Bigcat_hunter
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2006
- Messages
- 432
This is a story I posted on another forum but thought it would be appropriate on the long range forum as well. The rifle is set up for maximum 600 yards for hunting so I use Nosler partitions. If I was hunting longer then that I would use a different set up.
Rifle: Winchester Model 70
Caliber: 270 WSM
Bullet: Nosler Partitions 150 grain
Original story:
Well we hired Del Sol to ride us in on horseback and drop us in a camp in the Eagle Cap wilderness for first season elk. Upon riding in we were kind of discouraged as the packer was telling us that he had not seen one elk track in our camp area. Then they (the packers) were explaining how the elk in that area would walk across the rocky cliffs like mountain goats. At this point I was thinking they were full of it and we were just in for a week long camping trip.
About thirty minutes later one of our guys says "Hey whats that brown spot on the cliff?". At that point we spot a heard of elk probably fifty head or more. We get to camp and continue to watch this heard on the cliffs for the next two days (before season opens). They slowly make their way over the mountain out of sight. There were several nice bulls including a huge heard bull.
Opening morning all we see is cows and calves way up on the cliffs. We could hear elk bugling and cow talking in the morning and the eve. They were still in late rut.
Second morning we all split up and start hunting. I spot a bull about 1/3 the way up the mountain on the rocky cliffs. As I move closer I notice a couple more bulls. I look to my left and see two of my hunting partners. We get together and find a spot to set up for a shot. I use two backpacks and get prone. My heart was pounding out of my chest and it took me quite a while to settle in for a shot.
I was sighting in on the closest bull(three point) which was 417 yards. He moved out of sight before I could make the shot and was left with three more bulls with the only one presenting a shot at 532 yards. This was the biggest bull and I was fine with that. I had my turrets dialed and my friend was spotting for me. No wind, slight uphill shot. No problem.
As I was waiting for him to turn I start hearing"Boom. boom boom boom. boom boom boom. I know our other guys are shooting below us. Finally the bull turns and my spotter says "He turned. Here is your shot". I fire, boom thwack. Its a hit. "Reload, reload!!" he says. "He is hit fire again!!" he says.
The bull turns and goes behind a christmas tree and I fire again through the tree. Then he turns back the way he was first standing and I fire again. At this point he goes down and we are high five-ing each other etc. Then we look up and he is gone. My heart sunk but my bud assured me I hit him good.
We made our way up this crazy cliff and finally found the bull in a crevice, laying on his horns. We had to use para-cord and tie his horns to boulders to get him around to work on him without him sliding down the mountain. It was very hairy and dangerous. At one point I slipped on bloody shale and snow and did a backflip with a hatchet in my hand. Luckily I landed on my feet/shoulder and was not hurt too bad. Just a messed up shoulder. As we take him apart we find two bullet holes within 2" of each other. Double lunged him perfect.
At the same time all this was happening my dad (69 years young) had killed another five point below us. He had tripped while running to get into shooting position and landed on the scope, cracking his rib but still managed to down the Bull!!
Another one of our guys had shot another five point at the same time but made a shot too far back and lost him. They tracked him for the next three days only to find out another camp a few miles away had shot him which was a relief as we know there was not a wounded bull going to waste.
All in all this was an absolute incredible hunt. I have never seen elk live along Rocky Mountain Sheep like this(we watched a big sheep for several days with optics). These elk are part goat/sheep. Thank you to everyone at the Del Sol crew for dropping us in that awesome spot. Big thanks to Johnny!!! We will have some more of that moonshine for you next time! Thanks to Shay for setting this up and thanks to Jordan for helping my fat *** on and off that horse! And thanks to Barry and Shirley for the great outfit you run.
They were up there! Elk country?
Here is where we found him
Here is how we had to tie him up to keep him from sliding down the mountain. Picture don't capture the steepness.
Now I know how Clint Eastwood feels when he wakes up every day.
Here they are side by side. My Bull is in the back, dads is in the front.
Rifle: Winchester Model 70
Caliber: 270 WSM
Bullet: Nosler Partitions 150 grain
Original story:
Well we hired Del Sol to ride us in on horseback and drop us in a camp in the Eagle Cap wilderness for first season elk. Upon riding in we were kind of discouraged as the packer was telling us that he had not seen one elk track in our camp area. Then they (the packers) were explaining how the elk in that area would walk across the rocky cliffs like mountain goats. At this point I was thinking they were full of it and we were just in for a week long camping trip.
About thirty minutes later one of our guys says "Hey whats that brown spot on the cliff?". At that point we spot a heard of elk probably fifty head or more. We get to camp and continue to watch this heard on the cliffs for the next two days (before season opens). They slowly make their way over the mountain out of sight. There were several nice bulls including a huge heard bull.
Opening morning all we see is cows and calves way up on the cliffs. We could hear elk bugling and cow talking in the morning and the eve. They were still in late rut.
Second morning we all split up and start hunting. I spot a bull about 1/3 the way up the mountain on the rocky cliffs. As I move closer I notice a couple more bulls. I look to my left and see two of my hunting partners. We get together and find a spot to set up for a shot. I use two backpacks and get prone. My heart was pounding out of my chest and it took me quite a while to settle in for a shot.
I was sighting in on the closest bull(three point) which was 417 yards. He moved out of sight before I could make the shot and was left with three more bulls with the only one presenting a shot at 532 yards. This was the biggest bull and I was fine with that. I had my turrets dialed and my friend was spotting for me. No wind, slight uphill shot. No problem.
As I was waiting for him to turn I start hearing"Boom. boom boom boom. boom boom boom. I know our other guys are shooting below us. Finally the bull turns and my spotter says "He turned. Here is your shot". I fire, boom thwack. Its a hit. "Reload, reload!!" he says. "He is hit fire again!!" he says.
The bull turns and goes behind a christmas tree and I fire again through the tree. Then he turns back the way he was first standing and I fire again. At this point he goes down and we are high five-ing each other etc. Then we look up and he is gone. My heart sunk but my bud assured me I hit him good.
We made our way up this crazy cliff and finally found the bull in a crevice, laying on his horns. We had to use para-cord and tie his horns to boulders to get him around to work on him without him sliding down the mountain. It was very hairy and dangerous. At one point I slipped on bloody shale and snow and did a backflip with a hatchet in my hand. Luckily I landed on my feet/shoulder and was not hurt too bad. Just a messed up shoulder. As we take him apart we find two bullet holes within 2" of each other. Double lunged him perfect.
At the same time all this was happening my dad (69 years young) had killed another five point below us. He had tripped while running to get into shooting position and landed on the scope, cracking his rib but still managed to down the Bull!!
Another one of our guys had shot another five point at the same time but made a shot too far back and lost him. They tracked him for the next three days only to find out another camp a few miles away had shot him which was a relief as we know there was not a wounded bull going to waste.
All in all this was an absolute incredible hunt. I have never seen elk live along Rocky Mountain Sheep like this(we watched a big sheep for several days with optics). These elk are part goat/sheep. Thank you to everyone at the Del Sol crew for dropping us in that awesome spot. Big thanks to Johnny!!! We will have some more of that moonshine for you next time! Thanks to Shay for setting this up and thanks to Jordan for helping my fat *** on and off that horse! And thanks to Barry and Shirley for the great outfit you run.
They were up there! Elk country?
Here is where we found him
Here is how we had to tie him up to keep him from sliding down the mountain. Picture don't capture the steepness.
Now I know how Clint Eastwood feels when he wakes up every day.
Here they are side by side. My Bull is in the back, dads is in the front.
