'23 Elk Hunt

dgfavor · Oct 8, 2023

Fun hunt with Coyote_chaser and his daughter - just the right amount of soul searching tough conditions and physical challenges balanced with good fun and beautiful country.

twdjr · Oct 8, 2023

Congrats!

headbones · Oct 8, 2023

Looks like wet wapati weather! Beautiful looking country. Thanks for sharing.

Ranger1 · Oct 8, 2023

Great country, beautiful bull, and great memories! Congrats!

Moe · Oct 8, 2023

Looks like you earned it in Idaho! Congrats.

Stillwater165 · Oct 9, 2023

Great hunt, great pics thanks for sharing !

dgfavor · Oct 9, 2023

headbones said:
Looks like wet wapati weather! Beautiful looking country. Thanks for sharing.

Yah for sure, we got wet!! I gotta come up with some rain wear I can hike in and not get just as soaked on the inside from sweat!

Got some funky shots with my camera all fogged up:

DeerMadness · Oct 10, 2023

Congrats DG ! Very cool

BradA · Oct 10, 2023

Congratulations

Coyote_chaser · Oct 11, 2023

What a good time! Doug made one hell of a stalk and shot on a bull in a difficult spot. Had a blast, was exhausted! Awesome bull also!

Blindnonresident · Oct 11, 2023

The Dr prescribes the lead pill to old ivory tip.

Jgill19 · Oct 11, 2023

Thanks for sharing!! Got time for a play by play on the stalk and shot?

dgfavor · Oct 12, 2023

Jgill19 said:
Thanks for sharing!! Got time for a play by play on the stalk and shot?

Geez, don't get me started...but since you ask:
First off - I was shooting a 6.5-300 Wby with 143gr ELD-X that I chrono'd at just shy 3200fps, calc'd a conservative MPBR on 8" vitals of 360yds, then verified multiple times at the range with my last 350yd group being 1.24"/0.4MOA. I set a "pretty firm/open to negotiation" 350yd limit cuz that's just how I roll - I just feel like I should be able to get that close in most cases if I use my hunting noodle a little. (If you figure an elk has 24" vitals I probably had an MPBR of mid 400yds but I kept that to myself and also the DOPE I had out to 900yds hidden under an ammo sleeve on butt of my gun

)

We were contouring around from our camp to get to a good glassing spot opening morning. We had just had a herd of cows and calves sort of cut us off and come up the ridge in front of us, we sat there and let them pass on thru then got back under way. We hadn't gone far and waaay down on the next open ridge, a long grassy Hell's Canyon/Salmon Canyon ridge if you're familiar, I saw what looked like an out of place black, burned stump right on the horizon...hmmm. I mounted the binos and it was an obviously legal bull grazing straight at me, head down so just looked like a black stump. I think he was 770yds. at that point in light timber.

We made quick time to get to a bench where we had good view of him - 550yds., completely broadside perfectly on the horizon. Quick negotiation - no bueno. We had perfect wind and I knew we could easily get to next line of trees, next lower bench which we did. Bull was now I think 450yds, still right smack on the horizon (not a shot I like) with a massive amount of wilderness he could disappear into in one or two jumps. We were talking it out but as we discussed it the bull actually fed down country out of sight so made the decision for us.

We had good wind, elevation and terrain in our favor so we crossed to get on same ridge he was on, eased our way down the spine, me on the side he was feeding towards, them on the side he had been on (I should mention Alli also had drawn a tag but they were adament I screw up the first opportunity). I could see an open bench on my side I thought he would likely feed into so set up on my sticks and pack at 170yds and they set up opposite me in case he had fed back that side...and we waited...nothing. I knew he had to still be out there on that steep, open face, we just couldn't see him due to the terrain, and our patience wore out quick.

We had great wind so re-grouped on the spine and went for the super slow, hunched, creepy-crawly stalk down the ridge until Josh spotted his antlers sticking above the horizon. It looked like he was facing away from us but we couldn't tell if he was laying or standing.

We were in wide open, very steep, "chukar" type country with some sparse 1ft. tall sage brush. As luck would have it there was an over-achieving sage bush about shin high, maybe nearly knee height, right on the brow of the rise between him and me. I pondered belly crawling vs. butt scooting and went for the butt scoot keeping that single bush between him and me - all I could see was his antlers. Josh and Alli stayed where they were.

I very slowly scooted down and got to about 10yds from that bush and suddenly he swiveled his head and was for sure either looking right at me or them up the hill. I estimate he was 60yds, Josh thinks he was 40yds - with a little side peaking I could see the top third of his neck and his whole head. At that close range I pondered a neck shot and slowly raised my rifle but all I could see was that bush in front of me.

Because of the terrain and steepness, I knew if he was standing I was screwed and would have zero shot...if he was laying and had to stand up I might be in the money. It wasn't looking good for me and I've got a history of screwing up such things. We had a stand off for about 5 minutes and I decided if I got nothing else out of this deal I was going to get a picture of this guy. I just started to ease my phone out of my cargo pocket...and he stood up, full body view, dead perpendicular broadside to me - we'll compromise and call it 50yds!!

I was sort of between laying completely on my back and a sitting up position trying to stay below that bush so I just went ahead and sat fully up, raised my gun, I'm honestly not sure if I free handed or rested on my knees, put the crosshairs on the low crease behind his shoulders and squeezed the trigger...and squeezed the trigger. Dammit, I had only slid the 3 position safety to the mid position. I pushed the safety fully forward, probably slapped the trigger, boom, and the hillside exploded with cows and calves like magic emerging from the grass all around him, then the mass of them running down country - we never even knew they were there. He got into the middle of them, ran about 80yds, stiffened up, toppled and flipped/rolled/tumbled down the mountain probably 150+ yds stopping on just a slight bump of what I'd call a very steep chukar slope - never out of our sight the whole time. Done deal!!

Super fun! Shouldn't have worked and should have been another chapter in my hunting bloopers.

My only regret, being the good friend I am, at the last minute, in that staredown at 50yds, holding a 6.5-300 Wby in my hands is that I didn't pull out my rangefinder then start fiddling with my scope just cuz I know Josh would have literally yelled "WTF are you doing!!!??" and it would have been hilarious!! ?

Doesn't look very steep in this photo but with nothing solid to tie to he about killed us breaking him down, yard sale'ing shiz all over the hill and sending people running at one point: