Tumbleweed
Well-Known Member
Thought I would take a minute and share the story of my younger son's first LR elk.
My oldest son and I hunted the Oregon General Coast Bull Elk first season. Without him or I having success it was up to Alex on the 2nd season spike only hunt.
The season started with us having a spike to go after and naturally I thought it would be a done deal opening morning. Well, that didn't work out when some other hunters walked in the bottom of the unit really early upwind from the heard which sent them into the timber before there was enough light to shoot.
We left that unit by 9am and walked around the mountain in time to see some people we knew shooting. The immediate assumption was that the whole heard from below got pushed up high and over the other side only for the spike to get shot by these other people.
Alex was ticked off! I tried to just explain to him that unfortunately that's part of hunting and that we could have just as easily been the people who disappointed someone else.
Later that day we discovered that this was a different herd and actually had a second spike in it that no one had killed yet. So, now we had two different spikes to locate.
We sat at the top of the original unit for the evening waiting on the original spike to show down below us again. About 4:30pm (close to dark) I glassed up in the rocks under the mountain peak and saw elk. It was clear that this was the second herd with one remaining spike in it. We got out the spotting scope and identified the spike as the highest animal. I ranged the bull at 900+ yards at a fairly steep up hill angle. Alex immediately got excited and wanted to shoot. Here's where I had to try and educate him on why we couldn't.
I explained to him that it was too close to dark to shoot him where he was up in the rocks and bluffs. We would have a hard time finding him and it would be too dangerous in the dark. Secondly, there was no good place to set up and comfortably shoot from at that aggressive up hill angle. Then...lightbulb I realized that those elk were most likely headed back to the spot where the first spike had been killed that morning.
So, we booked it over and I got Alex set up to where we could shoot when/if the elk came out where I thought. I ran calculations and got the scope doped for the 400 yard shot so as to be ready. He was comfortable behind the gun and now it was just waiting a couple minutes to see if this worked out before the end of shooting light.
At last light the elk did show, but only four cows initially. As I glassed I watched the spike feed out with the cows. I could see an orangish neck and knew that it was him but I could not put horns on him anymore. I had to tell Alex that it was a no go.
We sat on that spot for the majority of the next day with no elk. With the wind being right, we went on a hike up high to check out the area where the elk had last been. It became clear why the elk had moved out, another hunter had been going in there upwind and pushed them out and back down. Again, Alex pretty upset.
So, the following morning I had Alex carry the old Rem 721 300 Win Mag loaded with 200 grain Berger Hybrids at 2,960fps. We sat on the top of the original unit for the day knowing that the first spike we were after could show at any time. At about 3:30pm elk starting coming out from everywhere into the bottom of the unit to feed. We put glass on all of them only to identify 25+ cows in three different small herds.
Around 4:30pm we noticed a few extra animals clear at the very bottom edge of the unit. I told Alex to put the spotting scope on them and see what we have thinking it was just more cows. He got excited and with eyes bugged said, "dad that's the spike, I told you he would show!"
I ranged the bull at 703 yards initially. With a bad updraft at the top edge of the unit where we were, I set him up more towards the timber line to be less affected by the wind moving his body around for the shot. This didn't work as we could not get a clear line of site to the bull, there was a small finger about 100 yards below us that was causing issues seeing the bull.
I moved him two more times ending up back out in the open where we started. I helped him get solid placing his binoculars on the ground with my rear bag on top of them to get the rear solid. I leveled the bipod up and broke some limbs below us for a clear bullet path. Now it was time to re-check the wind.
I determined that it would be a no wind hold as I could see reprod all the way down the unit that was not moving. The only wind we had was the last 75 yards below us blowing straight up at us. I rechecked the range (685 yards now) and inputted air pressure, temp and measured the shooting angle. Shooter called for 11.2 MOA.
Behind the gun, Alex was pretty calm, solid and comfortable. I kept checking and told him that "we had to put a good shot in him" as it would be a dark recovery and the bull really needed to be dead.
The spike was feeding with his head to the right and I told Alex that we had to wait until he was broadside with his head to the left before I could let him shoot. If I was off on my "no wind" call this would allow the bullet to drift into the shoulder, neck and head area based on the way the wind always blows in there.
After a good 10 minutes the spike finally turned left and broadside where we needed him. Now there was a small tree in Alex's scope! He said, "dad, I need him to take two steps and I'll have him."
So, watching through the spotting scope with my hand on top trying to stabilize it in the wind I saw the spike take a couple steps left. "Ok bud, shoot when you're ready, take your time, do not rush!"
He let the first shot go and I saw no reaction from the bull. "Ok, same hold, put another one in him." Same thing, no reaction from the bull and I didn't hear that "whop" sound either. I was concerned. Alex cycled the bolt back and went for more shells as the bull started to teeter, wobble and went over backwards down a steep slide. "Wow, he's dead!"
It was good and dark before we got down in the vicinity of where we thought the bull should be. After a good hour+ of walking up and down creek bottoms between steep little draws we finally go in the right draw. Alex's spike was piled up about 75 yards below where he was shot laying down in a little draw. It was a heck of free fall/slide to where he ended up.
Right behind his shoulder and a little high (due to the steep downhill shooting angle) was two bullet entrance holes about 4" apart. As I field dressed him I discovered decent expansion with wrecked lungs and exit holes on the offside. We carried out the hind quarters and head and made it home about 10pm. The following morning (thanksgiving) the boys and I packed the rest out.
It was definitely an adventure and a hunt I know that Alex will never forget!
Alex and his bull
My oldest son and I hunted the Oregon General Coast Bull Elk first season. Without him or I having success it was up to Alex on the 2nd season spike only hunt.
The season started with us having a spike to go after and naturally I thought it would be a done deal opening morning. Well, that didn't work out when some other hunters walked in the bottom of the unit really early upwind from the heard which sent them into the timber before there was enough light to shoot.
We left that unit by 9am and walked around the mountain in time to see some people we knew shooting. The immediate assumption was that the whole heard from below got pushed up high and over the other side only for the spike to get shot by these other people.
Alex was ticked off! I tried to just explain to him that unfortunately that's part of hunting and that we could have just as easily been the people who disappointed someone else.
Later that day we discovered that this was a different herd and actually had a second spike in it that no one had killed yet. So, now we had two different spikes to locate.
We sat at the top of the original unit for the evening waiting on the original spike to show down below us again. About 4:30pm (close to dark) I glassed up in the rocks under the mountain peak and saw elk. It was clear that this was the second herd with one remaining spike in it. We got out the spotting scope and identified the spike as the highest animal. I ranged the bull at 900+ yards at a fairly steep up hill angle. Alex immediately got excited and wanted to shoot. Here's where I had to try and educate him on why we couldn't.
I explained to him that it was too close to dark to shoot him where he was up in the rocks and bluffs. We would have a hard time finding him and it would be too dangerous in the dark. Secondly, there was no good place to set up and comfortably shoot from at that aggressive up hill angle. Then...lightbulb I realized that those elk were most likely headed back to the spot where the first spike had been killed that morning.
So, we booked it over and I got Alex set up to where we could shoot when/if the elk came out where I thought. I ran calculations and got the scope doped for the 400 yard shot so as to be ready. He was comfortable behind the gun and now it was just waiting a couple minutes to see if this worked out before the end of shooting light.
At last light the elk did show, but only four cows initially. As I glassed I watched the spike feed out with the cows. I could see an orangish neck and knew that it was him but I could not put horns on him anymore. I had to tell Alex that it was a no go.
We sat on that spot for the majority of the next day with no elk. With the wind being right, we went on a hike up high to check out the area where the elk had last been. It became clear why the elk had moved out, another hunter had been going in there upwind and pushed them out and back down. Again, Alex pretty upset.
So, the following morning I had Alex carry the old Rem 721 300 Win Mag loaded with 200 grain Berger Hybrids at 2,960fps. We sat on the top of the original unit for the day knowing that the first spike we were after could show at any time. At about 3:30pm elk starting coming out from everywhere into the bottom of the unit to feed. We put glass on all of them only to identify 25+ cows in three different small herds.
Around 4:30pm we noticed a few extra animals clear at the very bottom edge of the unit. I told Alex to put the spotting scope on them and see what we have thinking it was just more cows. He got excited and with eyes bugged said, "dad that's the spike, I told you he would show!"
I ranged the bull at 703 yards initially. With a bad updraft at the top edge of the unit where we were, I set him up more towards the timber line to be less affected by the wind moving his body around for the shot. This didn't work as we could not get a clear line of site to the bull, there was a small finger about 100 yards below us that was causing issues seeing the bull.
I moved him two more times ending up back out in the open where we started. I helped him get solid placing his binoculars on the ground with my rear bag on top of them to get the rear solid. I leveled the bipod up and broke some limbs below us for a clear bullet path. Now it was time to re-check the wind.
I determined that it would be a no wind hold as I could see reprod all the way down the unit that was not moving. The only wind we had was the last 75 yards below us blowing straight up at us. I rechecked the range (685 yards now) and inputted air pressure, temp and measured the shooting angle. Shooter called for 11.2 MOA.
Behind the gun, Alex was pretty calm, solid and comfortable. I kept checking and told him that "we had to put a good shot in him" as it would be a dark recovery and the bull really needed to be dead.
The spike was feeding with his head to the right and I told Alex that we had to wait until he was broadside with his head to the left before I could let him shoot. If I was off on my "no wind" call this would allow the bullet to drift into the shoulder, neck and head area based on the way the wind always blows in there.
After a good 10 minutes the spike finally turned left and broadside where we needed him. Now there was a small tree in Alex's scope! He said, "dad, I need him to take two steps and I'll have him."
So, watching through the spotting scope with my hand on top trying to stabilize it in the wind I saw the spike take a couple steps left. "Ok bud, shoot when you're ready, take your time, do not rush!"
He let the first shot go and I saw no reaction from the bull. "Ok, same hold, put another one in him." Same thing, no reaction from the bull and I didn't hear that "whop" sound either. I was concerned. Alex cycled the bolt back and went for more shells as the bull started to teeter, wobble and went over backwards down a steep slide. "Wow, he's dead!"
It was good and dark before we got down in the vicinity of where we thought the bull should be. After a good hour+ of walking up and down creek bottoms between steep little draws we finally go in the right draw. Alex's spike was piled up about 75 yards below where he was shot laying down in a little draw. It was a heck of free fall/slide to where he ended up.
Right behind his shoulder and a little high (due to the steep downhill shooting angle) was two bullet entrance holes about 4" apart. As I field dressed him I discovered decent expansion with wrecked lungs and exit holes on the offside. We carried out the hind quarters and head and made it home about 10pm. The following morning (thanksgiving) the boys and I packed the rest out.
It was definitely an adventure and a hunt I know that Alex will never forget!
Alex and his bull
Last edited:
