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booth1269
Guest
I shot this bull with a muzzleloader in Datil, New Mexico.
I shot this bull with a muzzleloader in Datil, New Mexico.
Silentstalker
Long Time Member
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- 3,135
Nice bull! Tell us about the hunt!
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booth1269
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Dec-10-08 AT 10:11PM (MST)[p]This was a guided hunt in unit 13. There was four of us in the group. My aunt and i both put in for the first time and was successful in the draw. Although my father and uncle were not they bought the tags from the outfitter we were hunting with.
The season went on from oct 17-22. We were 50% but had many chances at going 4 for 4 but thats how huntin goes. The area was loaded with monster bulls but it was so hot during the time we were there the bulls were bedding down at sun up and staying put til sun down.
These elk had very stange habits. One day they would be bugling in one area then silent for two or three days than back at it again. This was found to be true everywhere we went for those five days of hunting.
I was hunting with the new TC triumph 50-cal while using 150 grains of powder and a 300 grain barnes bullet.
This elk of mine was with a group of 10 or more cows. We heard him bugle around 7:30 in the morning on the last day of the hunt. We were scoping this mountain side shown in the picture... when we heard him bugle at the top of the mountain located on the top right of the picture. Thus being the last day of the hunt we decided to make a stalk on him while we knew where he was. We walked straight up this mountain keeping one ridge between us and the bull. He again bugled from the same general area as before but we were now half way to the top of the mountain. While blowing on the cow call we did not receive an answer back until we were approxiamently 70-100 yrds from him. The area was thick with pine trees and brush so it was difficult to spot the bull and the rest of the cows. The wind was blowing directly into our faces so he had no clue what we were. Once we spotted him he was 70 yards away but i only had a head shot from my position. I waited 15 minutes for him to move into a small opening but once he did the opening somehow closed and i had to improvise within secs to find another opening. Which i did but it was about 6 inches in diameter and my instincts told me to shoot because this could be my last chance of getting a shot before he heads up and over the mountain in which case he'd be long gone. So i shot and if you have ever shot a muzzleloader before you know that all you see is smoke afterwards. Luckly i had someone with me to keep his eyes on the heard as i reloaded my gun. At first i didnt feel confident on my shot but my guide had seen all the cows head up and over the top of the mountain but never saw the bull come out. So we moved up the hill slowly and spotted him walking through the trees about 50 yards away. He came into the an opening and i was going to pull the trigger when he dissappeard out of my scope. He dropped to the ground but from my position i could only see its face. We moved a couple of yards to our left to get into a better position. At this time he was hit hard but still wanted to get up and run. We tried to wait it out but he was getting more and more likely to get up so i tried a neck shot. Once the smoke settled he was still moving. I reloaded again and waited a little bit longer. He tried to get up but fell quickly, so i decided for a body shot now that he was in the open. This time i took of the limb on the tree behind him. I reloaded again and by this time my adrenaline is through the roof. Out of all the times i reloaded this gun i could never put down a fourth bullet. The residue begins to build up so much that the bullet is impossible to load correctly. Somehow i did it. Still we didnt want to push the situation and move up on the bull in fear of him getting up and taking off. So we moved slowly within 35 yards. Waiting for him to die or stand up. After a few minutes he stood up and tried walking up hill. He went 2 yards and fell so i was going to take anymore chances at him getting away so when he fell to the ground i put one in his organs and that was all she wrote. He stood up and fell backwards down the hill a couple of feet and then the real fun began.... packing him to the truck. Come to find out the first shot i took was a gut shot due to the time it took me to find a different opening to shoot him, the second shot went through his wind pipe, the third grazed the top of his back and the fourth and final shot went through his side into his lungs. We face caped him there on the mountain and it took four of us to pack him out on foot. Luckly for us it was all straight down hill. Were this picture is taken from is where we parked the truck. And the top right of the pic 7/8 of the way up the mountain is where i killed him. We were out of there at 2:30 and i shot him at 8:30. Thanks for reading my story hopefully it wasnt to long.
The season went on from oct 17-22. We were 50% but had many chances at going 4 for 4 but thats how huntin goes. The area was loaded with monster bulls but it was so hot during the time we were there the bulls were bedding down at sun up and staying put til sun down.
These elk had very stange habits. One day they would be bugling in one area then silent for two or three days than back at it again. This was found to be true everywhere we went for those five days of hunting.
I was hunting with the new TC triumph 50-cal while using 150 grains of powder and a 300 grain barnes bullet.
This elk of mine was with a group of 10 or more cows. We heard him bugle around 7:30 in the morning on the last day of the hunt. We were scoping this mountain side shown in the picture... when we heard him bugle at the top of the mountain located on the top right of the picture. Thus being the last day of the hunt we decided to make a stalk on him while we knew where he was. We walked straight up this mountain keeping one ridge between us and the bull. He again bugled from the same general area as before but we were now half way to the top of the mountain. While blowing on the cow call we did not receive an answer back until we were approxiamently 70-100 yrds from him. The area was thick with pine trees and brush so it was difficult to spot the bull and the rest of the cows. The wind was blowing directly into our faces so he had no clue what we were. Once we spotted him he was 70 yards away but i only had a head shot from my position. I waited 15 minutes for him to move into a small opening but once he did the opening somehow closed and i had to improvise within secs to find another opening. Which i did but it was about 6 inches in diameter and my instincts told me to shoot because this could be my last chance of getting a shot before he heads up and over the mountain in which case he'd be long gone. So i shot and if you have ever shot a muzzleloader before you know that all you see is smoke afterwards. Luckly i had someone with me to keep his eyes on the heard as i reloaded my gun. At first i didnt feel confident on my shot but my guide had seen all the cows head up and over the top of the mountain but never saw the bull come out. So we moved up the hill slowly and spotted him walking through the trees about 50 yards away. He came into the an opening and i was going to pull the trigger when he dissappeard out of my scope. He dropped to the ground but from my position i could only see its face. We moved a couple of yards to our left to get into a better position. At this time he was hit hard but still wanted to get up and run. We tried to wait it out but he was getting more and more likely to get up so i tried a neck shot. Once the smoke settled he was still moving. I reloaded again and waited a little bit longer. He tried to get up but fell quickly, so i decided for a body shot now that he was in the open. This time i took of the limb on the tree behind him. I reloaded again and by this time my adrenaline is through the roof. Out of all the times i reloaded this gun i could never put down a fourth bullet. The residue begins to build up so much that the bullet is impossible to load correctly. Somehow i did it. Still we didnt want to push the situation and move up on the bull in fear of him getting up and taking off. So we moved slowly within 35 yards. Waiting for him to die or stand up. After a few minutes he stood up and tried walking up hill. He went 2 yards and fell so i was going to take anymore chances at him getting away so when he fell to the ground i put one in his organs and that was all she wrote. He stood up and fell backwards down the hill a couple of feet and then the real fun began.... packing him to the truck. Come to find out the first shot i took was a gut shot due to the time it took me to find a different opening to shoot him, the second shot went through his wind pipe, the third grazed the top of his back and the fourth and final shot went through his side into his lungs. We face caped him there on the mountain and it took four of us to pack him out on foot. Luckly for us it was all straight down hill. Were this picture is taken from is where we parked the truck. And the top right of the pic 7/8 of the way up the mountain is where i killed him. We were out of there at 2:30 and i shot him at 8:30. Thanks for reading my story hopefully it wasnt to long.
nmelktrout
Very Active Member
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Thanks for sharing your picture and story man, that's a great bull!
