Left at noonish on Monday. Got up there about 3:30, put tent up then drove out of the camping spot and saw a herd about a mile and half away at a cattle pond about 4:30, but heading back to cover in a wilderness study area. Drove around to where my friend and his dad killed bulls many years ago. Found a bedded bull at 400 yards in the PJ, but no cows with him. By the way, I had a cow tag. Hung around near there and another draw til dark. Up at 5:00 am, out of camp at 5:45, started hiking into the wilderness area sage flat towards the pond by moonlight. Got there by 6:30.
Heard a bugle behind me but couldn’t make anything out. Sky started glowing behind the mountain near camp, and another bugle. Start to reposition towards the bugles, and I see heads and shoulders of elk above the sage. They also see me at 330 yards but aren’t sure what to make of me, but are nervous. Don’t have my wind though. They head to the pond, I get set up but they are still trotting around like they are nervous, except one calf that gave me a broadside at 250 ish. Then they bugger back toward the draw they came out of, so I cut them off and as they crest the hill at 175ish I pop the lead cow as she paused to look around.

She stumbles and bolts 20 yards before piling up. 280 AI 150 Nosler Ballistic Tip.

But now, it’s 7:30 am, and my friend said he’d check in around noon, which wouldn’t do me much good. Wasn’t sure I’d be done by then, but could have a big chunk done. In the end, I did 7.8 miles before 2 pm of packing elk out a mile or so at a time. Did one dumb double load with bone in plus back strap and tenderloin. Had to be around 100ish as I could barely get up with the pack on.
And bam, it’s Wednesday and I’m home with meat cut up and in the freezer. Grind is tomorrow.
Not bad for a tag I picked up 3 weeks ago for a unit I’ve never hunted.

Way to go! That’s the way to fill freezers!

nice

That's a lot of hauling....but well worth it, good eats.

Awesome job man! Nothing better than beautiful red meat headed to the freezer.

Sounds like the perfrect trip. Did you get a pass-through with the 150 BT??

Nice work...

Sounds like a lot of fun nice work great load of meat there!!

It did not pass through. Hit her on the onside shoulder, found some jacket there, did not see a hole exiting the ribcage. Lung soup, but I’m guessing it mostly stayed inside the torso. Didn’t find it but assume it was in the soup. Took a little off the top of the heart too.

Nice hunt! Very clean and trimmed meat. That's how I do it too.

Boy oh boy, that is some very nice meat there. Good job!!!! Only ever tried elk meat once at a wild game dinner & it was raised on an elk farm. Same same or better?? I'm out. 🐾👣🔥

Thanks.

Nice work! Damn, I hope in can do the same with my cow tag.

NICE!! Hard not to like that.

Here’s the jacket remainder

Good job, Ex. Congrats!

Those 150 BTs are demons.

The meat pic is great. Good job. I'm hoping to pack one in a few weeks. Thanks for sharing.

Very nice that a new area resulted in some great eating. Thanks for your story.

Nice!

Todd

Good job. Great looking meat!

Nice pics...some good eating for sure.

Congrats!
Gotta love it when a plan comes together!
Looks like a lot of good eatin sitting there!

Ex--congrats, I love those BT's, what rifle are you shooting?

I was shooting a Kimber Subalpine 280AI, Leupold Vx-3i 3.5-10x40

Good deal and I commend ones butchering skills. Way to go.

Nice job! I hauled a hind quarter out once over my shoulder along with my rifle and back pack. The idea was to lessen the following loads once I brought my freighter frame back in to get the rest. That was not pleasant even though it wasn’t that far.

I haven’t found much to beat good elk meat and we are now three quarters through last years bull which is just great eating. That and pheasant are my long time favorites...unless it’s fresh walleye. 🙂

Congratulations exbiologist... nicely done ! Happy for your success in a new unit ! HH

That will do.