Getting ready to hit the road.
10-06-2006, 12:38 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 1,081
Getting ready to hit the road.
As I write this I'm at work and it's a bit after midnight. I get off in about 5 and a half hours, then I go home and pick up my son and head to the elk woods. He drew a cow tag for the youth only hunt this year, only 50 tags for the whole unit. The elk are still buggling and have not had any hunting pressure for a week or so so I'm hoping it goes well for his first elk hunt.
We are getting the benefit of some expert advice on this hunt. A friend from church is a former pro outfitter/guide and he has offered to go along and help. Little did I know that his version of help included a 29' fith wheel camper and a four wheeler, both stocked and ready to go. The best part is the price, a back strap or so worth of meat ifmy sonis successful. It's tough to say no to a deal like that.
I may not get a chance to check this until we get back next week. I will post an update when we get back, hopefully with some pictures and an excuse to buy a larger freezer.
Good luck to all this season.
We are getting the benefit of some expert advice on this hunt. A friend from church is a former pro outfitter/guide and he has offered to go along and help. Little did I know that his version of help included a 29' fith wheel camper and a four wheeler, both stocked and ready to go. The best part is the price, a back strap or so worth of meat ifmy sonis successful. It's tough to say no to a deal like that.
I may not get a chance to check this until we get back next week. I will post an update when we get back, hopefully with some pictures and an excuse to buy a larger freezer.
Good luck to all this season.
10-06-2006, 04:28 AM
#2
Fork Horn
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Cashmere, WA
Posts: 157
RE: Getting ready to hit the road.
dmurphy317
Good luck to you and your son!I'm heading out this morning early too - only for deer and possibly bear. Hopefully you'll need a new freezer, eh?
cheers,
phil
Good luck to you and your son!I'm heading out this morning early too - only for deer and possibly bear. Hopefully you'll need a new freezer, eh?
cheers,
phil
10-06-2006, 08:09 AM
#4
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: Getting ready to hit the road.
Good luck to everyone this hunting season. Have an exciting and fruitful hunt, but most of all, come home safe and sound. Again, good luck, aim true, and have an easy track..
Dave
Dave
10-09-2006, 11:53 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 1,081
RE: Getting ready to hit the road.
Here is the results of my son's hunt.
Saturday was the opening of the youth muzzleloader hunt in NM unit 15. We arrived the afternoon before and got the camp set up and gear ready for the next day. It had rain most of the Fiday and about half of Friday night so thing were a bit soggy in the woods.
Before daylight we started up a logging road that ends at a high rock cliff overlooking at least 100 square miles of area from different vantage points to glass for elk. Half way up the road my truck lost traction and nearly got stuck. I had to back up about 100 yards before I could find a place to turn around and go get my friends 4x4, not a good way to start the day. We finally made it up to the top and after about half an hour found a small heard about 7 miles out from where we were. We checked another spot and saw a lone cow within about 600 yards but she was 800 feet below the 300 foot cliff we were on. We also heard some bulls buggling from different directions.
We decided to work our way around to another high point that would take us by a saddle that the lone cow may come up or other elk may be near. We found some fresh tracks in that area but decided to continue to the other high point and check out a large canyon next to it. Again, we saw lots of fresh tracks headed into the big canyon.
It way time for breakfast and we were all getting hungry so we went back to camp and ate before heading into the canyon around noon. It took about an hour or so to get down to where we wanted to start. Near a water hole we found some fresh bull tracks with a few cow tracks mixed in heading up a small rocky canyon. We had the 4x4 and a four wheeler between the 3 of us. I elected to stay behind while my son and our guide friend rode the 4 wheeler back in to see if they could locate them. About 2:30 they found the ridge they had aparently had went up and started tracking on foot. Before they had gone 100 yards one of the bulls buggled not more than 250 yards from them. They inched their way forward and spotted a cow feeding at about 80 to 90 yards unaware they were in the neighborhood.
This was my son's first elk hunt and only the second animal he had ever shot at. He was nervous to say the least. He shot right over the back of the cow with the first shot. Luckily, our friend had his ML'er with him and swapped rifles with my son who made the second shot count. It took out one lung and part of the liver as it passed thru just a shade high. A very good shot for a nervous young man. She only took about 5 steps before going down.
Ed, our guide friend said this was the easiest elk hunt he had ever been on. As it turned out we were able to get the truck in and to within 10 yards of the elk. He shot her just before 2:40 and we had her hanging in camp before 5. I told my son it only goes down hill from here.
Link to picture.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b365/dmurphy317/241-4161_IMG.jpg
Saturday was the opening of the youth muzzleloader hunt in NM unit 15. We arrived the afternoon before and got the camp set up and gear ready for the next day. It had rain most of the Fiday and about half of Friday night so thing were a bit soggy in the woods.
Before daylight we started up a logging road that ends at a high rock cliff overlooking at least 100 square miles of area from different vantage points to glass for elk. Half way up the road my truck lost traction and nearly got stuck. I had to back up about 100 yards before I could find a place to turn around and go get my friends 4x4, not a good way to start the day. We finally made it up to the top and after about half an hour found a small heard about 7 miles out from where we were. We checked another spot and saw a lone cow within about 600 yards but she was 800 feet below the 300 foot cliff we were on. We also heard some bulls buggling from different directions.
We decided to work our way around to another high point that would take us by a saddle that the lone cow may come up or other elk may be near. We found some fresh tracks in that area but decided to continue to the other high point and check out a large canyon next to it. Again, we saw lots of fresh tracks headed into the big canyon.
It way time for breakfast and we were all getting hungry so we went back to camp and ate before heading into the canyon around noon. It took about an hour or so to get down to where we wanted to start. Near a water hole we found some fresh bull tracks with a few cow tracks mixed in heading up a small rocky canyon. We had the 4x4 and a four wheeler between the 3 of us. I elected to stay behind while my son and our guide friend rode the 4 wheeler back in to see if they could locate them. About 2:30 they found the ridge they had aparently had went up and started tracking on foot. Before they had gone 100 yards one of the bulls buggled not more than 250 yards from them. They inched their way forward and spotted a cow feeding at about 80 to 90 yards unaware they were in the neighborhood.
This was my son's first elk hunt and only the second animal he had ever shot at. He was nervous to say the least. He shot right over the back of the cow with the first shot. Luckily, our friend had his ML'er with him and swapped rifles with my son who made the second shot count. It took out one lung and part of the liver as it passed thru just a shade high. A very good shot for a nervous young man. She only took about 5 steps before going down.
Ed, our guide friend said this was the easiest elk hunt he had ever been on. As it turned out we were able to get the truck in and to within 10 yards of the elk. He shot her just before 2:40 and we had her hanging in camp before 5. I told my son it only goes down hill from here.
Link to picture.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b365/dmurphy317/241-4161_IMG.jpg
10-09-2006, 12:12 PM
#6
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: Getting ready to hit the road.
congratulations to your son on bagging a nice cow. It looks like you will have some excellent eating for a long time off her. There is nothing that can compare to a elk roast cooked properly. Also it sounds like you got to share some excellent memories and good times with your son and friend which might be most valuable of all. The ability to drive right up to the cow with the truck was sure a plus. 
10-09-2006, 02:55 PM
#7
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Colorado
Posts: 4,127
RE: Getting ready to hit the road.
Wow - thanks for sharing the story with all of us. This hunt actually sounds like an almost ideal youth hunt. Not too easy, but not so difficult that the youth stars to get frustrated and lose interest. What bullet and powder charge?
10-09-2006, 11:52 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 1,081
RE: Getting ready to hit the road.
Thanks all.
Rosko,
The first shot he took and missed was withhis Winchester Apex in the picture loaded with 130gr of Pyro pellets and a 250SW. The load that connected was from a Remington 700ML loaded with 90gr of Pyro pellets and a Barnes bullet (not sure which one). The hit was just behindthe near shoulder with her quartering sightly toward them. It hit parts of both lungs and clipped the liver exiting at the rear of the far side rib cage, about 18" worth of elk in between. You can see the exit wound near his right hand. She only took about 5 steps and fell over.
Having an ex pro guide/outfitter along for the hunt made this an excellent hunt for his first time. I'm hoping he will be available for my hunt in December.
Rosko,
The first shot he took and missed was withhis Winchester Apex in the picture loaded with 130gr of Pyro pellets and a 250SW. The load that connected was from a Remington 700ML loaded with 90gr of Pyro pellets and a Barnes bullet (not sure which one). The hit was just behindthe near shoulder with her quartering sightly toward them. It hit parts of both lungs and clipped the liver exiting at the rear of the far side rib cage, about 18" worth of elk in between. You can see the exit wound near his right hand. She only took about 5 steps and fell over.
Having an ex pro guide/outfitter along for the hunt made this an excellent hunt for his first time. I'm hoping he will be available for my hunt in December.
