First Bull Memories

[DanMan]

Was just reading the thread "first lil elk". Made me think how special ones first bull is. 22 years and many elk ago, I still remember my 1st like yesterday. Was a 4x5 bull , DYI in Colorado public land unit 33. I used a Model 700 30-06 purchased 2nd hand just so I could go elk huntin. It was my first morning ever huntin elk. Me and a buddy drove as far back in as a 4WD would take us a week before season opened. Found this lil bull, waited on season to open then got him.
I'd like to hear about your first bull memories.

 

[D.ID]

After many years of Dad's hunt up hill so you can can drag them out, wait till daylight to start moving and always shoot close, theory. I was very frustrated and quit hunting for years. A few years ago I took it back up when my Wife's uncle invited me out with the theory go where ever you have to and be there waiting at day light ready to shoot farther than you expect. My first bull was a 5x5 the closest of four in my field of view at the time 300 yrds short range unless you have no range finder yet. One shot defiantly would have bean enough but he stumbled and stood there at which point fear of all that practice and preparation being waisted set in and I fired twice more before he crashed. two perfect double lung shots about two inches apart horizontal and a neck shot to the right side of his spine as he struggled to turn away. It was actually very stressful as that year I had bought my first designated elk rifle, my first quality rifle scope, quality binoculars, spotting scope, bipod, shooting sticks, built a proper kit for getting him out after the shot, watched the heard for weeks or more. Practiced till every one I new thought I was just wasting ammo by the time season rolled around so at least for my budget, I was all in........ 30 minutes of daylight into opening day of an 8 day season I finally had the shot I planned, where I planned it and got it done. That was more work than work and I Work blood sweat and tears everyday. I take it to serious now days but I get my elk. The last one was actually more fun and it keeps getting better. Adequate equipment and consistently expanding range have taken the edge off. I hear a lot of people grab a rifle they hardly ever shoot drive somewhere some guy told them about and lean out the window and shoot but more often than not at least on public land in my neck of the woods if thats all your putting into it your wasting your time. In either case happy hunting.

 

[kcebcj]

Eastern Idaho Oct 1976 almost on the Wyoming border horseback opening morning. Just breakin daylight when I reached the top of the ridge. The ground was froze and icy so my horse was really workin to stay on his feet and I was not lookin for elk but was making sure the horse had a good place to put his feet. Finally I looked down the ridge and there was a bull standin there at about three hundred yards looking right at me. Jumped off the horse slipped on the ice and almost fell. Jerked the rifle out of the scabbard sat down on the trail right behind the horse layed the cross hair right on his nose and squeezed it off. Flipped him right over backwards and out of site. I'm really surprised that **** horse didn't kick the crap out of me when I lit it off but he didn't and I thanked him for that.

Used to smoke in them days so I lit a cigarette and watched for about 10 minutes. Could not see the bull but knew he was down. Found a place to tie the horse then made my way down the ridge.

It was a pretty cool that morning in my budding elk hunting career to walk up on that bull laying there dead. He was a rag horn 5 pointer but for me back then any bull was a good bull. Packin that bull out of there in two trips with each half tied over the saddle is another story in itself. That was a really good day.

 

[D.ID]

GOOD HORSE! I still say any bull is a good bull.

 

[DanMan]

Those kind of memories are exactly what I'm talking about.

 

[winmag]

Well by the time I finally killed my first bull, I had a few deer and a couple cows under my belt. I had faith in my lil -06 and I was invincible.........
We had helprd recover 2 cows from our buddy's Land Owner tags that he shot the week before. So we knew where the elk were crossing from public to private ground. (we were hunting public ground). It was High Desert country, with sagebrush, crumbeling buttes, and shale rock with a blade or two of grass here and there. We had both sides of a main canyon covered wich was the only way in and out of the private ground. The elk never came thru..... we were so confused that we decided to re group at the bottom and discuss our options. We walked down out of the mouth of the canyon to find 3 raghorn bulls just standing there. I muttered something along the lines of Take em boys! And all heck broke loose. I pumped 4 rounds into mine with my -06 before he went down, and my buddy had a gun jamb with his 308, so I reloaded and swapped with him. Meanwhile my cousin was pummeling his with a 338 win mag. When all the smoke cleared all 3 of us had our first bulls! I got a 5x5 my buddy got a 3x4, and my cousin got a 4x5. We were young and not too bright, and flung way too much lead, but we got em.
I never did drop an elk with any less than 2 shots with my ol -06 and it has taken as many as 6 rounds. Never more than 200 yds, and most all were well placed shots. Tough critters. So I now have a bit bigger hammer for the task at hand, but I killed my first everything with my ol' -06, and used it from the age of 13 to 30, so it has a place of honor in the gun cabnet and rests semi retired untill my oldest son gets older. Lots of firsts yet to come...........

 

[DanMan]

Winmag,
Wow! That is special with 3 buddies all getting first bulls together is one explosion of gunfire. I'll bet yall had a great time getting them out and taken care of ......right?

 

[winmag]

Winmag,
Wow! That is special with 3 buddies all getting first bulls together is one explosion of gunfire. I'll bet yall had a great time getting them out and taken care of ......right?

UUUGGGGHHHHH!!! Ya we had quite a bit of work to do. The rigs were at the top of the canyon about a 1/4 MILE from the rim. So the pack(s) up the canyon were hard, but the real work started when we got to the top. We actually convinced our buddies step dad Hal Laur (an ex sprint car racer) to beat the heck out of his rig and get as close as he dared. It looked pretty funny having that many people and elk in (and on) 1 rig. Considering 4 people and 3 ragg horns were wrappep up in and on an Isuzu Trooper. That poor little foreign car took a beatin! I dont think it lasted another year We actually had to make 2 trips, cause we had to go back for the back seat, and all of the rest of our huntin gear that wouldnt fit in, or on the rig.
It is some special memory for sure. And I have only been on 1 other elk hunt that was that easy in my life, and I wasnt the one hunting. I took a friend of mine for her first elk hunt and she shot a spike, with her recently deceased granpa's rifle, 40 yards from the pickup 15 minutes into opening day of spike season. We drug it downhill in the snow to my open tailgate backed up to a snow berm. Loaded it whole minus gutts. That was even harder for me to belive than my cousins, buddies and my first bulls all at once. Pretty awesome.
I have never since had an elk season that remotely resembled the ease of those two. The rest we had to work alot harder for.

Great thread by the way. I love reading these story's. Kcebj's story had me cringing waiting for hooves to fly over my head just reading it! Wow! Pretty great storys so far. cant wait to read more.

 

[7MMColoHunter]

Very cool first bull memories. Love reading the great memories in the stories.

My first elk I took when I was 18 and it was the second most exciting elk hunt I have ever been on. Opening day of first rifle season (1988) and I was sitting watching where two canyons came together. All morning in the canyon south of me it sounded like world war three going on. Being a young impatient hunter I couldn't take it anymore, around 9:00 a.m. I got up from my spot and took three steps to head towards the shooting, when I heard rocks moving on the other side of the canyon I was just watching. When I turned around I saw this huge bull start coming off the top, I pulled up my rifle and got him in the scope when all of a sudden I heard three quick shots and the bull dropped out of my scope. I could not believe it, there was this 72 year old man from Florida getting up out of the sage brush, where he had been sitting all morning. I walked down to him and we went to look at the bull, it was a 7x8 that ended up grossing 383". I was sick !

The second morning I was watching the same two canyons, but sitting in a different spot. Nothing was moving pretty much all morning and hardly any shooting going on. I sat there all morning telling myself to stay and not move, one of the hardest things I have ever done. Around 10:30 a.m. a couple of guys on atv's came cruising by on the road in the bottom of the biggest canyon. I watched them go by and when it got to where I could just barely here them this 4 point bull snuck out of the quakey pocket under me, went across the road and started up the other side. I waited for him to stop I put my crosshairs on him and I could not believe how bad I was shaking. I waited for the crosshairs to settle (or so I thought ) and pulled the trigger. He went right down and rolled down the side of the of the canyon, I could her him kicking around down in the quakeys. All of a sudden I seen him standing in the middle of the road and I lost it. I started shooting, after about the fourth shot I couldn't understand why I was not hitting him when I realized I was looking at his antlers and not putting the crosshairs on his body. I brought the crosshairs down and hit him right in the top of the back and he went back down, I ran down there as fast as I could and shot him again just to make sure he was done. As I was taking care of the bull the guys on the atv's came back by, what horrible looks I recieved as they road by. Truely awesome and I was hooked forever !
Here he is