F
FullDraw84
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Oct-30-12 AT 01:43PM (MST)[p]Here are a few pictures from my elk hunt. I had a 1st season bull tag for back home in Colorado.
It snowed a couple of inches the night before the opener. Opening morning was intermittent snow & rain, with lots of fog. We spent the AM chasing bugles in the fog. The fog burned off at 12:30 and I spotted this bull with 22 cows and 3 raghorns across the canyon. They were at 700 yards, so we moved down canyon as they fed until they were at 500 yards. I was able to create a shooting rest and settle in. My wife and I watched this bull for almost an hour and a half before I decided that I did want to kill him. We watched him work his cows and bugle almost three dozen times. He was initially at 505 yards, with just a trace of a breeze coming up canyon, so I felt comfortable with the shot. He fed down into some aspens and presented a shot at 475 yards. I hit him with the first shot and he began moving toward a thick drainage where I was going to lose sight of him. I missed with my second and third shots, then dropped him with my fourth shot. We watched him for 15 minutes and he didn't move. It took us an hour to cross the canyon to get to him. He is a big 5x6. Was originally a 7x6 but broke two points off of his left side. My biggest bull to date.
We cleaned him and hung his quarters that night. He was 4.1 miles from the road. I shot him at 14:30 and we didn't get back to the truck until 23:45. His body size was unbelievable and he was difficult to clean on the steep hillside. We went home, got the horses and a couple of friends, and went back in to pack the quarters out. Much easier and quicker trip with the horses! My brother also got his bull on the opener, so needless to say, Sunday was a busy day for us getting both bulls out of the canyon. We were fortunate to have the five horses to pack them out.
This hunt was very special for a number of reasons. It was the first time that my wife was with me when I shot something. I also had my brother and father there, and was able to talk to my mother, who was back in camp, on the radio after I got him. With my brother and I both having tags, we spent over 30 days on the mountain scouting together. We saw some unbelievable sights and had the opportunity to spend some great time together. This was also the first time that I used my horses for packing an elk. They did such a solid job, I couldn't be more pleased.
This is also the first animal that I was able to shoot with my new rifle. It is a Browning A-Bolt Long Range Hunter, in 7MM, and I put a Huskemaw scope on it. I put over 200 rounds through it in practice prior to my hunt. I received some excellent coaching from a very experienced shooter and learned more about ballistics than I ever thought that I would. If I had not put in the practice, I would not have been able to have the opportunity to harvest this bull.
Even at my age, this is the last time that I will choose to hunt Unit 61 for 1st Season. It is my absolute favorite place in the entire state of Colorado but as a resident, I feel that there are other very good hunt opportunites that take less points for me to draw. That being said, I will continue to spend 30+ days on the Plateau simply for the fact of being out in it. If anybody ever needs help in this unit, feel free to look me up. I will offer up my two cents and you can do with it as you wish.
Hope you enjoy!
My hiking partner sure enjoyed my elk success too!
It snowed a couple of inches the night before the opener. Opening morning was intermittent snow & rain, with lots of fog. We spent the AM chasing bugles in the fog. The fog burned off at 12:30 and I spotted this bull with 22 cows and 3 raghorns across the canyon. They were at 700 yards, so we moved down canyon as they fed until they were at 500 yards. I was able to create a shooting rest and settle in. My wife and I watched this bull for almost an hour and a half before I decided that I did want to kill him. We watched him work his cows and bugle almost three dozen times. He was initially at 505 yards, with just a trace of a breeze coming up canyon, so I felt comfortable with the shot. He fed down into some aspens and presented a shot at 475 yards. I hit him with the first shot and he began moving toward a thick drainage where I was going to lose sight of him. I missed with my second and third shots, then dropped him with my fourth shot. We watched him for 15 minutes and he didn't move. It took us an hour to cross the canyon to get to him. He is a big 5x6. Was originally a 7x6 but broke two points off of his left side. My biggest bull to date.
We cleaned him and hung his quarters that night. He was 4.1 miles from the road. I shot him at 14:30 and we didn't get back to the truck until 23:45. His body size was unbelievable and he was difficult to clean on the steep hillside. We went home, got the horses and a couple of friends, and went back in to pack the quarters out. Much easier and quicker trip with the horses! My brother also got his bull on the opener, so needless to say, Sunday was a busy day for us getting both bulls out of the canyon. We were fortunate to have the five horses to pack them out.
This hunt was very special for a number of reasons. It was the first time that my wife was with me when I shot something. I also had my brother and father there, and was able to talk to my mother, who was back in camp, on the radio after I got him. With my brother and I both having tags, we spent over 30 days on the mountain scouting together. We saw some unbelievable sights and had the opportunity to spend some great time together. This was also the first time that I used my horses for packing an elk. They did such a solid job, I couldn't be more pleased.
This is also the first animal that I was able to shoot with my new rifle. It is a Browning A-Bolt Long Range Hunter, in 7MM, and I put a Huskemaw scope on it. I put over 200 rounds through it in practice prior to my hunt. I received some excellent coaching from a very experienced shooter and learned more about ballistics than I ever thought that I would. If I had not put in the practice, I would not have been able to have the opportunity to harvest this bull.
Even at my age, this is the last time that I will choose to hunt Unit 61 for 1st Season. It is my absolute favorite place in the entire state of Colorado but as a resident, I feel that there are other very good hunt opportunites that take less points for me to draw. That being said, I will continue to spend 30+ days on the Plateau simply for the fact of being out in it. If anybody ever needs help in this unit, feel free to look me up. I will offer up my two cents and you can do with it as you wish.
Hope you enjoy!
My hiking partner sure enjoyed my elk success too!
