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Joined: Dec 2011
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Joined: Dec 2011
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Had the opportunity to go out elk hunting yesterday. Utah's spike season had been open for 6 days, but this was opening morning for myself. The night before I drove to the hunting grounds and slept in the truck. As morning hit I made my way to a lookout point. Elk were bugling periodically as I noticed an elk walking on a distant ridge. I quickly headed over and was pleased to see it was a spike. I didn't have a rangefinder, but guessed it to be around 400 yards. Not knowing exact yards and not able to get a good rest I elected to pass for the moment. The elk walked in the trees and I began to wait hoping they would hit another clearing closer to me. After a few wheelers pulled in below me I decided to go in the trees. I could smell elk and not long after I heard some trees break to my left. As I looked a spike was walking towards me at 10 yards. He turned and angled in front of me. I barely had time to put in my ear protection and crank my scope to low power (which I had forgot to do earlier) when he hit a small opening 15 yards in front of me. One shot and a few steps later he was down. Field dressing and packing out an elk by yourself is a lot of work. Luckily I'll have these two little ones to help me in the years to come. They are elk lovers. And the view looking back up the mountain after everything was loaded back in the truck.
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Joined: Feb 2006
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Campfire Regular
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Good job hunting and not just shooting. The look on your boys faces is priceless. They are going to be hunters for sure.
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Joined: Dec 2004
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Good call on passing up the first "shot opportunity " and congratulations on your hunting skills. Refreshing.
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Joined: Dec 2002
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Sweet hunt. It doesn't get any better than when the boys can go.
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Joined: Aug 2006
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Campfire Member
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Congrats Gledeasy. Nice work and beautiful country your future elk hunters have to roam in.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Semper Fi
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I like it! most the places I hunt you have to get in after'm or get nothing.
Kent
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Joined: Mar 2009
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2009
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Nice! Looks like you are in for a lot of years of fun with good hunting partners in the years ahead.
"Kids don't remember their best day of television."
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Great story and photos! I hope to see the posts when your two young assistants start getting it done. Good on you!
Golden............
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Campfire Regular
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Cool picture.., looks like ya got some future hunting pards
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Joined: Nov 2012
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Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Nov 2012
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Congratulations on a good hunt. Well done.
NRA Range Technical Team Advisor-Retired Nra Endowment member TSRA member NRA F-class Master NRA Pistol Coach-Retired
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,300 |
Utah's antler point rules must be different than Idaho's. Here, that extra point on the right side makes it illegal for a spike hunt. Nice elk, though.
βIn a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.β β George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Dec 2011
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2011
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Thanks everyone. I really can't wait to take these two with me. I was really tempted in taking the 3 year old this year. They both know what the elk says.
What's the earliest you guys have taken kids hunting? I would obviously be limited in how far I could hike, but was more worried for when the moment comes to shoot whether I could get him to stay behind me.
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,596
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,596 |
Utah's antler point rules must be different than Idaho's. Here, that extra point on the right side makes it illegal for a spike hunt. Nice elk, though. In Utah as long as one side is a spike it is considered legal. In fact if I am not mistaken if one side is either a spike or doesn't branch above the ear it is legal for the taking.
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Campfire Member
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Good call on passing up the first "shot opportunity " and congratulations on your hunting skills. Refreshing. Agreed!
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Congrats! It sure would be nice to wake and go kill and elk:) You guys do have some nice looking elk country down there. That one would be legal here in Oregon as well in a spike only hunt, heck that would pretty much be a trophy up here!!
"Rather hunt Mule deer than anything else" "Team 7MM-08"
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Joined: Mar 2003
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 17,170 |
Thanks for your story and pictures. Congratulations.
Randy NRA Patriot Life Benefactor
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,300 |
Utah's antler point rules must be different than Idaho's. Here, that extra point on the right side makes it illegal for a spike hunt. Nice elk, though. In Utah as long as one side is a spike it is considered legal. In fact if I am not mistaken if one side is either a spike or doesn't branch above the ear it is legal for the taking. Here in Idaho, the regs are picky. You can't have a branch on either side in a spike hunt. At least 1 antler has to be 6" or more long. A point is a protrusion of 1" or more in length. It's darn hard to catch an elk to measure those bumps. Usually the beams on a spike are well over 6" but I've seen a few that would have to be measured to be sure they're legal.
βIn a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.β β George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Joined: Dec 2002
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2002
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Way to go. Glad we don't have the antler restrictions it's just "any antlered"
Does your gun have a muzzle brake? Having to put ear protection in before shooting can be very problematic sometimes! Hunting elk solo is not a lot of fun once you pull the trigger too!
NRA Benefactor Member
Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
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