Bearpaw Season - Fall 2013

[bearpaw]

I am in Utah cow elk hunting, saw a dozen head yesterday morning, then another dozen or so and a couple singles yesterday afternoon, a couple long shots fired but no hits. I tore up one of my tire chains yesterday and tore up another chain today. This evening right at dark we spotted a herd of 178 elk, we are going after them first thing in the morning. I found another new set of chains and some repair parts tonight in town so hopefully we can get close enough to get the hunters onto the elk tomorrow. My fingers are crossed for good luck. 

        

At least that is the way I am hoping it turns out. 

[BOWHUNTER45]

good luck ...wish I was having that much fun 

[bearpaw]

Unfortunately the big herd was just out of our hunt boundary the next morning, we hunted the rest of the day but found no other elk.   

These steep rocky mountainsides are really tough on tire chains, I broke 3 tire chains over the first 2 days of the hunt and broke another chain on day 3. I got tired of repairing chains and purchased two more sets of tire chains, this has slowed down the chain repairs needed to keep us hunting. We have found two fresh sets of lion tracks while we have been cow elk hunting, wish they had lion tags.

I made a new plan and changed hunting areas yesterday and we finally hammered two cows. Check out the blood trail left by one of the cows before she dropped. The guys were using a 7mm Rem Mag and a 340 Weatherby. Congrats to Tommy and Howard on their successful shooting, they both bagged some great table fare.

 

[Killmore]

Good job! Those cows sure do have a different shade of color. How long does the season run down there?

[bearpaw]

Good job! Those cows sure do have a different shade of color. How long does the season run down there?

The area I am currently hunting is open until Jan 31.

[irishevox]

Where is this?

[bearpaw]

We have been hunting in Utah. As mentioned it was tougher this year due to such mild snowfall, the elk did not move onto winter range.

Our last cow elk hunter was Jim from California. On the first morning I went to an area I knew had a few elk and about 10:30 we spotted this cow. Jim made a 340 yard shot with his 7mm Rem Mag and the work started shortly afterward. After we finished piecing up the cow we left our mark in the snow and headed out. Shown packing are Guides Nick and Daniel. Congrats to Jim on filling his tag, we'll see you next year. 

[bearpaw]

Now that the hunters were all taken care of it was time for me to hunt. I always look forward to getting more elk meat and really enjoy this hunt nearly every year. We headed back into the mountains the next morning looking for my elk. The wind was blowing extremely hard with 40 to 50mph gusts. We got onto a herd at first light and started the stalk. The elk were a long ways off and slowly moving toward cover. We quickly cut the yardage down to 440 but couldn't get any closer due to the lay of the land. I found the best rest possible and settled in for the shot. The wind was quartering toward us and I was uncertain how far to the left to hold. I opted to hold about 4 feet left and a couple feet over my expected impact point. I fired, it was a miss, the elk started to move, I knew my uncertainty of the proper wind drift correction had cost me an elk. 

I really need to get a good long range scope and a wind meter. That afternoon I shot my rifle numerous times just to be sure it was right on the money. That evening I got online and checked my rifle ballistics at the various yardages. I had brought a 257 Wtby for this hunt with 100 grain Hornady spire points loaded at around 3500 fps at muzzle. On this particular gun I only have a 3-9 Leupold, so I'm a bit under scoped for this hunt, but I had full confidence after shooting and rechecking my long range ballistics.

We hunted a couple more days and saw elk but could not get close enough for a good shot. I told Nick and Daniel they were stuck with a hunter that couldn't get an elk. 

The next day found us at 8000 to 9000 feet in the early morning twilight. We had it all planned out, we would sneak behind the far ridge where we had been seeing elk and come over the backside and be right on top of them within a couple hundred yards. As we hiked I was thinking about my yardages in case it turned out to be a long shot and also thinking about the skinning and packing the elk back out. The hunt unfolded beautifully, we came up over the ridge but just then realized the elk weren't participating in the hunt that morning. From our vantage point we could see a good mile in almost every direction and there wasn't an elk in sight. We glassed for several minutes and finally just had to admit the elk were a day ahead of us in their thinking so we give it up and headed back out.

OK, now what? These elk were starting to test my confidence. 

We checked numerous reliable areas and still we could not find an elk. I couldn't believe it, we were going to go elkless that day, we couldn't find them anywhere. At about 9AM I said "Lets try some lower elevations, there must be some elk down there somewhere!" We headed for the lowlands, along the way it dawned on me, there was a small canyon we had overlooked all week. We snuck out to the edge above the canyon and began glassing.

Suddenly Daniel said "there's elk". He noted where they were then Nick and I both spotted them too. Nick ranged the yardage at 380 and I settled in for the shot. Unfortunately the elk moved into the junipers and were walking straight away from us. They reappeared in a small snowy opening and stopped again. Nick said they are at 513, I had a good rest raised the crosshairs about a foot over the back of a good cow and squeezed the trigger. The 257 barked and the cow dropped like a sack of potatoes. She slid down the slope a ways, came to a stop, and it was done, cow elk down.

We worked our way to my elk and found that I hit her high in the shoulder. We snapped a few photos and then went to work on getting her out. Thanks to Nick and Daniel for assisting me, it was a fun time for sure. I love it when a plan comes together! 

After the football games today we are having fresh elk roast for dinner.

(Forgot my orange hat, orange is required on chest, back, and head in Utah, orange duct tape can be handy, I was styling.) 

[RadSav]

Hornady Spire point?  I thought you were a Barnes TTSX guy to the bone out of the 257Wby.

[ICEMAN]

Yum! That liver and heart pic is making me hungry!

Good job Dale, nothing better than fresh elk!

[Killmore]

I'm with radsav on this one Nice job!

[bearpaw]

Hornady Spire point?  I thought you were a Barnes TTSX guy to the bone out of the 257Wby.

We've killed small predators, varmints, bear, deer, elk, and moose with the 257 and pretty much agree with Roy Weatherby, it was his favorite caliber. I favor TTSX's for big game in that gun for sure because they retain all their weight and get deep penetration even going through heavy bone, I don't think we've never recovered a TTSX bullet from game, they go clear through moose even at 300+ yards. I do like to have some low cost bullets around for playing around and shooting smaller game and I wanted to see how they would do on larger game like elk?

The Hornady Spire Point bullet expanded well and stayed in one piece, the lead core did not separate from the jacket. The bullet went through the shoulder, top of the lungs, and lodged against the opposite shoulder. The cow dropped instantly, partly because I think some bullet fragments may have hit the spine. I don't have a scale where I am at now, but I would guess the bullet is about 60% it's original weigh. I imagine the 40% loss of weight accounts for why the bullet did not exit. The cow was bleeding out the mouth due to the lung hit, but there would not have been a blood trail if she had ran, thankfully it wasn't needed this time.

I wouldn't recommend the Spire Point bullets as perfect for larger big game but they are affordable low cost bullets that should perform very well on deer, coyotes, varmints, and they will get the job done on larger game if needed. If you want to do a lot of shooting the Spire Points are very affordable. But I definitely prefer using the TTSX bullets on moose, elk, bear, deer, or any other large animals so that you get a blood trail from the exit wound. 

Yum! That liver and heart pic is making me hungry!

Good job Dale, nothing better than fresh elk!

I can smell the roast cooking right now. 

[RadSav]

We use them a lot out of the slower 257 Roberts and the 308 win.  They have never failed. We've never recovered one from a deer shooting the 117 BT from the 257 Bob.  I think if you knew you were going to be shooting 500+ yards it would have been the better choice anyway.  I'd think you were in that 2,200 to 2,300 velocity range at that distance, wouldn't you think?

Did you ever find a 28" barreled 257Wby?  Looks like you are 26" in that picture

BTW - Congratulations on the great shot and tasty cow.  Your making me hungry

[bearpaw]

We use them a lot out of the slower 257 Roberts and the 308 win.  They have never failed. We've never recovered one from a deer shooting the 117 BT from the 257 Bob.  I think if you knew you were going to be shooting 500+ yards it would have been the better choice anyway.  I'd think you were in that 2,200 to 2,300 velocity range at that distance, wouldn't you think?

Did you ever find a 28" barreled 257Wby?  Looks like you are 26" in that picture

BTW - Congratulations on the great shot and tasty cow.  Your making me hungry

That's just a 24" vanguard but shoots really well, I'm not the best of shooters and I can touch bullet holes pretty often at 100 yards.

[Whitpirate]

Great season and hunt.  Nothing better than fresh elk.