Observatory bull hunt in the books!

[dvolmer]

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]

A couple of more pics

[Mfowl]

Awesome bull! Congrats to the hunter!

[jrebel]

Great bull congrats.

[MADMAX]

Very nice bull
Congrats

[huntnphool]

 Congrats

[jason stevens]

Sounds like a great hunt, congrats

[Dan-o]

Glad you guys sealed the deal.

That is a classically beautiful bull.

[RB]

Nice Bull, congratulations!

[Gentrys]

Congrats!  Thanks for sharing!

[Falcon]

Beautiful bull.  Congrats

[tgomez]

Phenomenal, congratulations.

[C-Money]

Great bull! Congratulations!

[elkoholic1]

 

[Alchase]

Beautiful Bull!