he had all his points and his antlers were dark brown. He has short 5th points but all his other points made up for it.
After pictures and lunch we got to work capping, deboning the quarters and cutting off the backstraps, neck meat and tenderloins. Two hours later he was done and ready to pack.
It took us until after dark to get back to the truck. The site of the truck there in the dark looked so good. I was so happy to be there. 15 hours after we awoke for the day we were back at camp.
Are you thinking I should have made a play for the 370 bull higher up? Maybe if there wasn't any snow. My inner layers were soaked from the last 3 miles and the temperature drops pretty quick when the sun goes down at 4:30. I've thought about it everyday since coming home last Tuesday but I'm more than happy with the bull I brought home.
We started our hike before light with enough time to get to our first glassing spot about a mile away. The bull we had been after for two days ducks into the trees early just after first light. He is a smart bull.
One. Two. Three were out feeding. The fourth was not there. How could he be in the trees already? We setup the Vortex Razor spotting scope to get a look at the three bulls and confirm they were the three standing lookout for their bigger friend. Two we've seen before, the third was a new 6 by with a broken sword. Watching him from 2 miles away we could tell he was a good bull but he wasn't the bull I was after.
I studied him some more as he feed to the left. Just then in the corner of the scope I could see a bull bedded in the trees. He looked heavy, he appeared to have all his points and he was a 6pt. It looked like him. Still at 2 miles away he didn't come through the scope all that well. We needed a closer look.
At 3/4 of a mile we stopped to glass again. It was at this point I decided we needed to get this bull. He was in a good spot and it appeared he was bedded there for the day. The small knoll off in the distance looked to be a good spot to head to and glass him another time, then make the final decision. On our way there we glassed the bulls through our binocs and we could see him standing, feeding and on the move obviously searching for a better bed. He didn't know we were closing the distance but we didn't have time to waste.
We made it to a pile of boulders below where the bulls fed on the hill. We put the spotting scope on him again and it looked like he was working his way toward the bottom. He looked good but while deciding whether or not to take him we glassed other places on the hill. There was a good bull higher on the hill about a mile away and we needed to look at him through the spotting scope. It revealed a giant 6x7 with main beams that looked 60" plus. I debated with myself for what seamed like forever.
The higher bull was so high up the Mtn I wondered if we could get to him. I doubted our chances. The lower bull would be out of sight in two minutes and was standing broadside.
I quickly made up my mind and told Dave I'm taking a shot. I threw my backpack onto the rocks for a steady rest. I grabbed Dave's pack and put it up too for a solid rest for my entire rifle. I only needed to squeeze it against my shoulder because it was perfectly balanced. Dave called out the range as I settled for the shot. Anticipating the slight uphill angle I squeezed one off.
I could see the bull standing there wondering what happened. I chambered another round and steadied for a second shot. I couldn't believe my first shot missed. I practiced all summer and I felt very confident. I touched the trigger for the second shot and I saw him fall.
It took us an hour to get to him. The snow drifts were crazy deep and the bulls in this area live like mtn goats. As we walked up to him it was finally sinking in that I had a good bull lying in front of me. He was mine and I was excited to have him. His main beams measured 52". He had mass, he had all his points and his antlers were dark brown. He has short 5th points but all his other points made up for it.
After pictures and lunch we got to work capping, deboning the quarters and cutting off the backstraps, neck meat and tenderloins. Two hours later he was done and ready to pack.
It took us until after dark to get back to the truck. The site of the truck there in the dark looked so good. I was so happy to be there. 15 hours after we awoke for the day we were back at camp.
Are you thinking I should have made a play for the 370 bull higher up? Maybe if there wasn't any snow. My inner layers were soaked from the last 3 miles and the temperature drops pretty quick when the sun goes down at 4:30. I've thought about it everyday since coming home last Tuesday but I'm more than happy with the bull I brought home.
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