B
BUGLEMAN
Guest
Well, we all know about the disappointment we feel when we get that rejection letter from the fish and game in april. Well it was the same this year for me too. Another year of chsing spikes was the reality again.
Well, almost...9 days before the limited entry muzzleloader season I received a call from the SLC fish and game office. They told me that someone had returned there tag and I was next on the list, they asked me if I wanted the tag. Well, I thought for about 10 seconds (just enough time for it all to register in my brain) and of course I accepted the tag.
I traveled to my chosen unit in southern utah and bagan the hunt. prior to the hunt...and while the rifle hunt was still going, I saw the biggest bull I have ever seen in the wild. The bull was huge and i estimated it to be a 380+ bull. I saw that bull for 2 days prior to the hunt, the last time just before dark evening before the opener fighting with another monster 360+ bull.
Opening morning came and the big moster could not be found. The 360+ bull was still there and was actually the herd bull for the group of elk I was hunting. The herd bull came within 100-150 yards and I could see that the bull had broken one of his swords during the battle the night before. I could not make up my mind wether or not to shoot the bull, and the indicision cost me my chance. That evening I was set up in the meadow that the elk were using. Right before dark the elk moved into the meadow like they had two nights previous. I had the big herd bull walk past me at 30 yards. Perfect I thought, I figured for sure that this hunt was over and I had fulfilled a dream of mine for many years.
Well I took aim and the shot connected. I watched the bull head to the trees with his cows and could see him favoring his right leg. I had not hit where I wanted to, more in the upper shoulder area. I did not recover the elk. I searched well into the night until the flashlight batteries went dead. I was at my last spot of blood at first light and me and my father and uncle searched the area all day long. I was only able to located 4 drops of blood and one bush with a small amount from trhe elk brushing up against it. THe blood was over the distance of approximately 400 yards. I had to go over 100 yards to get to each of the 4 drops of blood. My only guess is that the bullet exploded in the shoulder and never entered the chest cavity. I am sure the bull will die and I am sick about it to this day. I was virtually ill the next few days of my hunt just thinking that i had lost my bull and that i may never had a chance to get a big bull again. I called in several small 6 pt bulls and rag horns over the next few days. I was the point that I was going to take a 320 class bull and that oppurtunity came.
I called a bull within 30 yards again. When I brought my gun up to shoot, I could not belive my eyes, my front sight was gone. I figured that the bull was close enough that i could hit it without my front sight. I guesstimated the spot where my front sight should have been and fired. Well I barely scared the animal. He was not hit and ran away with no problems. I was able to determine that my front sight was a lot taller than i thought it was. I had shot right over the elk.
Well by this time I was really discouraged. My family ahd to return home the next morning and i would be left chasing the elk on my own.
The morning my help was to leave another bull had decided to take rein of the cows in the meadow. The meadow is over 600 yards across. I was in position at first light and the bulls were out in the meadow like ususall screaming there heads off. The satalite bulls left the clearing and the cows wanted to leave too. THe herd bull screamed at us and wanting us to come join his harem. He would bugle grunt and bugle again without finishing his grunting sequence. He was so angry that we would not come from the trees to him. HE screamed for 2 hours the whole time keeping his cows in the meadow. they continually kept trying to go to the trees. He would not let them until he decide that he had enough. HE herded his herd up the hill towards there bedding area. I thought i was finished. After the cows were on the move. the big bull came back into the clearing and headed our way. I was absolutly amazed. The bull continued to scream at us and made his way across the meadow. He came over 400 yards and i still can not believe he left his cows to come get us. He came up to the tree line and bugled 15 yards away. I was not presented a broadside shot until he was 5 yards away, ya you heard right 5 yards. The shot was true and the bull only went 40 yards and fell.
I am used to judging elk antler length based on the elks body. I could see the elk while he did his mating ritual and did not think he was as big as he turned out to be, but when I walked up to the elk i knew i had messed up the judgement. His body was huge. He was the biggest elk body size me or my family had seen. others in my family have taken mature elk and the body on this elk did not compare. THe elk is 348 gross. he has 55 inch main beams and good mass and tine length through out. He will not net well because of the tips of most the tines are broken. he had been fighing quite a bit. His G1 on the right side is missing about 1/4 of the tine and the back G5 on the same side is broken in have. THe hunt was the hunt of a lifetime and was a great experience. I was glad I could get a nice 6pt bull with a muzzleloader. Browtine has some of my pics and will be posting them shortly.
Well, almost...9 days before the limited entry muzzleloader season I received a call from the SLC fish and game office. They told me that someone had returned there tag and I was next on the list, they asked me if I wanted the tag. Well, I thought for about 10 seconds (just enough time for it all to register in my brain) and of course I accepted the tag.
I traveled to my chosen unit in southern utah and bagan the hunt. prior to the hunt...and while the rifle hunt was still going, I saw the biggest bull I have ever seen in the wild. The bull was huge and i estimated it to be a 380+ bull. I saw that bull for 2 days prior to the hunt, the last time just before dark evening before the opener fighting with another monster 360+ bull.
Opening morning came and the big moster could not be found. The 360+ bull was still there and was actually the herd bull for the group of elk I was hunting. The herd bull came within 100-150 yards and I could see that the bull had broken one of his swords during the battle the night before. I could not make up my mind wether or not to shoot the bull, and the indicision cost me my chance. That evening I was set up in the meadow that the elk were using. Right before dark the elk moved into the meadow like they had two nights previous. I had the big herd bull walk past me at 30 yards. Perfect I thought, I figured for sure that this hunt was over and I had fulfilled a dream of mine for many years.
Well I took aim and the shot connected. I watched the bull head to the trees with his cows and could see him favoring his right leg. I had not hit where I wanted to, more in the upper shoulder area. I did not recover the elk. I searched well into the night until the flashlight batteries went dead. I was at my last spot of blood at first light and me and my father and uncle searched the area all day long. I was only able to located 4 drops of blood and one bush with a small amount from trhe elk brushing up against it. THe blood was over the distance of approximately 400 yards. I had to go over 100 yards to get to each of the 4 drops of blood. My only guess is that the bullet exploded in the shoulder and never entered the chest cavity. I am sure the bull will die and I am sick about it to this day. I was virtually ill the next few days of my hunt just thinking that i had lost my bull and that i may never had a chance to get a big bull again. I called in several small 6 pt bulls and rag horns over the next few days. I was the point that I was going to take a 320 class bull and that oppurtunity came.
I called a bull within 30 yards again. When I brought my gun up to shoot, I could not belive my eyes, my front sight was gone. I figured that the bull was close enough that i could hit it without my front sight. I guesstimated the spot where my front sight should have been and fired. Well I barely scared the animal. He was not hit and ran away with no problems. I was able to determine that my front sight was a lot taller than i thought it was. I had shot right over the elk.
Well by this time I was really discouraged. My family ahd to return home the next morning and i would be left chasing the elk on my own.
The morning my help was to leave another bull had decided to take rein of the cows in the meadow. The meadow is over 600 yards across. I was in position at first light and the bulls were out in the meadow like ususall screaming there heads off. The satalite bulls left the clearing and the cows wanted to leave too. THe herd bull screamed at us and wanting us to come join his harem. He would bugle grunt and bugle again without finishing his grunting sequence. He was so angry that we would not come from the trees to him. HE screamed for 2 hours the whole time keeping his cows in the meadow. they continually kept trying to go to the trees. He would not let them until he decide that he had enough. HE herded his herd up the hill towards there bedding area. I thought i was finished. After the cows were on the move. the big bull came back into the clearing and headed our way. I was absolutly amazed. The bull continued to scream at us and made his way across the meadow. He came over 400 yards and i still can not believe he left his cows to come get us. He came up to the tree line and bugled 15 yards away. I was not presented a broadside shot until he was 5 yards away, ya you heard right 5 yards. The shot was true and the bull only went 40 yards and fell.
I am used to judging elk antler length based on the elks body. I could see the elk while he did his mating ritual and did not think he was as big as he turned out to be, but when I walked up to the elk i knew i had messed up the judgement. His body was huge. He was the biggest elk body size me or my family had seen. others in my family have taken mature elk and the body on this elk did not compare. THe elk is 348 gross. he has 55 inch main beams and good mass and tine length through out. He will not net well because of the tips of most the tines are broken. he had been fighing quite a bit. His G1 on the right side is missing about 1/4 of the tine and the back G5 on the same side is broken in have. THe hunt was the hunt of a lifetime and was a great experience. I was glad I could get a nice 6pt bull with a muzzleloader. Browtine has some of my pics and will be posting them shortly.
