Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Muzzleloader Hunting => Topic started by: RClare1223 on December 19, 2011, 05:19:58 PM

Title: My first ML Bull
Post by: RClare1223 on December 19, 2011, 05:19:58 PM: I finally got my first elk with a muzzleloader on the last weekend of the season.after hunting hard all season and only seeing 2 other legal bulls I was idleing down the road with my dad and my buddy paul and spotted a bull about 80yrds off the road in some big timber.I didnt have a good shot at him so I snuck up off the road to get closer and told my dad to take the truck down the road a ways to make them think we left with out seeing them.As I made my way up towards the elk I saw that there were 2 bulls.1 was much bigger than the other.he was a very dark horned 5 point.as I made my way up they were feeding and slowly walking away from me.I realized after I got out of the truck I left my binos on the front seat.I saw the bigger bull broadside at about 60yrds feeding with his head down but I could not see his horns since his head was behind him.then I looked up and saw the smaller bull broadside looking at me at about 120yrds.I could see his horns but couldnt tell if he was legal.so I cocked my Vortek and put it on him hoping he would turn his head and I coould see that he was legal.he finally did and I could see he was a legal bull so I pulled the trigger.as the smoke was clearing I reloaded then looked up and saw the bigger bull walking away.since my dad is a disabled hunter I knew I could try for the second bull.I took about 4 steps trying to get a shot and he took off.I never saw the one I shot at leave so I made my way up to where he was at when I shot to look for blood.meanwhile Paul had got out of the truck just after I did and was making his way up to me to see what had happened.as we started looking for blood I heard my truck get floored,then stop,then get floored again and stop.after a few seconds my dad tried calling us on the radio but we were only getting the first word of what was said.so I headed over to him and found out that both bulls had headed right to him and tried to cross the road to get down in the canyon below us but he had cut them off.then he got out and tried to shoot the bigger bull twice but only the cap had gone off.then the big bull left but the smaller one was still there broadside at 40yrds.he looked down to put a 3rd cap on and looked back up and the bull had disappeared.as he was looking for it he saw the top of his rack above the ferns and new he had dropped.I got over there and walked up to the bull and he was done.he dropped 40yrds off the road on the up hill side.I got him gutted,parked my truck sideways in the road with the tailgate backed up to the bank and Paul and I drug him down and right into the truck.

He is a typical coweeman bull.not a big rack but I still got 400lbs of meat off him.The best part about this bull was the fact that for the first time my dad was there with me when I got an elk.
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: erk444 on December 19, 2011, 05:54:56 PM: What do you think caused the problem with your dads gun?
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: RClare1223 on December 19, 2011, 05:57:17 PM: the nipple was pluged from firing caps before loading.its a elkhorn which has a very small flash hole in the nipple.which is soon to be remedied.
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: erk444 on December 19, 2011, 06:01:15 PM: Man that sucks! That would have been cool to double up with your dad! At least he got to see where it went down, easy trackin that way :tup:
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: 3dsheetmetal on December 19, 2011, 06:03:57 PM: Congrats nice bull :tup:
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: BULLBLASTER on December 19, 2011, 07:08:37 PM: great Job! coweeman bulls were pretty tough to come by this year.
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: RB on December 19, 2011, 07:19:35 PM: Nice Bull :tup:
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: muzbuster on December 20, 2011, 06:16:42 AM: :tup: nice job
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: blackveltbowhunter on December 20, 2011, 07:06:18 AM: Nice Bull! Congrats!! :tup:
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: MichaelD on December 20, 2011, 12:51:23 PM: Nice work and good eats! Congrats :tup:
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: Huntboy on December 20, 2011, 01:13:11 PM: Sweet, congrats.
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: TopOfTheFoodChain on December 20, 2011, 01:43:35 PM: :tup: Nicely done.
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: Big Horn on January 05, 2012, 08:15:49 PM: Great story, Congrats :brew:
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: buglebuster on January 05, 2012, 08:24:06 PM: :yeah: Congrats
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: 400out on January 05, 2012, 08:47:04 PM: :yike: missed this one :bash: congrats on a great bull :tup:
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: MLBowhunting on January 14, 2012, 08:55:25 PM: nicw bull. :tup:
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: carpsniperg2 on January 14, 2012, 09:14:48 PM: I missed this one as well, congrats :tup:
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: troyc on October 15, 2012, 10:38:03 AM: I realize this post was a while ago, but I was wondering what your remidy for the small flash hole issue was. I have the same gun and have had several issue of this type.
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: gadwall on October 18, 2012, 06:30:40 AM: Quote from: RClare1223 on December 19, 2011, 05:57:17 PM
the nipple was pluged from firing caps before loading.its a elkhorn which has a very small flash hole in the nipple.which is soon to be remedied.

Great job on a nice bull. Great that your dad was there to share this with you! Whatever your remedy for his gun, don't bore the nipple out. Get a different CVA nipple. I made the mistake of boring a factory nipple and it caused alot of trouble when shooting loose powder. I keep the Elkhorn clean and shoot a mostly dry bore and have not problem anymore. Enjoy the elk steaks!
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: RClare1223 on October 18, 2012, 07:47:34 PM: actualy we did bore it out a tiny bit and it semms to be working fine,i shoot pellets so that may be the difference there.
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: BIGMIKE on October 26, 2012, 07:10:51 AM: Thats a nice animal. A real trophy for sure. Congrats.
Title: Re: My first ML Bull
Post by: Kioti on October 27, 2012, 06:57:57 AM: Nice bull for your first muzzy elk...great way to break in the old smoke pole ... :tup: