Wetside Elk Tag Filled!!!

[Pazn25]

Opening morning I head to where I scouted in the off season and saw animals only to get screwed by a couple rookie hunters as I was stalking the herd which I ended up finding out it had a legal bull with them.  As the day  goes by I find out that a bull was shot about 30 yards from where my brother was setup at a clearcut  .
Next day I head back up to see if my herd is back and of course all I see is the rookie hunters which I had a talkin to about how they screwed me opening morning.  Good guys just need to learn to hunt before heading out.  Now on to Monday our whole group of 5 head up to try and find a cow for my buddies dad who is 65 so he can get his cow tag filled before all of us youngsters have to head home on tuesday.  Well we all are on our stands until about 9 am with nothing moving in the area.  I get on the radio and tell the group we should all pack it up and head down 5 miles to our spot where we can push through some woods as a group and get the elk up off their beds and out in the open.  We head up and the push begins . With three of us pushing in the woods two in the clear cut our plan begins to unfold.  About an hour into the push my brother hears some noises of moving elk and see a legal bull, he pulls up, shoots and off he goes.  After following a trail for a bit he sees no blood and no dead elk.  We are thinking he hit a branch.   !!! We continue searching for his bull to get off another shot.  About 40 minutes in I start to hear noises from behind me, I drop to to ground and get ready for action.  I see 3 cows heading my direction and they end up 20 ft from me feeding and never knew I was there.  Off in the distance there is more cows passing by.  After no action for 10 mins I then hear more noise coming my way and this one is BIG and appears to be a bull but he veers off and heads up hill giving me no chance at a shot.  I decide to head up after him slowly as he is not spooked at all when I hear noise from behind me now.  I slowly turn around to see a bigger bull heading my was at about 75 yds through some downed branches.  He takes two leaps over a log and then is in clear view and stares at me.  I pull up my 300 wby and BOOOOM, he freezes as a branch blows up right in front of him, I reload and torch off another round and BOOOOOOM down he goes and at 130 pm the work begins.    We are in a horrible location for pulling out an elk but its possible non the less.  Truck is miles away as it is a closed gate situation and 8 hours later and 5 sore dudes we get the elk back to the truck at 9pm.  With my deer tag filled  and now my elk it has been a successful hunting season and now has come to an end.  Great times with the best hunting partners. 

[big game hunter]

Congrats! 

[Skyvalhunter]

Wooohooo congrats very nice elk. Much easier to carry meat like a gurney though.

[buck man]

Love the chocolate horns of rosies. Good job.

[scottfrick]

So did ur brother completely miss? Or hit another bull?

[steeleywhopper]

Nice bull!

[blackveltbowhunter]

Nice Bull! Gotta love them rosies!!

[ShaneTyTrey]

Well done

[Pazn25]

We put all of our heads together and we feel he completely missed the elk.  The reaction of the elk wasnt as if it was hit at all and the woods we were in are pretty open and narrow.  We were able to look pretty good and saw no signs of a hit elk.  I believe the first bull I saw was probably the one my brother shot at.

[jtw]

Congrats and that's a good looking bull.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Nice Bull!  Congrats!

[Turner89]

Nice looking Bull

[ElPasoCounty]

Nice Bull...Can't wait until 2013 to head out.

[Hunting7mm]

Nice!!!!!!!

[Sneekee23]

I hope you gave the rookie hunters a helpful lesson... We all know that most people learn by the experience of screwing up a few hunts.  I realize it is frustrating, but then again we were all rookies at one point in time.  Congrats on a successful hunt and a great bull.

[Deep Forks]

How did the rookie hunters screw you opening morning? 

Very nice bull.

[chukar58]

Congrats on a very nice Bull! 

[Kioti]

There is some nice steaks there....dandy of a bull...I like the color on the rack.

[Ripper]

Nice Rosie, Congrats 

[jackmaster]

How did the rookie hunters screw you opening morning? 

Very nice bull.

was wondering the same thing, how do you know a rookie elk hunter from a normal elk hunter 

[klikboom]

NOOBS!

[Elkpiss]

Its Nice to See the Pro's get there elk!...   

[doyourtime89]

Great looking bull!!!   

[cem3434]

How did the rookie hunters screw you opening morning? 

Very nice bull.

was wondering the same thing, how do you know a rookie elk hunter from a normal elk hunter 

Its sounds like they rolled out of bed earlier and beat them into the spot! 

[cem3434]

I hope you gave the rookie hunters a helpful lesson... We all know that most people learn by the experience of screwing up a few hunts.  I realize it is frustrating, but then again we were all rookies at one point in time.  Congrats on a successful hunt and a great bull.

  Everyone has to learn somewhere.  We have all had hunts messed up by people that arent completely aware of what is going on around them, but that is hunting.

[elkoholic1]

   congrats!!!

[Pazn25]

I'm not claiming to be any kind of pro but I feel pretty good about my the choices I make when it comes to respect for other hunters.  I was glassing a clearcut at first daylight when two hunters walked behind me, I make it very clear what's going on.  They give me the nob and continue on.  With the herd below me and across the hillside the "rookie" hunters head along the ridge and into the thick loud noisy clearcut with the wind blowing right at their backs and down the draw where the elk were.  Needless to say the elk bolted and that was that.  I hung out for a few minutes to see if anything else was lingering around and then I hear from the clearcut about where I could see an orange vest a hoochie mama going to town like they were trying to call the herd back.  When I saw the hunters the next day I explained what I witnessed and how they could have done things differently.  They were good dudes just needed some guidance.

[Chesapeake]

Sounds like regular elk hunters to me.....

[Sneekee23]

Sounds like you gave them some good guidance 

[Pazn25]

 

Sounds like regular elk hunters to me.....

[hoytem]

 

[teanawayslayer]

congrats on a good bull.

[BOWHUNTER45]

SWEEEET... Wish I was that smart to back out the head on a pole 

[Kc_Kracker]

next time be VERY clear you will be SHOOTING BULLETS INTO THAT FAWKING DRAW, at an elk, whether they are PRESENT OR NOT

[Kc_Kracker]

SWEEEET... Wish I was that smart to back out the head on a pole 

[Kc_Kracker]

Congrats on a very nice Bull!

dandy of a bull? all we been shown is a head, could have been a scrawny 2 legged pirate bull for all we know 

[Pazn25]

Yea normally I would be carrying the head out alone but this was the morning after a very long night packing the meat out.  We were some very sore dudes.  And yea I should have been a little more clear on what directions bullets would be flying Body pics from in the woods will be coming soon.  My buddy has them on his camera as I did not have my camera in my backpack for the first time ever

[Doc Sauce]

That's a good lookin head.

Just curious...  How are supposed to learn to hunt before we go hunting??

I'm glad you gave some advice and tips to the new hunters.

[Pazn25]

I guess you cant learn to hunt before going but maybe going with a more experienced hunter first or join a site like this and ask question. Anything more then just going out winging it.  Its a dangerous sport to just go out and figure it out as you go.

[bullcanyon]

Congrats on the punched tag.  Can't believe you packed the head out like that.  If you aren't saving the cape.  Why not spend  a few min and skin the head and remove the lower jaw?  It will save you 20 ish pounds.  Must be a pro thing.....just kiddin ya there....

[Pazn25]

Yea I thought about just chopping off the top of the head or skinning it but I have a 4 year old son and he loves seeing the animal heads I bring home so he can brag to his cousins   the sacrifices I make for that little guy

[shorthair15]

if people would get out of there trucks and walk a little instead driving down every road in the entire unit it would help. ive ran into more ding dongs than ever this year im headed out again this morning with my boy ive seen 1 elk,4 grouse and 3 deer. could not verify if the elk was a bull he was in the timber. oh well thats the way it goes thats hunting. went into a few areas to hunt to have another truck pull up on some road i did not see in the way in. good luck every one be safe. nice looking bull good job.

[cem3434]

I'm not claiming to be any kind of pro but I feel pretty good about my the choices I make when it comes to respect for other hunters.  I was glassing a clearcut at first daylight when two hunters walked behind me, I make it very clear what's going on.  They give me the nob and continue on.  With the herd below me and across the hillside the "rookie" hunters head along the ridge and into the thick loud noisy clearcut with the wind blowing right at their backs and down the draw where the elk were.  Needless to say the elk bolted and that was that.  I hung out for a few minutes to see if anything else was lingering around and then I hear from the clearcut about where I could see an orange vest a hoochie mama going to town like they were trying to call the herd back.  When I saw the hunters the next day I explained what I witnessed and how they could have done things differently.  They were good dudes just needed some guidance.

Good for you! All kidding aside, congrats on a nice Rosie.