I got really lucky this year and drew a UT ML elk tag. I wasn't expecting to draw for at least another three years - it was a very pleasant surprise.
I hunted a unit where I've spent a lot of time over the years. The early spring and dry early summer had me a bit worried that the elk wouldn't grow to their potential this year but as I started scouting it was evident that they had summered very well.
Two weeks before the hunt I finally found the bull I wanted to chase. He was in a pretty visible location and sure enough someone got on him on the opening morning of the rifle hunt but missed. I was worried that I would need to find another bull to pursue but then I found him again the evening before the final day of the rifle hunt and no one else was watching him. I decided to hunt that drainage on the opening day.
I was really, really excited to chase such a good bull (I estimated him at 370-380). Opening morning was foggy and a bit windy. I could hear bulls in the pines but they held there all day. In the evening I was treated to a show. Four bulls moved into a single meadow in the bottom of the drainage and were just going crazy. The wind was good and I found myself within 100 yards of about 50 elk and four very wound up bulls. Unfortunately none of these bulls were the one so I hid under a tree and enjoyed the show until dusk.
After two more days of seeing lots of smaller bulls I decided to move to my number 2 bull. I found him in the evening about 2 miles away on a very difficult mountain top (read: very few hunters are willing to make the effort to get there). I was up well before light climbing a very steep mountain. I was in perfect position as the sun came up and had him at 400 yards. As I was waiting for a couple of cows to clear so I could stalk closer a grouse hunter opened up about 100 yards above me - I couldn't believe it. This guy had ridden in on a horse in the dark to hunt grouse. The elk herd moved out not to be seen again.
Over the weekend I got some advice from my cousin about a better canyon to hunt. First thing Monday morning I was glassing and listening to 3 bulls. Having never been in the canyon I waited until I could see them before taking after them. They led me on a mile long chase over several ridges before the thermals started changing and I had to stop stalking them. I spent the day within about 150 yards of the herd hoping one of the bulls would come to water at a spring I was watching. It was a long day listening to them bugle periodically but not being able to stalk closer because of the swirling wind.
At dusk the herd was up and moving down yet another canyon. I decided to be a bit more aggressive so I dropped my pack and went after them. They moved to the bottom of the canyon and up the other side. I got within about 200 yards and set up for a shot. One of the bulls came out of the pines into a clearing bugling every couple of steps. I had a difficult time determining if he was the big bull because he kept his head in the canopy of several aspen trees. Finally I decided he was big enough and waited for him to present a good shot. At the shot he jumped, turned and moved back into the pines. When I caught up to him he was bedded but not yet expired. I shot again and he jumped up headed down a very steep hill where he expired.
Turns out he wasn't the 350 bull in the herd but a nice, solid six by six.
After taking a few pictures I still had a 2 mile uphill hike back out to retrieve my pack and get to my four wheeler. Fortunately there was a trail not too far from where he died. The pack out was pretty brutal due to the very steep hill side and lots of dead fall.
Overall this was a great hunt. I was into bulls every day and I saw several bulls that really got my blood pumping even though I wasn't able to close the deal on them.
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq90/todddjackson/Elk%202012/?action=view&t=IMG_5567.jpg#!oZZ1QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs436.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fqq90%2Ftodddjackson%2FElk%25202012%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMG_5571.jpg
The distressed look on my face is because my lips were so dry and chapped I couldn't smile (I had left my pack with water a mile up the mountain).
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq90/todddjackson/Elk%202012/?action=view&t=IMG_5567.jpg#!oZZ3QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs436.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fqq90%2Ftodddjackson%2FElk%25202012%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMG_5557.jpg
Sunsets were awesome a couple of nights.
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq90/todddjackson/Elk%202012/?action=view&t=IMG_5567.jpg#!oZZ4QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs436.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fqq90%2Ftodddjackson%2FElk%25202012%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMG_5556.jpg
I hunted a unit where I've spent a lot of time over the years. The early spring and dry early summer had me a bit worried that the elk wouldn't grow to their potential this year but as I started scouting it was evident that they had summered very well.
Two weeks before the hunt I finally found the bull I wanted to chase. He was in a pretty visible location and sure enough someone got on him on the opening morning of the rifle hunt but missed. I was worried that I would need to find another bull to pursue but then I found him again the evening before the final day of the rifle hunt and no one else was watching him. I decided to hunt that drainage on the opening day.
I was really, really excited to chase such a good bull (I estimated him at 370-380). Opening morning was foggy and a bit windy. I could hear bulls in the pines but they held there all day. In the evening I was treated to a show. Four bulls moved into a single meadow in the bottom of the drainage and were just going crazy. The wind was good and I found myself within 100 yards of about 50 elk and four very wound up bulls. Unfortunately none of these bulls were the one so I hid under a tree and enjoyed the show until dusk.
After two more days of seeing lots of smaller bulls I decided to move to my number 2 bull. I found him in the evening about 2 miles away on a very difficult mountain top (read: very few hunters are willing to make the effort to get there). I was up well before light climbing a very steep mountain. I was in perfect position as the sun came up and had him at 400 yards. As I was waiting for a couple of cows to clear so I could stalk closer a grouse hunter opened up about 100 yards above me - I couldn't believe it. This guy had ridden in on a horse in the dark to hunt grouse. The elk herd moved out not to be seen again.
Over the weekend I got some advice from my cousin about a better canyon to hunt. First thing Monday morning I was glassing and listening to 3 bulls. Having never been in the canyon I waited until I could see them before taking after them. They led me on a mile long chase over several ridges before the thermals started changing and I had to stop stalking them. I spent the day within about 150 yards of the herd hoping one of the bulls would come to water at a spring I was watching. It was a long day listening to them bugle periodically but not being able to stalk closer because of the swirling wind.
At dusk the herd was up and moving down yet another canyon. I decided to be a bit more aggressive so I dropped my pack and went after them. They moved to the bottom of the canyon and up the other side. I got within about 200 yards and set up for a shot. One of the bulls came out of the pines into a clearing bugling every couple of steps. I had a difficult time determining if he was the big bull because he kept his head in the canopy of several aspen trees. Finally I decided he was big enough and waited for him to present a good shot. At the shot he jumped, turned and moved back into the pines. When I caught up to him he was bedded but not yet expired. I shot again and he jumped up headed down a very steep hill where he expired.
Turns out he wasn't the 350 bull in the herd but a nice, solid six by six.
After taking a few pictures I still had a 2 mile uphill hike back out to retrieve my pack and get to my four wheeler. Fortunately there was a trail not too far from where he died. The pack out was pretty brutal due to the very steep hill side and lots of dead fall.
Overall this was a great hunt. I was into bulls every day and I saw several bulls that really got my blood pumping even though I wasn't able to close the deal on them.
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq90/todddjackson/Elk%202012/?action=view&t=IMG_5567.jpg#!oZZ1QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs436.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fqq90%2Ftodddjackson%2FElk%25202012%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMG_5571.jpg
The distressed look on my face is because my lips were so dry and chapped I couldn't smile (I had left my pack with water a mile up the mountain).
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq90/todddjackson/Elk%202012/?action=view&t=IMG_5567.jpg#!oZZ3QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs436.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fqq90%2Ftodddjackson%2FElk%25202012%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMG_5557.jpg
Sunsets were awesome a couple of nights.
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq90/todddjackson/Elk%202012/?action=view&t=IMG_5567.jpg#!oZZ4QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs436.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fqq90%2Ftodddjackson%2FElk%25202012%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMG_5556.jpg
![IMG_20161123_155032041_HDR[1].jpg](/xf/data/xfmg/thumbnail/31/31959-28b49492193dcdcdcc7501f046a6306d.jpg?1673638202)
