IslandmanDan
01-15-2014, 01:27 PM
Found a little bit of time to share a hunt I had this fall. My hunting partner and I met up in Fort Steel at the end of September this fall. We hunted hard for a week straight, seeing lots of sign and the odd cow elk that was now off-limits. After a week of hunting hard we headed up the Bull river to the area I had a Mountain Goat draw in. We headed back up into the high mountains and spent 4 days there before lack of water forced us out. And it was snowing and cold. Seeing a big billy that was just too far a shot, plus very difficult to recover, if even recoverable. Could've shot a nanny at a 100yards, but man I wanted that Billy, so no dead goat.
Came back to the Fort area. Had a good nights rest and thought I would go and change out the card on my trailcam. (with the footage I posted here, didnt know it at the time tho). I didnt really prepare to hunt that day as I only wanted to check the game cam, and maybe see if I could find a mulie high up.
So I had no water, 4 pieces of chocolate in my pocket and I just went. I changed the card out of the camera at 10am. I continued to follow the gametrail that seemed super well used and just moved quietly, a step at a time. Watching each footfall and listening after each step. I remember just being so patient. Not a hurry in the world. I was actually really sore from the previous 4 days of goat hunting.
So up and up I kept going, slowly. Then I heard a twig snap. I instantly dropped into ready position. Suddenly a elk appeared through the timber. This is all up in the forest. The trees were blocking us. But if I moved a certain amount I could see him (a spike bull). Then I caught other movement, another spike, and then a 2pt bull. And then a cow and another cow. And more. I was amongst the herd. Only 40-50 yards away. Through the thick timber. They didnt know I was there at all. I had heavily sprayed myself with "Scent Prevent" that morning and the wind was just perfectly parallel.
I was also prone beside a large elk scrape. All I can remember was the smell was a lot like livestock. I felt invisible. But no shooter 6pt...I laid amongst the elk from around noon till 4:30 in the afternoon. With one bull that I thought might be a shooter. Took a long time for the perspective to line up that I could see he was only a 4x5. Damn.
The elk started to move about and start staging for their evening feed. They got up and moved down the mountain. I was really stoked to have spent the afternoon with them, not having spooked them and really thought my opportunity was over. I thought that was it. So, now they are gone. I am thinking its getting to be the last couple hours of daylight, time to start towards camp. Still moving slowly and quietly, upward. I got up to where the forest turns into old growth and higher grasses were growing, just below the scree slope.
I stepped through a lil brushy section and broke a really small twig. At that exact moment, not 40yards ahead of me, I seen a set of antlers tip forward. Three trees lined up so I couldn't see the body and the bull couldn't see me. He was bedded down. But I could see his rack, and I could actually count 6pts and thought OMG, this is a shooter bull, dont %$&* this up! There was brush and thin limbs in the way. But the 300Win Mag is a logging caliber, haha.(Thankfully) First shot hit him in the throat, not vital but got him moving, 2nd shot, trees. 3rd shot, broadside quartering away as he was headed up the mountain. Out of sight. Shit, I didn't just screw this up, no, no...... Quick reload and run up the hill toward the direction he was heading. No, no...where is he??? No. Then I looked back in the direction he would've run from. And.....BULL DOWN. OMFG....First elk ever, down! And then the lotto 6/49 dance started. And scream, did I ever!!!
Wooohooooooo!!!!!! YEAHHHHH!!!!!!!! So pumped, and then as you all know, the real work begins. I was more than a mile straight up a mountain. Took a long time to get him out but, didn't matter. HONEYBADGER dont care. Lol....
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a603/IslandmanDan/20131005_185147_zpsf1597355.jpg (http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/IslandmanDan/media/20131005_185147_zpsf1597355.jpg.html)
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a603/IslandmanDan/20131005_185356_zps057d2f99.jpg (http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/IslandmanDan/media/20131005_185356_zps057d2f99.jpg.html)
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a603/IslandmanDan/20131005_190004_zpsdee67e97.jpg (http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/IslandmanDan/media/20131005_190004_zpsdee67e97.jpg.html)
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a603/IslandmanDan/20131005_190031_zps5a369130.jpg (http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/IslandmanDan/media/20131005_190031_zps5a369130.jpg.html)
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a603/IslandmanDan/20131005_190118_zps0da631cb.jpg (http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/IslandmanDan/media/20131005_190118_zps0da631cb.jpg.html)
Came back to the Fort area. Had a good nights rest and thought I would go and change out the card on my trailcam. (with the footage I posted here, didnt know it at the time tho). I didnt really prepare to hunt that day as I only wanted to check the game cam, and maybe see if I could find a mulie high up.
So I had no water, 4 pieces of chocolate in my pocket and I just went. I changed the card out of the camera at 10am. I continued to follow the gametrail that seemed super well used and just moved quietly, a step at a time. Watching each footfall and listening after each step. I remember just being so patient. Not a hurry in the world. I was actually really sore from the previous 4 days of goat hunting.
So up and up I kept going, slowly. Then I heard a twig snap. I instantly dropped into ready position. Suddenly a elk appeared through the timber. This is all up in the forest. The trees were blocking us. But if I moved a certain amount I could see him (a spike bull). Then I caught other movement, another spike, and then a 2pt bull. And then a cow and another cow. And more. I was amongst the herd. Only 40-50 yards away. Through the thick timber. They didnt know I was there at all. I had heavily sprayed myself with "Scent Prevent" that morning and the wind was just perfectly parallel.
I was also prone beside a large elk scrape. All I can remember was the smell was a lot like livestock. I felt invisible. But no shooter 6pt...I laid amongst the elk from around noon till 4:30 in the afternoon. With one bull that I thought might be a shooter. Took a long time for the perspective to line up that I could see he was only a 4x5. Damn.
The elk started to move about and start staging for their evening feed. They got up and moved down the mountain. I was really stoked to have spent the afternoon with them, not having spooked them and really thought my opportunity was over. I thought that was it. So, now they are gone. I am thinking its getting to be the last couple hours of daylight, time to start towards camp. Still moving slowly and quietly, upward. I got up to where the forest turns into old growth and higher grasses were growing, just below the scree slope.
I stepped through a lil brushy section and broke a really small twig. At that exact moment, not 40yards ahead of me, I seen a set of antlers tip forward. Three trees lined up so I couldn't see the body and the bull couldn't see me. He was bedded down. But I could see his rack, and I could actually count 6pts and thought OMG, this is a shooter bull, dont %$&* this up! There was brush and thin limbs in the way. But the 300Win Mag is a logging caliber, haha.(Thankfully) First shot hit him in the throat, not vital but got him moving, 2nd shot, trees. 3rd shot, broadside quartering away as he was headed up the mountain. Out of sight. Shit, I didn't just screw this up, no, no...... Quick reload and run up the hill toward the direction he was heading. No, no...where is he??? No. Then I looked back in the direction he would've run from. And.....BULL DOWN. OMFG....First elk ever, down! And then the lotto 6/49 dance started. And scream, did I ever!!!
Wooohooooooo!!!!!! YEAHHHHH!!!!!!!! So pumped, and then as you all know, the real work begins. I was more than a mile straight up a mountain. Took a long time to get him out but, didn't matter. HONEYBADGER dont care. Lol....
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a603/IslandmanDan/20131005_185147_zpsf1597355.jpg (http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/IslandmanDan/media/20131005_185147_zpsf1597355.jpg.html)
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a603/IslandmanDan/20131005_185356_zps057d2f99.jpg (http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/IslandmanDan/media/20131005_185356_zps057d2f99.jpg.html)
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a603/IslandmanDan/20131005_190004_zpsdee67e97.jpg (http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/IslandmanDan/media/20131005_190004_zpsdee67e97.jpg.html)
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a603/IslandmanDan/20131005_190031_zps5a369130.jpg (http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/IslandmanDan/media/20131005_190031_zps5a369130.jpg.html)
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a603/IslandmanDan/20131005_190118_zps0da631cb.jpg (http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/IslandmanDan/media/20131005_190118_zps0da631cb.jpg.html)