Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Why do we do this? Or, our elk hunt 2004

Bob, congratulations on a good hunt and thanks for the story.

With threads like this one that get out of control with people second guessing other hunters I am surprised that people are still willing to post stories of their hunts knowing that some troll with try to pick them apart. To those that are willing to take the chance I say thank you for the stories. tom

Charlie,

I'm sorry but with that post along with the buffalo adventure it is evident, you have bad rifles, bad bullets and bad form <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Perhaps if you started building slot cars instead of rifles?

Just kidding here man, your reputation precedes you, just making a point and flogging a dead horse <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I cain't know why some critters is tough and some ain't, I don't know how some little short legged fat guy climbed 2 mountains with me to get his sheep and 2 guys 15 years younger couldn't go to the outhouse without gettin lost. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

There just ain't no explaining God's creatures, they may look similar, but it don't make em so! 1ak

I�m not exactly a novice at this Elk-whackin game, yet last year I �whacked� a little spike(y) Elk and was totally amazed at his tenacity to cling to life and efforts to escape, after absorbing a normally lethal dose of serious warp-speed Barnes TSX medicine.

I had first spotted the spike, cross canyon some 300 yards away, where the tall dark timber met the edge of a sparse patch of second growth. Wasn�t going to attempt the shot offhand and before I could secure a comfortable rest (near prone) to shoot from, he slipped into the dense woods and I planned a stalk around the top of the bowl, hoping to intercept him.

Some 45 minutes later, as I dipped into a little fern covered draw, the Spike jumped up from his bed (about 85 yards off to my right) and stood broadside, trying to figure out exactly what I was. Rifle to shoulder, hasty sling wrap ... and my .300 Weatherby launched a 168gr Barnes TSX at 3400 fps dead-center into his chest. It double lunged him, missing ribs on the entry and exiting out through a ping-pong ball sized hole. From that first shot, the bull was already a Dead-Elk-Walking, but he just wouldn�t accept it. His reaction to the shot .... ? He jumped into the timber and crashed his way some 80 yards, steeply uphill, stupidly pausing (standing broadside) to peer around a tree at me ... with only his vitals hiding behind this tree. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

He should be floating on his back and circling-the-drain about now <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />,
but he�s still standing ... so I�m still shootin.

Firing uphill at about 140 yards, the second shot, placed as far forward as possible (close to the tree that shielded the vitals), passed two inches below the spine and exited the spike�s back, again through a golf-ball sized hole, taking a chunk of offside rib with it. By itself, this shot probably wasn�t fatal, but was taken because it was the only shot I had and I hoped it would put a little Kung-Fu paralyzing-effect on him, lest he decide to take a hard right and head down into a H-ll-hole.

At the impact, did the spike roll over and die ? No ! He jumped back into the timber and crashed straight uphill yet another 50 yards ....then upon entering an opening, made the mistake of pausing, quartering away, looking back at me over his left shoulder.

Still standing ? ... Yes ! .... Still shooting !
The third shot (uphill and quartering away) entered low behind the left front shoulder, blew the aorta off the heart and angled up into the offside shoulder, exiting the shoulder with a hole the size of a peach and causing tremendous tissue damage (and the loss of at least 5 pounds of RF shoulder meat). Did he think it was Dirt-nap time ? ... fall over and play-dead now ? ... Not ! He thought it was Recess ....

He cranked in a hard right, heading back into the timber and ran 40 yards across the top of the hill (far enough to get out of sight), before he finally laid down and ran-in-place (on his side) for almost 20 seconds before he expired. I posted the autopsy photos in an earlier thread last year and have never seen a young Elk, take such punishment and still travel so far, so fast and stay alive for almost 50 seconds, after having both lungs destroyed with the first shot. Yes, over the years I�ve had my share of bang-flops ... but this spikey was truly over the top in absorbing punishment.

... S.B.

Why did the Chicken cross the road ? ..... to show the Deer it could be done !

SB
Yeah, but did you take out the drivetrain? ;-)
art

I have refrained from answering this post in detail.Coyote Hunter is a top notch(SP) fellow.He has been "Lucky" in his Elk hunting experiences(reguardless of the years doing it) with whatever bullet or caliber.It is the years that takes a toll with different results from the same hit."I wish" they all hit the ground on a leathal hit..But they don't.As he hunts Elk more and shoots more he will learn this as most have but untill you get hit you don't know how it feels.

He is a mathodical and helpfull person to those that need the help on Reloading and such on another forum.On this one I also thought it was out of line as he never usually knocks another atleast from what I have seen in 2+ years on another forum.He didn't mention when he posted he was going or was under the knife for a previous injory with Vicoden or whatever..Doesn't matter much to me other than he is a good guy and would do anything for anybody anytime.I know this from experience.

Don't get me wrong as he was wrong in my little brain for posting what he did when he did with the "Actual" Elk hunting experience he has.We fight toooth and nail on another along with DLA...But Coyote is class and made just one mistake as I have on this forum....

Thats it...My opinion and I stand by mine that it was a good post from a father and son that should not have been challenged in the open.....

Jayco.

G'day SU35,

Shall post a hunt or two shortly. If the US weren't so expensive, I'd be over in a flash to crap on till the sun came up in person! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Bring it on Bighammer, with anticipation we await.

I'd love to varmint hunt Australia and finish off with some of those nice little buffs you have over there. My understanding is they don't have a fence around them. In fact I'd rather hunt Azzieland than Africa. That be a fact.

SU35,

Good to see you'd like to hunt in Oz. Plenty of varmint hunting available as well as various deer such as fallow, chital (axis), red and our premier game trophy, sambar. Scrub bulls are also available up North. All in all, good hunting. The quickest way to relay some of my hunts is via an article I sent in to one of our local magazines.

Tell me what you think.

How might a guy find one of those articles? Plan to make it down someday for a hunt. Was down on business some years ago. In fact my ex is on her way there as we speak/type!

Been yacking at a buddy who was down after buff with a bow a year or so back and he has me worked up to make the trip!

Muley Stalker and SU35,

I've posted the article under Big Game, titled Guided Hunts.