Dead bull Walking

mlycrzy · Dec 28, 2011

This year my Dad drew a great elk tag for our home state of Nevada. We spent a few weekends in the hills and found some great bulls my Dad would be happy to hang his tag on.

We arrived 2 days before the opener to relocate some of the bulls we had scouted earlier. While glassing we found this great 7x7 bull. He was very narrow but he was heavy and had "the look"! My Dad was excited as we knew where he would be feeding opening morning.

We were up early and started hiking well before the sun came up. My cousin was spotting from a high vantage point and when it was light enough to see he let us know he had 5 bulls spotted and the 7x7 was one of them. He also told us he had spotted 3 other hunters hiking into the same canyon ahead of us. I knew once I heard that news our chances at the 7x7 weren't very good.

Just as we reached the top of the ridge that over looked the canyon a shot rang out. It didn't take long and we found the 5 bulls standing about 800 yards away. Another shot boomed across the canyon and the bulls weren't sure what to do or where to go. Just as we found the big 7x7 a 3rd shot rang out and he dropped like a sack of rocks. It looked like somebody pulled the carpet right out from under him. Talk about disappointment. Since we were already there my buddy decided to film the bull as the lucky hunter walked upon his kill. We weren't sure exactly where the hunter was positioned when he/she shot but it was taking a long time for them to get down to the bull.

15 minutes went by and the downed bull started to move. We couldn't beleive it. Within a few minutes the big boy rocked onto his side then to his feet and started moving out. We were too far for a shot and we had no clue where the hunter was. It only took the bull about 10 minutes but he made it up and over the top of the next ridge and he was gone. About this time the hunter made it to where the bull had dropped and he had no clue of where he had gone. My buddy worked his way down the mountain to tell them what had happened. They couldnt believe he had gotten up as they had waited 15 minutes after the last shot to make sure he was down for good. They thanked my friend and started up over the top to try and relocate the bull. If you look close on the 2nd clip you can see a small trickle of blood running down the neck of the bull.

After this experience I will always if possible leave a spotter to guide me into any downed animal. Any guesses on score??

http://www.monsterhuntclips.com/video/1734/Dead-Bull-Walking

http://www.monsterhuntclips.com/video/1735/Dead-Bull-Walking-part-2

ELKOHUNTER · Dec 28, 2011

Wow. I took him for dead in the first clip. I can't even see him breathing! I'm no expert but I'd be looking for his sheds come March!!! If indeed he was hit high in the neck, with this weather I'd say he's still running. Hell of a bull! Can't wait for my next bull tag! What were you guys using to video him with?? Very good Video.

viking421a · Dec 28, 2011

Unbelievable, did you ever run into the same hunters again? I wonder if they ever caught up with him?

mlycrzy · Dec 29, 2011

We never did run into the hunters again. We went back in there a few days later and seen several sets of boot tracks going in but not sure if it was from looking or packing out that bull.

mlycrzy · Dec 29, 2011

The video was taken through my friends Cannon camera using the ScopeCam Adapter that Tines Up sales. Very impressive set up.

ELKOHUNTER · Dec 29, 2011

alinrut · Jan 15, 2012

I have to admit, it would be absolutely gut wrenching to have that animal shot out from in front of me, and then a double dose to watch him walk away. Tough luck all around!!! but an awesome clip, both of them.

al

"if I see you on the mountain....it's my own damn fault for not getting further away from the road!!"

fatrooster · Jan 16, 2012

Now thats some hard luck! Great footage, thanks for sharing it. fatrooster.

velvetfvr · Jan 16, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Jan-16-12 AT 09:41PM (MST)[p]That was a good looking bull and great footage. Man that would be so depressing if you shot a great bull and when you went up to him he was gone. I would say 345 bull.

DougW · Jan 17, 2012

mlycrzy-just to clarify are you sure the bull in the 2nd video is the same one as in the 1st?

If so....IMHO this is a great demo of why neck shots are a bad idea (esp. at long-range). If the bullet does not hit a vital (spine or top of the lungs) or break the top of the shoulder, bullet shock can knock down the bull immediately (impact near but not in the spine). Then, when the animal regains consciousness, all he has is some muscle tissue damage, 2 holes, and he can walk away.

Remember when we were all taught to shoot the heart/lungs? These long-range shot videos all over the place are teaching some bad habits.....

mlycrzy · Jan 17, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Jan-17-12 AT 04:03PM (MST)[p]Without a doubt the same bull. When we later spoke with the hunters they claimed the bull was hit twice but we could only see the one stream of blood going down the neck. It was my understanding the hunter was aiming behind the shoulder on all the shots??

DougW · Jan 17, 2012

Last year I shot high on a broadside, still MT mule deer at 125.....the NP 150 gr (.270) bullet hit just ABOVE the center of the spine and took out a lot of hide and muscle on top. The deer immediately stumbled and acted like his back end was useless; he went down within 5 sec, stumbling, trying to get up.....then slid down out of my site into a small draw. Like always with an apparent lethal shot, i just took my time and loaded up my stuff to walk over there, slowly, gun-ready (and quietly. No high-fives until the last breath is taken....another issue these days on camera).

well, halfway there the buck reappeared 30 yds further away, walking UP the opposite slope. I could not believe it. He wasn't limping but was slow. I missed in my haste before he went OVER the top. I hustled up there (about 2 min.) and he must've run a ways, because at that point he was walking away at 500 yds across an open area..

I sat down, re-evaluated, got my friend and after a break we spent 3 hrs going down the draw he was heading toward, no luck and no blood. I exited the draw a mile later, near dark, feeling worthless; then on a whim I decided to look over in a parallel draw where there was a doe (rut). I got lucky and found my wounded buck following does in the next draw, right b4 dark, and this time downed him with 1 shoulder shot at 200 yds. Yhis buck is in my post from Nov. 2010. There was too much damage up ABOVE the spine for him not to get a lethal infection, I think, at some point, but he could have gone 5 miles if he wanted.

Lesson learned: BE CAREFUL on those spine shots or potentially errant high shots. Better yet: I'm teaching my kids to avoid any lengthy spine shots.

flyingspearnv · Feb 2, 2012

I've got a buddy who thinks he saw this bull alive on the third day of the season, assuming same late hunt units etc. I sent you a PM to see if he indeed saw this bull. Thanks, Spear