BuzzH
Well-known member
I can't recall an elk opening week that was this hot, great camping weather, great scenery, and probably should have been fishing instead of elk hunting.
But, in spite of the hot weather and very little elk movement with the exception of about an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening, we did pretty well.
Saw elk everyday, bulls everyday but the weather was keeping elk in the trees most of the day.
Finally a buddy from Illinois shot a cow on Wed. night. The next morning my friend Pete and I hiked to a spot with very limited visibility on a north facing slope. Right away as we got there we heard elk walking around and calling some. I glassed a bull in the aspens but Pete couldn't see it. It finally walked into a small opening, and he still couldn't see it so told me to kill it. I ranged the opening, 349 yards dialed 2.25 MOA and rested over my pack. One shot from the 7 RM with 140 grain nosler etip, and he folded right at the shot. With that elk started moving around and we could hear wayyyyy more than we could see. We just waited patiently hoping to get another shot.
I finally spotted a half dozen cows or so in a small opening on a point of a slight ridge. We moved closer and Pete killed a cow from the bunch, his first ever elk.
We then walked down to my bull, quartered it and got it in game bags. We then went and found Pete's cow, boned that one and packed it out while the other guys in camp drove to the bottom. We went back got my bull and had everything packed out and back in camp by about 5:30 PM. Not bad at all.
Would have been nice to hunt this weather that is coming, but I'm pretty happy with how the hunt went considering the conditions. I'm also really tied up at work with a new position and after having some significant health issues for the first (and hopefully last) time in my life...just being out there seemed to be most important. Its also made me think I've been taking things for granted for too long.
Anyway, some pictures:
Camp:
Where elk were living:
Pete's first elk:
My bull:
But, in spite of the hot weather and very little elk movement with the exception of about an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening, we did pretty well.
Saw elk everyday, bulls everyday but the weather was keeping elk in the trees most of the day.
Finally a buddy from Illinois shot a cow on Wed. night. The next morning my friend Pete and I hiked to a spot with very limited visibility on a north facing slope. Right away as we got there we heard elk walking around and calling some. I glassed a bull in the aspens but Pete couldn't see it. It finally walked into a small opening, and he still couldn't see it so told me to kill it. I ranged the opening, 349 yards dialed 2.25 MOA and rested over my pack. One shot from the 7 RM with 140 grain nosler etip, and he folded right at the shot. With that elk started moving around and we could hear wayyyyy more than we could see. We just waited patiently hoping to get another shot.
I finally spotted a half dozen cows or so in a small opening on a point of a slight ridge. We moved closer and Pete killed a cow from the bunch, his first ever elk.
We then walked down to my bull, quartered it and got it in game bags. We then went and found Pete's cow, boned that one and packed it out while the other guys in camp drove to the bottom. We went back got my bull and had everything packed out and back in camp by about 5:30 PM. Not bad at all.
Would have been nice to hunt this weather that is coming, but I'm pretty happy with how the hunt went considering the conditions. I'm also really tied up at work with a new position and after having some significant health issues for the first (and hopefully last) time in my life...just being out there seemed to be most important. Its also made me think I've been taking things for granted for too long.
Anyway, some pictures:
Camp:
Where elk were living:
Pete's first elk:
My bull:
