Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Out Of State Hunting => Topic started by: go4steelhd on October 31, 2023, 01:56:45 PM

Title: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on October 31, 2023, 01:56:45 PM: This hunt started for me once I confirmed the Wyoming draw results, I logged in seeing the much desired “selected”. A few days after the results came out, I made my first trip into the unit to begin learning the lay of the land, learn the access points, glassing knobs, etc. While getting the lay of the lands I peered down from one of the highest points of the unit. My view cast over the low lands which are filled with sage brush canyons working their way into timbered forests, then up to me in the high country above timber line. The highest point in the unit is nearly 10,000 feet. This unit is also the heart of grizzly country. After learning the lay of the land, I reached out to three past tag holders. Each of them was extremely helpful. After talking to them each individually, they provided very different perspectives on the hunt, access, weather, and areas they would focus on.
Soon the season was just days away, I set up camp, and began scouting. As I looked over the unit for a few days, I noticed nearly every elk was very low near the valley floor. These areas had limited amounts of public access, but large numbers of elk. As I patterned them, they would cross public periodically. Opening morning found me glassing a sage brush canyon just above where I had seen a great bull. In the first few moments of daylight, I had to make a tough decision on a unique drop tine bull, as he fed underneath me at 90 yards. I decided to let him go, wondering if this would prove to be the right decision. The next day cloud cover, and rain came in. Causing the roads to turn to mud, and became undrivable. Also, low clouds blew in and out making visibility zero for hours at time. That evening I found a 350’s 6x7 working his cows towards me coming from private. As they fed closer, large clouds drifted in, I could now see merely a few feet in front of me. I could hear his bugles come onto public, then they continued on right underneath me. Sadly, I was never able to see him when the clouds cleared in the last minutes of daylight. The next day, I found a nice 340 type bull, I stalked into 400 yards, and decided he just wasn’t what I had spent time day dreaming about, and passed him. The next day I went back home to give my hunting report to my young son and wife.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on October 31, 2023, 02:11:03 PM: This is what It looked like when I could hear him pass underneath me bugling
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on October 31, 2023, 02:16:14 PM: The 340ish bull I passed
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on October 31, 2023, 02:19:22 PM: On my next trip, I added a vacation day to the weekend giving me three days to hunt. On the second day I located a 360 bull a few miles off. That afternoon I had moved in to the canyon the bull was in that morning. I caught some movement just below me to my right, I was a sow and cub grizzly heading to a wallow. They used it to cool off from the afternoon sun. I watched them spin around in the mud for probably ten minutes. When they finished, they headed up the up the trail I was sitting on. I took that as a que to move. Later that night I set up on a different vantage point, viewing the same canyon. Just before dark the bull I was after fed out on the ridge, but was to far away to get into range before dark. About 10 minutes after he fed out a boar grizzly came out just above him. The grizzly stalked in on the bull and tried to catch him. Luckily the bull seen him with just enough time to escape, running off down the ridge to safety. I never saw that bull again. The next day was much like the week prior, a big storm blew in which turned the roads back to mud, and the high country was covered with about 24 inches of snow.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: huntnfmly on October 31, 2023, 02:35:12 PM: Nice right up sounds like a good hunt
Please tell me you seen that bull with the big dropper and dropped him👍😁
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on October 31, 2023, 02:39:11 PM: Then the next weekend I seen the bull this story is about. I watched him feed his way into a draw about 200 yards from public mid-morning. Though I did no see him come out of the draw, I figured at some point that day he would come onto public. I drove around to where the public lands crossed the county road and hiked in about three miles, crossing several canyons. I carefully glassed over each canyon before moving across it, in case he had made it into one of them and bedded. It was about noon when I reached the location just above where I had last seen him. I seen a nice 6 point feeding on public, but it was not him. I hunted until nearly dark, seeing multiple bulls, some of which were really big, but not him. I hurried out of this area trying to cross the brushed in canyons before dark. I was able to make it across the last one just as I needed to turn on my head lamp. When started to descend off of the ridge top, I noticed there was a four-wheeler that had just gotten back to a truck next to mine. They sat there with there park lights on and watched me walk out until I was almost back to the truck. I thought it was another hunter simply wanting to compare notes. But they left, when I was just 200 yards from the truck. The next morning, I seen fresh grizzly tracks in the mud where I had walked out. I believe the other hunter was simply watching to see that I made it out safe. The next day I only located a few smaller bulls, and headed home.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on October 31, 2023, 02:41:12 PM: Photos of the bulls
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: Sneaky Squirrel on October 31, 2023, 02:42:23 PM: Keep it coming! Liking the story and pics!
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: OutHouse on October 31, 2023, 02:45:37 PM: I was wondering how long it would take into the season for go4steelhd to start another of his great threads. Thanks for sharing with us once again!
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: jrebel on October 31, 2023, 02:50:46 PM: You've go way more restraint than I do......Tag would have been filled with that dropper on day 1!! Tagging to see how this turns out.... :drool: :drool: :drool:
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on October 31, 2023, 02:59:53 PM: The following weekend at first light I located a big bull feeding onto public across the canyon from me. While surveying the land in the land, I formulated a plan. I then began a stalk that should allow me to end up just ahead of him in the canyon he was feeding up. In the final stage of my stalk I walked up the draw and began to look over, I glanced to my left seeing an elk with the distinct coloring of a bull. He was feeding up an open sage brush draw just under a large rock out cropping, with a few junipers scattered around, and a small creek running through the bottom. Once I pulled up my bino’s I could tell this was the caliber of bull I had been hunting for. I took a quick range of the bull and it registered a range of just over 300 yards. This was a distance I was very confident at, especially if I could lay down prone. As I laid down to get a solid rest, he turned and looked right at me. I just sat motionless for what seemed like minutes, my heart pounding with suspense. If he took two steps he would be out of sight, possibly for good. Finally, he put his head back down to feed. This allowed me to lay down prone, get a good rest, and prepare for the shot. As I settled in my cross hairs I took a look at his long wavy beams, great tine length, and mass. I took a deep breath, steady my aim, then squeezed the trigger. The gun shot broke the silence of this late October morning, I heard it echoing through the canyon. The bull hunched up; I racked another round. Then I shot a second time, this bullet also found its mark and he ran out of my sight.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on October 31, 2023, 03:06:38 PM: The mass
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: Ridgerunner on October 31, 2023, 03:07:24 PM: Sounds like an amazing hunt, all except the grizzlies.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on October 31, 2023, 03:11:32 PM: As he lay
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: kellama2001 on October 31, 2023, 03:13:26 PM: Quote from: Ridgerunner on October 31, 2023, 03:07:24 PM
Sounds like an amazing hunt, all except the grizzlies.

:yeah: tagging for the rest of the story!
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on October 31, 2023, 03:14:24 PM: These are the best pics I could get, being by myself
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on October 31, 2023, 03:19:54 PM: Another
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: Dan-o on October 31, 2023, 03:48:49 PM: :yike:

Look at those whale tails!
Amazing!

:yike:
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: Pathfinder101 on October 31, 2023, 03:56:22 PM: Fantastic bull! :tup:
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: jrebel on October 31, 2023, 03:56:48 PM: Great bull, thanks for sharing the story and pictures.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: full choke on October 31, 2023, 04:15:58 PM: Great hunt! :tup:

Thanks for sharing!
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: C-Money on October 31, 2023, 04:31:29 PM: That is just a spectacular bull! Congrats!
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: teanawayslayer on October 31, 2023, 04:39:56 PM: Damn dude great bull! I was thinking about you the other day. Miss seeing your posts.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: jae on October 31, 2023, 08:44:03 PM: WOW! Congratulations on a Incredible Bull!
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: Alchase on October 31, 2023, 09:34:40 PM: Quote from: go4steelhd on October 31, 2023, 03:19:54 PM
Another

:yike:

Holy crap!

What a bull! Congratulations! :tup:
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: Alchase on October 31, 2023, 09:39:49 PM: Sorry, for a Bull like that, that Grizzly better be packing some Man spray. because we would be scrappimg for that bull. :rolleyes:

Hell of a bull!
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: bearhunter99 on October 31, 2023, 10:17:24 PM: Great bull! You have more restraint than I do, that drop tine bull would have been dead! I love the unique ones!
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on November 01, 2023, 08:46:56 AM: Quote from: huntnfmly on October 31, 2023, 02:35:12 PM
Nice right up sounds like a good hunt
Please tell me you seen that bull with the big dropper and dropped him👍😁

I considered it. But I had seen some larger bulls. He is one of the cooler bulls I have seen though, on any other hunt he would be a no doubt shooter.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on November 03, 2023, 04:55:23 AM: Quote from: Dan-o on October 31, 2023, 03:48:49 PM
:yike:

Look at those whale tails!
Amazing!

:yike:

Those are what I liked the most on this bull. I can’t wait until he’s in the trophy room:)
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on November 17, 2023, 12:32:41 PM: Quote from: teanawayslayer on October 31, 2023, 04:39:56 PM
Damn dude great bull! I was thinking about you the other day. Miss seeing your posts.

Well thanks, that means a lot. How has this year’s hunting season been treating you?

I have mostly been bow hunting this year, which has been fun. Went after elk and antelope here in Montana, and was able to fill both tags.

Still working on a deer though.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: pianoman9701 on November 17, 2023, 01:41:38 PM: Fantastic animal. Can't wait to see the mount.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: Wingin it on November 17, 2023, 02:06:21 PM: Great story and epic bull! Congratulations and thanks for sharing!
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: sjhgraysage on November 17, 2023, 03:20:37 PM: Really nice bull 👍
Congratulations!
Makes me want to use my Wyoming elk points for a tag.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: bigmacc on November 18, 2023, 02:47:27 PM: Great animal!! Congratulations👍

Is that a Diamond D I see you’re strapped with?
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on November 19, 2023, 09:21:44 AM: Quote from: bigmacc on November 18, 2023, 02:47:27 PM
Great animal!! Congratulations👍

Is that a Diamond D I see you’re strapped with?

It is a Diamond D. They are a great holster. Where I live we have grizzlies, not as many as the area I hunted in Wyoming, but I always have a 44 on.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: bigmacc on November 19, 2023, 02:45:19 PM: Quote from: go4steelhd on November 19, 2023, 09:21:44 AM
Quote from: bigmacc on November 18, 2023, 02:47:27 PM
Great animal!! Congratulations👍

Is that a Diamond D I see you’re strapped with?

It is a Diamond D. They are a great holster. We’re I live we have grizzlies, not as many as the area I hunted in Wyoming, but I always have a 44 on.
👍 Great holsters, I have a few. I personally know Dave(the owner) and his wife. Great people, great company and great products! I’ve got two of the chest rigs, one for a 44 and one for a 357. Love em👍

Once again, great animal👍👍
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on November 26, 2023, 07:11:00 AM: After having mine for about five years, I bought my wife one. She also really likes it
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: ShaneTyTrey on November 26, 2023, 05:52:12 PM: Wow, what a bull, he has it all. What did he end up scoring?
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: blackveltbowhunter on November 26, 2023, 06:09:44 PM: Great bull! Congratz!
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on November 28, 2023, 01:38:23 PM: Quote from: ShaneTyTrey on November 26, 2023, 05:52:12 PM
Wow, what a bull, he has it all. What did he end up scoring?

He went 357 3/8.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: Moose Master on December 03, 2023, 07:00:00 PM: Great bull and successful hunt not much better than that
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: 30.06 on December 03, 2023, 10:03:46 PM: Heckuva great animal, story, experience, and pictures! Thanks for sharing- and keeping us motivated to have the hunt of a lifetime~
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on December 09, 2023, 08:16:06 AM: Quote from: Moose Master on December 03, 2023, 07:00:00 PM
Great bull and successful hunt not much better than that

Other than the bears, it was a great experience. It’s always fun to hunt a new area
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on January 20, 2024, 11:15:03 AM: Quote from: 30.06 on December 03, 2023, 10:03:46 PM
Heckuva great animal, story, experience, and pictures! Thanks for sharing- and keeping us motivated to have the hunt of a lifetime~

As draw odds get tougher and tougher, it really makes you cherish the opportunity if you are lucky enough to draw.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: Caseknife on January 20, 2024, 05:12:37 PM: Beautiful Wyoming bull, congrats. Been to a unit in Wyoming that has lots of griz 3 different times and have yet to see one. Would really like to see a griz in the wild but not too close.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on February 01, 2024, 08:20:38 AM: Quote from: Caseknife on January 20, 2024, 05:12:37 PM
Beautiful Wyoming bull, congrats. Been to a unit in Wyoming that has lots of griz 3 different times and have yet to see one. Would really like to see a griz in the wild but not too close.

When I put in for the tag my thoughts were how many could there really be. Heck we have them were I live, but I only see them from time to time, and if i see fresh tracks I move out of that area. Well on this Wyoming hunt they were everywhere. I think the time of year and elevation have a lot to do with how many you encounter.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on April 24, 2024, 03:22:50 PM: Picked him up today. I like how dark the horns are vs the white skull
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on April 24, 2024, 03:24:16 PM: .
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: pianoman9701 on April 24, 2024, 03:26:00 PM: Gorgeous animal...and then you went and killed it! :chuckle: Well done, Go4.
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: kentrek on April 24, 2024, 03:57:56 PM: Very cool bull, I might not regret holding out on wyoming after all !
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: dvolmer on April 24, 2024, 06:50:05 PM: Very well done!!! Euro looks great too. Loved the story!
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: High Climber on April 24, 2024, 07:58:03 PM: Very Nice :tup:
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: Pathfinder101 on April 25, 2024, 02:40:29 PM: They sure did a great job. :tup: Beetles, boil or macerated?
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: wheels1 on April 25, 2024, 03:04:11 PM: Awesome bull
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on April 25, 2024, 04:48:00 PM: Quote from: Pathfinder101 on April 25, 2024, 02:40:29 PM
They sure did a great job. :tup: Beetles, boil or macerated?

They used beetles, then bleached it. It looks really nice. The bases are almost black so it has a great contrast to the bleached skull
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: northwesthunter84 on April 25, 2024, 06:00:14 PM: Beautiful bull
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: mburrows on April 25, 2024, 06:11:55 PM: Always enjoy your write ups. Great bull!
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: go4steelhd on April 26, 2024, 01:38:34 PM: Quote from: mburrows on April 25, 2024, 06:11:55 PM
Always enjoy your write ups. Great bull!
Thanks I enjoy reading posts from others about their hunt, its a way to contribute to the site and share with others. People posts is what makes Hunt Wa great
Title: Re: Check out the mass on this bull
Post by: muleyslayer on April 26, 2024, 03:51:48 PM: Awesome looking mount steel!