My Opa's Manastash Bull

[WAElkhunter89]

So here is the story... My Opa (which is German for grandpa) finally drew out for a bull tag in the Manastash area after putting in for it for over 20 years, mind you he also drew out for a cow tag in the same area for the 65 and older antlerless. He has been hunting this area since 1983, way before my time. So myself and my Father accompanied him for the extra five days that he was given for his bull tag. We hunted the same area down low in the Manastash Canyon for seven straight days. Did not see a single elk the entire time! Talk about a real let down, especially when the regular season opened up for me and my dad. We hunted the entire handicap area as we call it because it has a yellow gate and only certain people with keys have access.  Seen a really nice shooter buck on the 6th day but other than that not a single thing. So after seven straight days of not seeing a single elk and being really depressed we decided to take the hour and a half drive around through the Wenas road and on top to the Observatory. We didn't see any elk in this area until Monday OCT 28, and we weren't even the ones who spotted them. We were driving back on the Wenas road and someone ahead of us spotted two cows off the road. So naturally we stopped and had to take a peek too. Finally some ELK! We continued to take the hour and half drive for the next few days. On Wednesday OCT 30 we were up by the Observatory area and I happened to be glassing the hillside right below the Observatory and spotted a small herd of elk (about 10-15) running off the side ridge headed down into a draw.  Just before I spotted them someone must have gotten into them because there were about 8 or so shots coming from a few ridges over. Being that my Opa had a cow tag as well I radioed him and let him know what I had seen and he was going to make his way over there. Long story short the cows disappeared and were never to be seen again for the day. The following day, Halloween, we decided to drive up to the Observatory one more time. We got there first thing in the morning, about half an hour before light and got into our spots. It was extremely windy on this day and we didn't see anything move in the morning. We decided to head back to our Handicap area around 1000 and hunt that for the rest of the afternoon. We got there around 1130 or so and made the hour long walk up to our area. We all three split up and went to our usual spots to hopefully spot something. Around 1400 or so my Opa radios that he just ran into a hunter who shot a cow further back in the area we hunt and he was de-boning it and taking it to his truck. Naturally I wanted to go check it out and see the size of the cow. I walked the road back to where my Opa was, we weren't exactly sure where he shot the cow at so we were looking for his boot prints. We couldn't find them so we gave up on it and turned back on the road started to walk the road back and down. No more than five minutes after we turned around my Father radios and lets us know that he sees a nice bull around 375 yards away from him on the hillside from where we walk up. At a faster pace we walk the road to where my Father had seen the bull. We got maybe 50 yards down the road around a curve and I heard some sticks breaking and something coming through the woods. I look down to my left and not more than 10 yards is this bull elk standing there in a small draw looking right at us. I tap my Opa and point and he takes a Wild West shot at the bull, didn't even take the gun off of his shoulder or look through the scope, just pointed and shot. He missed... I know the general direction the bull is heading because the draw continues down hill. My Opa and I run to the curve in the road, stop and can see the bull going down the draw and heading up the side hill no more than 150 yards from us. He gets behind a cluster of trees and stops for a few seconds, then he comes out in the opening, standing perfect broadside from us and my Opa takes a few more shots. The bull drops on his front legs trying to get back up but can't. He begins to roll down into the bottom of the draw where he ended up dead. Talk about an adrenaline rush seeing this bull that close to begin with. In the end he was shot around 1500, we started dragging him out around 1600 after I rushed down to the truck to get our SKEDCO. We strapped him in and didn't get to the truck till around 1930. Got back to camp, and didn't get up getting him skinned out until 1130 and in bed by midnight. Let me tell you, this was the most work dragging an animal out that we have ever had to do. Sorry for the long story but I hope you guys enjoy! Here are a few pics...

[PolarBear]

Nice!  Congrats to him! 

[combs338]

That is awesome! Congrats to Opa!! 

[MLBowhunting]

Very cool 

[skeeter 20i]

Well done. 

[Huntboy]

Congrats.

[CJ1962]

Congrats!  Nice Bull.

[coachcw]

I know that road , way to get inthere and get it done.

[Elkstuffer]

Congrats to your Opa!

[WAElkhunter89]

If anybody drives up the Manastash Road to head up into the Canyon you will end up passing our camp.  Once the road turns to gravel we are one and a half miles up the road. First campsite on the left, my Opa always has is Rebel flag flying proudly. Been camping here for years and love the area! 

[blackveltbowhunter]

Great Bull! Congratz!

[WSU]

Is dragging easier than quartering the elk up?  I've never tried to drag one.

[WAElkhunter89]

Usually for us with the sled that we have it is no problem dragging out a spike or a deer. But this year with this bull it was not as easy as we had hoped, it took me and my dad in the front with homemade waist harnesses (one on each of us) and my Opa in the back pushing to get him out. There was so much weight it was a lot of work. Never quartered out an animal before.

[wall of wood camp]

Congrats, I saw that bull hanging and you guys standing out there Friday morning on my way back up the mountain I was in the Red Tahoe I waved on the way by.   I told everyone at our camp that they got a nice one at the stars and bars camp in the bottom.  Everyone at camp was happy to here that he got one cause we see that camp everyyear as we have been going up that hill to our camp spot for the past 30 years. 

[WAElkhunter89]

Good to know, will look out for you driving up next year! Yea like I said he was been waiting for this any bull tag for years and he was fearing it wouldn't get filled because we weren't seeing any bulls let alone elk for a while.