NMPaul
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I have been scouting for elk the last week or so before Zach's hunt. During that time I saw a bunch of herd bulls in the 300" to 330" range. All nice bulls, but, we knew there were some bigger ones out there.
We made the decision to back pack into a remote area and set up a camp. Earlier in the week before Zach's hunt, Kevin (the most awesome hunting buddy) helped me pack in tent, bags, water and other stuff for a cold spike camp. Friday Zach and I pack in and glass up some elk that night from the top of the mountain. Next morning we made our short hike to the top of the mountain for glassing. We saw the bull Zach got and passed, and a nice 310 bull with a rag horn.
Kevin and Jordan had hiked into the area from another mtn range and were glassing also. They saw several elk as well.
We had worked down the South west end of the mountain and the sun was coming on strong putting all the elk into the trees. Zach heard a bugle off to the south ( I am half deaf so I hear less than half the bugles he hears) and since we had nothing else going and we were in deep we decided to pursue. We headed off and it kept being in the next drainage then the next drainage. By now it is late morning and we crest a ridge. I see what looks like an elk lying down under the trees about 400 yards away.
We set up the spotting scope and are looking at it when all of a sudden I see 2 elk walking quickly from deeper in the canyon up and towards the top. I throw my binocs on them and it is a monster bull. I took one glance and knew we had to act fast. It was 400 yards away and zach got set up on the packs found him in the scope, but, just as they were going over. I tried to stop him with a bugle, but, it did not even slow him down. I never got a good look at him, but, the picture in my mind was of a 380" ???
The elk under the tree just layed there through all of that. By now it was almost noon. He had gone south away from our camp. We were already about 2 miles away. We took a break there and then headed south. We found a good hill on our gps topo to glass from so we headed there to spend the day. It was about a mile and a half away. From there we located several elk throughout the day, but, nothing good enough to go after. Our hope was that the bull would bugle and we could go after it if we recognized it.
With about 30 minutes left of shooting light Zach found the monster bull again in the spotting scope about 1500 yards away still moving south. We had no play at all. We got a little better look at him. Either it was the same bull or a different one. Zach swears it was the same as he had a split tine 7th point on one side. He was in that 370- 380 range. It was now dark and we were 4 miles from camp with no good way back.
Our plan was to hit another spot the next day. We were to pack out that night. Instead, Zach was to bushed to pack out to the truck when we got to our camp at 9:30 at night.
Spent a miserable night sweaty, low on water and food.
Next morning we went back to our glassing spot on top of the mountain and found a bull with 4 cows and a sattelite bull that looked better than the herd bull.
Zach was getting a itchy trigger finger. This was a little smaller than the average bull that I had been seeing the week before, but, I knew if he killed this bull way back in the sticks it would be a better memory.
We hiked down our mountain and up the mountain he was on keeping the wind in our favor. We could not find him so we circled over the top and came out on a ridge that looked back into the trees we thought he laid down in.
I spotted him and he was staring straight at us at 300 yards. We snuck in a little closer. I verified it was the herd bull. By the time I could put my ear plugs in that were already around my neck and find him in the binocs, Zach had our packs on the ground and took the shot at 290 yards.
I watched in my binocs. I heard the thump of the bullet, and then a crash. Zach had threaded the needle through the trees and I watched him tip over.
Zach was pumped.
Kevin hiked in and packed out 2 huge loads of elk. My wife also came in and packed out a load. Zach and I took 2 loads out. I boned out the bull and we got it all wrapped up last night
Here is the money shots.
Final resting spot. The bull face planted into a dead tree.
Disclosure. these pics make him look bigger than he actually is. But you can see I did not need to tell Zach to smile
The glory load
Did I tell you what a great hunting buddy Kevin is?
I wish that was a bunch of clothes stuffed in my shirt, but, its where fat goes when you strap on over 100 lbs of elk and cape.
We made the decision to back pack into a remote area and set up a camp. Earlier in the week before Zach's hunt, Kevin (the most awesome hunting buddy) helped me pack in tent, bags, water and other stuff for a cold spike camp. Friday Zach and I pack in and glass up some elk that night from the top of the mountain. Next morning we made our short hike to the top of the mountain for glassing. We saw the bull Zach got and passed, and a nice 310 bull with a rag horn.
Kevin and Jordan had hiked into the area from another mtn range and were glassing also. They saw several elk as well.
We had worked down the South west end of the mountain and the sun was coming on strong putting all the elk into the trees. Zach heard a bugle off to the south ( I am half deaf so I hear less than half the bugles he hears) and since we had nothing else going and we were in deep we decided to pursue. We headed off and it kept being in the next drainage then the next drainage. By now it is late morning and we crest a ridge. I see what looks like an elk lying down under the trees about 400 yards away.
We set up the spotting scope and are looking at it when all of a sudden I see 2 elk walking quickly from deeper in the canyon up and towards the top. I throw my binocs on them and it is a monster bull. I took one glance and knew we had to act fast. It was 400 yards away and zach got set up on the packs found him in the scope, but, just as they were going over. I tried to stop him with a bugle, but, it did not even slow him down. I never got a good look at him, but, the picture in my mind was of a 380" ???
The elk under the tree just layed there through all of that. By now it was almost noon. He had gone south away from our camp. We were already about 2 miles away. We took a break there and then headed south. We found a good hill on our gps topo to glass from so we headed there to spend the day. It was about a mile and a half away. From there we located several elk throughout the day, but, nothing good enough to go after. Our hope was that the bull would bugle and we could go after it if we recognized it.
With about 30 minutes left of shooting light Zach found the monster bull again in the spotting scope about 1500 yards away still moving south. We had no play at all. We got a little better look at him. Either it was the same bull or a different one. Zach swears it was the same as he had a split tine 7th point on one side. He was in that 370- 380 range. It was now dark and we were 4 miles from camp with no good way back.
Our plan was to hit another spot the next day. We were to pack out that night. Instead, Zach was to bushed to pack out to the truck when we got to our camp at 9:30 at night.
Spent a miserable night sweaty, low on water and food.
Next morning we went back to our glassing spot on top of the mountain and found a bull with 4 cows and a sattelite bull that looked better than the herd bull.
Zach was getting a itchy trigger finger. This was a little smaller than the average bull that I had been seeing the week before, but, I knew if he killed this bull way back in the sticks it would be a better memory.
We hiked down our mountain and up the mountain he was on keeping the wind in our favor. We could not find him so we circled over the top and came out on a ridge that looked back into the trees we thought he laid down in.
I spotted him and he was staring straight at us at 300 yards. We snuck in a little closer. I verified it was the herd bull. By the time I could put my ear plugs in that were already around my neck and find him in the binocs, Zach had our packs on the ground and took the shot at 290 yards.
I watched in my binocs. I heard the thump of the bullet, and then a crash. Zach had threaded the needle through the trees and I watched him tip over.
Zach was pumped.
Kevin hiked in and packed out 2 huge loads of elk. My wife also came in and packed out a load. Zach and I took 2 loads out. I boned out the bull and we got it all wrapped up last night
Here is the money shots.
Final resting spot. The bull face planted into a dead tree.
Disclosure. these pics make him look bigger than he actually is. But you can see I did not need to tell Zach to smile
The glory load
Did I tell you what a great hunting buddy Kevin is?
I wish that was a bunch of clothes stuffed in my shirt, but, its where fat goes when you strap on over 100 lbs of elk and cape.
