I'm posting this for a friend (Keith) who shot his first bull elk on opening day of the Wasatch limited entry rifle hunt.
We hunted near White River were we found four separate bulls bugling in the same small canyon. We started a stock on the closest one that had the deepest growl. After being into the stock for about 15 minutes we spooked his cows and sent them running for the bottom of the canyon. The bull was right on their heals and Keith determined he might be a shooter. The cows cleared the bottom and filed up the other side of the canyon but the bull wasn't with them. We figured he had hung up in the bottom just out of site and would most likely follow in short order.
We quickly setup the shooting tripod and got Keith snuggled into a comfortable postion. We also set up our spotting scope so we could take a good look at the bull to make sure he is what Keith wanted. Sure enough, after only a few minutes the bull made his move and started working his way out of the bottom and up the opposite side of the canyon. The bull had good mass, six points on each side and nothing was broken. We ranged to a spot ahead of the bull, dialed the scope, stopped the bull with a cow call just ahead of the ranged spot and Keith put a 180 grain Nosler Accubond bullet through him from 815 yards at 7:15 am.
From there Keith all but flew to where the bull lay dead on the sage brush hillside. In fact I don't think he felt the pain the rest of us did as we packed the quarters out in our backpacks to the truck. He did a great job on his first bull....and his dad, Larry was there to experience the whole thing with him.
We hunted near White River were we found four separate bulls bugling in the same small canyon. We started a stock on the closest one that had the deepest growl. After being into the stock for about 15 minutes we spooked his cows and sent them running for the bottom of the canyon. The bull was right on their heals and Keith determined he might be a shooter. The cows cleared the bottom and filed up the other side of the canyon but the bull wasn't with them. We figured he had hung up in the bottom just out of site and would most likely follow in short order.
We quickly setup the shooting tripod and got Keith snuggled into a comfortable postion. We also set up our spotting scope so we could take a good look at the bull to make sure he is what Keith wanted. Sure enough, after only a few minutes the bull made his move and started working his way out of the bottom and up the opposite side of the canyon. The bull had good mass, six points on each side and nothing was broken. We ranged to a spot ahead of the bull, dialed the scope, stopped the bull with a cow call just ahead of the ranged spot and Keith put a 180 grain Nosler Accubond bullet through him from 815 yards at 7:15 am.
From there Keith all but flew to where the bull lay dead on the sage brush hillside. In fact I don't think he felt the pain the rest of us did as we packed the quarters out in our backpacks to the truck. He did a great job on his first bull....and his dad, Larry was there to experience the whole thing with him.
Again nice bull!!!! Great equipment makes our jobs as hunters extremely enjoyable and easy.
