This is my first post to MM, so please be gentle.
After 14 unsuccessful years I finally drew the tag of a lifetime. I spent lots of time spotting and preparing and finally opening day arrived.
Most of the great bulls I had spotted were being camped on by dozens of people, so my buddy, Toad and I decided to go backcountry where I had seen numerous giants.
Then I got bull fever. I shot the first bull I saw on the first day of the hunt. Lucky for me it was this bruiser that stepped out first.
We spotted him at about 1200 yards and decided he was definitely a shooter. But we needed to close the gap and the bull was moving toward heavy quakies. We busted through some of the thickest stuff I have ever seen, set up and waited for him to show up. Toad was able to capture the whole thing on video (on a tripod, even).
The bull came into the open for a second, but I second-guessed myself wondering if this was the same bull. He went into some quakies and stopped. I jumped over my log rest to get a better angle, then, after 5-10 anxious minutes he whirled around and went back the way he came. Now I didn't have a decent rest. I couldn't get a shot for brush, then he came into the open and Toad cow called him. He stopped with a 14" quakie covering his vitals. I had a 2 foot window to shoot when he moved again and he would be gone. As he took a quick step, Toad said "Shoot it!" and I let the quartering away shot go. He went 30 yards before he piled up.
We spent 3 days packing this brute out, but it was all worth it. Thanks to Dad, Jeff and Toad for their help on this hunt of a lifetime.
He gross scores 387, with 56 inch main beams, 45 inch inside spread, great mass and check out the fronts. What a great bull. Enjoy!
After 14 unsuccessful years I finally drew the tag of a lifetime. I spent lots of time spotting and preparing and finally opening day arrived.
Most of the great bulls I had spotted were being camped on by dozens of people, so my buddy, Toad and I decided to go backcountry where I had seen numerous giants.
Then I got bull fever. I shot the first bull I saw on the first day of the hunt. Lucky for me it was this bruiser that stepped out first.
We spotted him at about 1200 yards and decided he was definitely a shooter. But we needed to close the gap and the bull was moving toward heavy quakies. We busted through some of the thickest stuff I have ever seen, set up and waited for him to show up. Toad was able to capture the whole thing on video (on a tripod, even).
The bull came into the open for a second, but I second-guessed myself wondering if this was the same bull. He went into some quakies and stopped. I jumped over my log rest to get a better angle, then, after 5-10 anxious minutes he whirled around and went back the way he came. Now I didn't have a decent rest. I couldn't get a shot for brush, then he came into the open and Toad cow called him. He stopped with a 14" quakie covering his vitals. I had a 2 foot window to shoot when he moved again and he would be gone. As he took a quick step, Toad said "Shoot it!" and I let the quartering away shot go. He went 30 yards before he piled up.
We spent 3 days packing this brute out, but it was all worth it. Thanks to Dad, Jeff and Toad for their help on this hunt of a lifetime.
He gross scores 387, with 56 inch main beams, 45 inch inside spread, great mass and check out the fronts. What a great bull. Enjoy!
