Flatbrimmer
Well-known member
Dammit dude I waited like 29 minutes for that one little update 
Pink camo, #dadbodhunter, and a whole lotta stupid!
- Thread starter Dsnow9
- Start date
Caseknife
Well-known member
Beautiful country, should be elk everywhere!
Some of the puddles had already frozen by our drive back but the weather was finally looking up!
We drove about half way back to camp and then hiked in about half a mile on relatively flat ground before dropping some elevation. We were working across for a while with no fresh sign what so ever when I noticed a bench had appeared above us that wasn’t the ridge. I told Troy I wanted to check out that bench because I had a good feeling about it. There were multiple cuts creating small valleys and ridges on the bench. It had the makings for a great little elk hidey hole where they would only be visible from close up.
As I cleared the first roll I noticed some elk poop that had been pre hail, 12 hours earlier but then melted the hail that fell on top of it. Then another pile. At this point I am creeping. Troy is in the cut below and behind me. I’m glassing every couple steps and then see what looks like a wet towel about 60 yards through a little hole in the timber. I pull up my binos and instantly could tell it wasn’t a rock but wasn’t sure what it was. With all the moisture and dirt it was a dull yellow, wet towel looking egg shape. I turned the focus knob a bit on my nl 12s and then I saw the hairs.
I looked back at Troy and motioned elk. Racked a round into the gun and pulled up my binos to look at the elk. As I slowly shifted to see its head I saw an antler tip. And then it picked its head up from its nap. Spike…. Not legal on my mature bull only tag. He went back to bed and I continued to glass but couldn’t turn anything else up. I backed down the cut and shifted over about 20 feet and then crawled back up to where I could see that spot again. I couldn’t see the strike but started to tear the trees apart again and then saw hair again. Vitals. I got down prone because that’s really the only place I could see the elk. There was a tree in front of its head and butt. 62 yards and a bush where the antlers would be. And then I got lucky, the bull turned its head and part of his left antler came through the bush. I saw four points and knew this was my shot. I needed to be on the road within 30 hours if I was going to make my flight to Georgia for the ITCC. I lined up my shot and took my shot. The bull I shot did not budge at first but the spike and a likely not legal 3x3 popped up. Troy made a cow call and the spike froze but the 3x came at me. At that moment it felt like there were elk everywhere and through the small hole I saw my elk struggle to get up and then he was gone. To much in the way. I popped up, racked another round, and started side stepping while aiming to his left where it looked like he was going. Then he came into a clearing. I had moved about ten feet to the right, he had moved 30 feet to the left before a clearing appeared. I was standing and took another shot free hand. He dropped instantly and kicked a couple times before the movement stopped. I was over the moon to have it all come together the way it did after such a rough couple of days.
A very unique and interesting, almost stag like right side. Technically he’s a 5x6, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! We shuttled all the meat out of the hole and then started taking trips to the road. We made it to the road with half the elk and Troy went and got the jeep while I ran back and grabbed a three quarter. I shot the bull at 11:15 in its bed and by 2pm we had all the meat out of the hole and only had one trip left. We loaded up the jeep and ran back to camp so Troy could get packed up.
While he was getting packed I took my truck back up and grabbed the last load. When I got back I said my thank you’s and Troy got on the road. I finished up with some food and packing by 4:30 and decided I would try to go find some real food.
The photo below is the first shot I made on the elk. There is a pink hat in the center of the photo where the bull vitals were. Look closely. First shot would have killed him but a hair back on the entrance. Exit was good. Second was a heart shot.
We drove about half way back to camp and then hiked in about half a mile on relatively flat ground before dropping some elevation. We were working across for a while with no fresh sign what so ever when I noticed a bench had appeared above us that wasn’t the ridge. I told Troy I wanted to check out that bench because I had a good feeling about it. There were multiple cuts creating small valleys and ridges on the bench. It had the makings for a great little elk hidey hole where they would only be visible from close up.
As I cleared the first roll I noticed some elk poop that had been pre hail, 12 hours earlier but then melted the hail that fell on top of it. Then another pile. At this point I am creeping. Troy is in the cut below and behind me. I’m glassing every couple steps and then see what looks like a wet towel about 60 yards through a little hole in the timber. I pull up my binos and instantly could tell it wasn’t a rock but wasn’t sure what it was. With all the moisture and dirt it was a dull yellow, wet towel looking egg shape. I turned the focus knob a bit on my nl 12s and then I saw the hairs.
I looked back at Troy and motioned elk. Racked a round into the gun and pulled up my binos to look at the elk. As I slowly shifted to see its head I saw an antler tip. And then it picked its head up from its nap. Spike…. Not legal on my mature bull only tag. He went back to bed and I continued to glass but couldn’t turn anything else up. I backed down the cut and shifted over about 20 feet and then crawled back up to where I could see that spot again. I couldn’t see the strike but started to tear the trees apart again and then saw hair again. Vitals. I got down prone because that’s really the only place I could see the elk. There was a tree in front of its head and butt. 62 yards and a bush where the antlers would be. And then I got lucky, the bull turned its head and part of his left antler came through the bush. I saw four points and knew this was my shot. I needed to be on the road within 30 hours if I was going to make my flight to Georgia for the ITCC. I lined up my shot and took my shot. The bull I shot did not budge at first but the spike and a likely not legal 3x3 popped up. Troy made a cow call and the spike froze but the 3x came at me. At that moment it felt like there were elk everywhere and through the small hole I saw my elk struggle to get up and then he was gone. To much in the way. I popped up, racked another round, and started side stepping while aiming to his left where it looked like he was going. Then he came into a clearing. I had moved about ten feet to the right, he had moved 30 feet to the left before a clearing appeared. I was standing and took another shot free hand. He dropped instantly and kicked a couple times before the movement stopped. I was over the moon to have it all come together the way it did after such a rough couple of days.
A very unique and interesting, almost stag like right side. Technically he’s a 5x6, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! We shuttled all the meat out of the hole and then started taking trips to the road. We made it to the road with half the elk and Troy went and got the jeep while I ran back and grabbed a three quarter. I shot the bull at 11:15 in its bed and by 2pm we had all the meat out of the hole and only had one trip left. We loaded up the jeep and ran back to camp so Troy could get packed up.
While he was getting packed I took my truck back up and grabbed the last load. When I got back I said my thank you’s and Troy got on the road. I finished up with some food and packing by 4:30 and decided I would try to go find some real food.
The photo below is the first shot I made on the elk. There is a pink hat in the center of the photo where the bull vitals were. Look closely. First shot would have killed him but a hair back on the entrance. Exit was good. Second was a heart shot.
Flatbrimmer
Well-known member
Wow, you’re an elk killing machine, my man!!! Big congrats on another sweet bull!
I drove a while about an hour and passed three different restaurants that were closed before I hit service and started searching. There was the same gas station burritos I got in the way in that were a ways out of my way or and rv park and mineral springs that had a restaurant. Wasn’t sure what I was getting into but figured it was worth a shot. I was half out of it and covered in blood when I walked into this place and asked if they had any available rooms. He looked at me a bit weird and said they had a vintage air stream. I said sounds good enough and went to get changed because it gave me free access to the springs.
I should have realized in the lobby but I was out of it. Not until I walked into this meticulously redone airstream did I realize I wasn’t in some po dunk rv park. I got some trunks on and went to the springs and ordered some food for the latest pickup I could. I enjoyed the different pools and tried to help the body recover. Probably the only reason I was able to compete in the world championships of tree climbing 48 hours later.
I will absolutely be taking my wife here on our first overnight date when she is no longer nursing the baby. I felt a bit guilty I was enjoying the springs while she was home taking care of our three girls. I picked up my food around 8:30, went back and stuffed my face.
@cheesepizza moved to NM and came and met me for a tailgate breakfast for a bit the next morning before I drove home. I made it home in time to pick up my oldest from her enrichment program and then spent the next 30 hours or getting everything situated for my red-eye Wednesday night.
It is now Sunday night the 27th. I shot and elk on Monday and then flew across the country and placed 29th in the world at the International Tree Climbing Championships. I leave in 17 days to go hunt white tails in MT in the full blown @SwaggyD experience, followed immediately by a Colorado e/s 4th season elk tag. This marathon is not yet finished!
I should have realized in the lobby but I was out of it. Not until I walked into this meticulously redone airstream did I realize I wasn’t in some po dunk rv park. I got some trunks on and went to the springs and ordered some food for the latest pickup I could. I enjoyed the different pools and tried to help the body recover. Probably the only reason I was able to compete in the world championships of tree climbing 48 hours later.
I will absolutely be taking my wife here on our first overnight date when she is no longer nursing the baby. I felt a bit guilty I was enjoying the springs while she was home taking care of our three girls. I picked up my food around 8:30, went back and stuffed my face.
@cheesepizza moved to NM and came and met me for a tailgate breakfast for a bit the next morning before I drove home. I made it home in time to pick up my oldest from her enrichment program and then spent the next 30 hours or getting everything situated for my red-eye Wednesday night.
It is now Sunday night the 27th. I shot and elk on Monday and then flew across the country and placed 29th in the world at the International Tree Climbing Championships. I leave in 17 days to go hunt white tails in MT in the full blown @SwaggyD experience, followed immediately by a Colorado e/s 4th season elk tag. This marathon is not yet finished!
jeremy.b
Well-known member
Sweet story! Semi-legit question (with a side of smart-a): do you have any gears between 110% full throttle and dead stop? I swear I missed it somewhere if it does exist...
Last edited:
Nope.
seeth07
Well-known member
CRJR45
Well-known member
I'm impressed . Good stuff.
Yeah something like that.
UPDATE: Slight change of plans. Need to push back my landing in North Central Montana so swaggyD can take care of some important family matters.
Probably going to start the drive early on 11/14 and meet him the afternoon/evening of 11/15. If anyone lives between North Central MT and Denver and wants to do a waterfowl hunt, upland hunt, or something else I don’t know about let me know.
Or if you have something I should check out on the way since it is my first time to MT, I’m all ears.
Probably going to start the drive early on 11/14 and meet him the afternoon/evening of 11/15. If anyone lives between North Central MT and Denver and wants to do a waterfowl hunt, upland hunt, or something else I don’t know about let me know.
Or if you have something I should check out on the way since it is my first time to MT, I’m all ears.
SwaggyD
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2022
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- 1,743
He means south eastern Montana. Region 7 area.
BackofBeyond
Well-known member
Go buy a goat from @brockel
I was recently informed that Shotgun Willie’s in Laurel closed (RIP) so that’s the only suggestion I have.
MTLabrador
Well-known member
Fortunately Billings still has Planet Lockwood if you’re interested in drunk parking lot fights and herpes. And probably meth.
SwaggyD
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- Joined
- Jan 26, 2022
- Messages
- 1,743
Way back in the day I went there with a couple buddies and the black lights were not kind to one of my buddy's shorts.
Nick87
Well-known member
On the bucket list now. Thank you.
Caseknife
Well-known member
Good spot and good shot, my kind of hunting, cool bull.
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