After waiting 11 years for this permit, opening 2 days we hunted the high lakes area, saw lots of decent bulls and tons of cows. Most every gate was open into the Margret unit, winston side and highway 504 side. Only 18 permits were given out but there were sure a lot of vehicles in there. I worked Monday and Tuesday then got a call from my husbands hunting partner and wanted to know if I wanted to go kill a bull on my Holiday. He had another friend who wanted to tag along also. ( the husband had to work, hard to pass up the overtime) This day we planned on staying down low in the unit. Just at day break we saw 3 lone bulls feeding on a hillside about 1/2 mile away. Knowing no one would bother them we left them alone. We continued up the highway checking clearcuts, saw several elk, none big enough so now we decide to take a walk, parked the truck and bailed off the road. We walked through some old homesteads and pretty nice swamps. Spotted a bull bedded down about 80 yards away, couldn't tell how big he was because he was facing us. He knew something was wrong so he got up and slowly started to walk through the tree. Guys with me said he is a 5x6 and nice one at that. By now he is tiptoeing through the timber. I am not sure how an animal this big can just up and disappear without making a sound. We tried to find him again but he was just GONE. We did find his tracks and followed them down towards the mudflats, where they vanished. Out of curiosity we walked down onto the mudflats and saw a herd of elk on the other side of the river which was not my unit. We stood and watched the herd for a few minutes, then out of the timber he came, right onto the flats walking away from us. He was still so far away the range finder would not pick him up. He was a huge 6x5 or 6x6, heavy horned, wide and tall. We ran up the mudflat trying to gain some ground on him. The closest we were going to get to this guy was 400 yards. I got a good rest on the last small tree between him and us, put the crosshairs on The top of his shoulder and pulled the trigger. He hopped straight up and bucked. I hit just under him. Put the range finder on him again and he was at 465, too far at this point for me. This bad boy will live to see another sunset. We watched him for a few more minutes then he headed off with the herd we saw on the other side of the river. All the way back to the truck all I heard about was how big this guy was I missed. Got back to the truck and drank 2 gallons of water, I was wet from the inside out and the outside in. I had totally over dressed for this hike. We took a small break for cookies and Jalapeno cheese-its. Now it was 1:00 so we decided to go after the bulls we saw that morning. So we drove back down the highway and parked the truck (round 2 ding-ding). Bailed off the road and found an old logging road, you know the ones covered in grass with small alders growing in the middle. You couldn't ask for better walking conditions. My heart was pounding out of my chest for each step I took I knew the bulls were here, we could smell them. Every other alder was tore up from the recent rut. The anticipation was like nothing I have ever experienced before, for I knew when I found them they would not be 400 yards away but less than 50 or how about 40. That's where he was 40 yards away feeding along side the road. We stopped immediately. For those of you who have never had the chance to be this close to one of these big bulls it is a totally majestic feeling. I heard a whisper come from behind that said "if you want him take him, just make sure he is the one, there are bigger ones in here." The bull was still feeding broadside, seems like we stood there forever. Only at this moment did I realize I had in my hands what would decide the fate of this great creature. Safety clicked off, bull fever in full swing, touched the trigger and the bullet hit its mark. Cutting through his jugular creating a blood trail as wide as the road we were on. 15 yards and my bull expired laid down gently in a bed of ferns. The boys were ecstatic, now its time to work dark will set in in 3 hours. Boned him out and packed him out in one shot. The guys I was with were a couple of mules each having half my elk on their back. I got the head and cape, I had no idea how heavy my portion would be. We headed out of the woods just as the sun was setting above the distant trees. I took one last look at the now unidentifiable remains of my elk, knowing within days it will be recycled by mother nature. One last moment of gratitude to the elk gods to harvest suck a creature and the ability to participate in the hunt of a lifetime and we were off.
Thanks to all who made this such a great hunt
