What a hunt!!! I had the time of my life and feel that this hunt was well worth the 9 bonus points it took me to draw it!!!
This hunt started off getting to know the country the year before the hunt started. I watched where the bulls wintered and talked with a lot of people on this and other websites. Not to mention friends and locals that live with these bulls.
Jim Hiatt with AWHOLELOTTABULL found a great bull that he thought I might want to look at and hunt. He was right, it was a beautiful bull with a lot of character. However, opening morning Team Snell was outhunted by team Knapp. Gary Knapp was able to harvest this beautiful 9X7 with the help of some family members. We watched the bull bed down in some thick pines and apparently so did they. They circled the mountain and positioned up the canyon above the pines and accross the canyon just up the hill a couple hundred yards above us. I was positioned accross the canyon from where the bull entered the pines waiting for the bull to come back out that night to feed. Team Knapp decided to not wait until that night for the bull to come out and executed a push to perfection and killed this beautiful bull. It was a good thing they did it when they did, after the bull dropped, so did the snow. It was a blizzard like conditions until dark. Great Job Gary!!!
After a re-energizing Sunday with Family and friends, I was ready to hit the hills again. I was able to find my bull and another bigger bull Sunday Evening and put them to bed (both were shooters in my book). Team Nephi (Shane, Dan, Mike, Andy, Craig & Wyatt) and I drew up the game plan. It included scaling the steep hills and positioning ourselves above the bulls so that at first light we would be able to not only have the elevation but a great vantage point to glass from. As we crested the saddle the wind was picking up and blowing directly into the oak filled canyon where these bulls were living. Things started to happen quickly as the bigger of the two bulls blew out the bottom of the draw and headed for safety below. This bull apparently did not pin point where the scent was coming from and acted a little confused as where to run. As I decended the hill to get a better vantage point I knew I was going to have to make a quick decision. After looking through the 12X scope at this bull, I quickly sized him up, decided he was a great bull and pulled the trigger, a few times.
What a feeling of exhiliration to actually harvest one of these great animals.
Can't thank all of my friends and family enough!!!
CS
