Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
Articles
Latest reviews
Author list
Classifieds
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Forums
Hunting
Elk Hunting
11 Year Old's First Bull
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Tumbleweed" data-source="post: 718221" data-attributes="member: 9281"><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 15px">It was a</span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">n hour past first light as we looked into the bottom of a newly logged unit. He was definately a bull due to his color, but how big was he? Through the fog and low light i</span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">t was hard to tell. Bot</span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">h of my boys were excited </span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">to discover that we had found something that my </span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">older son Caleb may be a</span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">ble to shoot. This w</span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">ould be his first big game anima</span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">l. With the spo</span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">tting scope on him, the fog finally cleared just enough to see that he was a spike, but that's good enough for a boy's first elk. The fog </span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">came back in heavy and ther</span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">e we sa</span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">t for the next sever</span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">al hours. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">Around 12 noon the fog finally cleared out of the canyon and no bull, he had probably gone back into the timber. We drove the road that circled to the other side of the canyon to make sure he had not slipped over the other side of the small ridge he had been on or even crossed the creek and fed up below where we were originally sitting. No bull. I told the kids that we had better just go back to the original spot where we were glassing before and just wait.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">About 2pm as the boys were goofing off, choking each other out and trying to injure each other in the pickup, I looked right below me and our spike was feeding up towards us<span style="font-size: 15px">!</span> We hopped out and I quickly got things set up for the shot. The bull was 315 yards. I got Caleb behind my 300 Ultra and he seemed to be very comfortable, no bull fever that I could tell either. With ear muffs on we waited and watched for a good clean shot on the bull. I never felt comfortable giving him the go ahead as there was always brush in front of the vitals when the bull would turn broadside. We had a back shot once, but I did not want to see what the Berger 215 Hybrid would do to the backstrap at close range. Finally, the bull disappeard behind a little finger.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">Having a lot of confidence in my kids' long range shooting abilities I decided that we would load up, circle to the other side of the canyon and poke across. Once there I ranged the bull, 522 yards. I got the rifle set up on the bipod and backpack under the rear for the shot. I dialed 7 MOA for 1900ft elevation and 50 degrees. My younger son Alex was running my Kestrel for me calling out about a 1.5 mph wind at 90 degrees to us. I gave a slight dope of .75 MOA left for wind. With Caleb behind the rifle watching the bull I asked several times, are you calm? Is the crosshair moving all over? "No dad, I'm rock steady." Ok, we'll see I thought to myself. The bull was broadside and slightly quartering away from us. I felt this was better than a straight broadside shot because if he hit a little far back, the bullet would still find the vitals. Far ahead, we would get front of shoulder or neck.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">As I watched through my binoculars I told Caleb to ease back on the trigger when he was ready but NOT to hurry. At the crack of the rifle I watched to bull hit the ground, roll to his back and start kicking his feet in the air. Caleb saw the whole thing in the riflescope as well. He let out a big hollar and so did I. A little pre-mature as the spike hopped to his feet and ran 50 yards to the timber and out of sight. I was surprised, but knew it was a solid hit. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">We loaded up and circled back to our original spot above the bull and started down the ridge he was on. Caleb found the tracks on his own where the bull had gone into the timber. With a lot of shouting and high fiving we found the bull stone dead 20 yards inside the timber. Upon inspection of the <span style="font-size: 15px">shot placement, it had been absolutely perfect! The 215 <span style="font-size: 15px">Hybrid entered right behind the l<span style="font-size: 15px">eft shoulder, broke three ribs and went on to devistate the heart and lungs.</span></span></span> This was a priceless hunt for me and one I will never forget. Having both my boys with me, coming together as a team and getting the job done even at such a young age makes this dad pr<span style="font-size: 15px">oud</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px">. Caleb still has a perma-grin! Below are some pictures, sorry about the poor resolution on a couple, th<span style="font-size: 15px">ese were just cell phone pics.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p>[ATTACH]14760[/ATTACH]<span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-size: 15px">Shot placement</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p>[ATTACH]14761[/ATTACH]<span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-size: 15px">Destroyed Heart and Lungs</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p>[ATTACH]14762[/ATTACH]<span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 12px"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Tumbleweed, post: 718221, member: 9281"] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]It was a[/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=4]n hour past first light as we looked into the bottom of a newly logged unit. He was definately a bull due to his color, but how big was he? Through the fog and low light i[/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=4]t was hard to tell. Bot[/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=4]h of my boys were excited [/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=4]to discover that we had found something that my [/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=4]older son Caleb may be a[/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=4]ble to shoot. This w[/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=4]ould be his first big game anima[/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=4]l. With the spo[/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=4]tting scope on him, the fog finally cleared just enough to see that he was a spike, but that's good enough for a boy's first elk. The fog [/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=4]came back in heavy and ther[/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=4]e we sa[/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=4]t for the next sever[/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=4]al hours. Around 12 noon the fog finally cleared out of the canyon and no bull, he had probably gone back into the timber. We drove the road that circled to the other side of the canyon to make sure he had not slipped over the other side of the small ridge he had been on or even crossed the creek and fed up below where we were originally sitting. No bull. I told the kids that we had better just go back to the original spot where we were glassing before and just wait. About 2pm as the boys were goofing off, choking each other out and trying to injure each other in the pickup, I looked right below me and our spike was feeding up towards us[SIZE=4]![/SIZE] We hopped out and I quickly got things set up for the shot. The bull was 315 yards. I got Caleb behind my 300 Ultra and he seemed to be very comfortable, no bull fever that I could tell either. With ear muffs on we waited and watched for a good clean shot on the bull. I never felt comfortable giving him the go ahead as there was always brush in front of the vitals when the bull would turn broadside. We had a back shot once, but I did not want to see what the Berger 215 Hybrid would do to the backstrap at close range. Finally, the bull disappeard behind a little finger. Having a lot of confidence in my kids' long range shooting abilities I decided that we would load up, circle to the other side of the canyon and poke across. Once there I ranged the bull, 522 yards. I got the rifle set up on the bipod and backpack under the rear for the shot. I dialed 7 MOA for 1900ft elevation and 50 degrees. My younger son Alex was running my Kestrel for me calling out about a 1.5 mph wind at 90 degrees to us. I gave a slight dope of .75 MOA left for wind. With Caleb behind the rifle watching the bull I asked several times, are you calm? Is the crosshair moving all over? "No dad, I'm rock steady." Ok, we'll see I thought to myself. The bull was broadside and slightly quartering away from us. I felt this was better than a straight broadside shot because if he hit a little far back, the bullet would still find the vitals. Far ahead, we would get front of shoulder or neck. As I watched through my binoculars I told Caleb to ease back on the trigger when he was ready but NOT to hurry. At the crack of the rifle I watched to bull hit the ground, roll to his back and start kicking his feet in the air. Caleb saw the whole thing in the riflescope as well. He let out a big hollar and so did I. A little pre-mature as the spike hopped to his feet and ran 50 yards to the timber and out of sight. I was surprised, but knew it was a solid hit. We loaded up and circled back to our original spot above the bull and started down the ridge he was on. Caleb found the tracks on his own where the bull had gone into the timber. With a lot of shouting and high fiving we found the bull stone dead 20 yards inside the timber. Upon inspection of the [SIZE=4]shot placement, it had been absolutely perfect! The 215 [SIZE=4]Hybrid entered right behind the l[SIZE=4]eft shoulder, broke three ribs and went on to devistate the heart and lungs.[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE] This was a priceless hunt for me and one I will never forget. Having both my boys with me, coming together as a team and getting the job done even at such a young age makes this dad pr[SIZE=4]oud[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=4]. Caleb still has a perma-grin! Below are some pictures, sorry about the poor resolution on a couple, th[SIZE=4]ese were just cell phone pics.[/SIZE] [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE] [ATTACH]14760.vB[/ATTACH][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=4] [SIZE=4]Shot placement [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE] [ATTACH]14761.vB[/ATTACH][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=4][SIZE=4] [SIZE=4]Destroyed Heart and Lungs [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE] [ATTACH]14762.vB[/ATTACH][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=4][SIZE=4][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE] [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE] [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Hunting
Elk Hunting
11 Year Old's First Bull
Top