350 bull down

[Cougeyes]

As reluctant as I am about giving away too much information I will still disclose the area where I got this bull as I think I already mentioned previously what unit I drew and it is no secret that any special unit especially this one can produce quality bulls.  This bull came from the Peaches ridge unit and I drew the tag with 8 points.  I like to mule deer hunt more so than elk hunt, but drawing a tag like this can change a person’s drive.  I set my target on harvesting a 320+ bull as I knew this unit can produce very good bulls as my dad shot a 340 bull in 2000 and I shot a bull that was around 290.

I knew there were some good bulls hanging down in the lowlands of this unit but I wanted to harvest a bull in some of the more remote portions of this unit that are only accessible by horseback, motorcycles via trails or long hikes as most of the area is gated.  I wanted to scout a few days prior to the season opener to see what was in this country, but having not harvested a mule deer I hunted for 7 days before turning my sights towards locating some elk.  I road my motorcycle back into the same area my great-grandfather, grandfather, uncles, and dad hunted when they were young and the same area where my dad and I were successful in 2000.  I had heard from a friend there were some good bulls in this area during the archery season and was excited to get back in there as it had been several years since I had been there.  I got in there on Friday before the season opened and walked only 400 yards out a ridge and heard a deep bugle right in front of me 60 yards or so.  I found it interesting that these elk were still bugling and herding cows during the middle of October, but was happy for this to be taking place as it would be easier to locate them come opening morning.  The bull I saw that morning was a huge 6 by 7 bigger than the bull I harvested.  Not wanting to spook them I backed out of the area and went back home.  On Saturday night (18th) a good friend of mine came into town to help with the scouting and would be accompanying me on the hunt.  We went back up there Sunday and just over the ridge 3-400 yards from where I spotted him 2 days earlier was the same bull with 50 or so other elk.  The herd had 10-12 other bulls, mostly raghorns, a few spikes and the rest cows.  We stuck around and watched where they were headed and then went back home. 

Monday morning (opening day) my dad, friend, and myself were up there before daylight.  It was cold, windy and started snowing on top of the ridge.  My dad stayed back and glassed a smaller basin as my friend and I headed around the ridge towards where we saw them the previous day.  We crept up to the first open meadow where they were the day before and nothing was there.  We waited them moved over to the next ridge where we last saw them.  I stayed ontop of the ridge and glassed the backside as my friend went to a rock point 100 yards below to look down a draw.  He motioned for me to come down as he had spotted the big bull but by the time it took me to get there 30 seconds or so the bull had slipped into the timber.  We moved to the east the direction the elk were heading and soon met the demise of the reaming day and following day of my hunt.  Another guy that we knew happened to be hunting up there along with his hired “guide”. I wont disclose any names nor the name of the outfitter. Instead of hiking the ridge tops like we did the hunter and his guide decided to sidehill halfway down the meadow and across the face of the open slopes and adjoining timber strips right where the elk had been hanging.  They only checked the area out for 30 min or so then headed back to camp.  They had said they had spotted a big 8 point in the area on previous trips.  The bull my friend spotted that morning appeared to be a different and possibly bigger bull than the one we had been seeing.  We hunted all day for that bull and came up short.  A heavy storm blew in with decreasing visibility and increasing snow accumulations.  We built a fire to try and stay warm…the storm broke briefly so I went back to glassing the meadow. Saw one cow feeding across and could hear more in the timber calling but never showed themselves.  We decided with an hour left of light and an hour ride back to our truck we left the area.  There was ~ 3-4 inches of snow on top of the ridge when we got back to your motorcycles. 

Tuesday morning (21st) was clear and cold.  We figured this would be the day since the elk were probably stuck in the timber all night.  We got up there 30 minutes earlier than before as we felt the other hunter and his guide would try to beat us up there.  The motorcycle ride in was a challenge with 1-2 foot snow drifts in places.  A few crashes later and exhausted we made it back to the top of the ridge.  We beat the hunter and the guide, headed back to where we were the previous night and spotted 7 cows right in the draw.  I got set up thinking the bull would come out and he never showed himself.  An hour passes and here come the other hunter and guide hiking fast across the opening and not slowing as they entered the timber.  Not to mention….the wind was blowing from southwest to northeast so basically right at their backs as they motored on through the timber right where I knew the elk were.  I hear a bugle in the timber below me then see 3 cows bombing across the draw.  The hunters appear 300 yards below me on the same ridge I am on, look in the draw, turn around and head back the direction they came.  I head down to where I heard the bugle and run into two raghorns and pass on them.  I cut the hunters tracks and back-tracked them right into the middle of where all the elk had been, but had been scattered due to the stupidity of those two. I picked out the most beat down trail the elk took off on and the one that held the most tracks and followed them into the canyon but never saw another elk.  Disgusted with the outcome of that day as well as the previous day we left the area and decided to hunt another area for Wednesday where we knew a decent 6 point was hanging.

The area I planned on hunting Wednesday was in the lowlands of the unit on private ground with farmlands and upper timber benches and brushy draws.  I was reluctant to hunt this area knowing those larger bulls were still in the high country and being chased around by people that I felt were not deserving of those bulls.  Wednesday morning was foggy, the elk appeared but were to far away to tell what they were.  Wednesday evening rolled around with no sign of elk.  About 30-40 minutes before shooting light faded I spotted 10 cows and a large bull.  I snuck up the small ridge and got up on top where I last spotted the bull.  The cows were in an adjacent opening to my right.  I set up on a stump thinking the bull would step out but he never did.  I moved to my left and still couldn’t see the bull.  I figured he was held up in the small timber and brush strip between me and the cows.  The cows spotted me as I was only 75-100 yards from them.  They began to trot off and stopped to my left.  I crept closer to another lean and finally spotted the bull moving straight away from me about 120 yards.  Not wanting to take a straight away shot I whistled at him and he turned, took a step left and looked over his left shoulder.  I shot and hit him a little further back than I wanted to but he staggered 10 steps then stopped and I hit him again and he ran 40 yards, I took an off hand shot as he was running and missed and he fell over and I had to finish him off with one more shot.  We made a few phone calls and got some help and were actually able to load him whole in the back of a truck which was a chore in itself. 

Although my eyes were set on those other bulls in the higher country I couldn’t pass on this lowland bull and the accessibility and help that I had.  I honestly do not think that the other hunter will get either of those bulls if they continue hunting the way they have been. Those bulls are big for a reason, being smart and hiding when they get pressured.  I plan on doing a European mount on this bull.  I do not have the room for a shoulder mount and I am only 24 years old and hopefully will have a chance of harvesting another quality bull as this one when I have more room to hang them. 

This bull grossed 350.  I screwed up on the measuring and just caught my mistake, actually someone else pointed it out.  Scores dont matter to me anyways and I am deffinetly pleased with this bulll.

[huntnphool]

Wow, that is another toad, looks like the taxi's will be busy this year.

[TheKid#10]

Awesome, nice work Coug. Which tag?

[bowsandhose]

very nice congrats

[Backstraps]

Congats Cougeyes! That's a dandy!

[Antlershed]

Very nice!

[Colville]

Great bull. Waiting for my day, but suspect I'll be glad just to fill it. Very well done.

[deaddog]

congrats on the realy nice bull. well done!

[Huntbear]

Wow, very nice bull!!  Congratulations!!

[Wea300mag]

Beautiful bull coug, can't wait to read the story. Congrats!!!

[M_ray]

That is awesome!!!!! I'm glad it worked out for you he's a stud bull for sure!   

[Pigmy]

Very nice bull. You and your Dad both have had a great season.

[MuleySniper]

Way to go! Nice bull!!
MS

[dreamingbig]

Excellent!  How many points did you have when you drew?

[burnhamrandr]

Nice bull, where was the tag for?