Thought I would post a little story and some pics of my elk hunt this year. It started when I drew a Wasatch LE rifle elk tag with 9 points, I was stoked. I knew there were lots of elk and hoped I would be able to get a good one. I made a few trips up durring the summer and saw probably 40 bulls, but none were very big, i was kinda disappointed, but i figured it would all work out. I spent about 15 days up around strawberry durring the archery hunt (I also have a dedicated hunter deer tag) looking for elk and trying to figure them out. Saw much of the same, lots of small bulls. The rut was very late, very sporatic bugeling, and hunting pressure was pretty high from the bowhunters.
Well my hunt started, myself and a couple of buddies headed out to see what we could do in a spot we knew there would be some bulls. Sure enough, that morning we saw 10 different bulls, all smaller bulls except for 1. He was the only bull that had any cows with him. Some guys on horses pushed him and his cows over the ridge to us. He was a 6 x 6 with good length on all his tines, i decided i would try to shoot him. We got to within 550 yds, but I didn't feel good taking that long of a shot, so we tried to get closer. With this briliant plan, we lost him, and his 6 cows in the oakbrush. We hiked to an overlooking ridge and spent the day waiting for him to show up, but he never did. We came back the next morning, and didn't even see anything.
My buddies went home sun, so mon morning, i tried another area where I knew there was some bulls, and sure enough at first light, I worked into him and his cows and had him within 50 yds looking straight at me, i couldn't tell if he had 6 or not, so i took a couple of steps to the side, and he busted. I cow called with my voice and he stopped. I decided to pass eventhough he was a good 6 on both sides. I am not a good judge of bulls, but i thought he was good, but not good enough. I had made contact with Browtine and he told me he would "help a brother out" and encouraged me not to shoot a little one.
I went and met him mon evening and he took me to a spot and showed me around. We didn't see much, but he assured me, and it sure looked like a good area, that there were some good bulls in there. I decided to head home that night to catch up on some stuff. wed morning, i head to browtine's spot and sure enough, there was a bull bugeling less than 500 yds from where I parked. I was there an hour before light, so I got my stuff together and started to walk. I walked less than 100 yds and I could hear the elk, bull and cows, right in front of me. I sat there in the dark, and moonlight and waited for it to get light. i could only make out the rumps of the elk in the moonlight but they were less that 200 yds from me. so I waited. As it started to get lighter, I could see there was 7 cows and 1 bull. he bugled 5 or 6 times while I waited and his cows never made a sound. A few minutes before it was going to be light enough to shoot, the bull started to push his cows down towards me and into the hole that was just off the face of the hill. I just stayed put an hoped I would have enough time for it to get light enough before they disappeared. I kept looking through my scope, and finally, i could see the bull, just then, a cow was standing 20 feet from me looking at me. I didn't move and she just walked on. Then, the bull was 50 yds from me quarting to me. I put the scope on him, I though he was a good bull, long fronts, and I thought 6 on both, i decided, good enough for me, and BOOM! I let him have it, he ran across the hill with his cows, and then he turned around and came back. He laid down and I figured that was it. I could hear him gurgeling with every breath, so I figured he was going to be done, so I waited a couple of minutes. After this, he still had his head up, so, I thought I need to finish him, so I had to get to the side, so I could get a shot at his vitals. so I start walking and he turns to look at me, and gets up and starts to buggy, I shot 3 more times, and he was down for good. Those elk are tough buggers.
He is not the moster I was after but, I am super happy with him, and the packout was only 300 yds. I hiked back to the truck, called my wife, and told her the news, and told her to not send the kids to school, and bring them and her up there to see this. I also called my buddy to help out.
This bull had a huge body on him and a giant head. he is just a 5x6, but I couldn't be happier. He was in a place where my family could share in the fun and I had a great experience. His fronts are really long but he is weak in the back, but I love him. He will be going on the wall. To give you an idea of how big he was, when i took to meat to the butcher, his 4 quarters (not de-boned), backstraps, and rib and neck meat weighed 338 lbs.
I am writing this from back at my camp. I took the bull to the taxidermist and got the meat dropped of, so I decide to come back to camp. Brought my shotgun, dog and boat. Going to go try to shoot a few grouse, maybe a little fishing and relaxing.
Thanks to browtine, a super guy to help me out. He went out of his way and took his time to help me out. Good thing he wasn't there, or he probaly would of not let me shoot this "little guy". It is funny how 2 strangers can meet up in a parking lot, jump in a truck, and get along just great. Hunters share that common interest that makes them different from the average person. Glad hunttalk is here!
Thanks for reading,
Here is a few pics.
Well my hunt started, myself and a couple of buddies headed out to see what we could do in a spot we knew there would be some bulls. Sure enough, that morning we saw 10 different bulls, all smaller bulls except for 1. He was the only bull that had any cows with him. Some guys on horses pushed him and his cows over the ridge to us. He was a 6 x 6 with good length on all his tines, i decided i would try to shoot him. We got to within 550 yds, but I didn't feel good taking that long of a shot, so we tried to get closer. With this briliant plan, we lost him, and his 6 cows in the oakbrush. We hiked to an overlooking ridge and spent the day waiting for him to show up, but he never did. We came back the next morning, and didn't even see anything.
My buddies went home sun, so mon morning, i tried another area where I knew there was some bulls, and sure enough at first light, I worked into him and his cows and had him within 50 yds looking straight at me, i couldn't tell if he had 6 or not, so i took a couple of steps to the side, and he busted. I cow called with my voice and he stopped. I decided to pass eventhough he was a good 6 on both sides. I am not a good judge of bulls, but i thought he was good, but not good enough. I had made contact with Browtine and he told me he would "help a brother out" and encouraged me not to shoot a little one.
I went and met him mon evening and he took me to a spot and showed me around. We didn't see much, but he assured me, and it sure looked like a good area, that there were some good bulls in there. I decided to head home that night to catch up on some stuff. wed morning, i head to browtine's spot and sure enough, there was a bull bugeling less than 500 yds from where I parked. I was there an hour before light, so I got my stuff together and started to walk. I walked less than 100 yds and I could hear the elk, bull and cows, right in front of me. I sat there in the dark, and moonlight and waited for it to get light. i could only make out the rumps of the elk in the moonlight but they were less that 200 yds from me. so I waited. As it started to get lighter, I could see there was 7 cows and 1 bull. he bugled 5 or 6 times while I waited and his cows never made a sound. A few minutes before it was going to be light enough to shoot, the bull started to push his cows down towards me and into the hole that was just off the face of the hill. I just stayed put an hoped I would have enough time for it to get light enough before they disappeared. I kept looking through my scope, and finally, i could see the bull, just then, a cow was standing 20 feet from me looking at me. I didn't move and she just walked on. Then, the bull was 50 yds from me quarting to me. I put the scope on him, I though he was a good bull, long fronts, and I thought 6 on both, i decided, good enough for me, and BOOM! I let him have it, he ran across the hill with his cows, and then he turned around and came back. He laid down and I figured that was it. I could hear him gurgeling with every breath, so I figured he was going to be done, so I waited a couple of minutes. After this, he still had his head up, so, I thought I need to finish him, so I had to get to the side, so I could get a shot at his vitals. so I start walking and he turns to look at me, and gets up and starts to buggy, I shot 3 more times, and he was down for good. Those elk are tough buggers.
He is not the moster I was after but, I am super happy with him, and the packout was only 300 yds. I hiked back to the truck, called my wife, and told her the news, and told her to not send the kids to school, and bring them and her up there to see this. I also called my buddy to help out.
This bull had a huge body on him and a giant head. he is just a 5x6, but I couldn't be happier. He was in a place where my family could share in the fun and I had a great experience. His fronts are really long but he is weak in the back, but I love him. He will be going on the wall. To give you an idea of how big he was, when i took to meat to the butcher, his 4 quarters (not de-boned), backstraps, and rib and neck meat weighed 338 lbs.
I am writing this from back at my camp. I took the bull to the taxidermist and got the meat dropped of, so I decide to come back to camp. Brought my shotgun, dog and boat. Going to go try to shoot a few grouse, maybe a little fishing and relaxing.
Thanks to browtine, a super guy to help me out. He went out of his way and took his time to help me out. Good thing he wasn't there, or he probaly would of not let me shoot this "little guy". It is funny how 2 strangers can meet up in a parking lot, jump in a truck, and get along just great. Hunters share that common interest that makes them different from the average person. Glad hunttalk is here!
Thanks for reading,
Here is a few pics.
