Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: frazierw on October 28, 2015, 09:17:51 PM

Title: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: frazierw on October 28, 2015, 09:17:51 PM: This tag ran me through a gamut of emotion. First I was excited, I knew it was a great tag. Then the fire started and I was worried the hunt wouldn't happen. Finally excitement when they finally opened the wilderness in October. My dad and I were finally able to scout some of the ares I had been eyeing the weekend before the tag opened (Oct 24th). I could only take 3 days off of work, so if we did not see anything we would come back on Wednesday and hunt through the weekend; but if we saw a shooter I would take Monday-Wednesday off instead. We saw 5 bulls the first morning, but three were satellite bulls and the other two we didn't get a great look at. Finally, around 12:30 in an area behind us, my dad spotted a bull bedded down. We got the spotting scope on him and could tell he was a great bull and if we didn't see anything bigger we would go after him on Monday. Sunday we scouted a couple more areas and didn't see anything so we decided to put the hunt on the bull we watched on Saturday. Monday morning we took off and got to our spot by 7:30. We glassed the area we saw the bull at on Saturday, but didn't see him yet. Finally around 9:30 my dad spotted him in the north. I busted down to a lower cliff to close the distance for a shot. When I got set up I realized I was too high and needed to get lower and closer. I busted down one more time and got set up, eyeing the trees he entered the last time I saw him. Around 11:30 he started to feed out into a clearing 400 yards away. I zoomed the scope to 12 power and he stood broadside. I fired a shot and he just stood there. Didn't move. I shot a second time and he stuttered backwards and fell to his belly. He got up and crashed down and he bed down by a tree. He stood up and I shot again, this time he was done and wrapped his front leg around a tree. We glassed him for a bit to make sure he was dead, then I started the hike to the bull, down my side of the ridge, and up to him. When I finally reached him I couldn't have been more excited! We took the head off and kicked the body down the hill to finish cleaning him. When that was all said and done I had the head on my back and my dad was packing out our packs. 4 hours later at around 9pm we were back to the truck. What a grueling pack. We had hung the meat, and came back the next day to finish it off. Half the elk deboned on my back and my dad took the other half. 90 pounds each for 5 hours back to the truck. That is some NASTY country. We took him back to camp, and came back home today (Oct/28). What a great 5 days with my dad.
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: HUNTaHOLIC5 on October 28, 2015, 09:22:13 PM: Wow! What a stud and even better that you got it done with your dad! Sounds like a fun pack out :chuckle:
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on October 28, 2015, 09:23:22 PM: :tup:
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: Big6bull on October 28, 2015, 09:47:08 PM: Awesome :tup: great bull
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: clearwater on October 28, 2015, 10:51:56 PM: Great bull. Thanks fore sharing him. Congrats

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Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: SniperDanWA on October 28, 2015, 11:16:08 PM: Great bull :tup:
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: GregFowler23 on October 29, 2015, 12:54:19 AM: Hey Joe Congrats Man! Sounds like you all had a great time.
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: Natures Way on October 29, 2015, 01:03:24 AM: great bull!
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: adamR on October 29, 2015, 05:45:44 AM: Great bull! One hell of a season!
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: coachcw on October 29, 2015, 06:13:53 AM: way to get it done on a dandy bull !
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: bugs n bones on October 29, 2015, 06:19:06 AM: :tup:
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: Timberstalker on October 29, 2015, 06:30:08 AM: Great bull! Nice work and I'm glad you got to hunt after all the stress of the fires. :yike:
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: ELKBURGER on October 29, 2015, 06:33:56 AM: Great bull!
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: muleyslayer on October 29, 2015, 06:35:28 AM: Nice bull. :tup:
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: trophyhunt on October 29, 2015, 06:46:14 AM: Lot's of pressure comes with those quality elk permits, you did great. That is a very nice bull, and that country is not a fun place to pack meat out of, 90 lbs is a load. Congrats on a successful hunt and filling a tag with a great bull. How was the landscape in the unit, was a lot of it burned or did you see it as mostly normal? I've always bear hunted in the southern part of the unit and I'm wondering if it's all burnt.
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: bearhunter99 on October 29, 2015, 07:15:52 AM: Great bull, looks like it has good mass. Congrats! :tup:
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: Woodchuck on October 29, 2015, 07:39:15 AM: Great bull. :tup:
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: Tikka 15 on October 29, 2015, 07:45:43 AM: Congrats on the bull. I'm curious why you find it necessary though to post what unit you were successful in. Make others do their own research. Just my opinion. Once again though congrats.
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: Woodchuck on October 29, 2015, 07:48:37 AM: Quote from: Tikka 15 on October 29, 2015, 07:45:43 AM
Congrats on the bull. I'm curious why you find it necessary though to post what unit you were successful in. Make others do their own research. Just my opinion. Once again though congrats.
The Wenaha is not exactly Washington's best kept secret...
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: kentrek on October 29, 2015, 07:50:56 AM: Holy smokes ! Didn't realize there were bulls that big in washington! Wenaha must be a pretty good unit :tup:

:chuckle:

Dandy bull, congratulations
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: frazierw on October 29, 2015, 08:03:06 AM: Quote from: trophyhunt on October 29, 2015, 06:46:14 AM
Lot's of pressure comes with those quality elk permits, you did great. That is a very nice bull, and that country is not a fun place to pack meat out of, 90 lbs is a load. Congrats on a successful hunt and filling a tag with a great bull. How was the landscape in the unit, was a lot of it burned or did you see it as mostly normal? I've always bear hunted in the southern part of the unit and I'm wondering if it's all burnt.

We were on the eastern portion of the unit and it wasnt burned at all, but we could still see smoke from the hot spots to the west.
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: trophyhunt on October 29, 2015, 08:04:50 AM: Gotcha, I hunt the south eastern side so maybe it faired well, congrats again, nice job!

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Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: cbond3318 on October 29, 2015, 08:07:17 AM: Sweet bull!
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: ShaneTyTrey on October 29, 2015, 08:23:42 AM: Awesome bull, congrats, and of course more special with your Dad sharing it with you.
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: X-Force on October 29, 2015, 08:31:43 AM: :tup:
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: PlateauNDN on October 29, 2015, 08:38:24 AM: Quote from: Woodchuck on October 29, 2015, 07:48:37 AM
Quote from: Tikka 15 on October 29, 2015, 07:45:43 AM
Congrats on the bull. I'm curious why you find it necessary though to post what unit you were successful in. Make others do their own research. Just my opinion. Once again though congrats.
The Wenaha is not exactly Washington's best kept secret...

:yeah: everybody knows, all the big bulls and bucks are from the blues, so please, by all means, Don't waste time coming to the peaches, observstory, colockum, cowiche area no elk or deer here. :chuckle:

And to the hunter congrats on a nice bull and glad you got to share it with your dad. :tup:
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: frazierw on October 29, 2015, 08:46:30 AM: thanks everyone. anyone who wants to hunt that unit have fun lol... there is no easy way in or out.
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: gunnarnewt on October 29, 2015, 10:50:24 AM: Great bull! :tup:
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: fishngamereaper on October 29, 2015, 11:06:22 AM: :tup: Well done...
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: trophyhunt on October 29, 2015, 11:08:35 AM: Quote from: frazierw on October 29, 2015, 08:46:30 AM
thanks everyone. anyone who wants to hunt that unit have fun lol... there is no easy way in or out.
:yeah: 100%
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: elkinrutdrivemenuts on October 29, 2015, 02:09:15 PM: Quote from: frazierw on October 29, 2015, 08:46:30 AM
thanks everyone. anyone who wants to hunt that unit have fun lol... there is no easy way in or out.

Thats no joke! Congrats!
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: HoopsNHorns on October 29, 2015, 05:11:14 PM: Congrats!! We ran into you Sunday AM on your scouting trip. We also had success. Definitely a tough pack out but worth every bit of sweat.

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Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: kycarsydad on October 29, 2015, 05:16:42 PM: Great bull

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Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: idahohuntr on October 29, 2015, 07:37:43 PM: Quote from: trophyhunt on October 29, 2015, 11:08:35 AM
Quote from: frazierw on October 29, 2015, 08:46:30 AM
thanks everyone. anyone who wants to hunt that unit have fun lol... there is no easy way in or out.
:yeah: 100%
Ha ha...I hunted it last year...9 head of stock, 7 days of hard hunting and the first good shot we had on a 300+ bull came on the last day. 7 very hard days of hunting very tough country to get a bull. Guys who internet scout and go into that unit only after drawing the tag... :chuckle:

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Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: Vo2max on October 29, 2015, 07:57:00 PM: Nice bull! Congrats!
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: MtnMuley on October 29, 2015, 08:07:14 PM: :tup:
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: Northforker on October 30, 2015, 05:30:55 PM: Congrats man! I am Kameron's cousin and he showed me a pic of your great buck. What a great season you had!
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: Mark251 on October 30, 2015, 05:39:42 PM: Awesome looking bull :tup:
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: King Krok on October 30, 2015, 05:48:21 PM: Nice bull
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: ridgefire on October 31, 2015, 09:05:06 PM: Looks like I am putting in for the Wenaha tag next year. On a more serious note, congrats on a great bull.
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: rfhd69 on November 01, 2015, 09:42:28 AM: Nice bull man! Way to get it done
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: willapawapiti on November 01, 2015, 09:06:55 PM: That's a great bull!!
Title: Re: 2015 East Wenaha Bull
Post by: JJB11B on November 01, 2015, 09:17:20 PM: This bull was taken in the Colockum! THERE ARE NO ELK IN THE BLUES!!!!. Beautiful bull! Congrats man