P
potbellybuck
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Sep-23-09 AT 10:22PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Sep-23-09 AT 09:32?PM (MST)
LAST EDITED ON Sep-23-09 AT 09:26?PM (MST)
LAST EDITED ON Sep-23-09 AT 09:24?PM (MST)
LAST EDITED ON Sep-23-09 AT 07:55?PM (MST)
All thats left is the memories, pictures, freezer full of meat and set of antlers. First of all let me start out by saying that this hunt was one hell of a good time, lots of good memories with family and friends, and just as fast as the hunt came, it went, where does time go when your out on the mountain huntin?
From the time I found I had drew a limited entry elk tag to the evening I filled my tag, I was very excited to have the chance at a mature bull. Some people wait years and years to draw their tag of a lifetime, for me it took 9 years, and who knows this might have be my only chance I get, so with that in mind I wanted to make the best of it. I have two little boys 3 and 1 years old, my goal was to get a bull and have some pictures with them and me with the bull, thats all I could ask for, you know those pictures that you look at in your photo album when you was a little kid with the deer that your dad had killed, thats what I wanted, those good old pictures that never get old.
This summer I spent two weekends lookin. I saw quit of few elk and some good looking bulls no 400" bulls but some that was good, and ones that I would be happy to get. So I set my goal to a 340-350" bull, this size of bull would make me very happy.
A week before the hunt opened I went down and did some scoutin. It didn't take long to figure out the elk were scattered and was not talkin much. I saw two bulls that week both 310-320" and some cows and calfs. Thursday and Friday before the opening my family and friends showed up at elk camp, sure was glad to see my wife and two boys.
Opening morning I had a chance at a 330" bull, I will just say that things did not work out. Sunday morning my friends and I were deciding where to go when we heard a bull bugle in the canyon where we were going. My two friends went one way and my other friend and I went another towards the sound of the bugle we heard. As we started walking we started hearing at least 4 different bulls, as we got closer to the bulls we stopped and cow called to try and pinpoint one of them. We went after the one that sounded the closest. As we walked up the trail the bull was bugleing like crazy, the first elk we spotted was a spike, we then new that the bigger bull wasn't far off so we kept walking up the trail. After about five minutes of following this bull up the the draw we finally spotted him. I didn't get a good look at him but my buddy did, and told me its a good 6 point, so I went and sat down where I could get a shot off. I cow called and got him to bugle back but he was just hanging inside the quakies. What happened next is something I will never forget, neither will my friend, I have heard of this happening but it is pretty rare. The bull steped into a clearing, boom I shot and the bull fell, the celebration began my buudy and I were excited a good bull down in the dirt 25 yards from a 4-wheeler trail sweeeet! We watched the bull lay and kick until he didn't anymore. My buddy said I will go get the 4-wheeler, and I said I would start toward the elk to have a look. Half way between where I had shot him (250 yards) and he laid, belive it or not he jumped up and took off running, so suprised I hurried and shot at him twice but missed as he ran into the timber, my buddy and I was stunned, so we thought we would go to where it had layed for I would say 3-4 min. and pick up a blood trail and sart tracking him. As we approached where he had layed we didn't notice any blood nothing where he had layed all that time not a drop, and believe me we were on our knees looking, follwed his track for a ways and still no blood. Thankful that there was none because I would hate to loose a bull, we were asking each other what the hell just happened here, that bull had us sold that he was dead, but no sign that he was hit, so our conclusion was that I maybe hit him in the horn and nocked him out who knows? As hard as that was to swallow we went back to camp bummed out, thinking all the way back that I have had two chances at good bulls, can't ask for anything more! My friends left on Sunday afternoon, that left my family and I and my parents left to get me a bull. I wanted so bad to get an elk before my wife and kids had to go home on Tuesday so they could be their but it did not work out that way. My family and my mother left Tuesday afternoon, that left my dad and I to fill my tag.
Come Wednesday I was fortunate to get one more chance. Wednesday evening I was undecided all evening on where to go. Was going to go here but changed my mind, was going to go there but was getting to late. We came to a gate where the road went to camp, (my dad told me after I had killed that the reason he went back to camp was because he thought he was holding me up on where I wanted to hunt so that is why he decided to go back to camp) my dad said that he was going to go do the dishes and start dinner back at camp and I said, well I am going to go over and check what I call the re-seed. On Monday night i took my 3 year old and my parents over to this area to look and listen for bull but nothin, my 3 year old was not the quietest that evening, but I thought what the hell he has to learn sometime and I will need to learn patients. We didn't see anything that night, but it sure is funny how things can change 2 nights later. Back to the chase, parked the 4-wheeler about 200 yrds from where I was glassing. Decided to do some callin so I bugled once nothing, did some more glassin nothing, I thought well I will bugle one more time and then go back to camp, the bugle did not sound so good, so I did another one back to back and got a respond, a bull bugled about 100 yds away in some oak and trees. I ran around in a circle wondering were to get so I could see better. Started cow calling and it wasn't 10 seconds, and what turned out to be a 6X6 was looking at me at 100 yds. Pulled the 270 up and didn't even study his antlers, just new that this might be my final chance and pulled the trigger. He immediatley fell to the ground and started kicking, with the lesson I learned earlier in the week, lets just say I give him a few more to make sure he was down. Walked up to him knowing my dream of harvisting a bull elk had just come true, was tickled pink with the bull, a heavy horned 6X6 that measured 340". I hurried back to camp (1 mile away) and got my dad. My dad was excited as me and all he could say was I knew I should have went with you. We were able to get the truck 100yds from the elk and a 4-wheeler right to him, we used the generator and some work lights that we had to put some light on the subject as we quartered him up. Thanks to my friend who stayed on the line until 11:00 that night walking me through on how to cape him out, we finally got back to camp at 3:30 in the morning. That morning after 4 hours of sleep we started picking up camp and headed home. I could not wait to get home and show my family and friends and especially take those pictures with my kids. I would like to thank my wife, who I thought wasn't much into this elk huntin until she said a few days before the hunt started, "don't shoot the first elk you see with antlers, make sure it is something you want, this tag cost us 280+ dollars make it count", thanks to my kids for sharing this moment with me, my mom, my friends, and to my dad who stuck it out with me, and helped me get that big bugger back to camp. I have a goal to harvest a elk, deer, bear, and turkey all wall worthy, from my favorite place to go, and spend some time the La Sal mountains. One down three to go! Thanks for letting me post this and good luck to all hunters in the field, its more than just what you get, its the memories that last a lifetime, oh ya and to all you other La Sal mountain elk hunters them are some good lookin elk, congrats. I am trying to post the pictures.
LAST EDITED ON Sep-23-09 AT 09:26?PM (MST)
LAST EDITED ON Sep-23-09 AT 09:24?PM (MST)
LAST EDITED ON Sep-23-09 AT 07:55?PM (MST)
All thats left is the memories, pictures, freezer full of meat and set of antlers. First of all let me start out by saying that this hunt was one hell of a good time, lots of good memories with family and friends, and just as fast as the hunt came, it went, where does time go when your out on the mountain huntin?
From the time I found I had drew a limited entry elk tag to the evening I filled my tag, I was very excited to have the chance at a mature bull. Some people wait years and years to draw their tag of a lifetime, for me it took 9 years, and who knows this might have be my only chance I get, so with that in mind I wanted to make the best of it. I have two little boys 3 and 1 years old, my goal was to get a bull and have some pictures with them and me with the bull, thats all I could ask for, you know those pictures that you look at in your photo album when you was a little kid with the deer that your dad had killed, thats what I wanted, those good old pictures that never get old.
This summer I spent two weekends lookin. I saw quit of few elk and some good looking bulls no 400" bulls but some that was good, and ones that I would be happy to get. So I set my goal to a 340-350" bull, this size of bull would make me very happy.
A week before the hunt opened I went down and did some scoutin. It didn't take long to figure out the elk were scattered and was not talkin much. I saw two bulls that week both 310-320" and some cows and calfs. Thursday and Friday before the opening my family and friends showed up at elk camp, sure was glad to see my wife and two boys.
Opening morning I had a chance at a 330" bull, I will just say that things did not work out. Sunday morning my friends and I were deciding where to go when we heard a bull bugle in the canyon where we were going. My two friends went one way and my other friend and I went another towards the sound of the bugle we heard. As we started walking we started hearing at least 4 different bulls, as we got closer to the bulls we stopped and cow called to try and pinpoint one of them. We went after the one that sounded the closest. As we walked up the trail the bull was bugleing like crazy, the first elk we spotted was a spike, we then new that the bigger bull wasn't far off so we kept walking up the trail. After about five minutes of following this bull up the the draw we finally spotted him. I didn't get a good look at him but my buddy did, and told me its a good 6 point, so I went and sat down where I could get a shot off. I cow called and got him to bugle back but he was just hanging inside the quakies. What happened next is something I will never forget, neither will my friend, I have heard of this happening but it is pretty rare. The bull steped into a clearing, boom I shot and the bull fell, the celebration began my buudy and I were excited a good bull down in the dirt 25 yards from a 4-wheeler trail sweeeet! We watched the bull lay and kick until he didn't anymore. My buddy said I will go get the 4-wheeler, and I said I would start toward the elk to have a look. Half way between where I had shot him (250 yards) and he laid, belive it or not he jumped up and took off running, so suprised I hurried and shot at him twice but missed as he ran into the timber, my buddy and I was stunned, so we thought we would go to where it had layed for I would say 3-4 min. and pick up a blood trail and sart tracking him. As we approached where he had layed we didn't notice any blood nothing where he had layed all that time not a drop, and believe me we were on our knees looking, follwed his track for a ways and still no blood. Thankful that there was none because I would hate to loose a bull, we were asking each other what the hell just happened here, that bull had us sold that he was dead, but no sign that he was hit, so our conclusion was that I maybe hit him in the horn and nocked him out who knows? As hard as that was to swallow we went back to camp bummed out, thinking all the way back that I have had two chances at good bulls, can't ask for anything more! My friends left on Sunday afternoon, that left my family and I and my parents left to get me a bull. I wanted so bad to get an elk before my wife and kids had to go home on Tuesday so they could be their but it did not work out that way. My family and my mother left Tuesday afternoon, that left my dad and I to fill my tag.
Come Wednesday I was fortunate to get one more chance. Wednesday evening I was undecided all evening on where to go. Was going to go here but changed my mind, was going to go there but was getting to late. We came to a gate where the road went to camp, (my dad told me after I had killed that the reason he went back to camp was because he thought he was holding me up on where I wanted to hunt so that is why he decided to go back to camp) my dad said that he was going to go do the dishes and start dinner back at camp and I said, well I am going to go over and check what I call the re-seed. On Monday night i took my 3 year old and my parents over to this area to look and listen for bull but nothin, my 3 year old was not the quietest that evening, but I thought what the hell he has to learn sometime and I will need to learn patients. We didn't see anything that night, but it sure is funny how things can change 2 nights later. Back to the chase, parked the 4-wheeler about 200 yrds from where I was glassing. Decided to do some callin so I bugled once nothing, did some more glassin nothing, I thought well I will bugle one more time and then go back to camp, the bugle did not sound so good, so I did another one back to back and got a respond, a bull bugled about 100 yds away in some oak and trees. I ran around in a circle wondering were to get so I could see better. Started cow calling and it wasn't 10 seconds, and what turned out to be a 6X6 was looking at me at 100 yds. Pulled the 270 up and didn't even study his antlers, just new that this might be my final chance and pulled the trigger. He immediatley fell to the ground and started kicking, with the lesson I learned earlier in the week, lets just say I give him a few more to make sure he was down. Walked up to him knowing my dream of harvisting a bull elk had just come true, was tickled pink with the bull, a heavy horned 6X6 that measured 340". I hurried back to camp (1 mile away) and got my dad. My dad was excited as me and all he could say was I knew I should have went with you. We were able to get the truck 100yds from the elk and a 4-wheeler right to him, we used the generator and some work lights that we had to put some light on the subject as we quartered him up. Thanks to my friend who stayed on the line until 11:00 that night walking me through on how to cape him out, we finally got back to camp at 3:30 in the morning. That morning after 4 hours of sleep we started picking up camp and headed home. I could not wait to get home and show my family and friends and especially take those pictures with my kids. I would like to thank my wife, who I thought wasn't much into this elk huntin until she said a few days before the hunt started, "don't shoot the first elk you see with antlers, make sure it is something you want, this tag cost us 280+ dollars make it count", thanks to my kids for sharing this moment with me, my mom, my friends, and to my dad who stuck it out with me, and helped me get that big bugger back to camp. I have a goal to harvest a elk, deer, bear, and turkey all wall worthy, from my favorite place to go, and spend some time the La Sal mountains. One down three to go! Thanks for letting me post this and good luck to all hunters in the field, its more than just what you get, its the memories that last a lifetime, oh ya and to all you other La Sal mountain elk hunters them are some good lookin elk, congrats. I am trying to post the pictures.
