First Elk! Spike

[tjthebest]

Well i finally shot my first elk.

I got drawn for a muzzy COW tag so i was really excited that i could shoot pretty much the first elk i saw (except for a monster bull of course).

On opening morning we didnt see any animals in the woods except a coyote, which my hunting partner shot a cap at. My dad decided he wanted to get the muzzy deer tag as well so for the afternoon hunt we decided to drive around to an area where we always see deer. One of the main ways down to this area was closed so we decided to take the long way around. We got to the spot and were driving around trying to find a good spot to get out and walk.

Just as we crested the hill i said "this looks like a great spot" Not a second after that the driver slammed on the brakes and started backing up. Then he started frantically hitting me and hissing at me to get out of the truck and get a cap on the gun. Of course it took a second or two for me and my dad to register what was going on. Note to self and others: If you see an elk say "ELK" dont just smack someone to get out of the truck lol.

I get out of the truck and sneak around it to see the spike about 40 yds away quarted away from me. I dont like the shot so i dont shoot. then he started to run away and i really  wanted to shoot but he just never presented a good shot. After that i thought he was long gone. the driver told me to circle down the hill to the left while he went straight towards it and my dad went right up the hill. About a 100 yds from the truck i stop in this clearing with a good view of the other side of the ravine.

Lo and behold the spike comes trotting down the ravine and stops in just about the only clear spot that i can see, perfectly broadside at about 80 yds away. I put the fiber behind his front shoulder and pull the trigger. Boom. He crashes down the hill behind some trees and i go to reload and of course put the bullet in before the powder . I then tell my buddy that i messed up the reload and told him to come to me so i can use his gun for a follow up shot if need be. Right after this i hear another crash which i beleived to be his last breath crash.

My dad and our buddy get to me and i told them i wanted to wait a while before we go looking for blood so we dont spook him. At this point my dad is like a kid in a candy store. I literally tell him like 10 times to wait. Finally we start walking to where i shot him. then we looked down the hill and saw an oddly shaped log at the base of a tree. Put the binos on him and there he was.

It was only about a 100 yd drag downhill to the truck!

Big thanks to Thunder and Big Bird for getting me my first elk.

[PlateauNDN]

congrats.

[Broken Arrow]

Nice job and nice spike...way to get it done! Had to seriously laugh at the round before the powder though.....funny looking back at the things you do when the adrenaline starts pumping.

[FSTaxidermy]

Great job! congrats on your first, going to taste great 

[PAW66]

Congratulations, thanks for sharing

[carpsniperg2]

Congrats that is a dandy spike.

[renewed]

Great Job
nice pile of meat there.
hope my modern rifle hunt goes as well the end of the month

[dscubame]

Very sweet.  Love the story.

[tjthebest]

Thanks all! 

I forgot to mention that it was a double lung shot and virtually no meat got ruined. Just had a couple steaks from the backstrap and it was amazing!

I also found a huge 6 pt elk shed!

[X-Force]

Congrats! 

[buck man]

Nice elk and bonus find. 

[SniperDanWA]

Nice looking spike.  Congrats on the shot and the kill.

[stickbuck]

First elk and only a 100yd drag to the truck?!? Man, they won't get much easier than that. Congrats on a beauty!!

[7mmfan]

Nice work buddy! It is funny what you do when you're pumped! One time I jumped out of the truck and shot at a buck, put one shell in, thats all I thought I'd need... BOOM, buck just stands there. Now i'm scrambling! Grab another shell out of my pocket and try to chamber it but it won't chamber, what the hell?! Its my chapstick thats why.. Finally get another shell in and drop the buck which is still miraculously standing there, but chapstick for almost 10 seconds? Yeah, that was me.

[270Flat]

Sweet! That there is some good eats. 

[Rooster1981]

Great job on the first elk, I once loaded my slug in backwards after missing the first shot 

[elkhunter107]

great story, even greater first bull, nice shed to boot

[Blacktail Sniper]

Great story!  Congrats!

[C-Money]

Great looking bull! Congrats! I did not see what kind of bullet you used. Did you round ball him?

[tjthebest]

Great looking bull! Congrats! I did not see what kind of bullet you used. Did you round ball him?

348 grain powerbelt aerotip .50 with 90 grains pyrodex.

[combs338]

Nice work.

[Huntboy]

Congrats.