T
timothymarks
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Oct-09-11 AT 12:12PM (MST)[p]My brother in law and I hunted in Morgan on the opening day, there was still some snow left at the top of the canyon we hunt and it was around 35-40 degrees outside. we expected a great season opener. The area we hunt doesnt produce anything over 300, but its a good place to consistently see bulls and not have to worry about someone shooting your windows out! So we started up the dirt road at 6am and started hiking around 630. just as day broke we stopped in a small clearing to look at a canyon side. we let go a few cow chirps and a cow started talking back. so we hiked up further hoping to catch them coming up the side of the canyon. afer about 30 minutes no luck. we decided to move back down where we could had a good vantage point to see where we assumed the elk had been. Nothing was there. We waited awhile and got a call from my father in law who was guiding in the CWMU next to us. He said he thought he may have just kicked a good 6 point over the hill to us. So Sam hangs up and says we need to move up hill just as he spots 2 bulls come over the ridge. both where rag-horns, the bigger was actually one that had come into my deerstand earlier in the year. he was a 3x5 with 3 points on the left at the end of his main beam that looked like it would hold a crystal ball or something.. and the other was a true 4 point with devil horns and a another cheater on the left side... so we call him a 5x6. he offered to let me shoot the bigger of the 2 but i told him i would pass and wait for a bigger bull. so he decides to shoot the big one at aorund 200 yards. I let out a cow call and it stopped broadside. It was a perfect shot. The bull kinda tensed up and started walking really slowly uphill. Sam set up for a 2nd shot and I told him not to bother he would tip over in a second. it was only a few seconds after that it started stumbleling backwards and then it fell over. The other bull just looks at his buddy for a while and sam asks me arnt you going to shoot it. I told him no i want to wait, then I thought about it and hell I could go on 2 weeks and not see another bull, and if i did I would have to pack it out by myself (this is not easy country. morgan side of hardscrabble) so I decided to shoot it, but it turns and runs. I grab my call again and stop him at the top of the ridge, I let off a quick shot that hits high. he moves forward and I follow up with a 2nd frantic shot. It hit so hard it blew smoke out the other side that you could see without the optics and dropped him like a rock. we start laughing and just enjoying the moment. Killing 2 bulls on the 1st day by 830ish. But as everyone knows who has killed a bull in a terrible spot the work had only begun. especially since the 1st one started sliding down the steep mountain and landed in a pile of oak brush. Not under... IN. we quartered one half then pushed him out. We had to tie a rope to his antlers to a tree to keep him from sliding off the mountain. we quartered them out and took the straps and loins back home with us.. dryed clothes and boots then headed back up a few hours later. We left at 5pm and didnt get back until 10pm. We got both bulls hung in the bottom of the canyon I packed out 2 hind quarters and my horns and sam took one hind quarter and his horns. will be monday before we are able to get back up and get the rest. It was a fun hunt, too bad its over until next year!
