General Season Success!

BLooDTRaCKeR

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Well, fellow Monster Muley members, this year was just as kind to me and dad as the last 10 years have been. Dad, at the age of 68 plowed through this trip again, only this time with a bad knee. With knee surgery scheduled for after the hunt, dad painfully worked his way through the hunt because he wasn't willing to miss out on an elk hunt, especially after he opted out of the muzzy deer hunt with tag in hand just to save his knee for the elk hunt. (Life ain't worth living if ya ain't got anything to live for, right?!)

I was hoping to get the opportunity to try out my new deer cart modification on this hunt by hauling out an elk or two. As luck would have it, my wish came true on the Monday after the general season opener. Dad and I didn't see an elk until Monday. We heard bulls bugling all over but just could not get up on them.....

Monday morning, we headed up to the top to hunt our famous spot and see what was still kicking around after the weekend hunting pressure. Just before cresting the top and at least 30 minutes before sun-up, a large bull sounded off not more than 150 yards ahead of us. We sat there in the dark motionless, listening to him move his herd over the top. We knew right where he was heading and opted to leave him alone knowing he would come out later that night in the clearing I shot my big 6 point in last year.
We continued up towards our hunting spot and I jumped two elk right at light. They busted out before I could identify them. Shortly after, we heard two different bulls bugling close by in the opposite direction of the first bull that we had heard 40 minutes earlier. Dad got on one and I took the other. I followed the bulls bugle around the mountain. He stayed on top and ended up bedding above me. I called dad on the radio, met up with him and found out he had no success getting a shot at the bull he pursued. We formed a game plan to get a shot at the bedded bull above me. He was in some thick timber with cows. The only chance we had was to drive him into the other hunter. Dad opted to be the one pushing trees while I stayed on the edge of the timber overlooking an old, logged out clear cut where we determined they would come out. The clear cut ranged 650 yards long and about 450 yards deep. It rolled gently down into the thickest, nastiest timber and deadfall known to man. After dad split up, I waited for the radio contact from dad telling me he was in position to start the push through the timber. While I was waiting, I turned around to see an elk out in the clear cut feeding through a small, grassy area. I threw the shooting sticks down, laid the gun on them and confirmed the elk was a 4 point bull. The bull fed directly away from me, giving me no shot. I turned the scope up to 14 power and drew back down on the bull. He was still in a bad position to shoot at. I looked up from the scope and noticed a second elk coming out of the trees feeding. I put the cross hairs on the elk and realized he was a big 5 point. I kept the crosshairs on him until he turned broadside and let him have a round from the 300 ultra mag. He stumbled and then took off on a dead run toward the thick timber. I shot two more times, missing both times. For some reason, the bull stopped on the treeline and posed for a photo shoot. The only shot he got was from my gun. He dropped, but then got right back up and went into the thick timber before I could reload. I called dad and had him come back to where I was. In the mean time, I went down to where the elk was last seen. The wind direction was blowing my scent down on top of the bull. Rather than risk bumping him further down into the trees, I decided to break off from the blood trail and pick my way through the nasty dead fall and thick timber in hopes of getting below him for a final shot.
My plan worked out perfect! I was able to get underneath him and put one through his heart at 50 yards. luckily he only made it about 80 to 100 yards into the thick stuff! I initially shot the bull at 10:30 am which is kind of late to see elk out feeding in the open! I ranged the shot after the bull was down and it ended up being a 438 yard shot on the last shot before he bailed into the thick stuff. The first shot that hit him was 404 yards. Dad and I spent the next 12 hours packing that elk out and back to camp! On the way out, we heard another bull bugling close by. It was dark, so we just kept on packing elk back to camp. We went back the next evening but never saw or heard another elk. Dad?s knee was done so we packed up and left Wednesday morning.

Even though he is a five point, the bull is still bigger than the other two 6x6's I have pulled out of this area and dwarfs all the other 5 points I have pulled out of the same area. The body on this elk was massive!


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On this Euro Mount, I ended up using an 88 cent bottle of peroxide and some propane to boil the head. The cost was roughly $15.00 to get the skull to this condition. Now thats a nice cost savings there, considering most people want $200.00-$250.00 for a euro mount! I think it turned out great for being my first time ever attempting to boil a skull.

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This pic just shows how heavy this 5 point is. I'm 6 foot and I don't have small hands. This bull had some mass around his bases. As you can see, I didn't get too far trying to wrap my hand around his base!

The trip was excellent! Last year my dad and I killed on the first day and left on Monday with two nice bulls. This year, the trip was cut short again because of success. And thats the best way to cut a trip short if you're going to!

I am already looking forward to next year and the years to come when my kids start hunting by my side. I know my hunting years are coming to an end with dad as he bravely faces the road of old age and all the effects that come with it. However, He and I will pull this hunt off for as many years as we possibly can because in my humble opinion, nothing else matters except the quality time I get to spend each year with the man who introduced me to the sport and taught me much of what I know about hunting and surviving in the great outdoors. Thanks dad......for everything!
 
Damn nice bull

Nice 'Mule Cart' too!

Isn't that the cart ya use behind your Mountain Bike?

congrats

Robb
 
Thanks guys!

Yes it hooks to the mountain bike. Thats the only way to get em out of that area. too far in to pack one out! If you recall, I did a thread earlier this year where I changed up the mountain bike attachment. Here is a couple of pics...

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Thanks for the right up and pics BloodTracker. What a great hunt you guys experienced. Congrats on a very nice bull. Keep up the good work..!! :)

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
 

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