Paitence pays.....Colockum 2017 True Spike

[GreggHunts2hard4u]

Well its been a bitter sweet rifle season for me and my group. First 4 days of general rifle were a bust, no one seeing any elk, we drove everywhere after our morning hunts. Up Coleman to the rue where my cousin has a camp, no one seeing squat. Down to the wind farm where we had our reservations on tuesday and hiked down the big canyons in search for elk, nothing. Even my buddy who hunts on horses down there werent seeing squat. Out the bruton a ways and no one really seeing much but sporadic small groups here and there. Tuesday night the wind blew like a sucker and it seemed as tho it blew everyone off the mountain because come wednesday there were a quarter of the hunters as previous days. Well, Wednesday all hell broke loose and the elk were out everywhere in our area. Woke up and waited till light and left camp and boom 100yds out of camp multiple herds of elk we all went different ways chasing different groups my dad was on a group with 3 possible true spikes in it but he just wasnt 100% sure enough that there wasnt a fork over 1"(tough call to make on the run through trees). Wednesday was cow opener, there were cows everywhere but no shooting. After chasing these groups around for an hour or so they made it to the firing line of ppl and i believe they got a couple spikes from the bunch. Wednesday consisted of a drive to the little Caribou to check sign....nothing period. Thursday morning comes i wake up late and frantically throwing on my gear trying to get out of camp. I get all set up and 100yds from camp and BOOM the trees come alive with elk running every which way chirping so i threw in my trusty mouth reed and begin calf chirping. Well it worked great the elk formed a herd in a small clearing, what i thought was a small group turned into atleast 100 head with rag horns 1x2's 2x2's 2x3's and a couple true spikes that i just couldnt get a shot at with out shooting into the herd. Well i kept chirping and mewing as i moved just outside the herd a good 75yds they knew i was there but the mewing kept them calm. Well i get on the radio with my dad and he is chasing after a seperate group with 100-150 head. I chased after my group for 30min chirping and mewing as they answered back keeping them from busting out. Finally i split the herd 3/4 of the herd went north but the rest hung up in the trees. I waited patiently as 1 by 1 they cautiously came out of the trees to join the big herd all cows. I check in with my dad to see how he is holding up on his chase and i see out the corner of my eye movement running...cow....cow.....cow...cow...SPIKE! I quickly cranked up my scope to 9x and hit a couple more calf mews. The spike slowed to a slow trot. Instinct kicked in my dad always told me the little spikes typically don't branch(he has 32 elk kills in our area in 49yrs) so i scoped the rack no branches and picked the next opening unsure of the distance i guessed 300...BOOM 7:45am on 11/2/2017 i sent a 180g Nosler accubond down range and there he was dropped in his tracks.  Now my heart was pounding i walked over to him and shot high...i aimed at the top of the lungs but i must have raised up when i pulled the trigger because i hit him in his spine above the lungs and broke his back. Dispatched him, then my dad swung by to check it out snapped a few pics and he was off to chase more elk that were running around. Made quick work of gutting and skinning and halved it. Our partners showed up with a wheel barrow and i picked up each half with ease and loaded into the wheel barrow which this elk was #32 that the wheel barroe has hauld elk with. Off to camp to hang and clean. Wierd thing....this elk had either been shot or gored by something(as seen in photo) on bottom of chest because it had a big scab and a big lump under the scab pretty gross upon entering with a knife. All in all SLOW start to the season and mid week it picked up big time!  Patience pays i have been coming up to this area for 25yrs and carried a tag and rifle for 16yrs of that 25yrs. Ive had 3 elk taken from me(shot and they ran into others who killed and tag

[GreggHunts2hard4u]

Trying to post pics but slow service coming off the mountain

[GreggHunts2hard4u]

For some reason I cannot get my photos to upload on here. I clicked reply to my post, add attachments, select photo and click post.....takes me to a blank screen and won't post

[Blacktail Sniper]

For some reason I cannot get my photos to upload on here. I clicked reply to my post, add attachments, select photo and click post.....takes me to a blank screen and won't post

Pictures are too big, need to resize down closer to 800x600.

[GreggHunts2hard4u]

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[GreggHunts2hard4u]

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[GreggHunts2hard4u]

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[GreggHunts2hard4u]

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[Blacktail Sniper]

Sweet!! 

That should be some prime eattin'...

[GreggHunts2hard4u]

Im hoping so!

[slowhand]

I've had 3 elk taken from me(shot and they ran into others who killed and tag).
I've been there done that. Only once for Me.
Nice Job  way to stick with it and get it done.

[slowhand]

Good Job with the story also. I know almost every spot you named. Great area!

[Brushbuster]

Congrats!! Way to hang!! Sorry you lost animals to other hunters! 

[elkrack]

Congrats! Good eats right there

[Twispriver]

Good for you - I've been waiting for some success stories 

[GreggHunts2hard4u]

Thanks guys! Never give up!!!! Couldn't believe all the hunters left so early in the season after not seeing any elk. Just gotta keep positive, every day is a new day and u never know what your going to run into around the next bend or clearing. I believe the reserve had been chuck full since muzzleloader season and the finally broke out mid season

[lilshootergirl]

I was involvement and I hunted hard everyday, no elk! Sorry I gave up and headed home! But congratulations ! Happy your hunt turned out! I have never seen so less of elk in that area!

[slowhand]

Please keep us updated on how the rest of the hunting goes good or bad.

[GreggHunts2hard4u]

Lilshootergirl, dont be sorry u left early! Im sorry that u left early. Wednesday and thursday were RED HOT for elk action. No one was seeing elk cuz the reserve was full of elk....well they broke out tuesday night and Wednesday night and were everywhere!

[tgomez]

Congratulations on your bull. Way to stick it out and show some patience. You were rewarded by the good lord for your hard work and sticking it out!

[Boss .300 winmag]

Nice work, that lump could have been anyone of things causing it. I’ve worked range cattle and you should see the crap they have wrong with them.

[GreggHunts2hard4u]

Thanks everyone! Im on cloud 9 its been a long wait to be successful up there but ill never give up cuz ya never know! We headed off the mountain around 1pm today leaving a pristine clean camp and left the elk for the rest of the hunters and passed on our info of where the cows have been daily since Wednesday to what little cow hunters we saw. All in all the true spikes were VERY slim pickins, lots of branched bulls running around.

[dreadi]

Glad you got him. I’ve been out here since last week Wednesday and have seen only one legal (dead) elk.

[bowhunterforever]

 

[C-Money]

Congrats on your elk!! Thats great you were able to fill your tag mid week!

[GreggHunts2hard4u]

Thanks again guys! Tough unit to be sucessful in i finally beat the odds

[kevinlisa06]

Nice congratulations!


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[Gentrys]

Congrats.  Great area.  Just wish there weren't so many hunters.  Used to hunt there for years, but had to hit the ground a few times because of all they bullets flying around.

[GreggHunts2hard4u]

Thanks! Ya definitely lots of competition for what little amount of true spikes there are up there. It can be a dangeous area if you are between a green dot and a group of elk or even behind the elk from a green dot. We had a partner get shot at because he was behind a group of elk that were being shot at from colockum pass...scary sh*t

[pianoman9701]

Nice kill. Thanks for sharing your hunt with us.

[ballpark]

We saw branched bulls and cows everyday on the east side of Beacon Ridge Rd from Army Rd to Brushy Crk cutoff, no true spikes.  Finally got it done on Wednesday in the wind farm.  And yes Tuesday night was sustained gusts of 40-50 all night, had to get up at 2 a.m.  to save the Costco tent .    Congrats

[GreggHunts2hard4u]

Tuesday night was BRUTAL up top around the reserve. I was up all night wondering which tree was going to come down and flatten me. I belive that the wind storm blew the elk out of the reserve i believe the reserve was full of elk out of sight from everyone chasing them around since September 1st and the now CONSTANT hunting pressure with 3 full seasons back in action(whyd they bring back smoke pole season ) plus the ppl scouting during deer.  The hunting pressure dissipated Wednesday. I just hope the 15 youth cow permit holders fill their tags!!!