B
BobLeeSwagger
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Oct-06-11 AT 09:18PM (MST)[p]After 4 months of scouting, 17 nights in the hills, over 1,000 miles driven, and several miles hiked, I finally took home my trophy. It was well worth the time and effort. We arrived Monday before the muzzy hunt opened and started scouting. I talked to another hunter that told me ?the rut is all but over.? Hearing that was discouraging. I later learned that he was incorrect. The next morning I had a nice 5 point 30 yards from me just a screaming. I almost needed ear plugs. Feeling better I continued looking for a ?shooter.? We hunted the first 3 days of the hunt fairly hard but I always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I had my Dad and brothers with me. They were out scouting and glassing. I think everyone in our group had a bull of decent size in muzzleloader range at some point of those first three days?.besides me. We decided to go after one of the bulls they had spotted. We had patterned him a little so when Friday night came, we set up in the bottom of a canyon near water to try and catch him coming down for a drink. There was a lot of action. We could hear elk bugling in every direction. After seeing a few smaller bulls come down we considered moving because we could hear more elk a little ways up the canyon at a waterhole. One of my spotters even said that there was a possible shooter up there. Ignoring some of my guides advice I went with my gut and decided to stay put. There was one bull that we could hear was close but couldn't get a spot on him. We waited for quite a while. I didn't know if he was gonna make it out before dark. I was starting to wonder if I made the wrong decision. A while later we saw several cows running out into the meadow in the bottom of the canyon. I was worried we were gonna get busted. Seconds later out ran the bull. Two of my guys called him a ?shooter?, another one ranged him, without even pulling up my bino?s I knew this was it. He was on the move so I motioned to my bro to cow call to try and get him to stop, we didn't need it though cause as I got ready to take the shot he stopped to bugle and just before he went to take his next step I let him have it. I felt good about my shot but I wasn?t sure if I hit him so I was trying to reload as he trotted off. I felt like my fingers were noodles because of the adrenalin rush. Just as I got reloaded I saw him fall into a pile 20 yards from where I shot him. It was the greatest feeling in the world! I had an awesome support staff! I couldn't have done it without my Dad and brothers.
I haven't measured him yet. What will he score?
I haven't measured him yet. What will he score?
Congrats on gettin' it done!
