Elk Hunting last week
- Thread starter BrentM
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BrentM
Well-Known Member
I am in Idaho. I have not ventured out of my state yet. If I had the money I would a do a trophy elk hunt somewhere with the bow. Montana would be fun for sure, but I have not hunted there, I do have an ex wife in Montana though, ha ha
BrentM
Well-Known Member
Around 400 for the tag. You can go to Idaho fish and game and check out the seasons, prices, etc.
alseg
Member
Got this one in SW Wyoming with 185 gr Berger VLD classic hunter by ABM in 300 Win Mag with Rem 700 rifle 26" barrel, 14X scope at 371 yards single shot. It did exit the chest but the big bull went down right away. I had success with Bergers in a .308 on whitetail with my T3, so I kept with the formula. I do not reload (too much woodworking clutter in basement...you know the drill, no pun intended), so I found ABM for the WinMag and HSM for my 7mmRem.
45 deg F with 10-12 R to L crosswind at approx. 9200 ft elevation. My first Elk. Came on first day of rifle season in the AM, and the bull was tending 3 or 4 cows and lagging behind them just a bit. After mission accomplished (no W jokes please) I took an archery lesson--another first.
Wyoming tag and licence for out of state ran about 1100. Conservation stamp was another 15 or 25. Hunt was guided. Pre-hunt treadmill workouts definitely paid dividends as there is potential for a lot of uphill brisk walking at altitude.
45 deg F with 10-12 R to L crosswind at approx. 9200 ft elevation. My first Elk. Came on first day of rifle season in the AM, and the bull was tending 3 or 4 cows and lagging behind them just a bit. After mission accomplished (no W jokes please) I took an archery lesson--another first.
Wyoming tag and licence for out of state ran about 1100. Conservation stamp was another 15 or 25. Hunt was guided. Pre-hunt treadmill workouts definitely paid dividends as there is potential for a lot of uphill brisk walking at altitude.
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Marble
Well-Known Member
Marble
Well-Known Member
So opening day I hiked up to a spot I had never been. Sat in my spot that I had watched a herd go over every morning and evening, only to have some guy come stand right in the middle of the Elk Trail and then proceed to walk around the area. My dad called me on the radio and said the guy's horse had pulled it's rope and took off down the hill. Earlier in the day, while the guy was coming up the hill, my dad ran into him and told him I was sitting in this spot. The guy said he wasn't heading up there...
So about 430 I walk up to the guy and he's watching a 6x6 and rag horn bedded at 433. We chat for a second then I tell him about his horse. He ends up leaving.
I debate shooting the 6x6, he was pretty nice but not huge. And the location where he was, would be an entire day getting there and processing him, not too mention I was a little iffy on if I could get my horse there or not. I hadn't spoken to my hunting partners about coming back there so I felt I didn't want to make them come back if they did not want to.
So I cruise around this spot and find a really nice, tall, wide heavy horned 5x5 with a smaller 5x5. 200 yards. I pass again. He was bedded and then feeding and then bedded. Didn't have a care in the world.
While sitting there watching, another 5x5 come up the trail and stands 25 yards from me. Wish I had my bow!
I leave, bull-less. I return 4 days later after seeing 5 bulls go in this spot. But now there is snow...crunchy snow. They wind us, and hear us probably, and they are gone.
There were two kills that I saw since the last time I was there, one was processed and they took most of the animal. I always take everything I possibly can. The other was the 5x5 that stood 25 yards from opening day. They shot him right through upper heart lungs and just left him there. I was disgusted with myself. I'd wished I had shot him Saturday so he didn't go to waste.
Monday I get a guy who has never killed a bull before in his life on a herd. We hear two bulls fighting and he spots an animal in the timber, I tell him it's a bull as it walks out at 273 yards. He kills it dead. A massive 6x7. Absolutely gorgeous animal.
Yesterday I snuck up on two bulls in the timber. At 100 yards, I shoot my 7mm cause I dropped my 300wm the day before. But I shoot through a small green pine tree branch and miss twice. I was just disgusted with myself. I've never missed an animal like that and I know better than to do that. It worked out for the better anyways, cause the bulls ran down the hill and another guy in our group kills one. It was way easier to process that animal where we killed it then in the spot where I missed.
I got one more day left...taking to day off as I am pretty beat up and sore. I spotted a bull yesterday in a spot where no one has been hunting. Going after him in the morning. After I go to the range and shoot my 300wm...
Yesterday I shot at two bulls in the timber
So about 430 I walk up to the guy and he's watching a 6x6 and rag horn bedded at 433. We chat for a second then I tell him about his horse. He ends up leaving.
I debate shooting the 6x6, he was pretty nice but not huge. And the location where he was, would be an entire day getting there and processing him, not too mention I was a little iffy on if I could get my horse there or not. I hadn't spoken to my hunting partners about coming back there so I felt I didn't want to make them come back if they did not want to.
So I cruise around this spot and find a really nice, tall, wide heavy horned 5x5 with a smaller 5x5. 200 yards. I pass again. He was bedded and then feeding and then bedded. Didn't have a care in the world.
While sitting there watching, another 5x5 come up the trail and stands 25 yards from me. Wish I had my bow!
I leave, bull-less. I return 4 days later after seeing 5 bulls go in this spot. But now there is snow...crunchy snow. They wind us, and hear us probably, and they are gone.
There were two kills that I saw since the last time I was there, one was processed and they took most of the animal. I always take everything I possibly can. The other was the 5x5 that stood 25 yards from opening day. They shot him right through upper heart lungs and just left him there. I was disgusted with myself. I'd wished I had shot him Saturday so he didn't go to waste.
Monday I get a guy who has never killed a bull before in his life on a herd. We hear two bulls fighting and he spots an animal in the timber, I tell him it's a bull as it walks out at 273 yards. He kills it dead. A massive 6x7. Absolutely gorgeous animal.
Yesterday I snuck up on two bulls in the timber. At 100 yards, I shoot my 7mm cause I dropped my 300wm the day before. But I shoot through a small green pine tree branch and miss twice. I was just disgusted with myself. I've never missed an animal like that and I know better than to do that. It worked out for the better anyways, cause the bulls ran down the hill and another guy in our group kills one. It was way easier to process that animal where we killed it then in the spot where I missed.
I got one more day left...taking to day off as I am pretty beat up and sore. I spotted a bull yesterday in a spot where no one has been hunting. Going after him in the morning. After I go to the range and shoot my 300wm...
Yesterday I shot at two bulls in the timber
jjmp
Well-Known Member
Great post as usual Marble,thank you for posting about your elk hunt ,wishing you all the luck you can handle,regards jjmp
