shoots-straight
Well-known member
Well a couple of nights ago I was glassing for elk on a local place I hunt when low and behold out pop an old bull I recognized that I last saw in 2013. In 2011 and 13 I had cracks at this bull but messed both of them up. Now, after a couple of years he shows up and has added a point on each side. 7 on one side and 8 on the other. His points aren't long and he's no high scorer but for the area he would work. Most bulls that get down with this herd end up dead by the end of rifle, so his longevity here in this area is a mystery. I just figured he had met his fate, and had heard rumors of nice bulls taken in the area.
Long story short, he came in that night trailing a number of cows (56) to a field I had a stand on, they missed the trail I was on, but fed back around to just a little more than 100 yrds until dark. I waited in the tree until 11:00PM hoping they would move on, so I would spook them getting out of the tree. They were still close by but I managed to crawl out and take the long hike around to my truck. Got back to the stands by 6:00 AM. Mornings are exceptionally tough to hunt as the wind always blows from the east to the west, and that's the direction the elk come from. At first light the herd heads back to timber, missing me by about a 100 yards or so which also kept them from smelling me as the wind held it's normal course. Then the last cow (for some reason) runs south over in front of me about 3 yrds from my stand, and mews. The old bull left the (now 81) cows and calves he's trailing from behind and runs over to this cow, she spooks, and he takes her position and lip curls, bugles, and takes one for the team. Crazy how easy it can all go down, right after I had been thinking to my self, how did I ever kill one of these elk before?
Here's my 2015 bull: Now on to Moose.
Long story short, he came in that night trailing a number of cows (56) to a field I had a stand on, they missed the trail I was on, but fed back around to just a little more than 100 yrds until dark. I waited in the tree until 11:00PM hoping they would move on, so I would spook them getting out of the tree. They were still close by but I managed to crawl out and take the long hike around to my truck. Got back to the stands by 6:00 AM. Mornings are exceptionally tough to hunt as the wind always blows from the east to the west, and that's the direction the elk come from. At first light the herd heads back to timber, missing me by about a 100 yards or so which also kept them from smelling me as the wind held it's normal course. Then the last cow (for some reason) runs south over in front of me about 3 yrds from my stand, and mews. The old bull left the (now 81) cows and calves he's trailing from behind and runs over to this cow, she spooks, and he takes her position and lip curls, bugles, and takes one for the team. Crazy how easy it can all go down, right after I had been thinking to my self, how did I ever kill one of these elk before?
Here's my 2015 bull: Now on to Moose.
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