Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Meat run

Left at noonish on Monday. Got up there about 3:30, put tent up then drove out of the camping spot and saw a herd about a mile and half away at a cattle pond about 4:30, but heading back to cover in a wilderness study area. Drove around to where my friend and his dad killed bulls many years ago. Found a bedded bull at 400 yards in the PJ, but no cows with him. By the way, I had a cow tag. Hung around near there and another draw til dark. Up at 5:00 am, out of camp at 5:45, started hiking into the wilderness area sage flat towards the pond by moonlight. Got there by 6:30.
Heard a bugle behind me but couldn’t make anything out. Sky started glowing behind the mountain near camp, and another bugle. Start to reposition towards the bugles, and I see heads and shoulders of elk above the sage. They also see me at 330 yards but aren’t sure what to make of me, but are nervous. Don’t have my wind though. They head to the pond, I get set up but they are still trotting around like they are nervous, except one calf that gave me a broadside at 250 ish. Then they bugger back toward the draw they came out of, so I cut them off and as they crest the hill at 175ish I pop the lead cow as she paused to look around.

She stumbles and bolts 20 yards before piling up. 280 AI 150 Nosler Ballistic Tip.

But now, it’s 7:30 am, and my friend said he’d check in around noon, which wouldn’t do me much good. Wasn’t sure I’d be done by then, but could have a big chunk done. In the end, I did 7.8 miles before 2 pm of packing elk out a mile or so at a time. Did one dumb double load with bone in plus back strap and tenderloin. Had to be around 100ish as I could barely get up with the pack on.
And bam, it’s Wednesday and I’m home with meat cut up and in the freezer. Grind is tomorrow.
Not bad for a tag I picked up 3 weeks ago for a unit I’ve never hunted.