Montana treated me well this year. Enclosed 3 pictures at the end, Picture of my bull, picture of my father at camp we set up, and a picture of the bull when I scouted him. Not a great picture through the spotting scope, still learning how to do that better.
Scouted prior to season for a few days, come time to hunt, was able to score on one of the bulls I believe I scouted. When scouted, didn't realize he was a 6 X 7 as saw him for a short time with low light. I found some other bulls but this one was one of the better ones I saw. I went with my plan B area first, thinking if that failed I would have my more favorite plan A spot as a back up plan. When the hunt actually started for me, backpacked in with my father, the next morning was raining hard with wind howling. Slept in until the weather passed to more favorable conditions, 930 started hunting, by 1030 found the bull bedded down out of the wind on the same ridgeline I saw him acouple weeks prior. After a 2 hour stalk, I was holding him in my hands. Exciting short hunt. When I closed the distance, relocated him and a another nice 6 point he was hanging with at 400 yards. Elected not to shoot at this time due to the high winds (had flashbacks of the ram I shot at in similar circumstances/senerio that some of you may have remembered I wrote about). So closed the distance, when peeked over the ridgeline I believe him to be. No where to be found. I looked back at my father about 10 yards back to shrug my shoulders of, I don't know where hes at, he was hunkered down behind a piece of brush holding onto my dog pointing to my left. I couldn't see it yet due to trees blocking my view, but seconds later the bull walked out into my sight less than 75 yards away. Bull took a pounding, 3 shots to the chest with my 300 Wthby. Still ran out of sight before taking its last breath. Rest is history.
To answer acouple of questions some may have. To the orange Nazi's, yes I wore orange for the hunt. Took it off for pictures. The dog, shes a awesome hunting buddy. Never 10 feet from my side at all times as I think shes scare sh+tless to be further away than that, well behaved, hasn't yet barked while hunting. Shes been on numerous hunts and never caused any issues. She pulls her own weight on trips like this. Shes a republican dog. No free rides. Carrys her own food and water, and after a kill she carrys out some of the trimmings.
May have been a short hunt, but a exciting and memorable times with the hunt and scouting for this adventure. It may not have been the biggest bull in the landscape, but Im 100% happy with him and the experience I had in collecting him. Glad I shot the bull when I did, 2 days later the snow started to fall and temps took a nose dive, my camping/hunting plans to the hunt may have been slightly more difficult.
Scouted prior to season for a few days, come time to hunt, was able to score on one of the bulls I believe I scouted. When scouted, didn't realize he was a 6 X 7 as saw him for a short time with low light. I found some other bulls but this one was one of the better ones I saw. I went with my plan B area first, thinking if that failed I would have my more favorite plan A spot as a back up plan. When the hunt actually started for me, backpacked in with my father, the next morning was raining hard with wind howling. Slept in until the weather passed to more favorable conditions, 930 started hunting, by 1030 found the bull bedded down out of the wind on the same ridgeline I saw him acouple weeks prior. After a 2 hour stalk, I was holding him in my hands. Exciting short hunt. When I closed the distance, relocated him and a another nice 6 point he was hanging with at 400 yards. Elected not to shoot at this time due to the high winds (had flashbacks of the ram I shot at in similar circumstances/senerio that some of you may have remembered I wrote about). So closed the distance, when peeked over the ridgeline I believe him to be. No where to be found. I looked back at my father about 10 yards back to shrug my shoulders of, I don't know where hes at, he was hunkered down behind a piece of brush holding onto my dog pointing to my left. I couldn't see it yet due to trees blocking my view, but seconds later the bull walked out into my sight less than 75 yards away. Bull took a pounding, 3 shots to the chest with my 300 Wthby. Still ran out of sight before taking its last breath. Rest is history.
To answer acouple of questions some may have. To the orange Nazi's, yes I wore orange for the hunt. Took it off for pictures. The dog, shes a awesome hunting buddy. Never 10 feet from my side at all times as I think shes scare sh+tless to be further away than that, well behaved, hasn't yet barked while hunting. Shes been on numerous hunts and never caused any issues. She pulls her own weight on trips like this. Shes a republican dog. No free rides. Carrys her own food and water, and after a kill she carrys out some of the trimmings.
May have been a short hunt, but a exciting and memorable times with the hunt and scouting for this adventure. It may not have been the biggest bull in the landscape, but Im 100% happy with him and the experience I had in collecting him. Glad I shot the bull when I did, 2 days later the snow started to fall and temps took a nose dive, my camping/hunting plans to the hunt may have been slightly more difficult.