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.

Good job hunting and not just shooting. The look on your boys faces is priceless. They are going to be hunters for sure.

Good call on passing up the first "shot opportunity " and congratulations on your hunting skills. Refreshing.

Sweet hunt. It doesn't get any better than when the boys can go.

Congrats Gledeasy. Nice work and beautiful country your future elk hunters have to roam in.

Way to go! Great hunt!

I like it! most the places I hunt you have to get in after'm or get nothing.

Kent

Nice! Looks like you are in for a lot of years of fun with good hunting partners in the years ahead.

Great story and photos! I hope to see the posts when your two young assistants start getting it done. Good on you!

Cool picture.., looks like ya got some future hunting pards

Congratulations on a good hunt. Well done.

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.

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.

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.

Agreed!

G.. congrat's

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!!

Thanks for your story and pictures.
Congratulations.

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.

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!

Congratulations!!

Them boys are HOOKED!!
They will tell their grandchildren about this day and live
their lives searching the mountains for "their" elk.
Congrats in so many ways.

We do have some any bull OTC units, but where I like to hunt is a spike only.

My gun does have a brake on it. I know not everyone is a fan, but after having one I really like it. I just carry the plugs with the plastic around my neck and it takes all but two seconds to slip them in.