First Bull!

N

NETO

Guest
Hey all, LONG time lurker here...never had anything to add until now.
After years of putting in for points and playing the required game here in Utah, I finally drew out for a 2012 CWMU bull elk. I started seriously preparing last May (I've been somewhat preparing for years waiting to draw) when I finally drew the tag. This included getting back into shape physically, developing a load for my .338 rifle and spending lots of time at the range, buying some equipment like a new rangefinder and some elk calls, making sure the truck and 4-wheeler were ready to go, and finally ?asking my boss for 2 weeks off just in case it took that long. As it turns out, and with the help of my cousin Arron and a good friend of his (now my friend also!) John, I only needed two days.
The weather was warm and dry (not good hunting weather) but since the property doesn't get pressured much(CWMU and private property), the elk stay put, but aren't as active during the day.
We hunted hard on Saturday 9/15 and only saw smaller bulls and at great distances, but heard many bugles in the trees around us, another indicator that they were there but just didn't want to come out and play. On Sunday morning 9/16, we spotted a single smaller 5 point bull at 800 yards next to some trees in a clearing. John bugled once and another bull came out to see what was going on, but was another smaller bull. With our binoculars we could see both of these bulls clearly and could hear a larger bull aggressively bugling back, but wasn?t either of the two bulls we were looking at. We shifted into high gear (on foot) and stealthily hiked towards the bulls. As we were approaching another sagebrush hill still a few hundred yards from the bulls, we could see a set of antlers over the rise at about 250 yards coming towards us and we knew it was the larger bull that was answering our calls. We crouched down in the sagebrush and my John handed me his shooting sticks and I sat down and waited. After a few more bugles from John, the bull finally became visible and was checking us out at about 200 yards. I fired three times, and hit the bull twice, the second shot hitting him low in the heart. We knew the bull was hit good, but it ran into the forest. After finding a good blood trail and some tracking, we jumped it once and decided to wait for it to die before pursuing it any further. About 20 minutes later we heard ?the death moan? and continued following the blood trail that ended with the picture below. That 20 minutes felt like 20 hours. I can't even describe how I felt! My very first bull elk. It's a unique 6x6 and very thick, with it's right antler coming out of it's head almost like a unicorn in the center. We estimate him to be 5 or 6 years old. The bull amazingly ended up just about 50 to 100 yards from the dirt road our 4-wheelers were on and we were able to get a quad right up to it. We were able to quarter it and load all the parts (quarters/head/cape) onto a 4-wheeler and drive it back to the cabin. I've already got the meat back from the butcher (Mecham's) and it filled my whole freezer and the head/antlers/cape is at the taxidermist. Likely the last big elk I'll ever get a chance to shoot if it takes me another 20 years to draw a tag! I relaxed the rest of Sunday and soaked in the success, then came home Monday?back at work on Tuesday.
Thanks to Arron and John for helping me get it done!

379randys_bull_2012.jpg
 
Congrats Randy on a job well done. Very nice bull!!! I love your enthusiasm and excitement for the hunt. It will look good on the wall.
 
This is Amber! CONGRATS to a SUCCESSFUL hunt!! Can't wait to visit and see your trophy on the wall!!!
 
Congratulations NETO on a job well done, and for the story as well. That is a fine bull by any standard.

Before you die.....Take time to live
 
Great bull. Way to get it done. Kinda makes it even sweeter when you have to wait so long.

Don't get me wrong, I would rather not have to wait but you get the idea I am sure.

Very awesome hunt


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