The missing puzzle piece bull

[Blsum]

Well we got it done opening day of muzzy season down in the winston unit. I was hunting with my dad and another long time family friend Mark (Soady). Dad is a disabled hunter and I am his designated hunter. He can't hike deep like he use to be able to before his knees were replaced but can handle some shorter hikes. Well dad and I were trying to drive to a clear cut that we could see on Google maps only to find the road we were on was blocked off. Well Mark hollers on the radio that he was in a clear cut he couldn't watch all by himself. So dad and I head his way. We find Mark parked at the top of the landing. We park and I jump out to walk over to his truck and look over the edge. As I'm walking over I find a puzzle piece sitting on the ground. Of course I pick it up and said "Look what I finally found. The missing piece to the puzzle." We laugh and start looking over the cut. With in 2 min I spot a cow in the bottom of the cut. After I get the guys dialed in on the cow we realize there are several more down there. We spot antlers on the one bedded under the cedar tree at 365 yards. They are all bedded down and not going anywhere. Well dad was also drawn for a cow tag for winston so the plan was that I would sneak down into the cut and see if I can get a shot at one of them. So within a few min of spotting them I'm off. I worked across the top of the cut to get some terrain in between us. I worked down this ridge trying to get within range only to find that it got super thick and nasty as I got close to the small patch of timber below the ridge. I decide to back out a little and work back across the top of the timber. I can now see the bull bedded but can't put eyes on the cows. I creep in closer and closer till I'm at 140 yards. Only problem is I'm back in the thick stuff again.  The bull is still sleepy and doesn't know I'm there. So I get the bipod set up and don't have a clear shot. Finally get moved enough that I have a small window to shoot through. Well all I can see of the bull is his head. I knew that my gun is dead on at 150 yards so I was comfortable with the shot. Got settled in and told the guys on the radio it was go time and that he was either gonna run off with a clean miss or be dead right there and to keep an eye on him. Got settled again and calmed myself.  Pulled off and settled again. Pulled off one last time and settled the front sight where it needed to be and the gun just went off.  The cows jump up out of their bed and look puzzled. But their boyfriend wasn't moving. They milled around waiting for him to lead the way. I had time to reload and called dad on the radio to ask him if he wanted me to fill his tag as well. He said not to shoot cause it was gonna be a late night as it was and we don't need that much more work. So I let the ladies walk out of the cut. When I got down to him and looked I had put the bullet in the exact spot I was aiming. Shot was at 6:20 pm started cleaning him right at legal light and got the meat hung in the tree. We made it back to the truck by 10:15 and back to camp at 11. One more trip first thing in the morning and we had him all packed out.

[GregE]

Nice writeup!!

Soady is a helpful guy,  I think of him now and then.

G

[carpsniperg2]

Congrats on your bull

[Widgeondeke]

Congrats
Nice shot. 

[Blsum]

Nice writeup!!

Soady is a helpful guy,  I think of him now and then.

G

Yes he is. Helped a ton with my bull. Good guy to have in camp that's for sure.

[Soady]

Watching this hunt unfold was great as we watched from the landing in the stick alders, using binos and spotting scope. The bull from the top was bedded under a hemlock and a cedar in deep ferns just barely visible as we ranged him at 365 yards. He had a good eye on his cows from his position so he had some time to nod off now and then, giving time for Blsum to work the cover down to his shooting slash pile. When go time was called in the powder cloud was awesome as the bull was hit flipping him where he lay, DRT. There was a bit of confusion when the call came back "Did I hit him?" because we were high fiving in celebration having watched the bull flip and remain cemented to the ground. The cows all walked up and sniffed around the bull for a few minutes and then wandered off, watching that happen was cool too.

I was just happy to help in this hunt and watch a younger generation hunter use the skills his dad, grandfather, uncles and myself taught him when he was growing up. Great job Blsum you made it look very skilled and successful. Dad thanks for waiting on your tag as one more cow was more work than us old farts needed.

Beers to you guys!

[Blsum]

  We still have the late season to get him an elk.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

 

[pianoman9701]

Good bull and it sounds like a nice group of guys.