Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: HighRoad on November 25, 2009, 05:00:17 PM

Title: Another Spike in the Freezer
Post by: HighRoad on November 25, 2009, 05:00:17 PM: Eastern Washington "True Spike" only unit. For the first time, several units this year were designated "True Spike" defined as; "Both antlers with no branching originating more than four inches above where the antlers attach to the skull." Great! As if it were not hard enough already! However, as luck would have it, a bull meeting the definition got a little too close to me and my .280 Rem. This guy fell opening morning at about 9:45am. I spotted the group of (40) or so animals a little over 100yds away moving through thinned timber to my right. In the first seconds, I realized there might be a shooter in the bunch. A little far for an off-hand shot, I slowly moved ahead about ten feet to anchor against a pine tree. Since I had to judge the horns closely before shooting, I spun the scope up from 4x to about 7x. Ahead of the bull there was a shooting window of about four feet wide between a couple pines. If the bull stayed on course, he would follow several cows and a 1x2 right through that opening. I centered the cross hairs on the opening and waited for him to appear. Once he came in to view (walking) I immediately searched his horns for an illegal branch. This took two of his steps. As he took the third step, his shoulder began to disappear behind a pine. To punch his lungs, I squeezed a shot off very close to the tree. The pictures below will show just how close. The 150g TSX did it's job again -- even after asking a little more of it on this hunt! As you can see from the last picture, my brother-in-law also scored a "true spike" the very next morning. Trophy animals to us for sure and another great season chasing little bulls.

HighRoad

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Title: Re: Another Spike in the Freezer
Post by: hogsniper on November 25, 2009, 05:03:27 PM: Awesome man, congrats on the hunt! Makes it kinda tough im sure but hopefully everyone can benefit from the new rules!
Title: Re: Another Spike in the Freezer
Post by: Axle on November 25, 2009, 05:05:28 PM: Quote
I immediately searched his horns for an illegal branch

Way to go dude!
By the way, I would turn in the rest of the bulls with illegal branched antlers. Who knows what kind of trouble they can cause running around in them hills :chuckle:
Title: Re: Another Spike in the Freezer
Post by: Red Dawg on November 25, 2009, 05:11:27 PM: great first post, nice bulls. I like you rifle even more. Is that an Alskan, if so how do you like it. I am wanting one bad.
Title: Re: Another Spike in the Freezer
Post by: mtndew on November 25, 2009, 07:33:08 PM: awesome first post!! Great shooting! Those spikes make for some good eating!! :EAT:
Title: Re: Another Spike in the Freezer
Post by: saylean on November 25, 2009, 09:52:38 PM: tasty meats...congrats...

i might be back in a few days to throw sticks at em myself.
Title: Re: Another Spike in the Freezer
Post by: carpsniperg2 on November 25, 2009, 10:02:52 PM: congrats
Title: Re: Another Spike in the Freezer
Post by: phishisgroovin on November 26, 2009, 01:44:42 AM: i busted my ass for a week solid at colockum, every time i got to the point you had to scope out all the antlers someone else would blast away on the other side of the ravines.
i had one great one that was a true spike, sitting on one leg with the other raised, in position, elk didnt see us at all & wind was perfect.
then again, another hunter took a shot at something in the crowd ruining any chances of a harvest for me.
Next year will be a better year, going into private lands i hope.