Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: Hornseeker on November 16, 2009, 08:24:56 AM

Title: Montana Meat Procurement
Post by: Hornseeker on November 16, 2009, 08:24:56 AM: Saturday I was "mainly" deer hunting, passed up 6 "small" muleys up in the mountains and dam near died getting out that night! I stayed WAY up in the mountains till dark 30 waiting for Mr. Big to step out, then walked sidehill mostly in a foot of snow on a steep slope in the dark for 1 1/2 hours to my truck!!!

Sunday morn found me climbing a ridge 1/2 hour before light...again...looking for muleys mainly... but about 8:30 I spotted 16 cows and two spikes. None of which were legal. I decided to take a route around a ridge to get a different look at them and see if there was bull lurking in the timber. I walked a grand total of about 40 yards when I saw a bull standing about 65 yards away... He was standing right ON a ridge... if he went right...he'd be going downhill towards my truck...if he went left...he'd be going DOWN A STEEP ASS HILL away from truck! I had to make the shot count...

I aimed a big low and foward...hoping to take out the heart and possibly knock his legs out... I fired and saw his body shudder... and he just stood there...absolutely stoic... I was like, "WTF???"... so quietly chamber another and hit the same spot... NOTHIN.. OK... well..he's gonna get excited eventually and bail off that hill... this time I"m going to hit him high in the back and drop him so he cant go anywhere... I grabbed my bolt to work one in and saw him start to wobble... he then took about 3 slow steps and fell on his nose...skidding about 8 yards down the hill!
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv351%2Fhornseeker%2FHunt09%2FMebull2.jpg&hash=4aacca148abdae0dc0101d254178f68da860828a)
Doesn't look to shabby there does he?? Well...unfortunately he broke a beam back in September!! Oh well...didn't effect the freezer ballast qualities of him!!
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv351%2Fhornseeker%2FHunt09%2FMenoorangehat-1.jpg&hash=73e41859701fcd3ea6f5ac32775f80911929b1b3)
Dropped him at 9 am..about 1 1/2 hours of casual labor later...I had him setup like this...
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv351%2Fhornseeker%2FHunt09%2FQuartersandrack.jpg&hash=f5b30431a2fe807c8bffa526138ed4ad3dca4e7e)
Steep downhill with a heavy pack... NOT FUN...especially in the slipper sliding snow! Anyhow...6 hoours after knock down...he was in the truck!!
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv351%2Fhornseeker%2FHunt09%2FBridgePack.jpg&hash=4167e99ed387c9cb50d6bc65d8d3ff8a67c30c69)
Title: Re: Montana Meat Procurement
Post by: whacker1 on November 16, 2009, 08:38:13 AM: very cool
Title: Re: Montana Meat Procurement
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on November 16, 2009, 08:44:02 AM: NICE WORK!!
Title: Re: Montana Meat Procurement
Post by: boneaddict on November 17, 2009, 05:24:14 AM: Nice Job Ernie. That snow looks like a pain in the arse. Looking forward to some muley news.
Title: Re: Montana Meat Procurement
Post by: Skyvalhunter on November 17, 2009, 05:45:12 AM: Good Job Ernie!!!
Title: Re: Montana Meat Procurement
Post by: Hornseeker on November 17, 2009, 06:17:31 AM: Mulie News is that this weekend I'm going to Boom Whap one...

I'll tell you what man... I dont know HOW you do it with a bow... I am humbled!! 50-60 yards was as close as I could get to even the little bucks last weekend...
Title: Re: Montana Meat Procurement
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on November 17, 2009, 07:21:19 PM: Nice looking bull!