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Home > HuntSpot > Elk  Hunt 2010 > page 2

Elk Hunt 2010: How To Shoot Two Six-Point Bulls in the Same Year 

(and get away with it, legally)

It took me a few moments to convince myself it really was an elk I was seeing out there as she was hard to make out in the distance with the low light conditions, but eventually I was certain.

I looked over the pine patch and canyon area some more, however.  I didn't want to pass up a closer opportunity if there was one, especially considering I'd only seen one cow out there and I needed to find a bull.

Eventually, though, I saw a couple more cows and one elk back in the trees that looked a bit bigger.  Could it have been a bull?  I'd only had a glimpse of that one and the light was still not very good for long distance scoping.  

Well, I decided it was time to head out there and take a look.  Loading up my backpack with the tools I'd need in case I scored and a bit to eat and drink, I grabbed my rifle and dropped off the ridge down into the canyon.  Crossing the canyon bottom, I headed toward an old road on the opposite side.  There had been a reservoir on the creek in the past, the dam washed away now, and this old road used to access the area.  

An old forgotten wagon, one made for heavy use, sat near the old dam, just off the end of the old trail.  I followed the trail up, coming out on a plateau just behind and on the east end of the pine patch.  I stayed to the west of the ridge in front of me, keeping it between me and where I'd seen the elk near a patch of grass and aspen.  

As I climbed along the side of a knob of the ridge, suddenly two dark shapes came running along the plateau out of the thick pines.  It was two moose, a cow and her calf, obviously spooked by something.

I sat down, watching them as they ran along, looking back occasionally toward where they had come from.  Eventually, they slowed down and started walking, heading down toward the same draw I had just used to cross out of the Little Fish Creek canyon.

Well, moose are cool, but I was after elk and I knew where some were, so I headed back off toward them.

I circled completely around the knob of the ridge I was following, on the opposite side of where the elk were.  The plan was to get on the higher ridge to the south of the aspen patch I'd seen and come at it from both above it in elevation and downwind as well.

I crossed a lower spot on the ridge just past the knob and headed up the higher ridge beyond.  There were small patches of aspen and willows occasionally on this side of the ridge as well, so I was stopping occasionally to scope them out, just in case.  

I could not yet see over the ridge to the aspen pocket, but as I looked back to the south into a fold in the hillside below there, suddenly there were elk everywhere.  I stopped immediately and sat down, considering my next move.  They were still several hundred yards away and unaware of me.  Looking briefly through my scope at them, I didn't see any bulls.  However, it was likely there were still some that I could not yet see.

Dropping back down in elevation, I worked my way back along the ridge I'd been following until I was even with where I'd seen the elk and then I slowly peeked back over the top.

As it turned out, I was in excellent position.  I was still downwind of them, still higher than them, and able to drop back over the ridge and move along it's opposite side to any point I wanted.  Doing so, I came back up over the ridge closer to the center of the herd.  I settled in next to a rock that was about my size and started looking over the herd.

Cows, Cows, Cows

Counting as I searched, I saw a cow,  a cow, a cow, another cow, some more cows, yet more cows, and then even more cows, and following that, a group of cows.

I couldn't believe it!  Thirty cows in all, not one antlered animal in the bunch.  

Well, I had no reason to think I'd seen all of them just yet.  The aspen pocket was in front of me now, but even that had a small hill dividing it that I couldn't see beyond, and it seemed as if that was where the herd had moved out of, too.

So, I waited, and had a blast just sitting there watching the elk feed and move about.  Some were laying down, others grazed, the lead cow was moving off further north toward the creek.

I got out the range finder H.B. had let me borrow and checked the distances to several points, just in case a bull were to show up.  I took a few pictures, and thought about how cool it was to be able to sit and watch these animals without them knowing I was around.  

I was debating on backing off down the ridge, moving further along it, and coming back up closer to the aspen pocket when I noticed what looked like a young calf laying in the grass in front of the higher part of the aspens.

"OK," I thought, "Now I know there are more elk up there.  No way would that young one would be left all alone that far from the rest of the herd."

So, I waited several more minutes, watching the cows out in front of me and keeping an eye on the area around the bedded calf as well.  There just had to be more elk in the aspens near that calf, I kept thinking.  It just didn't make sense for it to be bedded all alone like it appeared to be.

Finally, I decided I should definitely move to where I could see down into the aspens better.  First, however, I thought to take a better look around near that calf, this time with the rifle scope, as I realized I had not yet done so.

As I did, suddenly that young calf turned into an antlered bull, at least a five pointer!

I couldn't believe it!  All this time, sitting right there, was a dang bull!  I could have sworn he was just a young one!  Looking back, I believe he was laying in some pretty tall grass that I had thought was short grass and that threw me off on judging his size.  Plus, for some stupid reason, up until this point I hadn't ever bothered to look his way using the scope!

I was just about to move, to get better position on the bull, when suddenly he stood up.  

He was definitely a good sized bull.  No, he wasn't as big as my gimpy bull, but he appeared to be a solid 5x5, and that was plenty good enough for me.

I was excited now.  All that sitting and watching the cows had me pretty relaxed, but now, there was a bull and he was moving down to join the herd!

He disappeared behind the low rise that divided the aspen pocket and then all at once was right out in front of me, next to the cows I'd been watching for so long.  For a moment, I wasn't even sure if it was the same bull because he'd gotten down there so fast, and now he looked like a 6x6.

No matter, there was certainly nothing wrong with him having gotten bigger as he approached, you know?

I'd already used the range finder on that distance, but as he didn't appear to be in a hurry to go anywhere I got it out to double check.

It ranged at 225 yards.

Doing It Right

"This is it," I thought, "No stupid, long distance bomb shot at an unknown range like before.  This was a shot I could make."

I sighted carefully as the bull remained still, standing perfectly broadside.  Slipping off the safety, I focused the crosshairs just behind his shoulder, half way up his chest, and squeezed the trigger.

The bull took a couple of quick steps forward then stopped, standing a bit uneasy, legs spread wide.  He'd been hit.  The rest of the herd slowly started to move out.  They weren't exactly terribly spooked, but they surely didn't like the feel of things anymore.  The lead cow was already 600 yards away from where that bull stood anyway, and as she saw the others in the back of the herd coming down toward her, she decided it was time to be gone.

The bull still stood, unmoving.  Unsure, I decided to shoot again.  He wasn't leaving, but he hadn't dropped yet either, so I decided to play it safe.

After my second shot, he moved off a few more steps then started to sway in his stride.  Turning one last time, he tried to follow the herd, but he was done.  He dropped to the ground, kicked up one time, then settled down.

That was it!  You talk about a happy boy, I was thrilled.  This was the second time I'd shot at a six point bull on the season, only this time I'd done it right.  He was down and he was mine.

As I watched the rest of the herd trailing quietly away, I counted over sixty among them.  I did see a couple more bulls, two spikes and two branched antlered bulls, but nothing of any comparable size to mine.  I'd gotten the big boy among them.

Getting Him Out

Packing an elk a mile back to the truck is tough but glorious work.  It literally took me the rest of that day and all of the next to get the job done.

Why so long, you ask?  Inexperience, mostly.

This was my first bull elk.  I'd killed one small cow before, years ago, but this was a totally different situation.  It was all of a mile to the truck.  There was that old road that came up to the old reservoir, but I had no access to it as its origin was on private land. 

Nope, I had to skin, quarter, and pack this dude out that mile, with the last 600 yards of it being a steep uphill climb.

But I loved it, and I also learned a lot.  I packed the head out first, then came back with a metal backpack frame and loaded up one of the hind quarters.  Well, that first quarter was heavy, let me tell you, and I mean heavy.  So heavy, in fact, I couldn't swing the pack up onto my shoulders.  I had to get down on my knees, strap on the pack, then stand back up and go.

Why was it so heavy?  Because I didn't know what the heck I was doing, that's why.  I hadn't removed the hide from that first quarter, plus I included the backbone and loin all the way up to the ribs along with it.

Well, packing that heavy sucker up that last hill gave me plenty of time to think about what to do differently.  So, when I went back, I boned out the loin off of the backbone, and removed the hide before strapping on the second hind quarter.

Wow, you talk about lighter!  It was a joy packing that second hind quarter out compared to the first.

With the front of the bull, I boned out the loin, ribs, and neck.  I strapped the remaining shoulder on my backpack frame, then loaded the other meat in my cloth backpack and strapped that on backwards so it rode against my chest.  Carrying the two packs like that, one on front, one on back, actually helped balance out the weight making it easier to carry.

Long story short, next time I pack an elk out, I could do it in half the time and expend half the energy.  In other words, I learned as I went.  My last load out of there was a breeze.  I didn't even have to stop to rest until after I had started up the steep climb at the end.

That first load, ha!  I bet that one weighed close to 150 pounds!  I made it up that steep canyon wall with it, but it was rough.

A Funny Thing

Remember the moose I'd seen?  Well, I had thought they were long gone, but as I was carrying my elk head back to the truck I spotted the dark shape of that calf through the trees and thought he was a bear.

Oh, I was all excited!  You see, I still had a bear tag.  Yeah, I got all worked up thinking I was going to nail a bear and an elk in the same day, just like I had gotten all worked up on my previous hunt thinking I was going to nail a buck and a bull in the same day.

Well, after running the last little bit up the hill to the truck, dumping off my elk head, and sneaking all the way back down to the creek bottom with my rifle, my "bear" turned out to be that damn moose calf and his mama.

Oh well, at least I got a closer look at them, and gave myself something to laugh at.

Another Funny Thing

After dark on the day I'd gotten the bull, I was sitting in my truck, eating dinner, and talking on the cell phone actually.  Yeah, it was strange, but as long as I sat the phone up on the dash, propped up against the window, I had perfect reception.  I couldn't touch it or move it down, but as long as it was up there it worked fine.

Anyway, after eating, I stepped out of the truck to get ready to head for the tent, and guess what I heard?  Cow calls, calf mews, and the click of hooves on rock as a herd of elk moved by, right next to my camp!  Yep, they passed by, just over the lip of the canyon and up a draw right next to where I was camped.

All that walking and packing my bull a mile out to the truck and I had a herd walk right by my camp!  

Oh well.  I was perfectly happy with how it all worked out.  In fact, it really was a tremendous hunting season for me all the way around.  As far as I'm concerned, both my deer and elk hunts this year was simply amazing.

Elk Hunt 2010: Photo Set