VALLE VIDAL MUZZLELOADER THREE GREAT BULLS!!!!!

biggamehunter35

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We were some lucky guys to draw 3 Valle Vidal bull muzzleloader tags. My dad had been putting in for 15 years. My good friend Joe Romero and I drew our first time putting in. Boy, were we lucky. I will never forget when I called up my dad to tell him we drew Valle Vidal. He could not believe it. Then I told him I was so happy that I am able to do my once in a lifetime hunt with him. My dad told me, It took me this long to draw because this hunt was meant to do with you son.? My dad asked me If I had called my friend Joe. I said, ?No.? He said, well call him! So I called my buddy Joe. He said, ?Your joking.? I said, ?No, I'm not, and you better have done all your harvest reports.? The year before he hadn't, he forgot some. He was so nervous, he said, ?I'll call you right back.? Finally he called me and said, we got THREE and I drew with you guys!
We had done some scouting about a month before the hunt and seen some nice bull and a lot of cows but nothing huge. My buddy Joe went up the weekend before and saw basically the same thing. It was hard for all of us to take time to scout together because of our work schedules, but we always kept in touch with each other regarding what we saw. Finally it was time to leave for our hunt. My 4 year old son gave me a green stone and said it was for luck so I made sure to take that with me. It was two days before the actual hunt, we did some scouting. All the bulls were cowed up. The night before the hunt, Joe?s buddy Benny showed up to meet us, so we decided that they would go together to call. My father and I went to call. We camped out at McCrystal camp ground the Elk were SCREAMING all night long around us. That really got us pumped up. It was the middle of the night and Benny even said, ?I'm all pumped up and I didn't even have a tag!?
So it was DAY 1 opening morning! We were up at 4 am. All of us excited and ready to go! We drove to the spot and spread apart. We parked a mile away from each other. There was already three cars parked there, one with horses where we were parked at. One guy asked which way we were going so we wouldn't be on top of each other. I thought it was nice of him to ask. We were going in opposite directions which worked out great! We started walking in and there was really dark fog! We even got turned around a little! I tried bugling around 6 am to get a location, but nothing answered back. By
7:30 am we were already two miles in. My dad said bugle again! This is where it all started. The Elk were screaming back at us and I could tell they were close! We got on them around 8 am. The visibility was bad due to the fog. I bugled again, they were right on top of us, so we set-up. They were about 100 yards. It was a 4x4 bull and a small 5x5, we decided to pass and get out quietly. We were in and out of elk all morning long. The fog was making it hard to see. It helped in a way but hurt us at the same time.
Then we could hear bulls fighting, but we couldn't see anything. My heart was racing, I asked my dad, ? Can you hear that?? He said, Yeah! Then we heard a bull with a raspy rough bugle. We could suddenly see 50 to 60 cows running through the fog, it was beautiful! Then two other bulls bugled and by this time were about 4 miles in. My dad said he thought they were gone. Finally we chased up to them about 80 yards. Then we heard bulls bugling and cows ran by. I thought to myself, DAMN! To our left about 100 yards, heard two bulls bugling, and out of nowhere the herd bull came back up screaming at other bulls. This was the first time I got to see this bull. I knew right then and there he was a shooter! I got the chills, my heart racing. He was at around 80 yards. I took aim and shot, hitting the monster bull. It was like nothing had hit him. He screamed at the other bulls again. I was so excited trying to reload the muzzleloader seemed like Forever.
Right when I finished putting my 209 primer in you could tell he was hurting, trying to walk back to his herd. He did his final bugle. I fired once again hitting him again. He then ran 20 yards and expired. My dad got to where I was and said, ? You got him son, good job son!? We started walking around him saying, He?s BIG BOY! I started yelling, Hell Yeah, and he is HUGE! I almost started crying with joy! I was even trembling of how happy I was. I didn't know he was that big. He is my dream bull! My biggest bull to date 6x6 bull. Thanks Dad and thanks to my son Joaquin for the ?lucky green stone.?
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My dad said we are about 4 miles in and we need to get back to the truck so I can call my friend with his horses to see if we can pull him out. So we gutted him out and started back to the truck. We didn't get back to the truck until 5 pm. Sure enough we got a hold of my dad?s good friend, Ernie Ledoux and his son Gilbert Ledoux.
As for my buddy Joe, he said he passed up a small 6x6, but they heard screaming all day.
Day 2: Benny and I went out with the guys to pack out the bull, while my dad and Joe went to hunt since we still had 2 tags left. It was great experience to pack out an elk on a horses we laugh , joking around Erine Ledoux and his son are some really good people.

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My dad and Joe said they didn't hear any bugling until 10 am and it was only for 30 minutes or so.. they were on a big bull but just couldn't close the distance for a muzzleloader shoot.
Day 3: Was a slow day. We decided to hunt around camp. The afternoon hunt was good. We saw a big 6x6 bull. My dad shot right under him. It was a 220 yard shot. Joe also shot at different 6x6 bulls but the shots came up short also.
Day 4: By this time we had put in about 40 miles of walking. We were all hurt and exhausted. We woke up a little late so we headed up toward where we heard some Elk bugling the day before. On our way up Benny spotted a bull elk, boy that guy has eyes like a hawk. We parked the truck and started running up the hill and all four of us were about 1000 yards in. We heard two bulls bugle really close. Joe was behind me before I knew it he was up the ridge next to us. Then Benny kept telling my dad shoot he is right there. Around 150 yards my dad picks up the muzzleloader and let one fly. Dropping the bull in his tracks. We were jumping up and down with joy it was really exciting.
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While, gutting my dad?s elk out we heard a shot fire out close by sure enough it was Joe. To end a long but exciting story, We all got our bulls, Joe got his very first bull and my friends teased me about my lucky stone, they were just jealous and by the end of the hunt wanted to borrow it.
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A special thanks to my wife for letting me go up hunting. My son and daughter for the lucky stone and most of all a special thanks for my dad?s friends Ernie and Gilbert Ledoux for taking the horses. Also, thanks to Benny Arguello for going up with us and all his help. Valle Vidal is a special and magical place which has left me with some very special memories!
 
Nice bulls! Nothing like those Valle bulls. Looks like you guys had a sweet weekend. Now all I got to do is draw a tag over there. Congrats!
 
Very nice, its hard to take 3 nice bulls in the same camp. You guys did a outstanding job. Congrats to all.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
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Great pics,its also awwsome that you get to share hunts with your dad ,I heard your hunt was a total blast
 
Thanks, Im very lucky to have my dad as my hunting partner. I can't wait to pass on everything he has taugh me to my little boy. O yeah can you believe we got Benny to ride a horse it was a sight to see.lol
 
Congrats to you and the family! All awesome bulls! I had that hunt a couple years ago and it was the best elk hunt of my life! I wish I could do it again. :(

Travis
 
Thanks guys, to bad you can only do it once is right it was the best hunt of life also. I hope one day i can go back with one of my kids or wife.
 
I was fortunate enough to draw the only un guided NR tag for archery in 06. absolutely amazing place! congrats to you guys.
 

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