Dad's Bull Elk

N

nontypical250

Guest
My dad got his biggest bull elk to date. It was a very hard hunt with many obstacles encountered. The biggest problem we ran into consisted of roads "dead ending" and roads not being on the maps. It was our first journey into this area. In fact, we haven't even hunted within hundreds of miles of this area. Luck of the draw was with him this year when he found out he drew. The hunting party consisted of members from four different families of Brinks. Mark, Pep, Brad(bigbrink), David (biggest brink), Jason, Dad (Big Gar), myself, Jason yoddledawg(cousin Edddie)and Alli.

Picture of some of the crew

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AS opening day arrived high hopes were had by all. We spent the next two days finding roads and following old tracks. Nothing seemed to be working and all we were finding was more trees and 9 foot tall rubs left from back in the rut.
Sunday afternoon half of the hunting party had to leave and get back to things such as work and college. Our group went from 8 down to 4 without even seen an elk.

On the last morning of the planned hunt, things weren't going any better. The truck was turned around and was going to head back to load up and call it a fun outing and sightseeing trip, instead of an elk hunt, I suggest we hike up to an open ridge and see what it looked like. Big Gar grumbled and groaned asking why? Lets just go home is what I recall the comment being made from the man with the elk tag. So my younger brother (Cousin Eddie) and myself hiked up the hill and finally found ourselves outside of the cedar and pine trees to where we could glass a whole valley. We sat down and Jason finally decided to pull out his binoculars and put them to good use. We glassed for about 5 minutes we all I heard was Holy Sum Beach there is some elk. Across the valley was 7 head feeding in a clearing almost on top. You could see horns from where we at and some lighter colored elk also help convince there was bulls over there.
 
My dad got his biggest bull elk to date. It was a very hard hunt with many obstacles encountered. The biggest problem we ran into consisted of roads "dead ending" roads not being on the maps and roads just appearing out of nowhere. It was our first journey into this area. In fact, we haven't even hunted within hundreds of miles of this area before. My dad was just lucky when it came to the draw this year. The first time he's drawn out for anything really.
The hunting party consisted of members from four different families of Brinks. Mark, Pep, Brad(bigbrink), David (biggest brink), Dad (Big Gar), myself, Jason yoddledawg(cousin Eddie)and Alli.


Awesome elk country
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Picture of some of the crew

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AS opening day arrived high hopes were had by all. It had snowed the week before but it was starting to melt. We spent the next two days finding roads and following old tracks of elk passing through. Nothing seemed to be working and all we were finding was more trees and 9 foot tall rubs left from back in the rut.
Sunday afternoon half of the hunting party had to leave and get back to things such as work and college. Our group went from 8 down to 4 without even seen an elk.

On the last morning of the planned hunt, things weren't going any better. The truck was turned around and was going to head back to load up and call it a fun outing and sightseeing trip, instead of an elk hunt, I suggest we hike up to an open ridge and see what it looked like. Big Gar grumbled and groaned asking why? Lets just go home is what I recall the comment being made from the man with the elk tag. So my younger brother (Cousin Eddie) and myself hiked up the hill and finally found ourselves outside of the cedar and pine trees to where we could glass a whole valley. We sat down and Jason finally decided to pull out his binoculars and put them to good use. We glassed for about 5 minutes we all I heard was Holy Sum Beach there is some elk. Across the valley was 7 head feeding in a clearing almost on top. You could see horns from where we at and some lighter colored elk also help convince there was bulls over there. Jason walked back down to get Uncle Pep and Big Gar.

A plan was made that Jason and Pep would stay back and watch where the elk fed or bedded down and Big Gar (with his bout with bronchitis) and I would try and get in front of them or put a stalk on them. After 3 hours of trying to get around a rimrock canyon and getting the wind correct, dad and I were in position. Big Gar stayed in somewhat of a clearing and I hiked up and around the clearing to get the wind at my back and started walking through the trees. (I had to rely on my black lab skills looking across the canyon with my binoculars and get signals from an orange vest from Pep like a dog on a blind retrieve) I did the best I could.

I had been away from my dad for 20-30 minutes when all I heard was a muffled BOOM. The way it sounded, I was worried a misfire or half of my powder didn't burn in the .300 WSM 180 Grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullet my dad was using that I had reloaded. Just didn't sound right for some reason. I stopped and watched and listened but all that came by me was a 3 point buck deer. I made my way up to the clearing, no Big Gar! I let out a small cow call and heard his distinct loud high pitched whistle that he has always used at basketball and baseball games for the last 20 years with all us kids playing and having him as a coach.

I ran through the sagebrush and cedar trees, when I came to another clearing I couldn't see anything but him standing there. My heart dropped, he missed I thought, why didn't he shoot again, what happened, all the questions came to my head. Then he took a step to the side, and I saw the best sight you can as a hunter. Nothing but a big old horn sticking up out of the sagebrush. He had done it. One shot was all it took, 2 bulls had tried to sneak below me and my dad had guessed right. 120 yard shot at the big bull, he came trotting right at Big Gar. When he flicked the safety off the bull put on the brakes and picked him out immediately on the opposite draw. One perfect place shot right through the neck, busting the neck vertebrae and the elk went down instantly.

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A beautiful bull it was. With a dark mane and shoulders consisting of a white creamish coat made him even better. He has two broken tines. A devil tine was broke off on his right horn and a broken 5th point on his left side. He would've been a 7x7 without the broken points, but no one cares. No ones cares what he scores or any of that, he's a big elk and dad couldn't have been happier.


Dad was waiting by that big burnt tree behind them in the background. I won't mention how you thought you were going to miss and tried to plan out the next shot. (engineers geesh just kidding)

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Big Gar with his Elk (someone teach him to smile on camera)
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Picture of Jason "Cousin Eddie" and Big Gar
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Me Big Gar ( nice rifle can I have it back now?) Jason

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J Uncle Pep G

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So Pep and I started with the knives, quartering caping and taking care of the bull and Big Gar coughed and Jason started hauling meat. hahaha. It took a couple hours to get everything down to the truck. Luckily it was all down hill. So after a minute to go home, turned out to be an awesome hunt. One missed flight, missed medical terminology test and making Uncle Pep's wife wait an extra couple hours for his ride home, (sorry Aunt Chris) was all that was sustained.


Ole Pepper Dog taking out a load
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Last load of the trip

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It turned out to be an excellent hunt. It was awesome to help my dad getting the biggest bull elk of his life and the first elk he's shot in somewhere around 30 years. Time spent in the hills with your family and friends is irreplaceable. Time that can't be made up or brought back. Too bad the rest of the group wasn't there to get to see everything unfold, especially with the pack out (DAVE, BRAD) those two pack quarterhorse-dudes could have packed out pretty much the whole elk by themselves, but they were home texting away to see how we did.

Big Gar- thanks for the hunt, better start paying your taxidermist. Oh and collateral for his (my) rifle doesn't work.
 
Congrats to your dad! Sweet bull for sure. Thanks for sharing the pics and the story. You're right about time spent with family and friends in the hills, there is nothing better.
 
cousin eddie reporting, nontypical dude i think the powell tribune needs a new editor,?switch your major doggy!!!!!!!!! what a dandy of a hunt, specially when you guys thought i fell asleep at the truck after packing out a quarter, pepper dawg thanks for the, "what every boy needs to know about being a man talk" the countless hours of itching in moaning turned out to be worth it, big gar looked like a small boy under the christams tree with is wild wapapti! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOYAAHHHHHHHHh
 
Cousin Eddie, thanks for the kind words on the article. Maybe I'll write for the Box elder News Journal. How does that sound? Hows the apartment search going on in Happy Valley?
 
very nice. who is more happy nontypical250 you or dad.thats to many brinks in one party.i bet some stuff went down
 
nfh, glad to know you're still alive. Ya there was a lot of brinks. My dad was more happy. Probably more happy because he didn't miss and didn't have to hear about it for the next 45 years.
 
nice job, and nice bull....congratulations to all of you....thanks for the good pics, too...
 
Very nice bull and pix.

Cousin Eddie,

Who killed the Easter Bunny and put it on your head? Time for a new hat dude. That thing is ugly! I would not be caught dead in that hat!;-)
 
LMAO that dad gum hat kept my head perty dog gone warm!!!! ya shoulda seen uncle wards too!!what ever keeps the ol cabeza warm!
 
ktc,

That is some funny stuff. Next post I put up old Cousin Eddie will have panty hose on, now I'll have to explain to his mother why he was searching through her chester drawers. hahahahahah
 
That was a fun story. I've spent many days hunting within a 3 mile raidus of where you were all standing in that first picture. It's my favorite place in the world. My first grouse was shot on top of the little knoll you're at the base of. Congrats on a nice bull and thanks for sharing.

Dub
 
Sounds good! Ha! Get that hat for me? Looks like it would be some sweet toilet paper!;-)

Seriously, I am with Dub. Very good story and pix. Very nice bull and the hunter is happy.
 
Thanks Dub,

It was an awesome trip that turned out to an awesome hunt. I'm glad we got to experience your favorite place in the world.
 
Kudos to your Dad. I'm with you on the comments about the bull, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Memories were made and that's what it is all about. Thanks for sharing the pics and story.

PS

Love the hat!
 
Congrats to your father and a very nice bull. This year has been a different year and a very tough year for all hunting it seems. Nice job!!!
 
rmanwill,
did you ever get a picture up of your bull you took? Thanks for all the words, it was a fun hunt that didn't involve anyone but good old family and stories for a long time. I'll see if Cousin Eddie will share his secret on where to find good hats like his (either for medical purposes or for keeping the in laws to stay at a hotel this holiday season).....
 
Big time congrats!!!! I can't believe I missed this post. Nothing better then spending time with family (and of course walking up on a big bull) Thanks for the photos and the story!

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Later, Brandon
 

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