Our Idaho Elk
 

Heres a couple pics of my elk. It was shot in the selway bitteroot wilderness. Walked up on it with 5 cows, shot it at 60 yards with my 7mm-08 140gr Barnes XLC, bullet went thru both shoulders and dropped like a rock.




Heres my dads elk. He shot this elk at 500 yards with a 270 Weatherby Mag, 1 time thru the chest and another in the head. I spotted these elk at 9am and hiked back down the mountain to find my dad, finally at 2pm we were back up to where the elk were, snuck within 700 yards but the woods opened up and we couldnt approach any farther. Finally fog rolled in and were were able to get within 500 yards, Dad took both shots laying down, on the second shot the elk reared back and slid a couple of hundred yards down the mountain. Both elk were shot within a half mile of each other and a third bull was shot in between my elk and his. Had an easy pack only a mile down to the truck.

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

You must be lying or something. Every one knows that a cartridge as puny as the 7mm-08 is not capeable of killing an elk. You gotta have at least a 300 magnum and preferably a 338 mag. ;););)


Very nice job on two nice elk. Those pics really make me miss not being able to go this year.

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

Buckshot, nice bulls were they from this years hunt or another year. Do you hunt here in Idaho often? The selway wilderness is a goood area to hunt if you like the backcountry. I never hunted it but would like to someday. Also did you see any wolves, and was your hunt guided, if so what outfitter did you go with.

Bigbull, :D what they don't know is ElKampMaster was hiding with his handy dandy improved 50 BMG from 3 miles away.:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D Just kidding, I myself like bigger guns too, but a 7mm-08 works great if that is want you want to use.

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

Bigbulls,
I get a kick out of the current magnum mania going around, I blame Craig (shoots a howitzer) Boddingon for all the nimrods running around with cannons. I was alway taught, its not what you hit them with, its where you hit them. My 7mm-08 will shoot quater size groups at 200 yards all day.

IEI,

2004, This was my second year out there hunting, my dads third. We have friends that live in Arco. They were supposed to go with us, but their potato farmers and the harvest was running late. They gave us all their camping equipment and his 2004 F250 Turbo Diesel, pointed out some areas to hunt and away we went, no guide, just two dumb PA dutchmen. One a little dumber than the other, since I got to pack both animals out. I didnt see any wolf sign. But the last time I was out there, I had one fallow me down the mountain as we packed my buddys elk out. I did see a big set of cat tracks. Saw quite a few deer but nothing I wanted to shoot. Both of these elk were shot up in back from an outfitters camp, in fact we were standing by cook tent asking the outfitter if we could hire them to pack my elk out and a herd of elk with at least one nice bull run right up behind camp. The outfitter never saw them, so we didnt say anything. In 6 days of hunting I saw over 40 elk and 4 of them were bulls. Heres some other pics so you guys get a feel for my bulls rack size, dad couldnt figure out how to work my digital camera. My racks upside down.
Heres a real meat wagon.

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

That is just to cool that you did it on your own, not trying to take away from others that killed bulls on guided hunts. But to be successful on a to do it yourself hunt is just awesome, and rewarding. I too know several people from Arco, there is a big crew that hunts in one of my honey holes that all are from their. That doesn't surprize me on bit that they helped you out, thats how most of the people from Arco are like.

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

Our friends out there are the very best, couldnt have asked for better people. A do it yourself hunt is just like icing on the cake. Very, very satisfying indeed. One of the smartest things I ever did was get in serious good shape, the first time we went out I didnt work out, man did I pay for it. When we packed my buddys elk out I thought I was going to die, of course it was 4.5 miles out.

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

Congratulations!!

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

nice shooting. a hard days work pays off. people are right when they say shot placement is the key.

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

The X bullet in almost any rifle from 6.5 on up will take out both front shoulders on an elk even at extended ranges. Good job.

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

Alright, way to geterdone, conditions look kinda rough, I'm glad some others have to earn it as well. Thanks for sharing as I am going through DT's. Saw a herd yesterday of about 60 down here in the valley as we are still getting snow here in the Rockies at the 4,000 ft elv.
Great pick and thanks for sharing buckaroo.;) Bobby

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

Not too bad for a PA boy...

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

Nice bulls. A DIY hunt is always very satisfying. Thanks for sharing the pics and your story. Always a pleasure to see.

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

Great looking bull...congrats!

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

A Father & Son, do it yourself, succesful hunt with some nice bulls....PRICELESS!!

Congrats...

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

Congrats on a couple of nice bulls. They are my dream animal.

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

Buckshot, good shot, good effort and good show!

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

Nice looking animals,congrates on a job well earned.

Can't help to say though would you have taken that shot at the bull if he was say 350 yds away using that 7-08 and 1/4 away?

But again nice job.;);)
BBJ

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

I had a 400 yard range limit with my load and gun.

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

Good for you,you trust your gun and your ability,I would not take the shot with the 7-08.Buckshot I just not had good results with the 7-08.I bought one last year and after seeing deer shot with it,I just would not trust it.

Agin nice jod on a true DIYH,suprised that mini-van held up to the load.:D:D:D who say you need a pick-up.
BBJ

RE: Our Idaho Elk
 

You are right about the load in the van, I didnt notice the tires until a buddy of mine pointed them out in the pic. As for my load for my 7-08, Im down right anal about load performance and accuracy. Over that last 23 years Ive used 3 bullets for hunting;

Hornady 139grs BTSP- excellant performance on deer sized game, will penetrate both shoulders on whitetails. Very Accurate nickel size groups at 100 yards
140 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips- they over expand even at 7-08 velocitys and have had them destroy the onside shoulder without further penetration on deer. Again Very accurate.
140gr Barnes XLC- Over kill on deer in my NSHO, will travel end to end after blowing through shoulders and femurs on deer, only reason I used them was to judge bullet performance. Sub MOA at 200 yards on 3 shot groups.