Well it started with 6in of snow the first day we got there and could barely make it up the mountain where we were going hunting. We finally made it and set up camp after about an hour to make a 1/2 mile trip.
The first evening I passed a legal bull that I slipped up on while he was sleeping. I just couldn't kill the first evening I was there. Granted this is the second time Ive been at this same piece of property in 2 yrs and killed the first day I was there last yr. I killed a 6 x6 the first time I was there but I wanted to wait for something bigger or around the same size.
Well the next 2 days we had a blizzard and coudnt hardly get out of camp. We did hunt the evenings but it was almost impossible to hunt. Coudnt see over a 100 yds. Heard bulls bugling but just coudnt see them.
The last day I told my buddies I'm heading down the mountain to see if the elk moved down and that was the best decision I made all week. I started off walking almost a mile in all this snow we have gotten all week. It was over 24in of snow. The snow was above my knee and I thought what the crap am I doing.
It took forever to get to where I was going and didn't think I could do it. After I got set up I could here bulls and cows calling to my north. I knew then I was in the right spot. I also knew then my *** is out of shape and if I die here they won't find me till spring.
From here it got crazy. I heard the elk to my north and I moved to the NE to where I though they would head to. When I got there I heard them to my west so I moved back over there which is about 800 yds. When I made it back to the original spot I heard them again and looked up the mountain and I seen them moving back to the NE over the mountain. I decided it's do or die so instead of going down the logging road i went over a small mountain to cutt them off. I ended up dropping my backpack on the way because I was wore out and thinking I'm going to die out here.
As I'm going over the small mountain I can see elk pouring over the big mountain to my north. They are coming my way. I finally made it to an opening and I sat down and got my shooting sticks up. Some of the elk ended up coming about 40 yds from me and I didn't have a shot. There were a couple legal bulls that came by but coudn't get a shot through the aspens. After that group went through I knew i need to get closer so I got up and moved to the logging road in front of me. After I made it there I could still see elk coming and all of a sudden they stopped because they got my wind because I was in a valley and it was blowing right to them.
There was still elk pouring off the mountain pilling up in a cluster of aspens in front of me then decided to head away from me. I thought I just screwed up as I watched them leave but I could still see some coming off the big mountain above me so I turned and put shooting sticks to where I could shoot straight up the mountain. And as soon as I did I saw him and I found him in my scope and squeezed the trigger. Not sure if I hit him I sat there thinking what the crap just happened. Not sure how many elk were in there but there was a lot.
After waiting about 30 min I climbed the big mountain to where I shot at the bull. It was 234yds to where I shot. I finally made it up there and when I got to the top I saw antlers sticking up. He didn't go 20 yds. Best and hardest hunt I've ever been on.
Can't get pics to load. Might need to send to someone.
The first evening I passed a legal bull that I slipped up on while he was sleeping. I just couldn't kill the first evening I was there. Granted this is the second time Ive been at this same piece of property in 2 yrs and killed the first day I was there last yr. I killed a 6 x6 the first time I was there but I wanted to wait for something bigger or around the same size.
Well the next 2 days we had a blizzard and coudnt hardly get out of camp. We did hunt the evenings but it was almost impossible to hunt. Coudnt see over a 100 yds. Heard bulls bugling but just coudnt see them.
The last day I told my buddies I'm heading down the mountain to see if the elk moved down and that was the best decision I made all week. I started off walking almost a mile in all this snow we have gotten all week. It was over 24in of snow. The snow was above my knee and I thought what the crap am I doing.
It took forever to get to where I was going and didn't think I could do it. After I got set up I could here bulls and cows calling to my north. I knew then I was in the right spot. I also knew then my *** is out of shape and if I die here they won't find me till spring.
From here it got crazy. I heard the elk to my north and I moved to the NE to where I though they would head to. When I got there I heard them to my west so I moved back over there which is about 800 yds. When I made it back to the original spot I heard them again and looked up the mountain and I seen them moving back to the NE over the mountain. I decided it's do or die so instead of going down the logging road i went over a small mountain to cutt them off. I ended up dropping my backpack on the way because I was wore out and thinking I'm going to die out here.
As I'm going over the small mountain I can see elk pouring over the big mountain to my north. They are coming my way. I finally made it to an opening and I sat down and got my shooting sticks up. Some of the elk ended up coming about 40 yds from me and I didn't have a shot. There were a couple legal bulls that came by but coudn't get a shot through the aspens. After that group went through I knew i need to get closer so I got up and moved to the logging road in front of me. After I made it there I could still see elk coming and all of a sudden they stopped because they got my wind because I was in a valley and it was blowing right to them.
There was still elk pouring off the mountain pilling up in a cluster of aspens in front of me then decided to head away from me. I thought I just screwed up as I watched them leave but I could still see some coming off the big mountain above me so I turned and put shooting sticks to where I could shoot straight up the mountain. And as soon as I did I saw him and I found him in my scope and squeezed the trigger. Not sure if I hit him I sat there thinking what the crap just happened. Not sure how many elk were in there but there was a lot.
After waiting about 30 min I climbed the big mountain to where I shot at the bull. It was 234yds to where I shot. I finally made it up there and when I got to the top I saw antlers sticking up. He didn't go 20 yds. Best and hardest hunt I've ever been on.
Can't get pics to load. Might need to send to someone.
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