I had one more chance to backpack in for a bull toward the end of October so I took it. Decided to try a place I'd never been. I ended up spotting a huge herd of cows (+-50) on a hillside and waited on them until a bull fed out. He was nosing them a bit and then bedded.



[Linked Image]


I had time on my side, but not the wind and terrain, so I had to come straight up the bottom at them. I got in view of where he'd bedded but he had moved and I was on top of a dozen cows. It was almost dark so I pushed into them and set up on my pack so see if he'd filter out. A couple dozen more cows and spikes galloped by at 100 yds but not him. I left my pack and ran across the hill to the only other pocket of elk I figured was left and sure enough he was there. No shot, but I could tell they were going to wrap around a chute, and with that many animals might give me time to close the deal.

I kept on them for another 100 yds until I could slide against a log and watch them line out. I already had 200 dialed and that'd be about right; he stepped out from a scrub fir and that was it. He was dead on his feet but obscured in some alders so I moved up a bit and finished him off.





[Linked Image]


[Linked Image]


[Linked Image]



I'd dropped all my backpacking gear where I spotted him, which wasn't really on the way out. I figured I might as well do the night thing again so I had another long quiet walk with my thoughts. Got another buddy to come along for round 2 the next day. After the disappointment of missing a backpack hunt for mule deer, easily my favorite hunt of the year, it was pretty satisfying to work hard for a decent bull and close the deal.