[img] Lets just say I started the day off on the right note. Got into town to fill the truck up with gas and it struck me that I didnt have any of my hunting liscenses on me. Fantastic.had to head back home and dig them up.Well I'll only be a couple minutes late meeting Matt.
I really wasnt optimistic heading into this season.During my scouting trips I hadnt seen many elk.And no legal bulls.But what the heck.You never know.I've had other seasons start that way too,but ended well.
So any how,after hooking up with my son we pulled into an area that we have had success in in the past.WE were right on the border of an area we could hunt,.and one we couldnt. We got out of the truck and were getting ready to hit the timber when we heard a bugle from the area we couldnt hunt.That was crazy.We looked at each other like what now.I told Matt to work down on the edge of our area and see if he could call the bull in while I made a small loop to check an area where I had seen a couple elk a few days before.I was pretty sure there were 2 groups of elk in the area.Just didnt know what it had in the way of legal bulls.If anything. I knew the route I was taking would only take a few minutes.So I was hoping I could get around it and catch up to Matt before he got into position to call the bull that was bugling at daylight.About 1/2 way around the loop there is a big clearcut that I checked.Nothing in it.So I worked my way down the edge of some big timber and was within about a 100 yards of him when I spotted a couple cows right below me.Probably 1/2 way between us.The cows were working into the timber when I spotted a bull.Couldnt tell if it was legal or not and it kept working into the timber also.I decided to side hill them a ways and see if I could get a better look.In no time I saw the bull again.It took awhile but I finally saw that it had at least the required 3 points.Pulled up, aimed right behind the shoulder and pulled the trigger.Waited for the smoke to clear,but no elk.Couldnt see anything where I shot.Didnt know for sure if I got him.Or missed and he used the smoke for cover to escape by.After a few seconds I heard him thrashing in the brush and I knew he was down.By the time I got to him he was dead.Perfect shot! In the meantime the elk we herd bugling in the morning had crossed into our area and were headed towards the clearcut I had checked earlier.
I tagged my elk and followed Matt back to the clear cut,just in time to see the small herd I got into,join up with the bull that was bugling and the rest of his herd.That bull was also a shooter and Matt got into range but didnt have a good shot.That bull had a cow standing behind it.So he escaped up into a thick alder patch.Matt stalked them for awhile,but it was too thick.He didnt want to spook them so he let them be.Hooked back up with me and helped me get my bull out.Back to the house and hung up.Then we were heading in to see if we could get back into the herd,and the bull that he tried for.
Heres a pic of my bull. Incredible mass,tall,wide,and palmated.Well not really,but just enough to be legal.
Allright, we headed back over and I had Matt drop me off about a 1/2 mile away from where we went in that morning and I was going to try to work my way through and push the elk back into him.Or at least try to keep them from busting clear out of the area.I had only gotten in a few hundred yards when I spotted a couple cows.I radiod Matt and let him know that I was in them.But was just going to back out,have him come back around and go in where I was at.But I wanted to watch them a bit and see what they were going to do.I lost sight of them pretty quick,so I thought I would ease in and see if I could nudge them back towards Matt.Well you know how well that works.Almost never.
I started following the herd and believe it or not,they were actuallyheaded in the right direction.But its a big area,and chances are really slim they will be close enough for him to see ,let alone get a possible shot.It was pretty thick stuff.I mostly just followed the tracks for about 15 minutes that the elk were making. Then I heard a shot.My heart jumped.I was sure it was Matt.We hadnt seen anybody else in the area.Which was incredible in itself. I called matt on the radio.Did you get him.Ya,I got him. Is he down,Ya hes down!!! Awesome.Start gutting him and i will find you.Love those Rhinos.
It took me another fifteen to 20 minutes to get to where he was at. He was standing over the bull that got away from him that morning.And he had blood up past his elbows.What an awesome sight.
Of course he had to show his Dad up with a nicer bull.And of course it had to be a lot harder to get out.But we pulled it off.It was an amazing day.
Only the second time my partner and I have gotten our elk on the same day in 40 years of hunting.And the first time of getting one, then going back and getting the second one in the same day.I dont think we had a total of 3 hours of actual hunt time in for the 2 elk.
Heres his bull a nice real dark horned fored horn with double eyegaurds.
Sorry for the lousy cell phone pics.
And a pic of them after all the work is done.
I suck at this post and pic stuff so i hope it all shws up.Thanks for you patience everybody.I appreciate it.