WY opening day jackpot

[DougW]

whadya think guys?

 

[Blanding_Boy]

we think you need some help posting pictures

Todd Black
BTO

 

[DougW]

let's try that again

 

[DougW]

maybe if I wasn't brain dead I could do this right

 

[AndymanSavage]

Great bull, is that you?

Andy

 

[antlerrick]

I think that is a dang good lookin' bull!!!
Congrats!

 

[BUGLEMN]

GREAT BULL! CONGRATS ON A GOOD ELK.

BUGLEMN

 

[GrizzlyHunter]

Blanding_Boy,

LMFAO.

I'm still laughing.

Grizzly

P.S.-Nice Bull!!

 

[NMHUNTNUTT1]

Thats a great bull! ME thinks you got er done! Lets hear the scoop on this bull...

 

[DougW]

Thanks folks, yep it's me.

Let's see where do I start? My buddies and I headed in on the mules early (last Thurs.) as Indian Summer reestablished itself, even at timberline. After one bad unplanned rodeo we had to rendezvous back at the trailhead (trucks & trailers) then we headed in for real on Fri. all together. Fri. afternoon we split up and the other guys saw some good bulls rutting in some bowls just above timberline. On Sat. we split again, and me and my buddy watched 4 330+ bulls rutting in one big basin split by some ridges. 2 of them had 25+ cows each, and another was a lone big 7x7. Unfortunately 2 groups were spooked late in the afternoon, one by quads, and I was pretty unhappy about that but the guys told me to settle down.

On Sun. morning we went up to head into that basin; 2 guys and the horses held back in cover down below. We walked in thru timber at the base of the bowl, heading for the edge of the timber. Our pace was interrupted by bellowing grizzly bear(s) that lasted for about 20 seconds, within under 200 yards in the timber. We got the pepper spray and pistols ready and changed our path a bit.

At the edge we watched this big 6x7 fight off another big bull at 800+ yards as he kept his cows on one side of the basin. Fortunately they were moseying on a path about 400 yards from our position. It took a lot of patience and nailbiting to just wait for him to come down the hill and follow his cows. Believe me that was a slow process. He would stop to posture and bugle every 50 yards or so.

Finally at about 350 yards or so he turned broadside, looking back at the bulls up the hill. I was ready, squeezed the trigger, nothing happened except my flinch. (that was discussed later). I turned the safety off and settled on the base of his neck. He dropped like a rock and slid down a few yards. The hunt of a lifetime was over too fast, and after the celebration the hard work started. Our tape first measured 373 gross or so. Anyone know if you get an extra circumference on that 7 pt side?

Thanks for asking guys,

Doug

 

[257Tony]

Thats a super jackpot!! Good job. No, you do not get a 5th mass measurement, only the 4.

 

[972Elk]

Doug,

Great looking bull. Looks like you are having another good year. Take care..Jim

 

[Gator]

Got love a great bull like that one, Big bull with pack horses in the picture it's doesn't get much better then that.

 

[kingfish]

Great bull... Congrats. I hope to be able to take a bull like that someday.

 

[slider]

Very Nice!!! Good Luck

 

[Chef]

Thats a great bull all the way around. Nice fronts, rears, and a nice massive frame.

Congrats on a success and thanks for sharing the pics and story!

Chef
"I Love Animals...They're Delicious!"

 

[DougW]

hey folks I taped again this morning (pretty carefully, but it's my first time on a bull) and got 352" typical. He's generally symmetric overall but it's amazing how those deductions add up. Also seems like although mass on the antlers looks good it really doesn't help the score all that much compared to, say, main beam length.

 

[Coloradoboy]

Nice bull! was this bull taken around the Cody area? Cause it sure looks like that country.

 

[NEVADAGUY]

Sweet Doug! Awesome bull, it sounds like you had a great time. Give me a call when you get a chance.

 

[sjhgraysage]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-20-06 AT 02:20PM (MST)[p]DW,
That is a super bull! Happy for ya!
He looks much bigger in the antlers only pic than he does in the small pic posted first. I probably wouldn't sleep well for a week or so after getting one like that, Congrats again!
What general area, if I might ask?

 

[DougW]

Thanx guys. This was in the southern portion of the Absaroka range. That is some beautiful country, for sure. They'd had a snowstorm in mid-late Sept and some of that snow was still on the N slopes.

 

[LESGO54]

awsome.

 

[TheKnack]

Doug Awesome bull!!! Congratulations.
Best,