paul.eshelman
Member
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2017
- Messages
- 48
So this post is not pertaining to a hunt that I had the tag for, rather it is about my mom getting to do the hunt of a lifetime here in Colorado. For 23 years she patiently waited for the opportunity to draw a tag in a unit that she wanted to hunt from the day she began hunting. The season was an early rifle hunt prior to the start of general rifle seasons, we had done four scouting trips prior to the hunt so that we would be as prepared as could be. The unit offered thousands of acres of BLM broken up by small parcels of private land. Arriving two days prior to the hunt gave us the opportunity to begin scouting for that one bull of a lifetime. The challenge for us was that my mother is in poor health and would have an oxygen tank strapped to her back for the duration of the hunt limiting how much hiking we would be able to do. Using the ONX maps app we were able to navigate back roads and confirm that we were on BLM grounds. In our scouting we located multiple shooter bulls and met a couple local ranchers that told us that they would keep an eye out for us to help mom get her bull. Opening morning we woke to pouring rain and howling winds, but did not let that deter us. Spent the first day glassing and preparing a plan for the next day. The next three days went on much like the first, locating good bulls but not being able to get mom on them. On the evening of the fourth day we ran in to one of the ranchers we had met scouting who had informed us that the hunter that had leased his ground had tagged out and invited us to his cabin for dinner that evening. After dinner had concluded he told us of three bulls that had been making noise and coming in behind his camp every morning and said we were welcome to drive down to his camp and hopefully punch a tag on one. The following morning we drove in and sure enough three bulls stood out like neon signs on the hill behind his camp. we parked the truck and walked about 100 yards into some brush. I started cow calling a bit and got one of the bulls talking, but upon further examination he was missing about 3/4 of his left antler. Any other hunt i would've punched a tag on him but we were in search of a bull worth 23 years of waiting. So we backed out and kept on exploring country. The following days we had opportunities on younger rag horns. The same rancher contacted us on the seventh day and once again invited us to come onto his ranch and try again. This time he guided us in and we were able to spot one very mature 6x6 bull among the 30 or so cows. We were about a mile away and on four wheelers were able to gain ground on them quickly without completely winding mom. We were able to get 330 yards out and mom with her Remington 700 7mm 180 grain partition was able to make a good shot hitting the bull perfectly. She quickly reloaded and got on him again firing a second shot hitting him and killing him. We celebrated for a minute exchanging a multitude of hugs and smiles and laughs. Walking up to that bull and seeing the smile on my moms face and seeing the tears of joy accumulate in her eyes was one of the best experiences I have had hunting. I have killed many elk, bull and cow alike and yet this was the most special moment I had ever had hunting. I am forever indebted to the kind rancher that allowed us on to help my sick mother fulfill a lifetime dream. The bull ended up scoring 356.
