Author Topic: Observatory bull hunt in the books! (Read 8458 times)

dvolmer · « **on:** October 29, 2023, 04:28:00 PM »

So we started to hunt for my hunting partners bull tag last Monday the opener. We had done some scouting and talked to guys in the field and to fellow forum members. Monday we hunted up above Ellensburg in the Manastash unit with not even an elk seen. We couldn't hunt again until Thursday and tried some spots in the Umtanum above Selah and jumped a lone spike and passed. Two long days with approximately 10 miles of boot leather on the ground per day. Yesterday (Saturday) of the general opener we were once again right above Ellensburg hunting and spotted a nice herd with a big bull (bigger than the one we harvested. Probably 330-350). We put a stock on it and I slightly twisted my ankle so I told Ryan to go on over the ridge and see if he could get a shot and that I would stay there and watch our back-trail. he rose over the hill to find the 20 or so cows at 150 yards but the bull was missing. That was because he snuck back around and came walking by me at about 250 yards. I didn't have the tag so I couldn't shoot. Ryan came back over the hill and I waved him over and told him the bull went over the other hill in the opposite direction. The chase was on and two canyons later we did get a shot at the bull at 400 yards and Ryan shot right over his back and he was gone into the trees. We were a little frustrated and discouraged but I then got a text from a fellow forum member that a big herd with a big bull was located back over above Selah in the area we hunted on the previous Thursday. We made the hour drive over and talked With the forum member and his brother and they told us where they last seen them. We went on a pretty long hike and had to hike up pretty high to get the wind right. We crossed a couple of canyons and located the herd in the bottom of one of them. We were way above them and when I ranged them they were 650 yards away. we backed out with them bedded and moved down the ridge-line we were on to get perpendicular with them and then crept over again. We had to scoot on our rears and belly crawl some to get in position at 385 yards. Ryan had went on a moose hunt in Canada a few weeks ago and found out his scope mounts had loosened so his gun was not on. He used his buddy's gun on that hunt. On this hunt he was using his back-up gun that didn't have a bi-pod. When we got in shooting position I told Ryan to use my gun with the Bipod and told him how to adjust the scope for the range. He got all set up and one of the cows started to get nervous and stood up. I told him to not hurry himself but something needed to happen pretty soon. He took a breath and took the shot! The bull was dead instantly with a shot in the lower neck and rolled over with his feet in the air. The old Browning MK3 BAR 300 Win Mag did its work! Im not sure what he will score. I will try to get a tape on him in the next few days. My Guess is the 315 to 325 range but I have been way off guessing in the past. Once again, thanks again to the forum member that helped with the intel! He knows who he is. (Pictures of the elk are with me. I didn't shoot it, My partner Ryan did but I havent been able to get ahold of him and get permission to post his picture. if I do, I will in the near future)

dvolmer · « **Reply #1 on:** October 29, 2023, 04:50:37 PM »

A couple of more pics

Mfowl · « **Reply #2 on:** October 29, 2023, 05:02:05 PM »

Awesome bull! Congrats to the hunter!

jrebel · « **Reply #3 on:** October 29, 2023, 05:06:35 PM »

Great bull congrats.

MADMAX · « **Reply #4 on:** October 29, 2023, 05:19:25 PM »

Very nice bull
Congrats

huntnphool · « **Reply #5 on:** October 29, 2023, 06:43:30 PM »

Congrats

jason stevens · « **Reply #6 on:** October 29, 2023, 06:52:27 PM »

Sounds like a great hunt, congrats

Dan-o · « **Reply #7 on:** October 29, 2023, 07:13:36 PM »

Glad you guys sealed the deal.

That is a classically beautiful bull.

RB · « **Reply #8 on:** October 29, 2023, 08:26:57 PM »

Nice Bull, congratulations!

Gentrys · « **Reply #9 on:** October 29, 2023, 08:45:23 PM »

Congrats! Thanks for sharing!

Falcon · « **Reply #10 on:** October 29, 2023, 09:24:26 PM »

Beautiful bull. Congrats

tgomez · « **Reply #11 on:** October 30, 2023, 03:07:36 AM »

Phenomenal, congratulations.

C-Money · « **Reply #12 on:** October 30, 2023, 06:28:54 AM »

Great bull! Congratulations!

elkoholic1 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 30, 2023, 06:34:30 AM »

Alchase · « **Reply #14 on:** October 30, 2023, 07:03:47 AM »

Beautiful Bull!

dvolmer · « **Reply #15 on:** October 30, 2023, 07:58:39 AM »

My buddy Ryan the shooter and tag holder.

johnbmyersii · « **Reply #16 on:** October 30, 2023, 08:04:17 AM »

Very nice and great bull! Congrats!

Karl Blanchard · « **Reply #17 on:** October 30, 2023, 08:11:26 AM »

Great bull guys! Congrats!

bearhunter99 · « **Reply #18 on:** October 30, 2023, 09:14:44 AM »

Great bull! Congrats to the hunter!

h2ofowlr · « **Reply #19 on:** October 30, 2023, 09:18:05 AM »

Looks like a good bull.

pianoman9701 · « **Reply #20 on:** October 30, 2023, 09:19:35 AM »

Outstanding animal! Well done.

bowguy · « **Reply #21 on:** October 30, 2023, 07:06:11 PM »

Great story and memories for life congrats to you and your bud.

Skyvalhunter · « **Reply #22 on:** October 30, 2023, 07:11:26 PM »

That's a great bull congrats

riverrun · « **Reply #23 on:** October 30, 2023, 09:10:54 PM »

Congrats! Nice Bull!

fireguy459 · « **Reply #24 on:** October 30, 2023, 11:49:59 PM »

This is what the forum should be all about. Great bull and friends helping *censored* people we don’t know. The internet has created a monster. Both good and bad. I personally have had some amazing success stories from myself and also people I have helped. These guys have helped me: Huntnphool, lake, Rainer, the list goes on and on. Be nice. Share. And it pays off for all of us in the end. If nothing else… Karma… I shot a magic spike opening day… never would have imagined but it happened. 🤷‍♂️

Jimmy33 · « **Reply #25 on:** October 31, 2023, 09:59:01 AM »

Nice work!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

dvolmer · « **Reply #26 on:** October 31, 2023, 10:35:01 AM »

Thanks everyone, I slapped my wife’s fabric tape measurer on the bull last night (don’t tell my wife, she would be livid!!!). Gross green scored him somewhere between 313-316 inches. His only weakness was his main beams coming In around 43 inches.

Face72 · « **Reply #27 on:** October 31, 2023, 12:41:41 PM »

Great bull!! You guys earned it .

Buck86 · « **Reply #28 on:** November 01, 2023, 06:48:31 AM »

Congrats on a great bull!

HTN4LIFE · « **Reply #29 on:** November 10, 2023, 07:40:13 AM »

Congratulations on a great bull!

tallcooljuan · « **Reply #30 on:** November 19, 2023, 09:54:55 AM »

That’s a great bull! I had that tag and I know it’s a tough hunt. The tape doesn’t do your bull justice. Congratulations!

redi · « **Reply #31 on:** November 25, 2023, 10:53:54 PM »

Great bull and story. Congrats

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Author Topic: Observatory bull hunt in the books! (Read 8458 times)

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