Halloween Bull!
- Thread starter Deertick
- Start date
Well, that worked out well.
I went out today to scout a \"new\" spot ... thinking of trying archery hunting in the area. Today was the last day of rifle season in this unit, and so, since I still had a tag, I brought along Dad\'s rifle, a .308 Ruger Compact that he won in a raffle not long before he died. This is the first year that I\'ve used it, but so far, it has collected a cow elk, a pronghorn buck (my son\'s), and now this 5x5.
If you turn your computer monitor upside down, you\'ll see that he broke off his right antler when he crashed after the shot. I\'ll need to work with a taxidermist to put that back together.
Overall, though ... I\'m pumped about this area for archery. Lots of rubs on trees, lots of wallows, lots of trails. Not sure how much pressure the area gets, although there was a lot today. That said, I found I was able to get away fairly easily. This guy is still about 0.82 miles from ATV access, and I\'m going back in the morning to pack him out with a friend.
I went out today to scout a \"new\" spot ... thinking of trying archery hunting in the area. Today was the last day of rifle season in this unit, and so, since I still had a tag, I brought along Dad\'s rifle, a .308 Ruger Compact that he won in a raffle not long before he died. This is the first year that I\'ve used it, but so far, it has collected a cow elk, a pronghorn buck (my son\'s), and now this 5x5.
If you turn your computer monitor upside down, you\'ll see that he broke off his right antler when he crashed after the shot. I\'ll need to work with a taxidermist to put that back together.
Overall, though ... I\'m pumped about this area for archery. Lots of rubs on trees, lots of wallows, lots of trails. Not sure how much pressure the area gets, although there was a lot today. That said, I found I was able to get away fairly easily. This guy is still about 0.82 miles from ATV access, and I\'m going back in the morning to pack him out with a friend.
I\'m severely disappointed, though, that he fell in such a rough spot.
Although he is <1mile from ATV access, and at the same elevation, there is a 300\' hill to climb over, and lots of deadfall.
As I walked up to him, I heard that Toby Keith song about Willie Nelson playing in my head, with words slightly modified: \"In the fetal position, with drool on my chin, I\'ll never go elk hunting alone again!\"
I hit a wall ... just cutting him up alone was a chore, and with him on the ground, my back began to hurt. And as I sat there and drank the last of my water, I realized that this is going to be a huge chore. Did I bite off more than I can chew?
Well, I\'m still young enough to get myself into a pickle!
So ... I\'m in the market for a new pack ... but I\'m eating elk steaks all winter!
More tomorrow about the hunt ... or, well, maybe Monday. Tomorrow is going to be a long day!
Although he is <1mile from ATV access, and at the same elevation, there is a 300\' hill to climb over, and lots of deadfall.
As I walked up to him, I heard that Toby Keith song about Willie Nelson playing in my head, with words slightly modified: \"In the fetal position, with drool on my chin, I\'ll never go elk hunting alone again!\"
I hit a wall ... just cutting him up alone was a chore, and with him on the ground, my back began to hurt. And as I sat there and drank the last of my water, I realized that this is going to be a huge chore. Did I bite off more than I can chew?
Well, I\'m still young enough to get myself into a pickle!
So ... I\'m in the market for a new pack ... but I\'m eating elk steaks all winter!
More tomorrow about the hunt ... or, well, maybe Monday. Tomorrow is going to be a long day!
JohnFitzgerald
New member
- Mar 31, 2014
- 1,108
Congrats John! Looks like a toad.
david.denham.39
New member
- Mar 20, 2014
- 372
Great bull John!!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,378
Congrats John, great bull! :clap:
Congratulations on a great hunt and great bull. I too am going to try to have someone around when I hunt anymore. Field butchering an elk, especially at night, and packing it out alone is more than this old boy wants anymore. I will hunt alone if I have to, but maybe I will only shoot little elk. LOL
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
Congrats John on a fine bull. :thewave:
I\'m going to call you Dr. Clutch because I\'m pretty sure you just a sealed the win for your team :upthumb:
I\'m going to call you Dr. Clutch because I\'m pretty sure you just a sealed the win for your team :upthumb:
The bull is out of the woods.
Long day. He was at the bottom of a draw. Only 0.75 miles from an ATV as the crow flies, but the path rose 300+ feet in a quarter mile, and the whole trip was \"Deadfall City\".
More photos later. I was lucky enough to find someone to help. My friend, Tim, was good enough to leave his family on a Sunday to come help. Tim is a cross-fitter, an d let me tell you, I\'m beginning to think Cross Fit is a good workout. He was ahead of me the whole way, with 75-80 pound packs (we weighed them with a pack scale at the truck.)
Tim is the kind of guy who\'s always positive and optimistic, and that was surely needed on this trip!
I believe I\'m in the market for a new pack, though. This trip, I took my Cabelas pack frame (old model, probably bought in 2000 or so) and it rode my shoulders pretty hard.
Long day. He was at the bottom of a draw. Only 0.75 miles from an ATV as the crow flies, but the path rose 300+ feet in a quarter mile, and the whole trip was \"Deadfall City\".
More photos later. I was lucky enough to find someone to help. My friend, Tim, was good enough to leave his family on a Sunday to come help. Tim is a cross-fitter, an d let me tell you, I\'m beginning to think Cross Fit is a good workout. He was ahead of me the whole way, with 75-80 pound packs (we weighed them with a pack scale at the truck.)
Tim is the kind of guy who\'s always positive and optimistic, and that was surely needed on this trip!
I believe I\'m in the market for a new pack, though. This trip, I took my Cabelas pack frame (old model, probably bought in 2000 or so) and it rode my shoulders pretty hard.
