Post by: backwoods_boy on October 08, 2010, 11:06:21 PM
October 8th 2010
Western Washington Muzzleloader Elk hunt
It was an unusually sunny early October Washington morning and due to a recent layoff I had the day off. What better to do then to go hunting for the last day of Muzzleloader season? Earlier in the year I learned that I had drawn a Multi-season hunting permit which allows me to hunt all of Washington’s three seasons. Archery, Muzzleloader and General Firearm season. I had been scouting this particular area since July and basically knew most of the area and where the elk liked to hide. I had a stand set up for archery season and just never could close the door on a bull. The unit is a 3 point and better unit so I was looking for something with some good points. I had trail camera pictures of lots of elk over the course of a few months. Spikes, Cows, calves and two or three shooter bulls. Archery season ended with a few close calls, but it was time to switch over to muzzleloader. I was only able to get into my area two times with the ol smoke pole and the second time was the charm. I typically don’t like to hunt by myself for obvious reason and today I was to call a good friend of mine to see if he would like to come hunt side by side with me. After a few calls back and forth we agreed to meet up and hunt the afternoon together. My buddy Shane, who also had a muzzleloader tag met up with me and we headed into my little honey hole to see what was around. I knew there were big bulls in the area as it usually produced good bulls, but I had no idea the way the day would end. We did a little looking around and some hiking as it began to seem that it just wasn’t our day. Then as we crested a small hill in the very thick underbrush we heard some noise and just as I stopped to look I was tapped on the shoulder. Shane pointed about 50 yards away and said, “here he comes”. He took a knee beside me and I stood as I pulled back the hammer and watched this massive dark horned bull barrel down the hill towards us. As soon as he was broadside at around 35-40 yards Shane whispered, “take him Mike, take him”. So, like a well trained machine, I settled behind his front shoulder and took a deep breath. “CLICK” What happened next will probably haunt me for the rest of my life. My cap had failed to go off which left me stunned for a brief second. I then saw this huge bull look at me as if to say “what was that”? He then started to walk/trot off and I instantly looked at a kneeling Shane and said, “Shoot him Shane!” Just as I got those words out of my mouth there was a huge cloud of smoke and an echoing boom that rattled my ear drums. This all happened within a matter of seconds and then it was silent. The rush of emotions I felt next was overpowering so I sat down and listened. I didn’t know what to say.
All the hard work and all the hours spent for that one moment had just been spoiled by a 2 cent percussion cap. As we sat there for the next 45 min listening to the woods for confirmation we talked about what had just happened and it was simple. My cap just didn’t go off. I had shot my muzzleloader earlier in the week about 7 times and had no problems at all. Why now? Why me? No one will ever know why that stupid cap didn’t go off, but that was already in the past and we had an animal to track.
We sat and heard two crashes and then nothing. After a while I said “did you hit him?” Shane replied “I think so.” At this point I didn’t know whether to hope that he missed or hope that we both could experience this moment together. After I calmed down from the initial shock that my cap didn’t go off I quickly decided that it would be just as great if we could share this memory together and that I didn’t want to dwell on the fact that I had some equipment problems. After a while we decided to get up and track this huge beast. Very slowly and quietly we crept through the woods and tried to retrace his steps. Over every log and under every limb we still couldn’t find any blood. 20 minutes went by and finally we stumbled on some blood. From there, we tracked him about 80 yards from where we shot and the blood disappeared. We both looked at each other each and our facial expressions said the same thing; we had to find this bull. After seeing blood and knowing that it looked like good lung blood we wouldn’t stop until we recovered this bull. The next 30 minutes went by very slow and we came to a ridge that we hoped he had stayed downhill of. I stayed on the game trail we assumed he was following and Shane hiked up to see if he could get back on to a blood trail. The minutes passed by like hours. Then about as fast as the bull ran towards me Shane was running down the ridge and pumping his fist. I knew that was a good sign. When we made eye contact I knew he had spotted the bull. I gave him the thumbs up and asked, “was he down”? He said “He’s down”. He had gotten high up on the ridge and spotted a gold body and black antlers under a tree just 30 yards from us. As we cautiously hiked our way to where he saw him I said, “Just show me tines.” We came around the corner and lying still and peaceful in all his beauty was the biggest bull elk I had ever seen in person. I then tackled Shane and said “We got him!” At that moment I had already forgotten about the faulty cap and the misfire. The memory alone for me was worth more to me than I will ever be able to explain. We spent the next 2 hours taking photos and just reliving the hunt and the tracking to this massive elk that rested at our feet.
After phone calls, texts and picture messages we both had our phones ringing off the hook. We had just harvested one of the biggest bulls we had ever seen. I was able to get a hold of my brother who wasn’t working far away and I was very excited that he was on his way to us to help with the field dressing and pack out. The next few hours were filled with laughs, hugs, high fives and smiles. Like a true friend Shane let me pack out the head. We got back to the trucks around 8pm and after a quick measurement this bull ended up being a thick 9x6 with a score of 364 and weighed about 900lbs on the hoof.
What an amazing day with amazing priceless memories that I will never forget as long as I live. Thank you to Shane for everything you taught me from start to finish of this hunt. Thank you to my brother Travis, my buddy Birdie and new friend Tommy that so willingly helped us skin and pack this huge bull out. Thank you to my mom and my girlfriend Laura who had pizza and beer waiting for this tired bunch of elk hunters. Most of all I’d like to thank my dad for teaching me that hunting is about so much more than just harvesting an animal.
-Mike Smith
Duvall Washington
Washington Bull Elk 2010 9x6 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOj4vZKQHI8#)
Post by: zackmioli on October 08, 2010, 11:07:08 PM
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on October 08, 2010, 11:11:36 PM
Post by: denali on October 08, 2010, 11:12:24 PM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 08, 2010, 11:12:39 PM
Post by: scout88 on October 08, 2010, 11:15:36 PM
Post by: bobcat on October 08, 2010, 11:15:55 PM
Are you sure you didn't photoshop these pics?
Did you get him from your tree stand?
Post by: Forrestrover on October 08, 2010, 11:16:26 PM
Post by: FC on October 08, 2010, 11:18:08 PM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 08, 2010, 11:20:57 PM
"CLICK" no boom for me. :'( :'(
So i told my buddy to take him and tag him. He owes me.
Half meat to me and we trade off head hanging.
This is definately a 50/50 bull.
time for bed. more pics tomorrow.
Post by: Caliber on October 08, 2010, 11:27:09 PM
Post by: Wacenturion on October 08, 2010, 11:27:31 PM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 08, 2010, 11:28:45 PM
Post by: BENCHLEG on October 08, 2010, 11:39:39 PM
Post by: shedcrazy on October 08, 2010, 11:51:00 PM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 08, 2010, 11:51:47 PM
it is a great bull either way & im just glad i was there to experience it all.
Post by: bobcat on October 08, 2010, 11:52:27 PM
Post by: huntinluva on October 08, 2010, 11:53:17 PM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 08, 2010, 11:55:33 PM
Post by: h2ofowlr on October 08, 2010, 11:58:32 PM
Post by: pips4bucks on October 09, 2010, 12:00:41 AM
Post by: bowhunterforever on October 09, 2010, 12:05:32 AM
Wow...now that's a real trophy in more ways than one. Hope you buddy appreciates what a friend he has. Congratulations to the both of you. Thanks for sharing. Beautiful bull.X2 I was excited that you got your bull and then i saw the rest of the story, Awsome bye the way. Maybe there's a bigger bull in the future for you ;) Good luck
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 09, 2010, 12:07:25 AM
i have no problem with happened tonight. slightly butt hurt that my cap didn't fire, but honestly its just as if it did.
8)
Post by: Lightning_Rider on October 09, 2010, 05:07:54 AM
Post by: firedog on October 09, 2010, 05:18:16 AM
Post by: unluckyjohn on October 09, 2010, 06:27:54 AM
great bull
Post by: hunterofelk on October 09, 2010, 06:38:41 AM
Post by: Ridgerunner on October 09, 2010, 07:06:44 AM
Post by: Ridgerunner on October 09, 2010, 07:16:58 AM
Post by: PacificNWhunter on October 09, 2010, 07:20:29 AM
Post by: MagKarl on October 09, 2010, 07:26:19 AM
Post by: coachcw on October 09, 2010, 07:29:23 AM
Post by: SirSpencer on October 09, 2010, 07:42:19 AM
Post by: bearhunter99 on October 09, 2010, 07:49:23 AM
Post by: archery288 on October 09, 2010, 07:50:33 AM
Post by: Hyde on October 09, 2010, 07:51:25 AM
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on October 09, 2010, 08:31:02 AM
Its a long story, but in short i will say that i still have my tag left for late season. The bullet that killed this bull didn't come from my muzzyloader.
"CLICK" no boom for me. :'( :'(
So i told my buddy to take him and tag him. He owes me.
Half meat to me and we trade off head hanging.
This is definately a 50/50 bull.
time for bed. more pics tomorrow.
Maybe I misundersand, but if you told your buddy to take him, why did you not just reach over and grab his gun?? Any ways real nice bull. Looking forward to seeing yours in the late season.
Joe
Post by: bigpaw on October 09, 2010, 08:48:10 AM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 09, 2010, 09:00:31 AM
Its a long story, but in short i will say that i still have my tag left for late season. The bullet that killed this bull didn't come from my muzzyloader.
"CLICK" no boom for me. :'( :'(
So i told my buddy to take him and tag him. He owes me.
Half meat to me and we trade off head hanging.
This is definately a 50/50 bull.
time for bed. more pics tomorrow.
Maybe I misundersand, but if you told your buddy to take him, why did you not just reach over and grab his gun?? Any ways real nice bull. Looking forward to seeing yours in the late season.
Joe
After the bull heard the sound of my "CLICK" he looked up at both of us and started to trot off.
So i attempted to stop him and said "take him, take him". I just new we wouldnt get a second chance at this giant.
My buddy put it threw both lungs, he went about 85 yards and piled up. My buddy only had a muzzy tag and i still have a general tag, a late muzzy tag and a late archery tag.
I am still on a high even this morning. :IBCOOL: :IBCOOL: :IBCOOL:
Post by: Annette on October 09, 2010, 09:03:08 AM
Post by: pwdr-brnr on October 09, 2010, 09:05:52 AM
Post by: SCRUBS on October 09, 2010, 09:06:20 AM
Post by: 400out on October 09, 2010, 09:16:46 AM
Post by: bow4elk on October 09, 2010, 09:21:54 AM
Backwoods, I thought this was your bull and I was really stoked for you. Seeing it was not your trigger that produced such a memory isn't all that important in the end - it's being there and being part of the hunt that matters most. Congrats to you guys on a phenomenal bull!! Shared success is just as sweet, and you still have a tag! Good luck!
Post by: lokidog on October 09, 2010, 09:25:35 AM
great bull, thats what I hate about muzzy hunting all the hard work and time spent then click , I know that musket caps are better candle wax grease all the bs , I've had it happen to me , i unload every day try all the tricks , i dpnt get why the state dosn't allow 209 ignition and a scope , It seems to me that there would be less wounded animals and it may get a bit of rifle preasure off. btw you are a good buddie .
That's why they call it a "primitive" hunt. :dunno: If you want modern components, hunt modern rifle. It's part of the challenge.
Awesome bull by the way!
Post by: Machias on October 09, 2010, 09:26:58 AM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 09, 2010, 09:36:38 AM
My brother also bolted to us from work and helped us dress him out so that was amazing to share it with him too.
We also took the whole show to my parents place so that my dad could see him.
Lots of hugs and high fives last night and a pizza and beer dinner to finish it off.
(Thanks to my mom and wonderful girlfriend laura)
What a night i just hope i dont wake up.
:)
Post by: buckhorn2 on October 09, 2010, 10:15:24 AM
Post by: 7mm short mag on October 09, 2010, 10:26:11 AM
Post by: ShirtGuy77 on October 09, 2010, 10:46:10 AM
Congrats to you and your buddy. Like the others, I was stoked thinking this was your bull. But, it most definitely could have been, which means your hard work and determination is paying off.
Best of luck with the rest of the year. Something goods gonna happen to ya :chuckle:
Post by: Ridgerunner on October 09, 2010, 11:03:06 AM
Post by: C-Money on October 09, 2010, 11:32:17 AM
Post by: BigKnock on October 09, 2010, 11:40:13 AM
Post by: Alan K on October 09, 2010, 12:02:28 PM
Post by: carpsniperg2 on October 09, 2010, 12:22:39 PM
Post by: saylean on October 09, 2010, 12:30:22 PM
Post by: Austrian Hunter on October 09, 2010, 12:41:16 PM
Post by: longstevo on October 09, 2010, 01:08:22 PM
:chuckle:
Post by: bucklucky on October 09, 2010, 01:23:47 PM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 09, 2010, 04:08:30 PM
I know my buddy pretty well and he has already told me that he will do what ever it takes to get me a big bull in this state or another.
Just ate some liver and heart for lunch Yummy...
Post by: spottedhand on October 10, 2010, 09:07:50 AM
Great story and your are surely a great hunting partner and friend. Awesome bull !
Post by: Curly on October 10, 2010, 09:29:26 AM
You can pick your nose, you can pick your friends, but you should always pick your nipple ! Old muzzie hunter saying.... :chuckle:
Great story and your are surely a great hunting partner and friend. Awesome bull !
That is a great saying and good advice. But even picking the nipple probably isn't going to fix whatever caused the cap not to go off..........
I have a problem with my ML and the caps not firing 100% of the time. The cap isn't seating all the way onto the nipple and sometimes the first shot just pushes the cap tight onto the nipple and then it will fire the next time the trigger is pulled. I figured out a method to get the cap pushed on real tight and get it to reliably go off, though. At least I don't have to worry about water getting in past the nipple because it is on so tight.........but I need pliers to get it off.
Congrats to you and your buddy, Backwoods. That is an awesome bull. :tup:
Post by: WSU on October 10, 2010, 10:24:22 AM
I really want the Multi elk tag, but I think i would not hunt the Muzzy part just because of all the misfire issues people have. My buddy drew the Nooksack muzzy tag the first year they opened it back up and he misfired 6 times before killing his bull.
Congrats on a fine animal
For sure! Muzzy hunting sucks and it is nearly impossible to kill an elk with one.
I've had similar problems, and have to make sure the cap is really pushed down onto the nipple (as well as making sure to keep the powder dry and start with a fresh load/cleaned gun each day if at all in doubt). I had the same issue on my bull last year with my cap not going off the first time, but lucky for me they were far enough away it didn't spook them.
That is an awesome bull! Congrats to you buddy, and to you. It would be fun to just be involved with getting a bull like that!
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 10, 2010, 10:29:53 AM
Post by: bobcat on October 10, 2010, 10:31:19 AM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 10, 2010, 10:35:59 AM
Post by: Ray on October 10, 2010, 10:37:09 AM
Post by: hunterofelk on October 10, 2010, 10:55:24 AM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 10, 2010, 11:04:52 AM
Post by: Curly on October 10, 2010, 11:06:08 AM
Must have been a bad cap and not a problem with the gun.
Post by: carpsniperg2 on October 10, 2010, 11:21:17 AM
I had been having problems with it on and off. I shot it Tuesday 10 times, cleaned it and no problems. That's just the way it goes with ML I guess.
one thing to do. is always check the hole in the nipple. i always have something to stick down inside to nipple to make sure that the hole is clear because the fire will not get threw if it is blocked. a lot of times that is the case if the gun was clean, then a cap or 2 was snapped and then loaded. from getting a little piece of the paper from the cap down inside the nipple. :twocents: something to watch for.
or it could have just been the caps.
Post by: BlackRidge on October 10, 2010, 11:24:16 AM
Well done BB! Congrats
Post by: bobcat on October 10, 2010, 12:10:15 PM
I had been having problems with it on and off. I shot it Tuesday 10 times, cleaned it and no problems. That's just the way it goes with ML I guess.
one thing to do. is always check the hole in the nipple. i always have something to stick down inside to nipple to make sure that the hole is clear because the fire will not get threw if it is blocked. a lot of times that is the case if the gun was clean, then a cap or 2 was snapped and then loaded. from getting a little piece of the paper from the cap down inside the nipple. :twocents: something to watch for.
or it could have just been the caps.
He said the cap didn't fire.
Post by: carpsniperg2 on October 10, 2010, 12:39:06 PM
Post by: ser300wsm on October 10, 2010, 08:31:43 PM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 10, 2010, 08:55:39 PM
So it was #11 caps then.........yes #11.
Must have been a bad cap and not a problem with the gun.
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 10, 2010, 08:57:32 PM
guess not. But id rather not dwell on what didnt happen and what DID happen. A HUGE BULL IS DOWN! And my freezer is full.
just sayin. :P
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 10, 2010, 11:58:24 PM
“Just show me tines…..”
October 8th 2010
Western Washington Muzzleloader Elk hunt
It was an unusually sunny early October Washington morning and due to a recent layoff I had the day off. What better to do then to go hunting for the last day of Muzzleloader season? Earlier in the year I learned that I had drawn a Multi-season hunting permit which allows me to hunt all of Washington’s three seasons. Archery, Muzzleloader and General Firearm season. I had been scouting this particular area since July and basically knew most of the area and where the elk liked to hide. I had a stand set up for archery season and just never could close the door on a bull. The unit is a 3 point and better unit so I was looking for something with some good points. I had trail camera pictures of lots of elk over the course of a few months. Spikes, Cows, calves and two or three shooter bulls. Archery season ended with a few close calls, but it was time to switch over to muzzleloader. I was only able to get into my area two times with the ol smoke pole and the second time was the charm. I typically don’t like to hunt by myself for obvious reason and today I was to call a good friend of mine to see if he would like to come hunt side by side with me. After a few calls back and forth we agreed to meet up and hunt the afternoon together. My buddy Shane, who also had a muzzleloader tag met up with me and we headed into my little honey hole to see what was around. I knew there were big bulls in the area as it usually produced good bulls, but I had no idea the way the day would end. We did a little looking around and some hiking as it began to seem that it just wasn’t our day. Then as we crested a small hill in the very thick underbrush we heard some noise and just as I stopped to look I was tapped on the shoulder. Shane pointed about 50 yards away and said, “here he comes”. He took a knee beside me and I stood as I pulled back the hammer and watched this massive dark horned bull barrel down the hill towards us. As soon as he was broadside at around 35-40 yards Shane whispered, “take him Mike, take him”. So, like a well trained machine, I settled behind his front shoulder and took a deep breath. “CLICK” What happened next will probably haunt me for the rest of my life. My cap had failed to go off which left me stunned for a brief second. I then saw this huge bull look at me as if to say “what was that”? He then started to walk/trot off and I instantly looked at a kneeling Shane and said, “Shoot him Shane!” Just as I got those words out of my mouth there was a huge cloud of smoke and an echoing boom that rattled my ear drums. This all happened within a matter of seconds and then it was silent. The rush of emotions I felt next was overpowering so I sat down and listened. I didn’t know what to say.
All the hard work and all the hours spent for that one moment had just been spoiled by a 2 cent percussion cap. As we sat there for the next 45 min listening to the woods for confirmation we talked about what had just happened and it was simple. My cap just didn’t go off. I had shot my muzzleloader earlier in the week about 7 times and had no problems at all. Why now? Why me? No one will ever know why that stupid cap didn’t go off, but that was already in the past and we had an animal to track.
We sat and heard two crashes and then nothing. After a while I said “did you hit him?” Shane replied “I think so.” At this point I didn’t know whether to hope that he missed or hope that we both could experience this moment together. After I calmed down from the initial shock that my cap didn’t go off I quickly decided that it would be just as great if we could share this memory together and that I didn’t want to dwell on the fact that I had some equipment problems. After a while we decided to get up and track this huge beast. Very slowly and quietly we crept through the woods and tried to retrace his steps. Over every log and under every limb we still couldn’t find any blood. 20 minutes went by and finally we stumbled on some blood. From there, we tracked him about 80 yards from where we shot and the blood disappeared. We both looked at each other each and our facial expressions said the same thing; we had to find this bull. After seeing blood and knowing that it looked like good lung blood we wouldn’t stop until we recovered this bull. The next 30 minutes went by very slow and we came to a ridge that we hoped he had stayed downhill of. I stayed on the game trail we assumed he was following and Shane hiked up to see if he could get back on to a blood trail. The minutes passed by like hours. Then about as fast as the bull ran towards me Shane was running down the ridge and pumping his fist. I knew that was a good sign. When we made eye contact I knew he had spotted the bull. I gave him the thumbs up and asked, “was he down”? He said “He’s down”. He had gotten high up on the ridge and spotted a gold body and black antlers under a tree just 30 yards from us. As we cautiously hiked our way to where he saw him I said, “Just show me tines.” We came around the corner and lying still and peaceful in all his beauty was the biggest bull elk I had ever seen in person. I then tackled Shane and said “We got him!” At that moment I had already forgotten about the faulty cap and the misfire. The memory alone for me was worth more to me than I will ever be able to explain. We spent the next 2 hours taking photos and just reliving the hunt and the tracking to this massive elk that rested at our feet.
After phone calls, texts and picture messages we both had our phones ringing off the hook. We had just harvested one of the biggest bulls we had ever seen. I was able to get a hold of my brother who wasn’t working far away and I was very excited that he was on his way to us to help with the field dressing and pack out. The next few hours were filled with laughs, hugs, high fives and smiles. Like a true friend Shane let me pack out the head. We got back to the trucks around 8pm and after a quick measurement this bull ended up being a thick 9x6 with a score of 364 and weighed about 900lbs on the hoof.
What an amazing day with amazing priceless memories that I will never forget as long as I live. Thank you to Shane for everything you taught me from start to finish of this hunt. Thank you to my brother Travis, my buddy Birdie and new friend Tommy that so willingly helped us skin and pack this huge bull out. Thank you to my mom and my girlfriend Laura who had pizza and beer waiting for this tired bunch of elk hunters. Most of all I’d like to thank my dad for teaching me that hunting is about so much more than just harvesting an animal.
-Mike Smith
Duvall Washington
Post by: whacker1 on October 11, 2010, 07:10:28 AM
You can pick your nose, you can pick your friends, but you should always pick your nipple ! Old muzzie hunter saying.... :chuckle:
Great story and your are surely a great hunting partner and friend. Awesome bull !
That is a great saying and good advice. But even picking the nipple probably isn't going to fix whatever caused the cap not to go off..........
I have a problem with my ML and the caps not firing 100% of the time. The cap isn't seating all the way onto the nipple and sometimes the first shot just pushes the cap tight onto the nipple and then it will fire the next time the trigger is pulled. I figured out a method to get the cap pushed on real tight and get it to reliably go off, though. At least I don't have to worry about water getting in past the nipple because it is on so tight.........but I need pliers to get it off.
Congrats to you and your buddy, Backwoods. That is an awesome bull. :tup:
What muzzleloader are you shooting? Remington has this problem with their nipples. Best solution is to switch to Remington Caps, as they fit properly. I have experience the same with CCI & RWS on my Remington Nipples. Not sure if it is helpful, but all #11 caps are not created equal.
Post by: Dmanmastertracker on October 11, 2010, 07:12:18 AM
Post by: whacker1 on October 11, 2010, 07:13:54 AM
Post by: mtndew on October 11, 2010, 08:06:36 AM
Post by: elkslare on October 11, 2010, 08:11:36 AM
Post by: Huntboy on October 11, 2010, 08:24:29 AM
Post by: funkster on October 11, 2010, 09:28:03 AM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 11, 2010, 09:30:49 AM
Congrats on the bull! Did you get a weight on him?just a ruff estimate on his weight but we figured about 900-920lbs on the hoof.
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 11, 2010, 12:11:18 PM
Post by: bucklucky on October 11, 2010, 12:46:13 PM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 11, 2010, 12:49:45 PM
Post by: bucklucky on October 11, 2010, 12:52:03 PM
How about i slap him in the face and then hug him. :chuckle:
That works too :chuckle:
Post by: huntergreg on October 11, 2010, 01:48:07 PM
Post by: WDFW-SUX on October 11, 2010, 01:56:00 PM
Is that bull the one from the Nestle fields?
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 11, 2010, 02:16:07 PM
Post by: WDFW-SUX on October 11, 2010, 02:21:33 PM
Post by: zackmioli on October 11, 2010, 03:21:05 PM
Post by: ELKBURGER on October 11, 2010, 03:34:33 PM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 11, 2010, 03:38:25 PM
Thanks for the props guys. And YES i still have my TAG in my pocket. I have late archery, late muzzy, and general seasons still to try and tag out with my multi-season tag.
IMO it has already paid off 20 times over, but I will still hunt my ass off cause that's what i do.
:drool:
Post by: Jellymon on October 11, 2010, 03:41:21 PM
great bull, thats what I hate about muzzy hunting all the hard work and time spent then click , I know that musket caps are better candle wax grease all the bs , I've had it happen to me , i unload every day try all the tricks , i dpnt get why the state dosn't allow 209 ignition and a scope , It seems to me that there would be less wounded animals and it may get a bit of rifle preasure off. btw you are a good buddie .
Once you use 209 and a scope it pretty much becomes a modern firearm. Just my opinion.:twocents:
Hey, ive been to notellum ridge, didnt see much though. :chuckle:
That is an awesome westside bull! :drool:
Post by: jackelope on October 11, 2010, 03:49:57 PM
“Just show me tines…..”
October 8th 2010
Western Washington Muzzleloader Elk hunt
It was an unusually sunny early October Washington morning and due to a recent layoff I had the day off. What better to do then to go hunting for the last day of Muzzleloader season? Earlier in the year I learned that I had drawn a Multi-season hunting permit which allows me to hunt all of Washington’s three seasons. Archery, Muzzleloader and General Firearm season. I had been scouting this particular area since July and basically knew most of the area and where the elk liked to hide. I had a stand set up for archery season and just never could close the door on a bull. The unit is a 3 point and better unit so I was looking for something with some good points. I had trail camera pictures of lots of elk over the course of a few months. Spikes, Cows, calves and two or three shooter bulls. Archery season ended with a few close calls, but it was time to switch over to muzzleloader. I was only able to get into my area two times with the ol smoke pole and the second time was the charm. I typically don’t like to hunt by myself for obvious reason and today I was to call a good friend of mine to see if he would like to come hunt side by side with me. After a few calls back and forth we agreed to meet up and hunt the afternoon together. My buddy Shane, who also had a muzzleloader tag met up with me and we headed into my little honey hole to see what was around. I knew there were big bulls in the area as it usually produced good bulls, but I had no idea the way the day would end. We did a little looking around and some hiking as it began to seem that it just wasn’t our day. Then as we crested a small hill in the very thick underbrush we heard some noise and just as I stopped to look I was tapped on the shoulder. Shane pointed about 50 yards away and said, “here he comes”. He took a knee beside me and I stood as I pulled back the hammer and watched this massive dark horned bull barrel down the hill towards us. As soon as he was broadside at around 35-40 yards Shane whispered, “take him Mike, take him”. So, like a well trained machine, I settled behind his front shoulder and took a deep breath. “CLICK” What happened next will probably haunt me for the rest of my life. My cap had failed to go off which left me stunned for a brief second. I then saw this huge bull look at me as if to say “what was that”? He then started to walk/trot off and I instantly looked at a kneeling Shane and said, “Shoot him Shane!” Just as I got those words out of my mouth there was a huge cloud of smoke and an echoing boom that rattled my ear drums. This all happened within a matter of seconds and then it was silent. The rush of emotions I felt next was overpowering so I sat down and listened. I didn’t know what to say.
All the hard work and all the hours spent for that one moment had just been spoiled by a 2 cent percussion cap. As we sat there for the next 45 min listening to the woods for confirmation we talked about what had just happened and it was simple. My cap just didn’t go off. I had shot my muzzleloader earlier in the week about 7 times and had no problems at all. Why now? Why me? No one will ever know why that stupid cap didn’t go off, but that was already in the past and we had an animal to track.
We sat and heard two crashes and then nothing. After a while I said “did you hit him?” Shane replied “I think so.” At this point I didn’t know whether to hope that he missed or hope that we both could experience this moment together. After I calmed down from the initial shock that my cap didn’t go off I quickly decided that it would be just as great if we could share this memory together and that I didn’t want to dwell on the fact that I had some equipment problems. After a while we decided to get up and track this huge beast. Very slowly and quietly we crept through the woods and tried to retrace his steps. Over every log and under every limb we still couldn’t find any blood. 20 minutes went by and finally we stumbled on some blood. From there, we tracked him about 80 yards from where we shot and the blood disappeared. We both looked at each other each and our facial expressions said the same thing; we had to find this bull. After seeing blood and knowing that it looked like good lung blood we wouldn’t stop until we recovered this bull. The next 30 minutes went by very slow and we came to a ridge that we hoped he had stayed downhill of. I stayed on the game trail we assumed he was following and Shane hiked up to see if he could get back on to a blood trail. The minutes passed by like hours. Then about as fast as the bull ran towards me Shane was running down the ridge and pumping his fist. I knew that was a good sign. When we made eye contact I knew he had spotted the bull. I gave him the thumbs up and asked, “was he down”? He said “He’s down”. He had gotten high up on the ridge and spotted a gold body and black antlers under a tree just 30 yards from us. As we cautiously hiked our way to where he saw him I said, “Just show me tines.” We came around the corner and lying still and peaceful in all his beauty was the biggest bull elk I had ever seen in person. I then tackled Shane and said “We got him!” At that moment I had already forgotten about the faulty cap and the misfire. The memory alone for me was worth more to me than I will ever be able to explain. We spent the next 2 hours taking photos and just reliving the hunt and the tracking to this massive elk that rested at our feet.
After phone calls, texts and picture messages we both had our phones ringing off the hook. We had just harvested one of the biggest bulls we had ever seen. I was able to get a hold of my brother who wasn’t working far away and I was very excited that he was on his way to us to help with the field dressing and pack out. The next few hours were filled with laughs, hugs, high fives and smiles. Like a true friend Shane let me pack out the head. We got back to the trucks around 8pm and after a quick measurement this bull ended up being a thick 9x6 with a score of 364 and weighed about 900lbs on the hoof.
What an amazing day with amazing priceless memories that I will never forget as long as I live. Thank you to Shane for everything you taught me from start to finish of this hunt. Thank you to my brother Travis, my buddy Birdie and new friend Tommy that so willingly helped us skin and pack this huge bull out. Thank you to my mom and my girlfriend Laura who had pizza and beer waiting for this tired bunch of elk hunters. Most of all I’d like to thank my dad for teaching me that hunting is about so much more than just harvesting an animal.
-Mike Smith
Duvall Washington
Washington Bull Elk 2010 9x6 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOj4vZKQHI8#)
Nice bull BWB.
Tell your buddy congrats.
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 11, 2010, 03:53:42 PM
Post by: MuleySniper on October 11, 2010, 05:18:50 PM
MS
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 11, 2010, 07:27:22 PM
hes doing a big ass mount and we are sharing it.
Post by: boneaddict on October 11, 2010, 07:48:10 PM
Post by: MuleySniper on October 11, 2010, 07:50:36 PM
Post by: julzzz on October 11, 2010, 08:32:10 PM
Post by: wastickslinger on October 11, 2010, 09:02:29 PM
you mean we got.... :P He has killed a bunch of bulls all over the states.
hes doing a big ass mount and we are sharing it.
Hey man just slap him on the back and chalk one up to a great expereince and let him enjoy it as it sounds like its his trophy. He owes you big time thats for sure. :twocents:
Its a Dandy.
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 11, 2010, 09:53:06 PM
Post by: bearpaw on October 11, 2010, 10:20:09 PM
Post by: big J on October 12, 2010, 08:52:23 AM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 12, 2010, 09:08:35 AM
YUMMY!!!!
Post by: Practical Approach on October 12, 2010, 09:57:23 AM
Post by: jackelope on October 12, 2010, 10:00:17 AM
Post by: woodywsu on October 12, 2010, 10:44:31 AM
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 12, 2010, 11:47:05 AM
NOthanks jackelope. gotta love everyone trying to figure out where he came from. Especially when its been mentioned like three times. WESTSIDE Just west of notellem ridge on top of nunyabusiness mountain. Geeezzz.... :P
Post by: Practical Approach on October 12, 2010, 11:54:01 AM
Post by: CheyTac on October 12, 2010, 11:54:30 AM
Its a dandy bull. Hes been smack dab in the middle of private property for months. Quite comfortably so. It will be interesting to hear from a couple folks who intimately know this animal.
Anyone have pics of him on the hoof?
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 12, 2010, 11:57:12 AM
i have been sent a few and one video of a trail cam and none have matched up to him.
Post by: backwoods_boy on October 12, 2010, 11:57:38 AM
I get a kick out of how secretive people get about the animals they get. Just curious which herd it came out of it. I always think it is interesting to look at the body and antler characteristics of animals from different areas. You would think I was asking for GPS coordinates.He was from 460. :hello:
Post by: jackelope on October 12, 2010, 12:58:09 PM
Its a dandy bull. Hes been smack dab in the middle of private property for months. Quite comfortably so. It will be interesting to hear from a couple folks who intimately know this animal.
Anyone have pics of him on the hoof?
I might.
:dunno:
Post by: bobcat on October 12, 2010, 01:02:48 PM
Post by: Woodchuck on October 12, 2010, 01:05:07 PM
Post by: KeithStone on October 12, 2010, 01:09:44 PM
Its a long story, but in short i will say that i still have my tag left for late season. The bullet that killed this bull didn't come from my muzzyloader.
"CLICK" no boom for me. :'( :'(
So i told my buddy to take him and tag him. He owes me.
Half meat to me and we trade off head hanging.
This is definately a 50/50 bull.
Why do you want to hang the head in your house if you didnt shoot it?
Post by: wildmanoutdoors on October 12, 2010, 01:14:15 PM
Post by: jackelope on October 12, 2010, 01:48:29 PM
Post by: boneaddict on October 12, 2010, 01:53:16 PM
Post by: Practical Approach on October 12, 2010, 01:55:09 PM
Thanks.I get a kick out of how secretive people get about the animals they get. Just curious which herd it came out of it. I always think it is interesting to look at the body and antler characteristics of animals from different areas. You would think I was asking for GPS coordinates.He was from 460. :hello:
Post by: wildmanoutdoors on October 12, 2010, 01:57:05 PM
He definately is a GOOD friend...
Post by: KeithStone on October 12, 2010, 01:58:47 PM
Post by: wildmanoutdoors on October 12, 2010, 01:59:14 PM