elkantlers
Well-known member
My 12 yo daughter drew a late season antler-less elk tag that started the day before thanksgiving, her first elk tag. We weren't able to go on that day because of school stuff. We left the house at 5am on thanks giving morning. we drove to a spot that we could unload the ATV and started our way to the top of the mountain. We got to the top with time to spare. As we waited for light we went over the gun one more time. once it was light enough to shoot we made our way over a small hill that would allow us to glass a lot of country. Immediately we had elk spotted. They were probably 1000yds away. we started our stalk and got to about 300yds pretty easy. As we were stalking I spotted several more groups of elk off in the distance that we could us as a backup plan if needed. From there we moved through the trees to about 200yds. I found the perfect tree for her to get a dead rest and we started to try to find an elk for her to shoot. They were feeding through the trees from left to right and had no clue we were there. There was one good opening that they were feeding through and we concentrated there. As the elk would feed through the opening we would get set on an elk and before she could shoot, the elk would move or another elk would get in the way. I was proud that she could recognize that a shot was not good and held off. We were there for probably ten minutes when the last elk went through and we couldn't get a clean shot. I am sure we could have gotten a shot but I didn't want to chance it. We moved forward and the elk were in the thick trees in a pretty deep canyon so we decided to move on to one of the other groups of elk we had spotted.
We were on another group of about 30 elk in about 15 minutes and could see they were going to feed over a small hill to the east. We circled around the hill to the south and east and as we were coming around the hill they were making their we across a big flat a little over 200 yards away. We got her set up and picked out a cow that was clear of other elk. I asked if she was good and she said yes. I watched through the binos as took her first shot. I heard the sound of a hit as the elk jumped and took off running. I thought it was a good hit but told her to shoot again. She loaded a second round and fired. unbelievably she drilled it again and sent it cartwheeling through the sage brush.
I turned and gave her a high five and a hug and all she could say was "Oh my Heck, Oh my heck". She was totally on an adrenaline rush.
I gave her a bad time about her choice of hunting hat also. lol
She has had a heck of a year for a twelve year old. She has shot a Buck antelope in Wyoming, and buck and doe mule deer and now a cow elk. 100% on her tags.
She also has a saying that I love. When we pull off a backstrap, she always say's " I would wrap that in bacon and eat it.
We were on another group of about 30 elk in about 15 minutes and could see they were going to feed over a small hill to the east. We circled around the hill to the south and east and as we were coming around the hill they were making their we across a big flat a little over 200 yards away. We got her set up and picked out a cow that was clear of other elk. I asked if she was good and she said yes. I watched through the binos as took her first shot. I heard the sound of a hit as the elk jumped and took off running. I thought it was a good hit but told her to shoot again. She loaded a second round and fired. unbelievably she drilled it again and sent it cartwheeling through the sage brush.
I turned and gave her a high five and a hug and all she could say was "Oh my Heck, Oh my heck". She was totally on an adrenaline rush.
I gave her a bad time about her choice of hunting hat also. lol
She has had a heck of a year for a twelve year old. She has shot a Buck antelope in Wyoming, and buck and doe mule deer and now a cow elk. 100% on her tags.
She also has a saying that I love. When we pull off a backstrap, she always say's " I would wrap that in bacon and eat it.
