Quick....give me the spotting scope!!!

[j270wsm]

Dad!......one of them is a bull!

Evan it’s not like we can go after it and besides that, I wouldn’t kill an elk way up there!

Hey Evan....pass me he spotting scope!!!.....QUICK.....pass me the spotting scope!!!! There’s an elk over here.

As usual hunting season arrived sooner than I was prepared. Busy with summer and work I hadn’t bought our hunting licences or tags. Kids were going back to school sept 3 and I working until sept 4 but a sept 5, 4pm dentist app for the kids meant we could get our hunting licences and tags while in sparwood.
With Evans hunting licence and mule deer tag purchased we were good to go for youth season. 5:30 pm were home and headed out for a drive and to do some glassing. We managed to see a few white tails that night but nothing else. Saturday morning we headed into another area to explore some new log blocks hoping the deer have moved back in. One lone mule deer fawn is all we seen that morning.
Saturday evening Evan had plans to go to a birthday party ( beer drinking at a bush party with your friends and girls......I miss my youth!! ) So the wife and I went for a drive into an overlooked area that usually holds mule deer early and late season. No animals spotted.....wtf.

Sept 8 I decided to head into an area that I haven’t been into for a few yrs. On the drive to said area we stopped numerous times to spot cut blocks and slides but we weren’t seeing anything. Upon arriving to our destination I immediately spotted 2 elk in the cut block. Using the spotting scope I determined one looked legal but something was off with his eye guards.
After watching the bulls for 15min I decided to drive closer for a better look. We ended up driving close to where we though they should have been when all of a sudden they were 120yrds away and running away from the truck. Luckily they stopped 60yds further up the hill and let us have a good look at them for 20min.

i have a few pic of these bulls but can’t load pics from my I phone( too lazy to get imgr )

[Brent376]

Aaaaand!??

[j270wsm]

Spotting scope quickly came back out and it revealed that one was 5x4 and the other was 6x6 with extremely short 2nd points. So now theres 36hrs until rifle season opens and I know where there is a legal bull. A bull who isn’t scared of my truck or concerned that I’m walking around my truck in plain sight talking loudly with my son. This elk is going to die!! He’s obviously young and is going to make a mistake and get shot. Only dilemma is, i don’t have an elk tag and I didnt buy Evan one when I got his licence and mule deer tag.
Sept 9 3pm....off to sparwood to buy an elk tag. 4 pm....Elk tag in hand, 15hrs until legal shooting light on opening morning and it’s pouring rain and supposed to rain tomorrow, well sh*t what do we do now. What else but go check on that legal bull.
I already decided that I wasn’t killing this bull and that I’d prefer my son didn’t either. I started racking my brain trying to think of someone who was new to hunting that hasn’t had an opportunity to kill an elk but i couldn’t think of anyone. Next I started thinking of youth hunters.......bingo.....Ethan hasn’t had a chance to kill an elk.......quick text message and a plan was hatched.
Driving to the cut block we noticed more vehicle tracks on the road and we passed 2 side by sides coming down the road so we figured someone else might have found the bulls.
We arrived at the cut block later than the night before, it was pouring rain and the light was terrible. We sat in the truck glassing the cut block not expecting to see the bulls when out of nowhere they just appeared in the middle of the block. Everything was looking great and then the bulls attention turned to something to the north.....another bull coming out of the timber into the block. We’re over a km away and I can’t tell how big he is but he appears to have enough main beam to possibly be a 5 or 6. Obviously the guys in the side by sides didn’t see the bulls and we can’t see and trucks in the cut blocks so we decide to stay put until dark and hope no one pulls up behind us.

When we got home my friend calls me and I tell him that I’m thinking of heading back up and sleeping in the truck, that way we can pretty much guarantee we’re the first ones in there. I also told him it was 4 deg and raining so I was expecting it to snow over night. He agreed that it would be a good idea to sleep in the truck and that him and Ethan would meet us up there. We pulled in at midnight and Aaron and Ethan arrived closer to 1am. A quick conversation and the plan was set for the morning.

[j270wsm]

Have you slept in the front seat of a truck lately......seats only recline so far, can’t put your feet by the pedals or your ass and nuts go to sleep, can’t lay on your side, neck hurts because of the head rest....16yr old son’s breathing sounds like a white tail buck snort wheezing.....that was the worst 4hr nap I’ve ever had.

[j270wsm]

6am finally rolls around and I wake Evan up and we start putting sleeping bags away and getting our gear ready I pull the truck across the road so I can put the spotting scope on the window mount instead of standing in the rain glassing. Due to the rain it isn’t light enough to see the block clearly until 6:45. After 10min of glassing we spot a bull slowly moving up from behind some trees and he is heading north to where they were on the 8th.

We drive towards to the elk and park the truck closer to the elk. Were close to 900yds from the elk and start walking up the road but we jump 3 mule deer( one 2pt buck....where the hell was he 2 days ago in youth season ) and a white tail doe. The deer headed north so we weren’t concerned they would spook the elk. After 300yds of walking the road we bail off and start walking through the log block, using one small block of jack pine we manage to get with in 400yds. All we have to do is get up the hill another 200yds and we should be good to go. We’re just about to start up the hill and suddenly 3 mule deer appear and take off straight up hill towards the elk....Aaron looked at me and said, where the hell did they come from?......Oh well, can’t do anything about it now!
We continue to walk up through the cut block for another 150yds and we run out of cover.....thankfully the ground is soaked so it’s quiet and it’s raining just enough to cover most noise we’re making.

With Ethan right behind me , then Evan and Aaron we slowly keep pushing foreword. A few quick looks through the binos conform that the bull is legal. I didnt say anything to Ethan because I want him to remain calm, not that it’s possible for a 12yr to stay calm while stalking in on a legal bull.

[j270wsm]

We finally get within 300yds and everything is going as planned. Except we’re caught out in the open with zero cover taller that 2 feet tall and needing to find a rest. I decided that the bull hadn’t noticed us so we kept pushing forward until we covered another 70yrd and got to a big mound of dirt below the road. I got Ethan and Evan to set up as best as they could in the prone position on the top of the dirt mound. All we needed now was the bull to step out from behind a couple trees. After a few location changes on the dirt mound and a few cow calls the bull moved giving Ethan a broad side view.........I told Ethan “ If your confident with the shot, fire when your ready “.............BOOM......I think you hit him Ethan, fire again......BOOM..........BOOM.......hit him again before he decides to run over the hill out of sight.......BOOM.......we rush up the hill anticipating to find Ethan’s first elk....only to find an empty cut block, a few distinct tracks from where the bull was initially standing and some faint tracks that disappeared with in 30yds.

[j270wsm]

After splitting up and searching for a few hrs we couldn’t find any blood or hair anywhere with in 200yds of where the bull was standing or the direction he headed. We got back together and went over everything. Ethan fired the first shot, after what we thought was a hit his dad fired a shot to help anchor the bull but missed. Ethan then Aaron fired another shot each both missing again. In the end the bull lived.........or did he???


Ive got some stuff to do so........I’ll post more later.

[wideopenthrottle]

great adventure..... I have not hunted elk much but I have been "deer blind" while moose hunting twice before...I think it is something about training your eyes to look for stationary black blobs instead of ever so slight movements of grey or tan ….I make a point of doing a moose scan then switch to deer scan mode before giving away my position....great lesson/reminder about staying alert at all times from that story..

[Fella]

Awesome to have a story posted here and even better that it involves your sons, can’t wait to hear the rest!

[Ajsawden]

aaaugh! I hate starting the stories before the are finished... Fingers crossed.

[willyqbc]

Ive got some stuff to do so........I’ll post more later.

DOH!!! please refer to the little known forum rule below

" thou shalt not leave an admin hangin in the middle of a story he is enjoying!!!!"

you are hereby instructed to finish the story and pics poste haste, before the might of an HBC admin descends upon you!!!!!

:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

[j270wsm]

Cant post pics so descend away......

i could send a few pics if someone would post them

[Arctic Lake]

Imugur If I can do it ANYONE can ! There are directionshttp://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?151055-Picture-help-please-! Looking forward to pictures !
Arctic Lake

[j270wsm]

I know.....I’m lazy when it comes to technology. One day ill start using imugur and pull all my pics of photo bucket

[willyqbc]

https://i.imgur.com/aovyu8L.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/aovyu8L.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/aA9xpzK.jpg?1

[j270wsm]

Thanks willyqbc for posting the pics of the bull we found sept 8th. This bull has very small 2nd eye guards. It took a few min for me to be 100% sure that I wasn’t seeing things.

[willyqbc]

It took a few min for me to be 100% sure that I wasn’t seeing things.

Definately a good example of being sure! I had a huge bull up north one year that seemed like a "no doubter", beauty 4,5,6's.....long eye guards.....but something just tweaked me as being not quite right.....took me a bit to realize, he had no thirds at all. Glad I took the time instead of assuming based on the 4,5,6's! Hurt to let that one walk...he was a beauty.

[j270wsm]

So....where was I.....

oh ya ..............THE END.

[RyoTHC]

So....where was I.....

oh ya ..............THE END.


No three day search party with dogs ? :D

[j270wsm]

Just kidding.


I was hopeful that Aaron and Ethan were going to go back that evening and the next morning but Aaron has other plans. Knowing evan wanted to go hunting after dinner I was trying to figure out where to go. After dinner while loaded the truck I asked Evan where he wanted to go. “ I don’t know, I guess we could go see if that bull is still there “ was his reply. Upon arrival to our glassing spot we got set up and started glassing. We didn’t see much for vehicle sign on the way into the block so we were hopeful the bull was still around. Like a typical teenager, Evan couldn’t sit still. As I’m trying to glass the cut block Evan suddenly says “ Dad, one of them is a bull “. As my head whipped around I realized he was using the spotting scope to look at the next mountain to the south. “ Evan, it’s not like we can go after them and I wouldnt kill an elk way up there anyhow “. A few min later he was still watching the elk on the next mountain when I thought I seen an elk hanging just inside he tree line. “ Evan, pass me the spotting scope........Quickly......pass me the spotting scope!!!.

Upon looking through the spotting scope, what I seen through the binos was confirmed. A bull sneaking his way through the trees, hesitant to step out into the open but he was focused on something in the cut block. As I scanned the cut block, I caught movement in the north corner, a cow had made her way out of the trees into the cut block. A few min later he bull walked out into the open. Not wanting to waste any time we quickly put our stuff away and started driving towards the cut block.

[Quiet Hunter]

This is a great story. Make a movie. id buy tickets for me and the family lol

[j270wsm]

We got to a parking spot that I figured was close enough to the elk but still obstructed by some trees. Once we were 150yds from the truck the bull started acting weird. As I looked through the binos, he was looking straight towards us. Obviously he spotted the truck coming in and was now watching us walk up the road. Knowing the bull had seen us and the truck, I almost told Evan that continuing to walk up the road would be a waste of time. But as my friend says “ we didn’t get dressed up for nothing “ so we picked up the pace trying to gain ground before the bull disappeared. Unfortunately we only made it another 200yds and the elk walked behind a big block of trees in the cut block.
600yds further up the road we go to the best spot to start walking into the cut block, so we bailed off the road hoping the elk had walked in behind the trees and settled down. We slowly made our way up hill watching the top edge of the hill anticipating that we would start to see antlers any second. The anticipation was building with every step but with every step all we seen was a little bit more of the empty cut block. After making it 200yds off the road something big and brown came busting out of the timber into the cut block. ELK....... The cow was only 70yds away and quickly making her way across the block when the bull came out of the timber up the little hill and stopped to check us out. I quickly got the rifle on my shoulder turned the scope up and started to count points. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.........come on.......6 he’s got 6. Loudly i said “ shoot he’s legal “. A few seconds later I hear Evans rifle sound off and the bull dropped instantly. With the bull looking like Homer Simpson spinning circles on the nuclear plant floor, we quickly finished him off.

[Quiet Hunter]

YAYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! Bravo. what a great ending. Please tell me theres more pics pleaseeeee

[j270wsm]

It’s now 7:45 and we only have 45min until it’s dark, In typical fashion, I was completely unprepared. Wearing running shoes, Pack frame was at home, no flash light, didn’t even grab a cow call before we left the house. I send out a few texts to see if my best friend( Matt ) and his brother( Aj ) we able to help. Having even less daylight left we started quartering the bull. Using the gutless method we managed to get the 4 quarters off and moved 40yds down hill and into the block of timber. Knowing help was on the way, we grabbed our rifles and got out of dodge. Aj having just missed out on a chance at a big bull agreed to swing by my house and grab my pack frame and extra keys and come help. Matt wasn’t far behind and stopped at my house to grab my boots that I forgot to tell Aj to grab.

Evan and I made the 1.5 km walk back to the truck, covered in blood, knowing there were 2 grizzlies in this cut block 3 morning before. Aj arrived less than 2 min after we got to the truck so there wasn’t much time to relax before we started packing meat. We drove to where we came down out the block and pounded some water. Armed with 2 rifles, pack frames we headed up into the cublock with one flash light and 3 cell phones lighting the way. We arrived at the 4 quarters and quickly loaded them into the 2 pack frames we had then went to the car as to remove the head, back straps and tenderloins.

We were starting to remove the second back strap when Matt showed up with his bag and my boots. A few minutes later the backstraps, tenderloins and extra meat were removed and we walked back to the pack frames. We loaded the last quarter onto Matt’s frame and walked down to the truck. With the help of 2 amazing friends, we had Evans bull back to the truck 3 hrs after it hit the ground.

we arrived home around 11:30, got everything hung and skinned, set up a house fan to keep some air movement, hoses off some bags and closed the door on the shop. Matt and Aj we’re heading out first thing this morning so they weren’t sticking around any longer than necessary.

In the end, It was a great day and we were happy to know that all the shots fired on opening morning missed.

Unfortunately my son doesn’t want me to post pics of his bull this yr.
The pics posted are the bull we seen on the 8th.


Thanks for reading.

[j270wsm]

Willyqbc is going to post another pic for me. It’s a teaser for my next story about Evans 2018 bull elk.

[scoutlt1]

Awesome story...

Thanks for posting!

[kelowna.jordan]

Holy crap! Awesome story. Congrats and thanks for sharing!

[VI Blacktails]

awesome story thanks

[Bugle M In]

Congrats, great story and I bet your son now will forever have "elk fever"!!!
Good on ya both!

[DeepJeep]

Congrats great thread

[willyqbc]

here ya go!

https://i.imgur.com/S3SB6zX.jpg?1

[j270wsm]

Willyqbc....thanks again for posting pics for me.

[Fella]

Congrats! That’s an awesome bull

[j270wsm]

Bull in the truck is Evans 2018 bull

[Arctic Lake]

Very nice ! My dream to harvest one of those beauts one day ! Congrats !
Arctic Lake

[Bugle M In]

Good stuff, a story with a pic is always the best!

[Bugle M In]

Got to ask, how many people did it take to get the elk in the back of the box?
Just 2?
Never tried as I have always had to either cut up or debone to pack out.

[j270wsm]

^^^^^^ill leave that part for when I get time to post the story.