First Elk Hunt
10-28-2011 | 12:25 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Spike
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 10
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From: Kansas
First Elk Hunt
I was blessed to be invited to go elk hunting during the second rifle season in Colorado. The following is a long story to the encounters I had during the hunt.
The first morning of season we awaken to wonderful temps and little wind. I took my place along a ridge overlooking a various parks and a mountain side where I could see approximately 2 miles. During my morning hunt I was lucky enough to see approximately 25 to 30 elk with only 1 legal bull in the bunch but all were way out of range to consider a shot. I was able to see many mule deer and a black bear.
That evening I decided to hunt in the same area where the encounters continued but at too long of distance until right at last light. There were 20 or so elk come across the park to within 150 yards of my location. Upon scanning the herd, I thought there were no bulls in there so I decided to take one of the larger cows. I pulled up my rifle and scanned the herd again for a larger cow and came across a bull that I had missed with my binoculars. Trying to make out how large the bull was, I could not see the number of points he had and with light quickly going away, I decided to pass since it was my first evening. I started to regret that decision later in my hunt.
Once I left my blind for the evening and walking back to camp, I heard a bugle approximately 200 yards away. I stepped back in the tree line to see if he would get closer. The next bugle happened less than 100 yards across the park from where I was standing. Knowing this large animal was so close was great.
The next morning I go to the same location with very little sighting that morning. Nothing close that morning, with the same happening in the evening as well.
Getting discouraged with my hunt, I changed locations to sitting in the middle of a park on some flat area to be able to see a large area. Not much to report from the morning hunt except a few mule deer as close as 25 yards. Too bad I did not have a tag or my bow.
Being told this was a good location, I went back to the same park. At approximately 5:45 I looked behind me to see some cows coming out of the tree line. I get turned around with my binoculars to see there are 3 legal bulls in the herd. I range them to find they are at 258 yards but could not get a shot due to the number of trees between me and them. I thought I had lost my chance at them when they showed up over the ridge in front of me. Not having time to range them again, I estimated them to be at 250 yards. I pulled up my rifle and put all three bulls in my scope to see which one looked the biggest. Once making that decision, I waited until I had a good shot and took it. Immediately putting another shell in the chamber and then trying to figure out which bull I just shot at since they were so close together. I ask myself which one was stumbling and I found him. Just about to pull the trigger again and I watch him go down after taking 3 steps. With plenty of daylight left, I went to where I thought they were standing when I shot only to find the bull not there. Confused I look around only to find him further back than originally thought. After finding him and then ranging to where he was found, the shot was just less than 400 yards. I had my 5 X 4 bull that evening.
Since I still had a cow tag to fill, I decided to go up the road to overlook a pond that is used by many head of elk. It was a cold and rainy morning so only stayed out till 9:00 am without cover. Only able to see 3 mule deer that morning.
That afternoon decided to hunt a location that my father had used to complete his hunt of a bull and cow. When I first arrived around 4:00 pm on the ridge, the wind was howling with gusts to 50 mph. Kind of nerve racking when you are on the side of a ridge that drops at least 80 yards. At around 5:00 a storm moved in with heavy snow and the cloud deck dropping to where visibility was at around 75 yards. Thinking my hunt could be over due to the storm, I closed most of the windows and sit back, looking out occasionally to see any movement. After looking at the flat area below the stand, I looked back to my left to see movement of elk at about 75 yards. At this short of distance, I had little time to decide what to do. I quietly opened the window to the blind and placed my rifle on the ledge. Looking back to where they were coming from, there were elk more coming out of the clouds/fog. Not looking for a bull, I decided to take the first cow that gave me a good shot. There was a cow that moved in front of my blind at 45 yards and I took the shot. She stumbled across the access road behind some aspens then I lost her due to the clouds that moved in. Thinking she was down, we went to look for her. It only took a couple of minutes, and then I heard my uncle yell that he had found her. She went about 100 yards from where I took the shot.
This was my first opportunity to go on an elk hunt and of course with being able to harvest two elk was a blessing. I hope that there are many more to come.
I know this was long but it was enjoyable writing the description of my hunting experiences.
Aim right, shoot straight.
ksdeerhunter1
The first morning of season we awaken to wonderful temps and little wind. I took my place along a ridge overlooking a various parks and a mountain side where I could see approximately 2 miles. During my morning hunt I was lucky enough to see approximately 25 to 30 elk with only 1 legal bull in the bunch but all were way out of range to consider a shot. I was able to see many mule deer and a black bear.
That evening I decided to hunt in the same area where the encounters continued but at too long of distance until right at last light. There were 20 or so elk come across the park to within 150 yards of my location. Upon scanning the herd, I thought there were no bulls in there so I decided to take one of the larger cows. I pulled up my rifle and scanned the herd again for a larger cow and came across a bull that I had missed with my binoculars. Trying to make out how large the bull was, I could not see the number of points he had and with light quickly going away, I decided to pass since it was my first evening. I started to regret that decision later in my hunt.
Once I left my blind for the evening and walking back to camp, I heard a bugle approximately 200 yards away. I stepped back in the tree line to see if he would get closer. The next bugle happened less than 100 yards across the park from where I was standing. Knowing this large animal was so close was great.
The next morning I go to the same location with very little sighting that morning. Nothing close that morning, with the same happening in the evening as well.
Getting discouraged with my hunt, I changed locations to sitting in the middle of a park on some flat area to be able to see a large area. Not much to report from the morning hunt except a few mule deer as close as 25 yards. Too bad I did not have a tag or my bow.
Being told this was a good location, I went back to the same park. At approximately 5:45 I looked behind me to see some cows coming out of the tree line. I get turned around with my binoculars to see there are 3 legal bulls in the herd. I range them to find they are at 258 yards but could not get a shot due to the number of trees between me and them. I thought I had lost my chance at them when they showed up over the ridge in front of me. Not having time to range them again, I estimated them to be at 250 yards. I pulled up my rifle and put all three bulls in my scope to see which one looked the biggest. Once making that decision, I waited until I had a good shot and took it. Immediately putting another shell in the chamber and then trying to figure out which bull I just shot at since they were so close together. I ask myself which one was stumbling and I found him. Just about to pull the trigger again and I watch him go down after taking 3 steps. With plenty of daylight left, I went to where I thought they were standing when I shot only to find the bull not there. Confused I look around only to find him further back than originally thought. After finding him and then ranging to where he was found, the shot was just less than 400 yards. I had my 5 X 4 bull that evening.
Since I still had a cow tag to fill, I decided to go up the road to overlook a pond that is used by many head of elk. It was a cold and rainy morning so only stayed out till 9:00 am without cover. Only able to see 3 mule deer that morning.
That afternoon decided to hunt a location that my father had used to complete his hunt of a bull and cow. When I first arrived around 4:00 pm on the ridge, the wind was howling with gusts to 50 mph. Kind of nerve racking when you are on the side of a ridge that drops at least 80 yards. At around 5:00 a storm moved in with heavy snow and the cloud deck dropping to where visibility was at around 75 yards. Thinking my hunt could be over due to the storm, I closed most of the windows and sit back, looking out occasionally to see any movement. After looking at the flat area below the stand, I looked back to my left to see movement of elk at about 75 yards. At this short of distance, I had little time to decide what to do. I quietly opened the window to the blind and placed my rifle on the ledge. Looking back to where they were coming from, there were elk more coming out of the clouds/fog. Not looking for a bull, I decided to take the first cow that gave me a good shot. There was a cow that moved in front of my blind at 45 yards and I took the shot. She stumbled across the access road behind some aspens then I lost her due to the clouds that moved in. Thinking she was down, we went to look for her. It only took a couple of minutes, and then I heard my uncle yell that he had found her. She went about 100 yards from where I took the shot.
This was my first opportunity to go on an elk hunt and of course with being able to harvest two elk was a blessing. I hope that there are many more to come.
I know this was long but it was enjoyable writing the description of my hunting experiences.
Aim right, shoot straight.
ksdeerhunter1
10-28-2011 | 12:46 PM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 6,574
Likes: 0
From: IL
Congrats!
Is he going on the wall?
They're big the 1st time you walk up on a dead elk....even a small one looks huge! I could only imagine how big a 350"+ bull would look on the ground or at 10yds with a bow!!
Is he going on the wall?
They're big the 1st time you walk up on a dead elk....even a small one looks huge! I could only imagine how big a 350"+ bull would look on the ground or at 10yds with a bow!!
