The bad news is that I'm through hunting for this season. The first good news is that I used a 45 caliber bronze brush to clean the chamber of the 308 tomato stake that failed to eject a few days ago, pulled the stock and oiled the surfaces that slide over each other, took it to the range and shot two groups that were 1 3/8" and 1 9/16" with Remington 150 gr. Corlokts. Everything was real smooth. The Winchester silvertips I used to dirty the bore shot a 3 1/2" group stung vertically after the bore fouling shot. I did ring a 300 yard 8 or 10" gong with shot number 5 of the silvertips.
On to the best news. Another younger friend had the day off. Bret had to return his gas field job yesterday. John works construction and had a break today. We saw elk everywhere from first light. We couldn't get up on the first two groups but then saw a few on the top of a ridge pretty close. We walked about a hundred yards towards them and dropped down into shooting positions. I told John to pick one then shoot as soon as I did. I shot, he didn't. We heard the "whack" of the bullet and the old girl turned around. I sent another one her way and she went over the ridge. It was a pretty steep climb up the ridge she was on so John said for me to get the four wheeler and circle around to as close to her as I could get and he'd go up the ridge after her. John got there first. She was lying down with her head up and he finished her with a shot to the head. I had aimed high on the shoulder and the bullet had hit lower and back some hitting the stomach and liver. The rifle was zeroed 2 1/2" high at 100 yards. My cheap rangefinder said the distance was 311 yards. I don't trust it and the range may have been closer to 250.
Tomato stake and old girl elk.

It had a Wyoming Game and Fish collar. I took the collar and the ear tags to Game and Fish for their records. They'll email me info on where and when she was collared.

Happy hunter and soon to be elk roasts.

Old tomato stake. Note the duct tape on the sling to prevent a reoccurrence of the final disaster last Friday.

Closeup of vintage Weaver KV scope.

Unfortunately, when John shot it in the head he blew one of the ivories away. Here's the other one. Maybe Diamond Jim can make me a watch fob out of this one.

Now I have to get back to work on the remodel project. My wife has been real understanding the past month. I'll bet she's got a list of honey do's to last all winter now that I'm out of hunting licenses.
The manager of the ranch we are hunting on thinks I'm too decrepit to hunt alone so I'm really fortunate to have these younger guys go with me. I'm taking the Father of one of these guys hunting out there Friday. He's older than I am so we'll see how that goes. Using up all my licenses doesn't keep me from going out with guys who still have licenses. You guys can probably tell I like to hunt.
David

Nice job all the way around David!!

Gotta love mater stakes and venison....

Nice work David, you're a killin machine with a Savage in your hands. I pitty the elk that you set your mind to!

But, you shot somebodies pet elk by the looks of it. Better load it up and hurry home!

David congrats again on getting it done. Now you need to stick that used up hunting license in the butt stock. Some day it may double the value of the rifle. Tom

thanks guys, Tom that's a good idea.

Congrads on the Elk! you have had a Great hunting season!

David, you deserve a good finish after all you've put into this season and helping people along the way!

Love that old KV Weaver on there!!

The adjustments on the KV were really precise. If I moved it two minutes according to the dial it moved the shot exactly two inches.
We just had some of the tenderloin. It was outstanding. Most if not all of this one will go to friends.

David

I appreciate your hunting stories. No Elk season here but lots of Whitetail. Came down with a bad cold and have only been out once for a couple hours. SIL took a six point buck that afternoon with a 250/3000. Got to help with that.

Still have a doe season and alternative weapons hunt that I can use my tags in. Need to thin the does out on my farm. So will try to take a couple.

Good story & good eating you have. Thanks GW

Congrats! Good job on the hunt!

Nice job of persevering, David!

Another great hunt for you! Congrats.

Congratulations. Well done. Happy Thanksgiving.

nicely done and good on you for taking friends out where the elk are begging to fill the freezer.

norm

They were a little too cagey today but there's always Friday. It's snowing so they'll be easier to see and track. They are starting to break up into little groups which increases the number of places there are elk and there aren't as many eyes looking for us when they're in smaller groups.