Another one bites the dust!
 

Well, finally last night my luck broke and I managed to take a nice young 6x6 Bull Elk on our ranch here in British Columbia. I had not seen much elk activity for the last couple weeks since the season opened on the 10th of September. Last night I took my kids for a quick drive up above our ranch that borders the U.S. I was actually glassing for a big whitetail buck i have been after and happend to spot this lone bull a good mile into the U.S. and he was headed straight for our top fields. I dropped the kids off at the house and tore up to our top fields on my quad I managed to grab my cow call diaphram. Also up in the top field was my cow elk cardboard cut out I had made earlier in the year. I stopped the quad short of the fields and quickly hiked the last 5-600 yrds to the edge of a heavily wooded draw that runs between our neighbours ranch and ours. I glassed the bull approx. 800yds in the adjoining field heading to some heavy old growth timber. I normally set up my decoy by tacking it to a tree then proceed to set up 100yds or so away since I hunt with a rifle. This time though I was rushing because the bull was about to hit the timber. I cow called quite excitedly and flashed the cow decoy as i tried to hold it in the wind and make it stay upright. The bull instanty responded in a flat out run across the field down a ravine and jumped our property line fence onto my property and then dissapeared in the ravine below me. I had no idea where he went. I took the safety off my .300 win set the scope to 3x and then....my decoy blew over making the most noisey sound you could imagine. I figured great...he heard that nonsense and left.....but he bugled.......I knew he was close but could not see him yet. I was holding my rifle in one hand...nice light Savage!!!....the decoy up with the other hand and I thought I will cow call one more soft chirp....I chirped and the bull flew up and hit the decoy.......I fired from the hip one handed and shot the bull from approx. 18"!!! less than 2 feet....one shot clean kill...straight through the windpipe and through the spine with a Federal Premium MRX 180grn form the .300 winnie. He fell backwards down the hill....I filled my shorts! Ican not believe how fast and silent that bull travelled the last 100 or so yrds even when I knew he was there....I got plum lucky I didnt get run over and lucky that I got off a nice clean shot...and for the record I was actually shooting that rifle one handed at my steel gong a couple weeks ago just to see if i could.....I can!....anyhow the bull is a nice younger bull....no wall hanger but one I will remember forever!!.........hope everyone is having a great safe season, good luck and dont stand next to a cow elk decoy in the peak of the rut!!!

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

WOW!! Hemi,
I can't imagine the adrenline rush you must have felt. I've seen tv shows where a bull gets real close to guys, but to almost get run over must have caused your heart to stop. Really i would think you are lucky you didn't get hurt let alone get a shot off. I can only hope to get any encounter with a bull next month in CO. Are you done now where you can consentrate on that big whitetail your after?

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

Hemi, you should be ashamed of yourself if you can't call a bull in any closer than 18''...LOL:D:D. Holy Cow, way to go. Sounds like fun!!

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

Congrats ... 18" WOW that would be exciting!

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

Cheez, Louise!!!!

"Honey, I'm telling you, I need a .375 H&H safari gun! Just take a look!"

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

Well Done!!!

Now you have me second guessing my 30.06....not!
Great story and enjoy the bounty...

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

Good story and congrats on a nice bull. I will add though that I was taught to never take the gun off safe until I had the target identified and was actually ready to shoot.

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

Wow that is awesome, that would have scared the hell out of me too having a bull charge me like that, congrats on your bull.

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

Congrats Hemi................maybe you should weld a bayonet onto that rifle barrel.
Thanks for sharing.
Pic?

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

Thanks guys...I got lucky.....I hope to never call a bull in to within that range again!! lol.. hard on the heart. Good point made on the safety being off...although at the time my judgement told me that it would be fine...private land, no livestock present, large hill behind etcc...maybe I would do differently next time. Tango a bayonet would have been pretty handy!! Im sure I could have stuck him in the eye with a sharp stick at the least!!...it all worked out and I can not wait to have him in the freezer.

I have included one picture taken the next evening by my barn with the pick up lights shining on us....No actual kill field photos as it got late and to be honest no one thought of it at the time! I think everyone is more excited about eating it than the look of it!!

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

Nothing wrong with that one...a real beauty and I bet it will be great eating. My only point for bringing up the safety thing Hemi is because we have many younger members who get information and develop habits based on these forums. The one thing I have learned after spending approximately 50 years in the field is that safety needs to be automatic...every time. When people make decisions and compromise safety that is when accidents happen. For instance when I make a shot on game I automatically eject the spent casing, chamber anotherbullet and put the gun on safe if I don't intend on shooting another round. I do it the same way every time even while on the range and as a result I always know the status of my gun. I have seen hunters running up to the downed animal with their gunstill with the empty casing in the chamber as well as others with a live round and no safety on. When I retrieve the dead animal I unload the gun before I field dress and drag or pack it out. I try to leave nothing to chance and treat an unloaded gun as if it is loaded. In addition, I always check to get a visual on the safety while in the field to ensure that it didn't get accidentally knocked off. It really doesn't matter whether you are on public or private land. I don't mean to be preaching to you but I had to mention it in the hopes that it will impact someone and prevent something bad from happening. Once again congratulations on a great trophy and a story you will be able to pass on for generations.

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

CI, good post, great advice and point well taken!...have a great season!

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

I couldn't imagine! Congrats!

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

WOW what a hunt CONGRATS!!

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

Great story and great bull! Thanks for sharing, getting excited myself to get out in the woods now.

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

Congrats on a great hunt. Nice bull.

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

Good Job! There is such a thing as being toooo close! (grin)

ElkNut1

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

elknut,

Im sure you have that happen quite often with the way you guys hunt!!....for me that was a little spooky having horns sticking past me!!! I much prefer them a 100 yds away or so!! Congrats on the nice bulls and trip you guys had this year!!

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

This morning a very good friend of mine smoked a real nice 6x6 not more than 75 yrds from where my bull fell! Same type of expereince only he shot his bull from 50yds not 18". His bull had a herd of 40 cows with him. The lead cow led the herd onto our ranch and the bull followed until he was right in front of my partners set up and he let fly with a 180grn silvertip out of his .308 pea shooter!! One well placed shot directly through the heart and the bull tipped over 30 yds later. Was a great morning for us. He has hunted elk for 20+ yrs and never tagged one so he was ecstatic. 2 for 2 on bulls here at Trickle Creek Ranch!! I just cant wait for them whitetails to fire upfor the rut!!

RE: Another one bites the dust!
 

Good going.