You've waited 15 years for the opportunity to harvest a bull of a lifetime. You've found these 4 bulls all within a couple mile radius; public land and unguided. Do you take a crack at the first one that presents a shot or hunt one specific bull? If you chose one specific bull, which one and why?

Bulls in no particular order

1.


2.


3.


4.


Wish I had better pics to offer. These are pics taken of video, from long distances and for the most part long distances.

I don't think it's a trick question, but I would shoot the first one that stepped out into the open and make sure my knife was sharp . Well, maybe I'd shoot the one closest to the road

The first is looking at a better truck then I drive. The second is stuck to a tree and there I,am with out a saw.Therd is my choice. Forth is speggety horned. The same problem I have four days of the week,to where a hat or no.

Well, I'd shoot either one of them, but if you look closely I believe theres only two bulls there. #1&2 are the same animal. #3&4 are the same animal. But both REALLY good!

shoot them

They all look good to me. No sense risking not filling a tag, first one I see would get shot.

Have to agree with Ingwe though, some look to be the same bull.

first set of lungs that are in confident range

I am an awful trophy hunter since I love elk meat, first one is down!

#2 and #3 could possibly be the same bull. The video of those two were before and after season. A couple miles apart, but they had similar characteristics other than length of their 3rds (which may have just been broken off). The others are definitely different bulls.



Closest to the road; smart, thinking ahead. Can't blame you there.

Very few things better than elk meat!

Big bulls that are easy don't mean much, but they can sure taste good
Small bulls miles from the pick up can mean a lot more and taste even better!!!
good hunting
Lj

FL?

Yes sir!

Nice. I would hunt for #3 FWIW.

I would shoot the first one that presented a shot to me as both are nice.

I'd be back at camp that evening having a cocktail with bloody pants after seeing any of these on public land.

These bulls were a lot of fun to watch. This was my scenario this past year. Like many of you I had decided that if any of them presented a shot during the season I was not going to think twice about it. I did spend the majority of my time watching bull #3, as he was a special bull and in a more harvestable spot.

Being on public land a number of other hunters had also picked this area for their efforts. For seven days I hunted hoping for the chance that was never presented by these bulls. However; my efforts were not in vain as I ended up harvesting a nice bull that I had not seen prior.

Here are some more pics and video of each bull. Nothing special, but something I threw together to remember the experience.

#1


#2


#3


#4

2 and 3 are not the same bull. I agree with Ingwe, 1 and 2 have the same longer left beam, could be coincidence... 3 and 4 are smaller bulls that could be the same also.

Kent

Out of those 4 bulls.... I'd shoot the 1st one I got a shot at.
They're all nice !

Same here.

If ANY of them showed up in front of me, I'd be drawing down on him!

nice pics

The one I saw first with a rifle in my hands would be in trouble!

First one I could place a confident shot...

We only get a elk tag once in a blue moon in SD. You pass up any of those bulls on public land opening day and your the fool no one else. Anywhere else on public in any other state I'd do the same. you asked. Magnum Man

On the 3rd night of the hunt I passed a cool looking 7x6 (had a ~8 inch cheater coming off of his 4th), which I passed because I knew these bulls were still out there. Didn't get a great look at him but he appeared to be a younger bull. By day 6 I was really questioning that decision.

I totally agree. It's the same way here too..

It appears FL is making a come back after they tried to annihilate the herd a decade ago..Some good looking bulls.

I could draw that tag,and its application time..hmmm

I would say it's doing better. That was about a joke when they did that. If you're looking for a chance at a nice bull and don't want to wait 20 years, FL is an option. It does have its limitation though.

Any questions in helping you decide, let me know.

For elk hunting I follow one rule. If it's brown it is down.
Then again I go elk hunting every year.

Of those, the first one I see. They're all nice bulls. I see no issues with any of them.

If I happened to see two of them at once, I'd probably shoot the one closer to the road or at least the one with the least uphill packing to do.

Tom

Sounds like the voice of experience...

Thought I would share as I thought it was a cool little story. I recently found out bull #1 from this post was harvested this past year. I posted a video of my hunt and soon after was contacted by the lucky hunter.
http://www.i-videowildlife.com/1/post/2014/03/utah-limited-entry-elk-by-spencer-gledhill.html

A quick background of the bull. In early August a friend got some pics of him on trail cam and I quickly started daydreaming of finding him. In September, just a couple of weeks before my hunt, I saw him on the hoof. This bull made it through the archery, early rifle, muzzleloader, and almost the late rifle season before he was harvested just 300 yards away from the unit boundary. He had traveled ~20 miles from where I had seen him.

My friend and I thought he had made it through so he applied for a tag that he should probably draw. It was sort of bitter sweet to hear of his harvest, but the hunter was well deserving and we were able to check out this monarch in person. We knew he was big, but he certainly impressed in person.

Here are a few pics.







My first attempt at video editing was with this bull http://youtu.be/2Fgny1A2GUk

The one that is uphill.

Evidently this kids bull died right on a dirt road and 300 yards from a main road. How about that for luck.

Clean living.

I'm with you.

Not much into the scorecard or what anyone else thinks of my harvest.