Elk Story
10-12-2004, 08:39 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: durango Colorado USA
Posts: 567
Elk Story
Just got off the mtn & have to got back in tomorrow with a couple horses to pack out the 5 point.
I saw a GOOD bull the 1st morning at first light. I was watching him for a good 1/4 mile coming along the mtn side. I was atop the ridge watching a big bowl. He could have taken 3 trails. The 1st would have been about 125 yard shot, the 2nd would have him in the middle of the bowl about 250 yards. The 3rd was at the bottom----450 yards from my stand. Guess which one he elected to use. Yep, I watched him going to the dark timber just past sun up. I stayed at that stand all day hoping he might come back out. Never saw an animal all day.
Next morning I thought I would hunt the other side of that dark timber patch. It opens into another bowl. I was there about 20 minutes before legal shooting time. Enough time for the woods to settle back down. There was nothing in the bowl & I didn't see anything in the general area. Nor did I hear the usual shooting at dawn. I waited there to about 7:30 AM---then decided to hunt down the edge of the dark timber. I've hunted this ridge for 20 years. I know the trails the elk like to use & where they like to bed. Fact is--- I've killed my 1st elk in this very spot & have taken another 4 or 5 there over the years. Anyway, I just past the main trail into the bowl. I hear "Crunch, Crunch, Crunch" ---there is about 2" or 3" of snow in the dark timber. It's old snow----freeze, thaw, freeze---so it has a layer of ice on top. Anyway---I hear it & sit down. Looking for an opening in the spruce. I can see legs moving. Then I pick out a cow, then another cow,then a calf. I've got about a 6' opening in the spruce where I can see. Then I see antlers. The bull stops just short of the opening. I can see his head, neck & horns. That lead cow has stopped----She must has caught my scent. She does a 180 degree turn & comes back down the same trail----taking all the other elk in tow. She's headed down a small ravine---I know that it comes out into a small clearing if she comes right---if she goes left---back into more dark timber.
I hussle down the edge about another 100 yards. Just where I can see into the clearing----2 elk there. The lead cow stops. Soon another cow, calf, cow. Then comes a bull---a small raghorn 4 point. I got my crosshairs on his shoulder & out of the corner of my eye I see movement. More elk coming. Cow, calf, Cow.---then come out a good looking 5 point. The lead cow is still standing---she knows something is wrong. If you hunt elk you know they don't go anyway until the lead cow decides where to go. They were just piling up behind her. I put the crosshairs on his shoulder--he is still moving a little. I'm about 60 yards from them. I hit him a little far back, he turns. The rest of the elk don't know where the shot comes from & they are still paused there. I put the next shot on the point of his front shoulder. Now, elk are moving everywhere. The bull is hit hard. He's doing that 3 legged hop----I don't know how else to describe it. He can't put any weight on that front leg. He goes about 10 steps & tries to go up an enbankment to the dark timer. He can't. Takes a step backwards & looks at me. Then he starts to wobble. He goes down.
FYI-----rifle---30/06 Model 700 LH-- Leupold 2 1/2 x 8 VarIII. 180 grain "Hornady Spire Point" handloads---56 grains of IMR 4350
I've got film at the store now. I'm kind of a computer illiterate----but---LOL--I know how to hunt elk!! Anyway, I can get a photo & e-mail to someone if they would post it for me on this thread.
The only thing I don't know is if that real GOOD bull was in the group. But, my Daddy taught me one in hand !!
I saw a GOOD bull the 1st morning at first light. I was watching him for a good 1/4 mile coming along the mtn side. I was atop the ridge watching a big bowl. He could have taken 3 trails. The 1st would have been about 125 yard shot, the 2nd would have him in the middle of the bowl about 250 yards. The 3rd was at the bottom----450 yards from my stand. Guess which one he elected to use. Yep, I watched him going to the dark timber just past sun up. I stayed at that stand all day hoping he might come back out. Never saw an animal all day.
Next morning I thought I would hunt the other side of that dark timber patch. It opens into another bowl. I was there about 20 minutes before legal shooting time. Enough time for the woods to settle back down. There was nothing in the bowl & I didn't see anything in the general area. Nor did I hear the usual shooting at dawn. I waited there to about 7:30 AM---then decided to hunt down the edge of the dark timber. I've hunted this ridge for 20 years. I know the trails the elk like to use & where they like to bed. Fact is--- I've killed my 1st elk in this very spot & have taken another 4 or 5 there over the years. Anyway, I just past the main trail into the bowl. I hear "Crunch, Crunch, Crunch" ---there is about 2" or 3" of snow in the dark timber. It's old snow----freeze, thaw, freeze---so it has a layer of ice on top. Anyway---I hear it & sit down. Looking for an opening in the spruce. I can see legs moving. Then I pick out a cow, then another cow,then a calf. I've got about a 6' opening in the spruce where I can see. Then I see antlers. The bull stops just short of the opening. I can see his head, neck & horns. That lead cow has stopped----She must has caught my scent. She does a 180 degree turn & comes back down the same trail----taking all the other elk in tow. She's headed down a small ravine---I know that it comes out into a small clearing if she comes right---if she goes left---back into more dark timber.
I hussle down the edge about another 100 yards. Just where I can see into the clearing----2 elk there. The lead cow stops. Soon another cow, calf, cow. Then comes a bull---a small raghorn 4 point. I got my crosshairs on his shoulder & out of the corner of my eye I see movement. More elk coming. Cow, calf, Cow.---then come out a good looking 5 point. The lead cow is still standing---she knows something is wrong. If you hunt elk you know they don't go anyway until the lead cow decides where to go. They were just piling up behind her. I put the crosshairs on his shoulder--he is still moving a little. I'm about 60 yards from them. I hit him a little far back, he turns. The rest of the elk don't know where the shot comes from & they are still paused there. I put the next shot on the point of his front shoulder. Now, elk are moving everywhere. The bull is hit hard. He's doing that 3 legged hop----I don't know how else to describe it. He can't put any weight on that front leg. He goes about 10 steps & tries to go up an enbankment to the dark timer. He can't. Takes a step backwards & looks at me. Then he starts to wobble. He goes down.
FYI-----rifle---30/06 Model 700 LH-- Leupold 2 1/2 x 8 VarIII. 180 grain "Hornady Spire Point" handloads---56 grains of IMR 4350
I've got film at the store now. I'm kind of a computer illiterate----but---LOL--I know how to hunt elk!! Anyway, I can get a photo & e-mail to someone if they would post it for me on this thread.
The only thing I don't know is if that real GOOD bull was in the group. But, my Daddy taught me one in hand !!
10-13-2004, 07:56 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Elizabeth Colo. USA
Posts: 4,413
RE: Elk Story
Congrats on the bull CB. Since I got to go to Ak this fall to hunt moose, I missed out on elk hunting all together this year, but I had three brothers, an uncle and his brother and two others go up first season and they all filled out by Monday morning with 6 bulls and 1 cow. Lucky for them that they had 2 mules and a horse to do the packing for them. Anyways, if you Email me a pic. at [email protected] I will post a pic. here for ya.
10-14-2004, 12:16 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Kerrville, Tx. USA
Posts: 2,722
RE: Elk Story
Great story. Great memory, especially that this is an area you know well and have taken multiple elk there. Always fun to learn an area well and almost KNOW what the elk will do before they know themselves.
10-14-2004, 08:44 PM
#9
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: durango Colorado USA
Posts: 567
RE: Elk Story
I've e-mailed the photo---hopefully it will be posted in a day or 2.
JD338-----I didn't recover the bullet. I hit leg bone square. Lot's of bones chips about the size of your thumb nail. 1 lung & part of the heart were mush. This was the 3rd bull that I've used the handload on---I've never had recovered a bullet---but I really don't look for them either. If they are under the hide I'll recover it. But I don't poke around in the mush. To busy working on cleaning, skinning & packing the quarters in snow. Out of all the elk, I only found 2 bullets---1 was from a 50 cal--Hawkin--the other was a 180 "Core-lokt" that was a perfect mushroom just under the hide in the off shoulder.
JD338-----I didn't recover the bullet. I hit leg bone square. Lot's of bones chips about the size of your thumb nail. 1 lung & part of the heart were mush. This was the 3rd bull that I've used the handload on---I've never had recovered a bullet---but I really don't look for them either. If they are under the hide I'll recover it. But I don't poke around in the mush. To busy working on cleaning, skinning & packing the quarters in snow. Out of all the elk, I only found 2 bullets---1 was from a 50 cal--Hawkin--the other was a 180 "Core-lokt" that was a perfect mushroom just under the hide in the off shoulder.