E
Elkslayer111
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Oct-03-13 AT 02:24PM (MST)[p] Hello MM!! Really enjoy this website and thought that I would share with you the hunt my wife Cheryl had on Mt Dutton this year.
It has always been on of our goals to get Cheryl a nice bull elk. She actually got her first bull elk on a hunt last year in Montana.... a 5 pt and she shot him at 600 yards. So I was very excited for her hunt this year knowing that she could shoot long and that the Dutton is a place that could probably use it if needed.
Having hunted the Dutton 9 years ago on a archery elk hunt, I knew the unit very well. I had told her that we would be able to hunt low as the bulls seem to come to lower ground to breed the cows and keep tabs on the other bulls...at least that's what happened 9 years ago. Dang, these animails always make me a lier...and I never have them all figured out.
We hired Mossback ( Doyle Moss ) and he assigned Graig Ogden as our guide. Doyle was always in touch with us before and during our hunt and we appreciated him checking in with us as we knew he had allot going on this time of year. Graig was a stud and did an awsome job! He scouted a few days early before the hunt to try to locate some good bulls. What he found was no great amount of elk down in the lower area's! Dang it....I knew my wife was in for something a little different than I told her as I knew how tuff this mountain was...so I played it on the down low.
Greg and I hiked in and scouted the day before the hunt started and we were able to find a good bull late friday night just before dark. He was in a long way and it would take a huge hike in the dark to get there.
My good freinds Brandon and Clint arrived friday afternoon to help us on this hunt. Our plan was to put them on a high ridge with good glass and be able to let us know what they see and where to go.
Early at 5 am Cheryl, Graig and myself started the long hike in the dark while Brandon and Clint hiked to the high ridge that was farther down the mountain. After a hour or more we were able to make it to the first ridge where we would be able to possibly see the bull and hear him. As we waited we could hear a few bugles and as it got lighter, we were able to make out the bull in about the same location we left him at night.... another two ridges over and tough hiking. Graig asked Cheryl what she wanted to do and she said..let's go get him! I asked Cheryl if she looked at the ridges between us and the bull? Allot more up and down hiking. The ridges on Dutton are very steep!! She was good for it and said let's go!!
We tried to get Brandon and Clint on the radio to let them know what we saw and what the plan was.....but the Mossback radios were not communicating....so much for that plan!
Another long hike across a few rideges and we were getting close to the bull.
Pic of the country!
As we arrived close to the bottom of the second ridge we could see the bull with around 20 cows on the top of the next ridge over to the south. We ranged him at 800 yards and felt that we could get a little closer. We continued down the steep ridge another 200 yards. The bull was now at 608 yards... steep uphill on the opposite side of the canyon. We all took a look at the situation and asked Cheryl if she wanted to hike down and around the rige in front of us to get a 150 yard shoot? That would mean another long hike or if she wanted to try and shoot now? She said let's shoot now as another hike was not going to be much fun! We got set up with a very steep shooting position...the ridge we were on went straight down in front of us but it was also falling to the left. My wife shoots as a leftie even though she is really right handed. As you can tell, this put her in a real ackward prone shooting position. Her 300 WSM with 190 Berger VLD was set up with the front bipods and a backpack. With the steep uphill distance of 608 yards to the bull, we dialed 550 yards to compensate for the angle. I was a little worried about the shot as it was real difficult for her to get set-up as a leftie for this shot. She told me that she could see the bull ok in the scope and Graig told her to wait until the two cows clear below the bull. I asked her to hit the butt end of her gun while looking through the scope and make sure that it was a good setup before shooting. She did and said that the gun did not move. As the cows cleared below the bull, we told her to let it rip when she was ready....boom! Great shot above the front shoulder and the bull went straight down...I told her to lock another round in...but then Graig said not bother!!!! The bull was down for good and never moved after the shot.
We all jumped up and down and hi fives! I was proud of her for a great shot after a very nasty hike!
We then started to pack up the gear to go see the bull, when Brandon and Clint got us on the radio. Graig said where have you guys been? They said....on the ridge you sent us but could not contact us. Graig said......seeing anything this morning? They said...yea we just watched someone just dump a bull! We all laughed and told them it was Cheryl! They said good and that there was another spotter up there with them that was cussing like no other...since that bull got dropped. They actually had brought a hunter in with horses to within 400 yards of the bull when Cheryl shot the bull on the very top of the ridge line.
Pic of bull at the top of the ridge while hiking up, you can see the horns at the top of the ridge.
Alan and Cheryl
Alan and Cheryl and Graig
Alan and Cheryl and Brandon and Clint
Talked Cheryl into a Sexy Shot..she will kill me for posting this!
Cheryls gun "empty" and pointing the "WRONG WAY". She didnt do it. Good pic for a "not how to set a gun down". I think it was me!!
Gun in better position after I figured it out!!!
Just wanted to end with saying thanks to Mossback and Graig Ogden for a job well done and also to Brandon and Clint for being such great friends and comiing to help us out. If we do a guided hunt again, Mossback will for sure be called. Thanks Doyle and Graig!!
Cheryls bull scored 345 and we were real happy about this bull in some difficult terrain and not seeing many large bulls during this hunt. The rut did not come in as hard as we had hoped for and most of the elk were up towards the middle and top of the mountain with all the available water and 2ft of grass everywhere.
I have the "Best Wife Ever"!!!!!!
Silly Boys.......Girls can Shoot!!!
It has always been on of our goals to get Cheryl a nice bull elk. She actually got her first bull elk on a hunt last year in Montana.... a 5 pt and she shot him at 600 yards. So I was very excited for her hunt this year knowing that she could shoot long and that the Dutton is a place that could probably use it if needed.
Having hunted the Dutton 9 years ago on a archery elk hunt, I knew the unit very well. I had told her that we would be able to hunt low as the bulls seem to come to lower ground to breed the cows and keep tabs on the other bulls...at least that's what happened 9 years ago. Dang, these animails always make me a lier...and I never have them all figured out.
We hired Mossback ( Doyle Moss ) and he assigned Graig Ogden as our guide. Doyle was always in touch with us before and during our hunt and we appreciated him checking in with us as we knew he had allot going on this time of year. Graig was a stud and did an awsome job! He scouted a few days early before the hunt to try to locate some good bulls. What he found was no great amount of elk down in the lower area's! Dang it....I knew my wife was in for something a little different than I told her as I knew how tuff this mountain was...so I played it on the down low.
Greg and I hiked in and scouted the day before the hunt started and we were able to find a good bull late friday night just before dark. He was in a long way and it would take a huge hike in the dark to get there.
My good freinds Brandon and Clint arrived friday afternoon to help us on this hunt. Our plan was to put them on a high ridge with good glass and be able to let us know what they see and where to go.
Early at 5 am Cheryl, Graig and myself started the long hike in the dark while Brandon and Clint hiked to the high ridge that was farther down the mountain. After a hour or more we were able to make it to the first ridge where we would be able to possibly see the bull and hear him. As we waited we could hear a few bugles and as it got lighter, we were able to make out the bull in about the same location we left him at night.... another two ridges over and tough hiking. Graig asked Cheryl what she wanted to do and she said..let's go get him! I asked Cheryl if she looked at the ridges between us and the bull? Allot more up and down hiking. The ridges on Dutton are very steep!! She was good for it and said let's go!!
We tried to get Brandon and Clint on the radio to let them know what we saw and what the plan was.....but the Mossback radios were not communicating....so much for that plan!
Another long hike across a few rideges and we were getting close to the bull.
Pic of the country!
As we arrived close to the bottom of the second ridge we could see the bull with around 20 cows on the top of the next ridge over to the south. We ranged him at 800 yards and felt that we could get a little closer. We continued down the steep ridge another 200 yards. The bull was now at 608 yards... steep uphill on the opposite side of the canyon. We all took a look at the situation and asked Cheryl if she wanted to hike down and around the rige in front of us to get a 150 yard shoot? That would mean another long hike or if she wanted to try and shoot now? She said let's shoot now as another hike was not going to be much fun! We got set up with a very steep shooting position...the ridge we were on went straight down in front of us but it was also falling to the left. My wife shoots as a leftie even though she is really right handed. As you can tell, this put her in a real ackward prone shooting position. Her 300 WSM with 190 Berger VLD was set up with the front bipods and a backpack. With the steep uphill distance of 608 yards to the bull, we dialed 550 yards to compensate for the angle. I was a little worried about the shot as it was real difficult for her to get set-up as a leftie for this shot. She told me that she could see the bull ok in the scope and Graig told her to wait until the two cows clear below the bull. I asked her to hit the butt end of her gun while looking through the scope and make sure that it was a good setup before shooting. She did and said that the gun did not move. As the cows cleared below the bull, we told her to let it rip when she was ready....boom! Great shot above the front shoulder and the bull went straight down...I told her to lock another round in...but then Graig said not bother!!!! The bull was down for good and never moved after the shot.
We all jumped up and down and hi fives! I was proud of her for a great shot after a very nasty hike!
We then started to pack up the gear to go see the bull, when Brandon and Clint got us on the radio. Graig said where have you guys been? They said....on the ridge you sent us but could not contact us. Graig said......seeing anything this morning? They said...yea we just watched someone just dump a bull! We all laughed and told them it was Cheryl! They said good and that there was another spotter up there with them that was cussing like no other...since that bull got dropped. They actually had brought a hunter in with horses to within 400 yards of the bull when Cheryl shot the bull on the very top of the ridge line.
Pic of bull at the top of the ridge while hiking up, you can see the horns at the top of the ridge.
Alan and Cheryl
Alan and Cheryl and Graig
Alan and Cheryl and Brandon and Clint
Talked Cheryl into a Sexy Shot..she will kill me for posting this!
Cheryls gun "empty" and pointing the "WRONG WAY". She didnt do it. Good pic for a "not how to set a gun down". I think it was me!!
Gun in better position after I figured it out!!!
Just wanted to end with saying thanks to Mossback and Graig Ogden for a job well done and also to Brandon and Clint for being such great friends and comiing to help us out. If we do a guided hunt again, Mossback will for sure be called. Thanks Doyle and Graig!!
Cheryls bull scored 345 and we were real happy about this bull in some difficult terrain and not seeing many large bulls during this hunt. The rut did not come in as hard as we had hoped for and most of the elk were up towards the middle and top of the mountain with all the available water and 2ft of grass everywhere.
I have the "Best Wife Ever"!!!!!!
Silly Boys.......Girls can Shoot!!!