Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Old guys, part 2

I had two deer tags and a cow tag for the third seasons and we did pretty well.

The snow storm that hit the Wed before the season started, dumped about 18 " up high,but only abut 6" where I camped. I went on the Tuesday before to miss the storm, and spent until Friday evening waitng for other members of the party to show up.
Anoter fellow came up Tuesday also.

The heavy snow pushed the elk down to about 9000 ft ,but they went up some after opening day from the hunter pressure.

Opening day I took the two doe deer and we packed them up and another fellow got a 4x5 bull. Another member took another doe, but had to quit hunting after that due to bad knees.He had just had an injection procedure a few days before coming up and they were too sore to ride anyome.

Sunday we saw no elk, but Monday while I was up hunting heavy timber to the right of this pohto,one of the guys shot a cow that walked out into the center of the meadow while they were eating lunch. A real Gimme. I saw one cow, but luckily had a clean miss in the dense stuff.It would have been a nasty pack out.



Tuesday was elkless, but Wednesday,another fellow got the 2nd cow up higher in the aspens. That was an easy pack. That fellow had to return to work,so we were glad he tagged out. By now two of the party of 5 had left and one guy could not hunt. Leaving me alone to hunt,and one other guy still had a doe deer tag.

Th elk were coming hard and by Thursdsay I was getting wore down. We were riding 8 miles back in every day and hunting in crusted snow, but it had melted some bare ground was in some spots.

Friday I left camp for the 3 hr ride at 3:30 AM and hit the hunting area about 30 minutes before shooting light.

I tied up and got situated about 200 yds from the mule when I heard a bull bugle.( Bulls do bugle in Nov.) The elk were moving up though some aspens,and I was able to work may way around into the wind along a side hill.
At about ten minutes into legal shooting time,I saw a bedded cow at about 80 yds.

Being the last day of the season,I shot her in her bed. Double lunger,with the .06, 220 gr RN.
Darn if she didn't stand up, so I hit her again with a neck shot that put her back down in the bed she had been in.

Then about 8 more cows and the bull came up and milled about her,worked there way above me and then got my wind and moved out.

Sorry about the quality of the photos, but it was early and I was in a hurry to get her packed out the 8 miles ,so we could leave Sat AM.





I got her quarterd, ready to pack and went back down for the mules. Thank God the other fellow hunting deer had heard the shots and was at the mules waiting to help me load.We got her bagged and loaded the whole thing on Jessie,my older mule.I really didn't want to load that heavy,but the mules and me were tired and I didn't know if I could make the 16 mile round trip again up the mountan. The next photo is down in the clearing below the aspens. The elk was shot fairly close to the cliffs in the back ground. About a mile back.



The freezer will be over flowing and I still have a pronghorn doe tag form December.
It's been a good year.I have had about 20 days in the field and this last trip I rode about 135 miles in all on the mules.

On a sour note,I did run into the some guys, from Oklahoma, ridng, that were as bad as the worst ATVers,riding into prime hunting areas, which pushed the elk back up into the rocks.

Right on! Sounds like you've had a great year with lots of action

Very, very cool!

Vince, congrats on a fine season! Nothing like a full freezer! (grin)

ElkNut1

Well Done SS! Congratulations

Awesome pics and story. I appreciate you sharing.

Man that looks like a ton of fun. Thanks for sharing the great pictures and stories. Sounds like you will be eating plenty good over the winter.

Good going, nothing like a good 220.

Nice looking country and a great story congrats.

Great story and pics.
You have sure had a good year.

Hey Vince, sending you a PM in a moment.

Robert

Vince, you are an Elks worst nightmare! I would be glad to do 2 shares of camp chores to go ride/hunt with you.. Way to go.. Jesse

Notice the entry hole in the 1st photo. ( That is where you are suppose to shoot'em) That darn 220 gr made a 1" hole going in and about an inch and a half going out. I found the neck shot bullet in the hide after it hit the neck vertebrae. About 50% loss of weight. Asolutely no meat ruined ,except on the neck

Good job....looks like a great time!