shawnwells
09-19-2010, 11:19 AM
well back from our 2010 hunt with some great results ... cow elk down and my first bull elk down finally...after bugling some up but being unable to deliver earlier in the season it was nice to finally pull it off. and it turned out to be one of the most exciting hunts of my career ! shaking so bad after i went over and found him down...i almost cut my hunting license in half trying to punch my tag!! well the story starts the morning before...we got some advice from a fella that knows the area about where you could see a lot of country..we hadnt seen any elk yet after 4 days just freasher tracks and shit and busted tops and whatnot...but hadnt heard a peep out of one yet...so my 2 hunting partners head up there in the morning and see some elk and get a acow outta the deal...woo hoo success!! and we hung her up and then got ready for evening hunt...so my 2 buddies are going to a different area for the evening and im supposed to go with a buddy of ours thats working in the area...so my 2 partners leave and then our buddy working in the area has to work late....so im all by myself and unsure where to hunt for the evening.
i figure screw it....i know theres a gut pile somewhere in the area where my partners were and its really stirred up but im just not sure where else i wanted to go...so off i go way up in the hills...i get to a sweet glassing spot and hunker down for the night...about 1000 yards away i see a bunch of crows and ravens so i figure thats the gut pile...but the noise isnt really affecting me and it wasnt affecting the 7 deer the fed out right towards it so i figured i was good.
i sat there for 4 hours watching the deer..but quickly learned when the sun goes down after a nice autumn day...you cant be wearing enough clothes...and as it was starting to get dark i was shivering so bad i thought to myself....if an elk walks out....im not even gonna even be able to shoot straight!!
so i reconed back up the hill the 5 minute walk to my bike to get my bigger coat and puffier gloves..and as i was i saw a coyote on the hill and he howled into the valley...and im thinking i bet elk wont like that..then i reconned back to the hill side and sat down again...and the coyote was gone.
it was getting dark fast and i was starting to think...well i guess thats it for tonight...and then i heard a high pitched whistle start and i thought for a split second it was the coyote starting up again but quickly realized it was a bugle and it was close!!
so i reach beside my leg for my shooting stick and as i turned my head i saw a dark spot on the ridge about 300 yards away and as im putting my rifle in the knotch of my shoooting stick it starts coming towards me and i realized o my god its him and hes coming!!
he came down the hill about 20 yards and he rips out another bugle!!
so i slam into my pocket for my hoochie mama just in case and lay it beside me and start looking at him through my scope...i see 2 points below the main beam on one side and that makes him at least 3 point and thats good enough for me !!
so he comes down the hill another 20 yards and turns and starts heading away from me in the tall scrub so no shot....so i glab my hoochie mama and let out a cow call....he instantly turns towards me and starts coming right for me!!
then he turns again and starts heading away from me...so i give 2 or three quick cow calls and he turns again right for me and came down a few yards..then he stops in a little opening broadside staring over at me about 200 yards away...i think to myself....well wells...its now or never....dont miss....BOOM ! and a frickin miss in typical wells fashion!!! the bull turns 180 degrees and is now standing there broadside the other way!! i reload drop my shooting stick and go to my kness for a rest....BOOM ! and thwap!! i see the fur fly from his vital area !! he spiralled down the hill a couple of times and out of site ....so i reload and sit there for 5 minutes looking through my scope above where i last saw him waiting for him to get up...
...no movement no sound...so i quickly sneak back to my bike and get my headlamp on and reload my gun and start slowly heading up to where i first saw him...i see and hear nothing...it was pretty dark by the time i got up there and organized...so coming down the hill it was all about my headlamp...so im searching side to side and heading down with my rifle at the ready just in case...and all of the sudden i realize...he was right here when i shot..that means he should be.....right behind me!! so i pan my head around ...and in the glow of my headlamp i look down....and theres a horn sticking outta the brush !!! hes right there !! so i get down to him and can see hes down!!! my 2010 first bull elk is down !! and hes not only a legal bull hes 6 x 5 !!! i havent had a better more exciting hunt in years !! and i pulled it off!!! woooooooooooooooooooohooooooooooooooooooooo!!
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2010_elk_041_-_Copy.JPG
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/elk_hunt_2010_003_-_Copy.JPG
we went back the next morning and pulled the boy outta there..
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/elk_hunt_2010_011_-_Copy.JPG
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/elk_hunt_2010_014_-_Copy.JPG
he was a big boy...after weighing him the butcher figures 1000 pounds on the hoof...i couldnt be happier...cheers to a good season for all....
i figure screw it....i know theres a gut pile somewhere in the area where my partners were and its really stirred up but im just not sure where else i wanted to go...so off i go way up in the hills...i get to a sweet glassing spot and hunker down for the night...about 1000 yards away i see a bunch of crows and ravens so i figure thats the gut pile...but the noise isnt really affecting me and it wasnt affecting the 7 deer the fed out right towards it so i figured i was good.
i sat there for 4 hours watching the deer..but quickly learned when the sun goes down after a nice autumn day...you cant be wearing enough clothes...and as it was starting to get dark i was shivering so bad i thought to myself....if an elk walks out....im not even gonna even be able to shoot straight!!
so i reconed back up the hill the 5 minute walk to my bike to get my bigger coat and puffier gloves..and as i was i saw a coyote on the hill and he howled into the valley...and im thinking i bet elk wont like that..then i reconned back to the hill side and sat down again...and the coyote was gone.
it was getting dark fast and i was starting to think...well i guess thats it for tonight...and then i heard a high pitched whistle start and i thought for a split second it was the coyote starting up again but quickly realized it was a bugle and it was close!!
so i reach beside my leg for my shooting stick and as i turned my head i saw a dark spot on the ridge about 300 yards away and as im putting my rifle in the knotch of my shoooting stick it starts coming towards me and i realized o my god its him and hes coming!!
he came down the hill about 20 yards and he rips out another bugle!!
so i slam into my pocket for my hoochie mama just in case and lay it beside me and start looking at him through my scope...i see 2 points below the main beam on one side and that makes him at least 3 point and thats good enough for me !!
so he comes down the hill another 20 yards and turns and starts heading away from me in the tall scrub so no shot....so i glab my hoochie mama and let out a cow call....he instantly turns towards me and starts coming right for me!!
then he turns again and starts heading away from me...so i give 2 or three quick cow calls and he turns again right for me and came down a few yards..then he stops in a little opening broadside staring over at me about 200 yards away...i think to myself....well wells...its now or never....dont miss....BOOM ! and a frickin miss in typical wells fashion!!! the bull turns 180 degrees and is now standing there broadside the other way!! i reload drop my shooting stick and go to my kness for a rest....BOOM ! and thwap!! i see the fur fly from his vital area !! he spiralled down the hill a couple of times and out of site ....so i reload and sit there for 5 minutes looking through my scope above where i last saw him waiting for him to get up...
...no movement no sound...so i quickly sneak back to my bike and get my headlamp on and reload my gun and start slowly heading up to where i first saw him...i see and hear nothing...it was pretty dark by the time i got up there and organized...so coming down the hill it was all about my headlamp...so im searching side to side and heading down with my rifle at the ready just in case...and all of the sudden i realize...he was right here when i shot..that means he should be.....right behind me!! so i pan my head around ...and in the glow of my headlamp i look down....and theres a horn sticking outta the brush !!! hes right there !! so i get down to him and can see hes down!!! my 2010 first bull elk is down !! and hes not only a legal bull hes 6 x 5 !!! i havent had a better more exciting hunt in years !! and i pulled it off!!! woooooooooooooooooooohooooooooooooooooooooo!!
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2010_elk_041_-_Copy.JPG
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/elk_hunt_2010_003_-_Copy.JPG
we went back the next morning and pulled the boy outta there..
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/elk_hunt_2010_011_-_Copy.JPG
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/elk_hunt_2010_014_-_Copy.JPG
he was a big boy...after weighing him the butcher figures 1000 pounds on the hoof...i couldnt be happier...cheers to a good season for all....