I'm brand new to the Forum. I've been hunting since I was about 8 or 9 years old. I've been carrying a rifle since I was 13, I'm 21 now. I've had the same BLR .243 all these years and I love the gun. It's so accurate, little kick back, and it's almost as loud as my dads 7mag.
Two years ago was my first time Elk hunting and first time hunting alone. So here's the story. I hunt with my dad, my cousin, my uncle, and my grandpa on St. Helen's every year. We stay by Cougar, near North woods if any of you are familiar with that area. We woke up early around 4:30am on a Sunday morning made a quick snack for breakfast and we headed out the door. My dad, uncle, and cousin decided they wanted to do a trial hike, which I'm not a big fan of. I like to make my own trials, crawl through brush and get to areas almost know one has been to. My cousin wanted to come along with me, but since it was his first year hunting and my first year hunting alone, they decided to would be best if he went with them. He was less than thrilled. After my grandpa and I dropped them off for their 5 mile hike I asked him to take me back down the road about 2 miles to an area where I had seen cows the previous day. I got out of the truck and walked into the woods, my grandpa would have tagged along but he doesn't like to walk so he stayed in the truck. There was a beautiful tree lined meadow about 100 yards into the forest. About 70 yard into crawling over logs and ducking under branches, I had to take a #2 yes I mean T.P. was required. Luckily for me I always keep it on me when I hunt. So I set my gun on top of a stump and I do the expected. Right as I was finishing! Out of the corner of my right eye I can see fast... very fast movement. I wasn't sure if it was elk or deer but they were running parallel from where I was sitting and they were about 35 yard to the right of me in the meadow. I pulled my pants up, grabbed my gun and ran as quietly as I could to the edge of the tree line. There was a log in front of me that angled perfectly from the forest to about 20 yards into the meadow. I crept out on the downed tree a little ways, and couldn't see due to the giant bush in the way. Trying not to give myself away I slowly stepped out a little further, and sure enough to the left of me there they were, about 70 yards pasted where I had seen them in the woods. Three Cow and one Elk, my heart was pounding so hard and fast I though that alone would scare them away. I thought the meadow was so big I couldn't be the only one glassing him. With that in mind I raised the .243 and aimed behind the front leg and squeezed the brass trigger. They scattered, the three cows were nowhere to be found. The Elk ran about 20 yards and stopped, I knew I'd hit him in the heart or darn close to it. I quickly cranked another round into the barrel and took the second shot aiming in the exact same place, and down he went. My heart was racing and I was out of breath. I quickly ran back through the woods to the road without even checking out the kill. My grandpa was just down the road sitting in the truck, he was thrilled! He left his .45 with me and he drove off to the end of the trail where the rest of the group was hunting. I had shot the Elk about 15- 20 minutes after we dropped them off so grandpa sat and waited in the truck for them for about 2 1/2 or 3 hours, while I sat by the Elk.... for 3 HOURS! Eventually they showed up and I've never seen my dad happier while sober. I was amazed a .243 would take it down. We never found either bullets entry or exit. It was a 3x4 with one crazy looking eye guard, weighing around 500-550lbs.
My cousins response " You should have let me go with him!" hahaha
That's my first Elk story and hopefully it won't be the last. Thanks for listening or reading I should say. Below are the pictures, I was 19 at the time. Sorry about the quality I had to take a picture of them from my old phone with my new one.
