bucky scores in Montana

[buckykm1]

This may be a little long, but 2009 started out bad for me, the guy that has hunted with me the last couple of years backed out on me 2 weeks before i needed to send the money in for the MT draw, so i ended up hunting a lone this year, which needless to say didn't make my wife real happy, but she understands how much i love Elk hunting so i went anyway. i studied the state web site and maps all the thing you should do, and decided that i would go a week early to scout. it was hard to find the elk, from the early snows they had in October like 2 feet in 3 days time, it pushed a lot of the elk off the NF land on to private. but i did find a couple areas that had good sign it looked like the elk would move out on the private ground to feed and then move back to the edge of the NF to bed down for the day. anyway on the fourth day of the hunt i left camp early and it was snowing a 35 mile drive to where i parked my truck and then another 8 miles on my quad, with the slippery roads that morning i was running about 40 minutes later then i wanted to be, i finally got to where i wanted to be, i was going to watch a draw that came up from the private ground, the first place i went to i couldn't see the draw as good as i wanted to, so i decided to move back to the next ridge to get a better angle on it, keep in mind i am a 57 year old flat lander i do work out 3 times a week to try to stay in good shape, but the elevation still kicks my butt, well i headed for the next ridge and i had went 300 yards or so as fast as i could, i looked up at the ridge and i could see the tips of a rack, so i dropped to my knees, it is pretty open where i am i am in knee high sage brush with a few pines scattered around, well the bull comes up over the ridge and stops just looking around, i was so much in the open i was afraid to try to set up my shooting sticks he was looking right at me at about 200 yards, my heart is beating 100 mph from my walk i can't hold my breath and i know that i have to make this shot free hand, i pull up on him and am trying to hold steady pull the trigger and he comes straight at me about 30 yards and stops i shoot again still have trouble holding steady from breathing so hard, now he heads north stops again at around 200 yards or so quartering away, well the adrenaline finally kicked in put the cross hairs on him again and touched the trigger again, and down he went, i hit him with all 3 shoots, but not real good with the first 2. he is no monster by any means, a 4 x 6, but for a DIY hunt to state that i had never seen before, i am very happy with him. and he is my first Bull after 6 years of trying.

Kevin

Montana 2009.jpg (53.93 KiB) Viewed 5576 times

[Springville Shooter]

Congrats to you! In my opinion, DIY tough hunts like yours are the best and most satisfying I can only hope that I'm still runnin up and down mountains and killing bulls at your age. Awesome story.----shooter

[NONYA]

Where in MT can you drag an elk off the hill on national forest with a 4 wheeler/

[UvUBowhunter]

Awesome bull and story, thanks for sharing

[buckykm1]

Where in MT can you drag an elk off the hill on national forest with a 4 wheeler/

Buy a N.F map and look for trails marked with the number 18 and that will answer your question.
there are not a lot of them, but there are trails open to ATV travel. there are also trails just for motorcycles i believe that was number 13 trails. the day after i got camp set up i spent over a hour at the local Ranger station to make sure my maps were current, and to see what was and was not legal. and to see if they had any advise on where i might find some Elk. Before you try to insinuate something, maybe you should think about what you can't see in the picture. and know the laws your self.

Kevin

[Springville Shooter]

NONYA likes to insult all the new guys, but I think it means he likes you. Don't take it too personally. I think he's just a "glass is half empty" type of guy.-----shooter

[fatrooster]

Congrats on a tough DIY hunt. Loved the story. fatrooster.

[sneekeepete]

Great Story and congrats on a heck of a hunt!

[MuleyMadness]

Great job Bucky!

[buckykm1]

Thanks guys, it was a fun hunt and trip.

now it is time to start planning the 2010 hunt, i can't wait to get back out-west .
all of you that live in Elk country i hope you know how lucky you are .
i hope to see you on a mountain some place in 2010.

Kevin