bailey1474
<strong>SPONSOR</strong>
Well it's been awhile since I've posted but Steve and I just got back from an elk hunt that I have to share w/you guys. It all started several years ago when we began to buy points in WY for elk. At the time we had no idea where we were going to go or even if we were going to go. As luck would have we met a very nice fellow who just happened to have a large chunk of land in area 5. As our friendship grew he extended an invitation to come up and go elk hunting and using our four points we were able to draw this year!!
As you can see from the above pics this area is not your typical high country elk hunt. Elevation is between 6000-7000ft w/no timber and ALOT of sagebrush and other scrubby stuff from knee high to just over head high. Not that this mattered much to us as this was our first elk hunt. When we arrived on Friday morning (after driving all night) we took a quick 4 hour nap and then went to the range to check our zeros and drops. Had to tweek our velocities a little to make my APS Raptor 338 AX and Steve's Beanland built 7mm WSM match but once we did things were spot on. All the way out to about 1350 yds (hint, hint).
Saturday morning we went to the highest point around to try and spot something and see where the elk were hanging out. As the sun came up, Steve and I were both in awe. There were literaly hundreds of elk!! They were everywhere and we were the only ones hunting them! Only trouble is they were over 2 miles away as we watched them move up into the brushy bowls. This is where they hung out all day. It was almost torture watching them through the 80mm Swarovski HD as we had no idea how we were going to get closer. It was nice to be able to sit and watch them but at the same time, they could watch us. I never thought I would run into a situation where I wished I could shoot farther!!
We decided that night that we would move to a ridge just across from the bowls the elk were hanging out in. As the sun rose that morning there were still hundreds of elk in the bowls but unfortunatly they were still too far. My Zeiss RF binos will hit out to about 1700 yds in the bright sunshine and I still couldn't get a range on the elk up in the bowls. Some of the satelite bulls were 1200-1500 yds away but we didn't want to shoot them and really didn't want to shoot that far if we could help it so we devised a plan to try and sneek closer to the far right bowl as there were a couple of very nice herd bulls in it w/their cows.
After the 8 miles back to the cabin, eating an early lunch and finalizing the details we were off around noon to put the sneak on them. After driving through a canyon on 4 wheelers to get the point where would start our stalk, I looked up to where we had to go and nearly had a heart attack. It looked much steeper than it did from across the canyon that morning!! I didn't know if my fat butt was going to be able to make it up there toting a 15# rifle and various other stuff. After alot of sweating and huffing an puffing, we arrived at the spot only to find the wind was all wrong and the two herd bulls moving their cows over and out of the bowl
There were some other elk in the bowl so we looked them over and found nothing but a few cows and rag horns.
After sitting ther for a while contimplating our next move I saw an elk running out of the canyon right below us!! I put my binos on him saw he was a decent bull w/a kicker, making him a 6x7. In my mind that meant he was a shooter!! I ranged him at 700 some yards and handed the binos to Steve and began trying to get set up for a shot only to have him dissapear down into a draw. I was devastated. In my mind he was a monster!!
A few minutes and a few tears later Steve spotted him on ridge a little farther out!! He ranged him at 1140 yds, I dialed up my Premier 5-25 and got set up for the shot. Lost in the mass histeria of the moment was the fact that my rifle shoot .2 of mil high everytime on the first shot and the fact that the wind was blowing a little right to left. I sent my first shot on the way only to see it impact a few feet infront of his nose. He simply turned and faced the other direction. I then remembered about the .2 high and settled for the second shot, however I still had my head up my rear and again didn't allow for any wind. The second shot landed perfectly online for elevation but just behind him (thank goodness it missed and didn't hit him in the arse). I now had a perfect wind call (so I thought) and I settled and made a third shot. I just knew he was done but much to my suprise the bullet went just infront of his chest. Another miss!?!? I couldn't believe it! I held a little less wind on the fourth shot and it found it's mark. He was still standing so I put the fifth one in the high shoulder and he was done. Not the one shot kill I was hoping for but I had a dead elk none the less!!
After about two hours climbing down the ridge we were on, up and down another, up and down another and the back up one here is what was waiting on us!!
Not the 350" bull I had made him out to be. Still a good bull for my first elk and I was very happy w/him. Very tired from our hike, but very happy!!
I shot my elk at about 1:30 PM and it was dark by the time we got back to the cabin so Steve didn't get to hunt that night but was going to be on the gun the next morning. We decided to go back to the spot across the canyon so we wouldn't spook anything only come farther down the ridge so maybe we could get a shot as they came back up into the hills early in the morning. This was a great plan but most of the elk were already in the hills by the time the sun came up and we really didn't get any shooting opportunities.
Then, we heard a bugle off to our right. Both of us looked at each other and jumped up and headed over the rise to our right that we couldn't see over. There with 5 cows was a very nice 6x6 bull on the other side of the canyon working his was up. I ranged him at 1254 yds and told Steve. I was SHOCKED when he started to set up for a shot!! I thought he was wasting his time w/that 7 WSM at that range. As he set up, I watched the wind carefully, (I really am a pretty good wind caller when I think about it), told him the range again and told him to hold for an 8 mph left to right wind. As the gun barked I saw the trace appear in the bottom of the Swaro, climb up and then begin to fall. It was almost perfect!!! Except it went just about 6" over the top of his shoulder. Another miss (although I was very proud of my wind call )!!
The bull moved up into the taller brush and I was trying to range and spot but it wasn't working out. Steve shot 3 times and I had no call. No idea if he was high or low or what was happening. The elk moved a little farther up the hill and I got a good solid range of 1310 yds. I told Steve to hold the same wind and let him have it. The 5th shot found it's mark!! Perfect boiler room shot. The big bull stumbled and held up his leg. Before I could say don't shoot he's going down, Steve plugged him again the high shoulder and he crumpled!! (The first two pics in the post were taken from where Steve shot his elk.)
Again a few hours and muscle cramps later here is what we saw!!
All in all a great hunt. I have a new found respect for elk hunters!!! Unless you've done it, you have no idea how much work is involved!!! Despite that, I'd go back tomorrow if I could. Great hunt. We were very fortunate to be able to have such a great spot to hunt. We learned alot and next time will be a little more patient and go for the big boy!!
As you can see from the above pics this area is not your typical high country elk hunt. Elevation is between 6000-7000ft w/no timber and ALOT of sagebrush and other scrubby stuff from knee high to just over head high. Not that this mattered much to us as this was our first elk hunt. When we arrived on Friday morning (after driving all night) we took a quick 4 hour nap and then went to the range to check our zeros and drops. Had to tweek our velocities a little to make my APS Raptor 338 AX and Steve's Beanland built 7mm WSM match but once we did things were spot on. All the way out to about 1350 yds (hint, hint).
Saturday morning we went to the highest point around to try and spot something and see where the elk were hanging out. As the sun came up, Steve and I were both in awe. There were literaly hundreds of elk!! They were everywhere and we were the only ones hunting them! Only trouble is they were over 2 miles away as we watched them move up into the brushy bowls. This is where they hung out all day. It was almost torture watching them through the 80mm Swarovski HD as we had no idea how we were going to get closer. It was nice to be able to sit and watch them but at the same time, they could watch us. I never thought I would run into a situation where I wished I could shoot farther!!
We decided that night that we would move to a ridge just across from the bowls the elk were hanging out in. As the sun rose that morning there were still hundreds of elk in the bowls but unfortunatly they were still too far. My Zeiss RF binos will hit out to about 1700 yds in the bright sunshine and I still couldn't get a range on the elk up in the bowls. Some of the satelite bulls were 1200-1500 yds away but we didn't want to shoot them and really didn't want to shoot that far if we could help it so we devised a plan to try and sneek closer to the far right bowl as there were a couple of very nice herd bulls in it w/their cows.
After the 8 miles back to the cabin, eating an early lunch and finalizing the details we were off around noon to put the sneak on them. After driving through a canyon on 4 wheelers to get the point where would start our stalk, I looked up to where we had to go and nearly had a heart attack. It looked much steeper than it did from across the canyon that morning!! I didn't know if my fat butt was going to be able to make it up there toting a 15# rifle and various other stuff. After alot of sweating and huffing an puffing, we arrived at the spot only to find the wind was all wrong and the two herd bulls moving their cows over and out of the bowl
There were some other elk in the bowl so we looked them over and found nothing but a few cows and rag horns. After sitting ther for a while contimplating our next move I saw an elk running out of the canyon right below us!! I put my binos on him saw he was a decent bull w/a kicker, making him a 6x7. In my mind that meant he was a shooter!! I ranged him at 700 some yards and handed the binos to Steve and began trying to get set up for a shot only to have him dissapear down into a draw. I was devastated. In my mind he was a monster!!
A few minutes and a few tears later Steve spotted him on ridge a little farther out!! He ranged him at 1140 yds, I dialed up my Premier 5-25 and got set up for the shot. Lost in the mass histeria of the moment was the fact that my rifle shoot .2 of mil high everytime on the first shot and the fact that the wind was blowing a little right to left. I sent my first shot on the way only to see it impact a few feet infront of his nose. He simply turned and faced the other direction. I then remembered about the .2 high and settled for the second shot, however I still had my head up my rear and again didn't allow for any wind. The second shot landed perfectly online for elevation but just behind him (thank goodness it missed and didn't hit him in the arse). I now had a perfect wind call (so I thought) and I settled and made a third shot. I just knew he was done but much to my suprise the bullet went just infront of his chest. Another miss!?!? I couldn't believe it! I held a little less wind on the fourth shot and it found it's mark. He was still standing so I put the fifth one in the high shoulder and he was done. Not the one shot kill I was hoping for but I had a dead elk none the less!!
After about two hours climbing down the ridge we were on, up and down another, up and down another and the back up one here is what was waiting on us!!
Not the 350" bull I had made him out to be
. Still a good bull for my first elk and I was very happy w/him. Very tired from our hike, but very happy!!I shot my elk at about 1:30 PM and it was dark by the time we got back to the cabin so Steve didn't get to hunt that night but was going to be on the gun the next morning. We decided to go back to the spot across the canyon so we wouldn't spook anything only come farther down the ridge so maybe we could get a shot as they came back up into the hills early in the morning. This was a great plan but most of the elk were already in the hills by the time the sun came up and we really didn't get any shooting opportunities.
Then, we heard a bugle off to our right. Both of us looked at each other and jumped up and headed over the rise to our right that we couldn't see over. There with 5 cows was a very nice 6x6 bull on the other side of the canyon working his was up. I ranged him at 1254 yds and told Steve. I was SHOCKED when he started to set up for a shot!! I thought he was wasting his time w/that 7 WSM at that range. As he set up, I watched the wind carefully, (I really am a pretty good wind caller when I think about it), told him the range again and told him to hold for an 8 mph left to right wind. As the gun barked I saw the trace appear in the bottom of the Swaro, climb up and then begin to fall. It was almost perfect!!! Except it went just about 6" over the top of his shoulder. Another miss (although I was very proud of my wind call
)!! The bull moved up into the taller brush and I was trying to range and spot but it wasn't working out. Steve shot 3 times and I had no call. No idea if he was high or low or what was happening. The elk moved a little farther up the hill and I got a good solid range of 1310 yds. I told Steve to hold the same wind and let him have it. The 5th shot found it's mark!! Perfect boiler room shot. The big bull stumbled and held up his leg. Before I could say don't shoot he's going down, Steve plugged him again the high shoulder and he crumpled!! (The first two pics in the post were taken from where Steve shot his elk.)
Again a few hours and muscle cramps later here is what we saw!!
All in all a great hunt. I have a new found respect for elk hunters!!! Unless you've done it, you have no idea how much work is involved!!! Despite that, I'd go back tomorrow if I could. Great hunt. We were very fortunate to be able to have such a great spot to hunt. We learned alot and next time will be a little more patient and go for the big boy!!
