Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Are premium bullets needed for elk?

You ignorant asses.....you're talking about pickups, not trucks.

Besides, the last elk I killed that I could have driven my premium pickup any closer to than a C&C grocery getter was on a late, snowy cow hunt in 2015 and that was only because they were in the low country. Luckily I caught a ride back to the rig by a dude in a tracked UTV. Every elk since then and most before I got to by hiking in off of a main road, and mostly a state highway.
Take those premium needs....

I park the Prius at the trail head and get around the first corner and take a nap the rest of the day.

Roll around in the dirt, throw water on myself, start the tracking feature about 15 miles before I get to the trail head and head back to the Prius about an hour after dark.

Makes you look like a stud.

In all seriousness, how do some people kill elk where they can load elk whole?

Yes I’m jealous.

I’ve never gotten a bull I’ve killed out whole.

Been on some mighty pack outs, I can tell you.




P

In a masochistic kind of way, I enjoy the pack outs. Like everyone, some aren’t bad, and some are WTH did I/we do.

I have gotten many out whole, Hydrabad on a ranch truck works awesome with a pipe through the back legs. Used a backhoe once and even a bobcat with forks off a meadow. Best was a custom Jeep with a flat bed and winch, that rig could go damn near anywhere and take out a couple critters at a time if need be.
My first bull was killed with a 30-30 and plain Jane Remington soft points. Took him out whole on the flatbed. About half had to be carried out, I prefer horses to backpacks myself. The majority were killed with plain soft point bullets or ballistic tips.

This ^^^^^^

🦫

Out of a couple hundred taken by myself and three others, and except for the ranch land tags, you can count the ones that came out whole on your fingers. Occasionally one will cross the road or trail, but those instances are far between. I would guess my last whole one, was in the late 90's.

I think Lewis & Clark's guys used premium lead ball for elk hunting...

2016, I got a big cow elk up above some private land. The farmer watched my hunt, he'd given me permission to cross his land. As I was admiring the cow and about to start quartering... I heard his ATV coming up the snowy slope... I dragged the cow down a ways, we put a rope around her and dragged her down to the pickup parked on the flats. A few guys helped me get her into the back of the truck after I field dressed her. Drove to town, cut her up in my garage. Easy danged "pack out" for sure!

I was kind of in shock about how easy it was, and the doggone steaks & roasts tasted great!

Guy

A couple hundred taken by 4 guys?

Wow, That's a minimum of 50 a piece. I could see that many possibly to pack out if you were all guides, but you said taken by you. Unreal

"Colorado 1135 Wow, That's a minimum of 50 a piece. I could see that many possibly to pack out if you were all guides, but you said taken by you. Unreal"

Just a little information, , I shot my first elk in 1961, my dads first one was in 58. He died 03 with 37 to his credit. Dad and I both hunted together in Wyoming, Oregon and Idaho. Another old timer whom I have hunted with is a Korean War Vet, and is well past 50 confirmed kills. The last few years he is getting lazy and now only hunts with a land owner tag. I have not hunted with him in few years. A young hunter whom I have mentored since the 70"s , when I met him in Idaho, is also into the 30 plus number, with only a few years missing an opportunity. When I moved from Idaho, I met up another fellow from back east and we have been together for 15 or so years, and i believe he has filled out every year since. I hunt in a minimum of two states every year and sometimes three. When I lived in Idaho the seasons were very liberal and I filled two tags there , several years. in row. I was not successful in 2017 but I believe that is the third time I have failed to fill a tag in my life. I am a dedicated hunter, it is my passion, and i have been fortunate to have the resources and the time to devote 30 or so days a year hunting elk. Most of these elk have been taken on public land with no guide or special privileges. I have hunted and been successful with rifle and muzzleloader, but yet to accomplish taking one with a bow. The vast majority of these elk came out on pack frames on our backs. Last year in two days we scored on two bulls and a cow, and took the next two days getting them out, while crossing a creek twice every trip. Believe me, there are several here whom have surpassed by accomplishments by a lot.
PM me if you would like additional info.

I could care less, it's your story. Even more unreal when you lay it out like you have.

I can say that I lost a very nice bull last year shooting a 180gn ttsx out of a 300wm. I cannot say what happened because the bull was not recovered after a fairly long track the blood dried up.

The load and rifle was proven. The 250yd kneeled shot was confirmed as a good hit by my guide. Decent blood and shoulder bone recovered, “should have been just over the next hill”.

Who knows? Maybe it was a very rate bullet failure, maybe me but the bone he lost was crazy. It all happened fast as it often does.

Unfortunately, [bleep] happens some time.

They likely used the most adequate equipment available, at that time.

Hey…..that’s a great bull you have as your avatar.

That’s really what you crave, isn’t it?

What if he’d shot 50 cows? Would he be less a threat to your expert status?

What's so unreal about it?

I'm wondering the same...

I’d take that any day.

Same here. I tell the Old Goat I hunt with I am looking forward to the elk that just dies next to a trail or near a road. For now I will just keep hunting with my little brother, he seems to have a strong back and hard feet at 21, and doesn't need much more upkeep than a llama

Laffin’, that’s the kind of partner to have.

I grew my own.