L
LOCKMAN
Guest
First off we would like to Thank ELKHUNTER66, He is defiantly one of the nicest guys I have ever met. He went way out of his way to make sure we filled our 2 youth elk tags. Whether Telling us a few spots to look that held elk, Driving us around after work showing us some key spots, and even doing some scouting on his own before work. Thanks Slate you are truly an amazing person!!
Ok after scouting for 4 days in the spots Slate had told us about, We made the decision for opening day. We hit the trail about 1 hr before daylight to get in were we had found some bulls scouting. A quick response to are calling came a bugle from the other ridge. Deciding whether to pursue it we heard branches cracking in the trees, We quickly got into position and called in our first ever Elk. It was a small three point at 22 yards. Both boys decided to pass on this one beings it was the first day. Later that day we had one other bull come in to our calling, but he snuck in on us with out a noise. By the time he came out of the trees he was 20 feet from us and that was that he was gone. That evening Blain and his dad went to another spot Slate had told us of. With in a half mile of the truck, they offered a few calls to see if they could get a response. Two bulls instantly came trotting in through the trees, stopping out about 50 yards in the thick trees. Blain could never get a clean shout and the bulls drifted back into the woods.
The next morning we met up with Slate at 5:15 to try one of his spots. Slate set up the two boys about 300 yards apart facing a drainage, a ridge, and a water hole. The first Hr of light did not start off with much promise. There was nothing moving or talking, But that would change when my brother noticed a bull out about 900 yards moving trough the cattle. Slate quickly moved Cody my son and I within 600 yards of the bull. A bugle from Slate stopped the bull and got his attention. Followed with some cow calling the bull started running our way. Within minuets the bull was at 300 yards and stopped just before a deep drainage filled with thick trees that it would have to cross to get to us. Cody had been practicing 300 yard shots, so I was confident he could make the shot. After a final rang test Cody let one fly with his Win 270. The bull did not even respond to the shot. Cody loads another round and lets it fly, again the bull did not acknowledge the shot. At this point I had no idea were Cody?s bullets were hitting. By now Blain was on the bull with his 270 at 312 yards, We hear blain shot and the elk suitcases on the spot. Bull down.
After getting back to camp we got the target and bore scope out to figure out what went wrong with Cody?s shot. It did not take long to realize something had happened on the way out to Utah. The gun would not even hit paper at 100 yards. We re-sited it in and hopped we would get another chance.
On the third day we decided to try another spot Slate had mentioned. It was a large and steep mouton range covered with Pine trees and dead falls. We chased bugling bulls for 10 hours over the match stick filled forest floor. With no opportunity for a shot.
On the fourth and final day of our hunt Cody decided he would like to go back to were he had passed on the small three point, to see if we could get back on it, once on the hill we tried a few calls and you could hear an elk making his way towered us unfortunately it came around down wind from us. About forty minuets latter we got set up to try again. We knew it was risky for the wind was starting to change with the thermals. As bad luck would have, we had an elk coming in through the trees when the wind changed and he was gone. We did manage to kick one bull up in the trees about 1:30 PM, but there was no shot opportunity. That evening we decided to hit a few dirt roads as a last effort. Both boys were fairly worn out. We were out about an Hr when we got a call from James. He had just seen a Five point bull run into a drainage, So we hurried over to his spot. With about an hour of light we got into position down wind, and instantly got a response to the cow call. It was a ways off so we moved closer. And again got a response to the call, but this time it sounded even farther out so we decided to try and close the space. Turns out there was more than one bull talking to us. As we came out of the trees into an opening, Cody spotted a 6x6 bull at about 150 yards. The bull started moving away when Kelly gave a few cow calls and the bull stopped at 208 yards and gave Cody a broadside shot. There was no time to range it or get the shutting sticks out. Cody would have to make the shot from the standing position. On the shot we seen the bull rock back before walking over the ridge. We felt Cody had made a good shot, But we were a little skeptical after the first day. When we got up to the spot we found lunge blood, Cody dropped to the ground, laying on his back as the emotions overwhelmed him. We found the Bull dead 30 yards from the spot.
Ok after scouting for 4 days in the spots Slate had told us about, We made the decision for opening day. We hit the trail about 1 hr before daylight to get in were we had found some bulls scouting. A quick response to are calling came a bugle from the other ridge. Deciding whether to pursue it we heard branches cracking in the trees, We quickly got into position and called in our first ever Elk. It was a small three point at 22 yards. Both boys decided to pass on this one beings it was the first day. Later that day we had one other bull come in to our calling, but he snuck in on us with out a noise. By the time he came out of the trees he was 20 feet from us and that was that he was gone. That evening Blain and his dad went to another spot Slate had told us of. With in a half mile of the truck, they offered a few calls to see if they could get a response. Two bulls instantly came trotting in through the trees, stopping out about 50 yards in the thick trees. Blain could never get a clean shout and the bulls drifted back into the woods.
The next morning we met up with Slate at 5:15 to try one of his spots. Slate set up the two boys about 300 yards apart facing a drainage, a ridge, and a water hole. The first Hr of light did not start off with much promise. There was nothing moving or talking, But that would change when my brother noticed a bull out about 900 yards moving trough the cattle. Slate quickly moved Cody my son and I within 600 yards of the bull. A bugle from Slate stopped the bull and got his attention. Followed with some cow calling the bull started running our way. Within minuets the bull was at 300 yards and stopped just before a deep drainage filled with thick trees that it would have to cross to get to us. Cody had been practicing 300 yard shots, so I was confident he could make the shot. After a final rang test Cody let one fly with his Win 270. The bull did not even respond to the shot. Cody loads another round and lets it fly, again the bull did not acknowledge the shot. At this point I had no idea were Cody?s bullets were hitting. By now Blain was on the bull with his 270 at 312 yards, We hear blain shot and the elk suitcases on the spot. Bull down.
After getting back to camp we got the target and bore scope out to figure out what went wrong with Cody?s shot. It did not take long to realize something had happened on the way out to Utah. The gun would not even hit paper at 100 yards. We re-sited it in and hopped we would get another chance.
On the third day we decided to try another spot Slate had mentioned. It was a large and steep mouton range covered with Pine trees and dead falls. We chased bugling bulls for 10 hours over the match stick filled forest floor. With no opportunity for a shot.
On the fourth and final day of our hunt Cody decided he would like to go back to were he had passed on the small three point, to see if we could get back on it, once on the hill we tried a few calls and you could hear an elk making his way towered us unfortunately it came around down wind from us. About forty minuets latter we got set up to try again. We knew it was risky for the wind was starting to change with the thermals. As bad luck would have, we had an elk coming in through the trees when the wind changed and he was gone. We did manage to kick one bull up in the trees about 1:30 PM, but there was no shot opportunity. That evening we decided to hit a few dirt roads as a last effort. Both boys were fairly worn out. We were out about an Hr when we got a call from James. He had just seen a Five point bull run into a drainage, So we hurried over to his spot. With about an hour of light we got into position down wind, and instantly got a response to the cow call. It was a ways off so we moved closer. And again got a response to the call, but this time it sounded even farther out so we decided to try and close the space. Turns out there was more than one bull talking to us. As we came out of the trees into an opening, Cody spotted a 6x6 bull at about 150 yards. The bull started moving away when Kelly gave a few cow calls and the bull stopped at 208 yards and gave Cody a broadside shot. There was no time to range it or get the shutting sticks out. Cody would have to make the shot from the standing position. On the shot we seen the bull rock back before walking over the ridge. We felt Cody had made a good shot, But we were a little skeptical after the first day. When we got up to the spot we found lunge blood, Cody dropped to the ground, laying on his back as the emotions overwhelmed him. We found the Bull dead 30 yards from the spot.
