deer_shooter
Well-known member
It finally fell into place today and I was able to put a nice big cow on the ground. Pardon the crappy iPhone pic, I'll post more when I get home from my camera. After 4 and a half days of 7-10 mile and seeing nothing, I was starting to think I would go 0 for 5 on elk. Today was as nice as it gets, mid 20's with about 10 inches of fresh snow. About a mile or so in I glassed the other side of of the valley and holy crap! Elk! There were 5 cows feeding on a hillside about 2 miles away. Game on. I worked my down to the valley floor and across to a drainage that would put me above the elk. No sooner did I start up and a muley buck blows out and up the drainage he goes. He stopped halfway and watched to see what I'd do. Since I was afraid he would bump the elk, I moved over one drainage and continued up. Almost to where I needed to be I look over and see 3 cows staring at me. They had been feeding my way so we kinda met each other. They were far enough away they didnt really spook so I kept going. I crested the top and there they were. I guessed 300 yards and missed clean. Three of the cows took off and 2 stayed put. I grabbed my rangefinder and it told me 355. I adjusted accordingly and my second shot ended in a satisfying 'whump'. She ran about 30 yards and tipped over. I can't even describe the feeling of walking up and fining her laying in the scrub brush. It's been a long time coming. I'll be spending my thanksgiving packing out my elk.