Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting My first Bull

I learn slow, but it finally all came together for me year, and I tagged my first bull last weekend. A huge amount of the credit needs to go to my elk hunting mentor (Saddlesore) who has patiently taught me about elk, and how to hunt them. It was his teachings that enabled me to take this bull.

I shot this one with my 30-06, at approx. 20 minutes after the season opened (3rd season in Colorado). I saw this bull when I was stalking my way up a ridge to see if I could find a big bull I had spotted last year. We rode mules up to a spot at around 9,000 ft. and then tied up and the group split up. I started still hunting up the ridge looking for the bull from last year.

Last year I had been busted while pushing up hill too fast. So this year I picked a steeper slope to approach (vs. using the game trails) and I still hunted my way up so I could peak over the ridge. Just before I reached the area where I saw last years bull I was able to see down two benches on my left and that's where I caught this bull.

I was on the above just off the 2nd bench from the top, and the bull was two benches below me, about 200 yds away, and almost 55-60 degrees downhill. At first I couldn't tell if it was a cow or a bull. I had to slide down the hill and get to a spot where I had a clear view of it's head so I could get a clean view of the head. There were two stands of aspens between me and the bull. After a minute he lifted his head and I counted 4 points on one side - Legal bull!

I slid down the slope a bit more until I had a clear shot at his shoulder. I took my time and made a good shot, he jumped and ran about 15 yards, and just stood there. I had to quickly slide down the slope again to get a clear shot. At that point I could only see the base of his head and the top of his neck. I took a quick shot and clipped a aspen limb, but he didn't move - apparently he couldn't tell where the shot had come from. I slide down a few more yards so I had a clear shooting lane and squeezed off another round. This one connected between the first and second vertebra of his neck. I saw his hooves in my scope and new he was done.

I had to slide my way down to the next bench, and then slide down again to the where he had fallen. Pretty exciting. He is 3.5 - 4 years old, and a 4x5 - a great meat bull. Not the biggest one I've seen but I'm pretty proud of it none the less.

I skinned and quartered him and then walked back to the mules to get my game bags for the backstraps. Saddlesore met me on his mule just before I got back to where we'd tied up. I got my Mule (a friends) and we rode back to the bull. Saddlesore showed showed me how to do the backstraps and tenderlions, helped me hang the meat and packed out the head on his pack mule. Can't say enough about his character - good man.

Congratulations!

Congrats, great to see someone get their first!

Good job! Mucho carne this winter, as one of my friends says...

Kudos to Saddlesore, too, although I would not have expected less of him.

Terrific job, good shooting and MAJOR congratualtions.

Thank you for sharing this with us.

Way to go. Nice bull!

Well done!

Spot, congratulations man!

Spot, way to get it sorted out. Congrats on your first bull...

congrats!

Good job on such a grand animal. I also bet you'll enjoy him a second time at the table.

Great looking animal, congrats on the hunt.

Very cool.
I like all the sliding in the snow references. Elk hunting just seems right in the snow.

Thanks guys.

I just got done cutting him up, and putting the roasts, steaks, stew meat, ... in the freezer.

Wow these buggers are alot bigger than a whitetail.

Spot

Excellent! Congratulations!

Nice story and picks...Any bull is an outstanding bull....

Congrats. Spotshooter!!

Kudos on a fine animal, and, for listening to your mentor.

Hope you score many more and that each is just a little bit larger. Way to go!

Way to go Spot, great story and pics. Darn tootin' they're bigger than a whitetail!