Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Western Washington Bull

Well, today was a good day. Our general rifle season opened Nov. 5th and I'd hunted all but 3 days of it without seeing a single legal bull. And for the past week, I'd not seen any elk at all. It was very disheartening.

I had put a lot of pressure on myself to kill one this year. As you might recall, my hunting partner died last Christmas Eve and this was my first elk season without him in a long time. I had a Ruger No. 1 .45-70 Govt. Liberty Model that I sold to him, and he planned to hunt elk with it but got cancer that summer and never hunted again. I bought the rifle back from his widow and also got some ammo he had loaded prior to his passing. I was really looking forward to hunting that rifle with his bullets. Here's the rifle:


Here's a pic of the kind of timber I frequently hunt:


The timber slopes down to a valley that is full of creeks, swamps, and beaver ponds:


This morning I was hunting my way down the ridge where my partner killed his last elk (also where his son scattered his ashes) and reached a swampy creek bed. I was working my way through it when I spotted an elk feeding ahead of me. It took me a minute to determine he was legal, and what seemed like an eternity to find a shooting lane! Finally I sidestepped far enough to have a mostly clear path to a high shoulder shot. Well, my high shoulder shot went high, but it turned into a very nice spine shot. The bull dropped and never took a step. The 400 grain Speer went through the backbone and lodged against the offside hide.

When I walked up to him, I saw that he was a 4x5. It's not a monster rack, but he's pretty typical for elk around here.


Here's a couple shots of me with him (please note the very cool Camp Chickenbuck shirt--my second elk while wearing it!):




Then the work began. I ended up walking 16.5 miles and am completely exhausted as I sit here. But, it was pretty cool to shoot one with my buddy's rifle, with bullets he loaded, on the base of the ridge where he rests eternally. Definitely a good day...

Good work and what a way to honor your friend!

Outstanding! Love that blue tape on the #1!

Great story and congrats Waders. Just spent the week in a similar area in the Cascade foothills. Never got on anything however. Your hunting partner would be proud!

Congrats on a great bull and a great story. Sounds like everythign came together on this one!

Did you find that hunting this year seemed to be a real zoo? I saw more rigs this year running up and down the mainlines than I ever remember.

Well done and congratulations! A memory to cherish for sure.

Congratulations on a superb hunt.

That's pretty cool. Congratulations to you and I think your friend was with you on this one!

Congrats on the bull, and getting him with your buddies #1!!
Good eatin' elk too...

I probably am not the one to ask since the area I hunt is walk-in only. So I don't see any vehicles.

How cool is that!!!?? There is something right with the world after all, a kind of symmetry and wholeness in your elk story.

Hunting with your late friend's rifle and handloads, in the place where he got his last elk, and where his ashes lie. I suspect something is going on bigger than meets the eye, and it is good. Thank you for sharing a GREAT hunt.

I love the dark antlers. How did everything get so wet, and where is the sage and pine?

Great story and thanks for sharing. Congrats on the bull also!


ddj

Good going Waders it's a good looking Bull and it's a great beginning for you and your partner's memory.

He was truly watching over your hunt.

No doubt. I was asking myself that same question as I was skinning, gutting, butchering in the rain. With my 225lbs walking around the elk, the area quickly became a pool of runny mud. Butchering in that muck was a pain!

Way to go!!! Congrats on a fine bull.

Looks great - congrats on a nice bull

Great story and pics. Any images of the recovered slug?

Waders,

That is a really cool story.

Congrats on a great elk!

A great way to honor a friend and hunting bud, outstanding.

Chris

I broke off a petal while handling it and did not include it in these pics. The bullet including the loose petal weighed 339.5 grains:




I thought it held up rather well considering it went through an elk's backbone.