My First Elk -2010
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NotEnufTags
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My First Elk -2010
Hi Friends,
Several of you have been asking for pictures and a story of my elk hunt. So here goes. At seventeen years old I drew a cow elk tag. That hunt went unsuccessful. It was the only time in the previous 22 years that I hunted elk. When I drew the Expo tag for my hunt, it was in essence my first opportunity to hunt elk. I was told by many that the unit I would be hunting is a gold mine for big elk, and that I should be selective. Comments like “let someone else hold your bullets for the first day so you don’t shoot the first elk you see”, and “you’ll have no problem getting a giant elk down there”, had me expecting a fun easy hunt.
The truth of what the hunt held for me was much different. I arrived on the Friday before the opener. My brother, brother-in-law, and a friend came down to be my support (pack mules). Upon setting up camp, we rode the 4 wheelers around a bit to glass some area and decide where to be before sun up. We saw a small six point bull with 3-4 cows and a 3 point bull with about 6 cows. We were excited for the morning hunt. Upon getting out of the camp trailer on opening morning, we had a 10-15 mile four wheeler ride to get to where we would start hunting. The 4 wheeler ride was put on hold as we could hear 3 bulls bugling within 400 yards of camp. The picture below shows where the most aggressive bugles were coming from.
By the time shooting light came, there were 12 hunters/spotters on these bulls. The bulls blew out of the country before it was light enough to see what any of them looked like. We rode our wheelers to where we originally had planned on hunting. Two bulls had been taken at the spot we had hoped to be. Not monsters, but bulls. We saw nothing and heard nothing for the remainder of day 1. We were out until after dark and didn’t even hear a distant bugle.
Day 2 – We were up before light and in position. We heard some bugles but they were increasing in distance. The heat and pressure were putting these bulls to bed before light and keeping them there ‘til after dark. We hiked in a ways to glass and listen but nothing was seen.
We caught a break and heard a bugle. Don't know if it was a hunter or a second bull, but a bull was responding, and was moving away. I caught a brief glimpse of the bull. He was huge. Probably 350. I gave pursuit and got within 80 yards at one time. I saw his cows but not him. He continued onto private property where I ended my pursuit. I lost two of my “pack mules” and it was now me and my brother Kendall for the duration of the hunt.
Day 3 - I started to hit the wall. Everyone said I should be selective. How can you be selective when you aren’t getting any shot opportunities? We were up before light and out after dark.
On Day 4 we heard a bugle and followed it a mile or so. We were pinned down by a grazing spike in the velvet with the bull about 60 yards below us. Once the spike left we got to 15 yards from the screaming bull before I got a look at him. He was broken off on one side at the base and had about a 4 foot long spike on the other side (Unicorns exist). Day four and my first chance to be selective, is on a four foot single spike.
Here are a couple of shots of the area we hunted.
Moon Rise – No elk
Autumn Colors – No elk
Sunrise – no elk
Sunset – no elk
Day 5- We need help! A call to Deloss, a local gentleman and absolute stud paid dividends. Deloss drove about 40 miles to meet my brother and I at a local gas station. He took us to a rutting place and sure enough 6 point bull came down to water. Deloss said that if I waited we could get on a bigger bull, but I was ready to see family again and wasn’t so sure that I’d see more after what I’d been through. I made a stalk on the bull but didn’t get a shot off before it got dark. Deloss pointed out a spot way up on the mountain that is a good rutting ground. My Brother and I went back to camp and decided to hunt one more morning where we were with the same results –zilch-nada-nothing. We moved camp to just below the mountain where Deloss had pointed out the rutting ground. By the time we set up camp and figured out how to get to the grounds it was 515 pm.
As soon as we turned off the 4 wheelers we heard a bugle about 1000 yards down the mountain; then another bugle, and another. It was getting good for the first time in 6 days. It started to hail on us and rain. We huddled under a tree and glassed the elk. We had about an hour of daylight left once the hail subsided. We were 500 yards away from the bull I shot and trying to decide how to get around him to see a huge bull that we saw for a brief second before it disappeared over the next ridge. Our plan was to go straight uphill away from the elk and then circle behind a knoll trying to get to a point where the bull I shot would turn downhill with his 20-25 cows. It took us a while to make the stalk. With about 10-15 minutes of daylight left the cows started running towards the ridge that held the other bulls. I was spent and worried that this may be my only chance to get a bull. I said to my brother, “I’m going to take him”. I ranged the bull at 306 yards. He turned to us and bugled at us as if he was mad that we ran his cows off. He turned and began to run towards the ridge top. I threw down the bipods on my 30.06, sat down, and found the bull in my scope. Everything was surreal at this point. My brother excitedly told me you hit him. My brother had been an awesome source of encouragement throughout this hunt, but he was ready for an end to it also. The bull stopped instantly and stood there. After waiting for a few more cows to run infront of the stopped bull, I put a second shot in him and he wavered but again steadied. The third shot found the heart and the bull went down hard. It was dark when we covered the 306 yards over to him. Here he is.
I know this bull is small for the area I hunted. The first real bull I had a chance to shoot became the bull I took. The experience of it all makes him big to me. Sure, I would have preferred to have the bigger 350-360 bull we saw one ridge over but this was my first elk and instead of backing out to come back another day I decided a bull is more important to me than potential tag soup. I learned that maybe I don’t have what it takes to be a trophy hunter, but it was an awesome experience for me.
Being wet from the hail and rain made for a cold quartering job. With cramped hands and a throbbing back, three hours later the job was done. Now the pack out. It took my brother and me three trips each. Each trip took an hour. Here’s a picture of the final trip back to the wheeler. We arrived at 2:00 am.
After strapping everything to the wheelers and finding our way down the mountain on a different road than the one we came up on, we arrived back at camp at 3:30 am. A half an hour later we had the elk in coolers and were ready for a well earned sleep. We got up that morning between 4:30 and 5:00 am. It had been a 23 hour day of morning hunting, moving camp, setting up camp, hard wheeler ride into new country, hunting, quartering, and packing. It was a long memorable day. Here is the 3:30 am picture.
A quick thanks to my brother for spending the hard days with me. A huge thanks to Deloss that I met through a hunting forum. It would have been tag soup without his awesome help. I’m so glad he’s the type that loves to see others succeed. Thanks again Deloss. And finally to my wife and kids who had to miss daddy while he was having fun but missing them too.
Several of you have been asking for pictures and a story of my elk hunt. So here goes. At seventeen years old I drew a cow elk tag. That hunt went unsuccessful. It was the only time in the previous 22 years that I hunted elk. When I drew the Expo tag for my hunt, it was in essence my first opportunity to hunt elk. I was told by many that the unit I would be hunting is a gold mine for big elk, and that I should be selective. Comments like “let someone else hold your bullets for the first day so you don’t shoot the first elk you see”, and “you’ll have no problem getting a giant elk down there”, had me expecting a fun easy hunt.
The truth of what the hunt held for me was much different. I arrived on the Friday before the opener. My brother, brother-in-law, and a friend came down to be my support (pack mules). Upon setting up camp, we rode the 4 wheelers around a bit to glass some area and decide where to be before sun up. We saw a small six point bull with 3-4 cows and a 3 point bull with about 6 cows. We were excited for the morning hunt. Upon getting out of the camp trailer on opening morning, we had a 10-15 mile four wheeler ride to get to where we would start hunting. The 4 wheeler ride was put on hold as we could hear 3 bulls bugling within 400 yards of camp. The picture below shows where the most aggressive bugles were coming from.
By the time shooting light came, there were 12 hunters/spotters on these bulls. The bulls blew out of the country before it was light enough to see what any of them looked like. We rode our wheelers to where we originally had planned on hunting. Two bulls had been taken at the spot we had hoped to be. Not monsters, but bulls. We saw nothing and heard nothing for the remainder of day 1. We were out until after dark and didn’t even hear a distant bugle.
Day 2 – We were up before light and in position. We heard some bugles but they were increasing in distance. The heat and pressure were putting these bulls to bed before light and keeping them there ‘til after dark. We hiked in a ways to glass and listen but nothing was seen.
We caught a break and heard a bugle. Don't know if it was a hunter or a second bull, but a bull was responding, and was moving away. I caught a brief glimpse of the bull. He was huge. Probably 350. I gave pursuit and got within 80 yards at one time. I saw his cows but not him. He continued onto private property where I ended my pursuit. I lost two of my “pack mules” and it was now me and my brother Kendall for the duration of the hunt.
Day 3 - I started to hit the wall. Everyone said I should be selective. How can you be selective when you aren’t getting any shot opportunities? We were up before light and out after dark.
On Day 4 we heard a bugle and followed it a mile or so. We were pinned down by a grazing spike in the velvet with the bull about 60 yards below us. Once the spike left we got to 15 yards from the screaming bull before I got a look at him. He was broken off on one side at the base and had about a 4 foot long spike on the other side (Unicorns exist). Day four and my first chance to be selective, is on a four foot single spike.
Here are a couple of shots of the area we hunted.
Moon Rise – No elk
Autumn Colors – No elk
Sunrise – no elk
Sunset – no elk
Day 5- We need help! A call to Deloss, a local gentleman and absolute stud paid dividends. Deloss drove about 40 miles to meet my brother and I at a local gas station. He took us to a rutting place and sure enough 6 point bull came down to water. Deloss said that if I waited we could get on a bigger bull, but I was ready to see family again and wasn’t so sure that I’d see more after what I’d been through. I made a stalk on the bull but didn’t get a shot off before it got dark. Deloss pointed out a spot way up on the mountain that is a good rutting ground. My Brother and I went back to camp and decided to hunt one more morning where we were with the same results –zilch-nada-nothing. We moved camp to just below the mountain where Deloss had pointed out the rutting ground. By the time we set up camp and figured out how to get to the grounds it was 515 pm.
As soon as we turned off the 4 wheelers we heard a bugle about 1000 yards down the mountain; then another bugle, and another. It was getting good for the first time in 6 days. It started to hail on us and rain. We huddled under a tree and glassed the elk. We had about an hour of daylight left once the hail subsided. We were 500 yards away from the bull I shot and trying to decide how to get around him to see a huge bull that we saw for a brief second before it disappeared over the next ridge. Our plan was to go straight uphill away from the elk and then circle behind a knoll trying to get to a point where the bull I shot would turn downhill with his 20-25 cows. It took us a while to make the stalk. With about 10-15 minutes of daylight left the cows started running towards the ridge that held the other bulls. I was spent and worried that this may be my only chance to get a bull. I said to my brother, “I’m going to take him”. I ranged the bull at 306 yards. He turned to us and bugled at us as if he was mad that we ran his cows off. He turned and began to run towards the ridge top. I threw down the bipods on my 30.06, sat down, and found the bull in my scope. Everything was surreal at this point. My brother excitedly told me you hit him. My brother had been an awesome source of encouragement throughout this hunt, but he was ready for an end to it also. The bull stopped instantly and stood there. After waiting for a few more cows to run infront of the stopped bull, I put a second shot in him and he wavered but again steadied. The third shot found the heart and the bull went down hard. It was dark when we covered the 306 yards over to him. Here he is.
I know this bull is small for the area I hunted. The first real bull I had a chance to shoot became the bull I took. The experience of it all makes him big to me. Sure, I would have preferred to have the bigger 350-360 bull we saw one ridge over but this was my first elk and instead of backing out to come back another day I decided a bull is more important to me than potential tag soup. I learned that maybe I don’t have what it takes to be a trophy hunter, but it was an awesome experience for me.
Being wet from the hail and rain made for a cold quartering job. With cramped hands and a throbbing back, three hours later the job was done. Now the pack out. It took my brother and me three trips each. Each trip took an hour. Here’s a picture of the final trip back to the wheeler. We arrived at 2:00 am.
After strapping everything to the wheelers and finding our way down the mountain on a different road than the one we came up on, we arrived back at camp at 3:30 am. A half an hour later we had the elk in coolers and were ready for a well earned sleep. We got up that morning between 4:30 and 5:00 am. It had been a 23 hour day of morning hunting, moving camp, setting up camp, hard wheeler ride into new country, hunting, quartering, and packing. It was a long memorable day. Here is the 3:30 am picture.
A quick thanks to my brother for spending the hard days with me. A huge thanks to Deloss that I met through a hunting forum. It would have been tag soup without his awesome help. I’m so glad he’s the type that loves to see others succeed. Thanks again Deloss. And finally to my wife and kids who had to miss daddy while he was having fun but missing them too.
Last edited by NotEnufTags on Sun Sep 26, 2010 8:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Some day I'll scout out a monster, spot him while hunting, make the stalk of a lifetime, and have dreams come true. 'Til then I'll be happy with the buck in my cross-hairs."
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Springville Shooter
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Re: My First Elk -2010
Great story and I think that your bull is awesome. Like you, I always get the hardest luck and have never had and "easy" hunt. That's why I have a bunch of 150-160 class deer on my wall that I am darned proud of. I bet that bull will make a great mount and provide good memories for years to come. The rest of your photos were great as well. I'm going out on the general bull hunt in a couple of weeks and I will do(attempt) three backflips if I kill a bull half that size as I have never killed a bull either. Wish me luck.-----------SS
"Only accurate rifles are interesting"-----Col. Townsend Whelen
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NotEnufTags
- Monster
- Posts: 1138
- Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 12:50 am
- Location: Central Region, Utah
Re: My First Elk -2010
Thanks Springville,Springville Shooter wrote:Great story and I think that your bull is awesome. Like you, I always get the hardest luck and have never had and "easy" hunt. That's why I have a bunch of 150-160 class deer on my wall that I am darned proud of. I bet that bull will make a great mount and provide good memories for years to come. The rest of your photos were great as well. I'm going out on the general bull hunt in a couple of weeks and I will do(attempt) three backflips if I kill a bull half that size as I have never killed a bull either. Wish me luck.-----------SS
Here's me wishin you luck. I hope your one of the truely lucky that seals the deal on a public land giant. They're few but they're out there and it may as well be you that happens upon one.
"Some day I'll scout out a monster, spot him while hunting, make the stalk of a lifetime, and have dreams come true. 'Til then I'll be happy with the buck in my cross-hairs."
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maintguy47
- 3 point
- Posts: 339
- Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2008 7:38 pm
Re: My First Elk -2010
Reckon I ain't got what it takes to be a trophy hunter either. I think thats a fine bull and would be proud of it. Congrats on a good hunt. Great story, nice picks. 
Re: My First Elk -2010
+1maintguy47 wrote:Reckon I ain't got what it takes to be a trophy hunter either. I think thats a fine bull and would be proud of it. Congrats on a good hunt. Great story, nice picks.
That's a great bull in my book. Pretty! I loved that story, thanks for posting it. The photos were awesome too, and they helped make me feeling like I was packing out with you. Your brother deserves some serious elk backstraps for all the hard work and dedication. In the end, I bet it feels very rewarding to have that bull on the wall and in the freezer. I'm like you, I have a wife and beautiful children that I hate being away from. I love hunting, but there is a fine line too on what is too much time away. I would have taken that bull in a heartbeat. Good job and be proud of that hard hunt you got through and a successful one at that. Well done!
Brandon
Nothing like the great outdoors! 
Re: My First Elk -2010
Looks like an awesome hunt on a trophy bull to me. That bull is alot bigger that my first bull and to me the trophy is in the eye of the beholder.
And just think that this might just be a practice run for the next elk hunt that you get to go on.
And just think that this might just be a practice run for the next elk hunt that you get to go on.
Live to hunt, hunt to live.
Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell
the difference.
Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell
the difference.
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TheGreatwhitehunter
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- Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 1:00 am
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Re: My First Elk -2010
Congratulations on the bull, elk are just tough to hunt in general, glad things finally came together for you,
THE LORD IS MY ROCK
Re: My First Elk -2010
Great stury,Great hunt and great bull CONGRATS
CONGRATS 
Re: My First Elk -2010
Great story - thanks for sharing...and CONGRATS! Hopefully, I'll be sharing a similar story in November!
Re: My First Elk -2010
+2 I'm the same way. I can't turn down a 150 to 160 either. Maybe, were just realist. Not many bucks on Public land exceed that anyway. I relish in success other than Tag soup. I've shot a bunch of spike Elk, but haven't been lucky enough to draw a big tag yet. If it's a good unit, I think I'll have a buddy hold my bullets too. Come the sixth day, I'd more than likely do what you did. Never feel bad about success. Think of the other 50% of hunters that didn't take home anything. That's a nice bull with nice Mass. He will look good on the wall. Glad to see a good guy draw that expo tag. Still sucks I didn't though.maintguy47 wrote:Reckon I ain't got what it takes to be a trophy hunter either. I think thats a fine bull and would be proud of it. Congrats on a good hunt. Great story, nice picks.
"Waste Is Unjustified, And Especially The Waste Of Time.
One Must Live, Not Only Exist.
One Must Do, Not Merrily Be.
One Must Grow, Not Vegetate."
SPENCER W. KIMBALL