Traditions and Hornady VS Elk... again!
09-26-2010, 07:24 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Crescent Valley, NV
Posts: 2,271
Traditions and Hornady VS Elk... again!
Well,
My combo deer/elk hunt started on the 15th this year in unit 061 in NV. We both had cow elk and buck deer ml tags.
We were able to scout on the 15th for elk, the day before the opener. I had a spike bull within 50 yards, but he was not legal. The deer season opened on the 10th, and we did see a buck, but did not get a shot.
On the 16th, we saw 3 bucks that we decided to not go after, and only found that spike again later in the day. Just before sunset, my friend spotted a herd about a mile away.
My dad and friend had to leave, so I would be hunting by myself for two days.
On the 17th, I started hiking by headlamp, but misjudged which ridge the elk were on the night before. I did see the herd bull, and managed to call in a 5 point that morning, but he had no cows.
That evening I made a 1 mile hike to the right ridge, spotted the elk, made a 300 or so yard stock, and missed about a 125 yard shot low.
The next morning, I rode the 4 wheeler in low, and hiked up. I was able to find the elk, but they were in the aspens, and would not come out. So I went in, bugling and challenging the herd bull.
I had him at less than 15 yards, and had a cow walk between me and him, with no shot. I stayed a little longer, and had him walk to within 5 yards before he busted.
That afternoon I went for a drive to clear my head, and at the last minute, I decided to head back to that canyon. I parked the 4 wheeler at 4:49 pm. I saw a cow about 5 minutes later, and pulled the trigger at 6 pm. I aimed at her back line, and she was walking so I put the sights a bit forward. I was not certain of the distance, but knew it was pushing 100.
As the Traditions barked, she dropped, and I had to reload and put on more in her head at close range, as I just broke her back.
I was now by myself, 1/2 mile from the wheeler with no way to get it in there, and not help until later that night for sure, with a dead elk at my feet.
I started at 6:10, and at 11:00 got the last load (of 5) back to the 4 wheeler. My dad showed up just in time to drag my tarp the last 300 yards, lol.
We hunted the next 7 days, I had shots at 2 bucks and missed, my dad missed a shot at a buck and missed, and also hit a buck, but after an hour of searching that night, and a couple hours the next morning, we were not able to find him. No blood, nothing, not sure what happened.
Either way, it was a fun hunt.
The gun was a Traditions Pursuit LT, with a 385 Hornady Great Plains on top of 90 grains of Goex 2f fired by a Win 209 primer.
A picture of the bull, my cow, camp, dad walking up a ridge, and what an elk looks like lying on a tarp.
Later,
Marcial
My combo deer/elk hunt started on the 15th this year in unit 061 in NV. We both had cow elk and buck deer ml tags.
We were able to scout on the 15th for elk, the day before the opener. I had a spike bull within 50 yards, but he was not legal. The deer season opened on the 10th, and we did see a buck, but did not get a shot.
On the 16th, we saw 3 bucks that we decided to not go after, and only found that spike again later in the day. Just before sunset, my friend spotted a herd about a mile away.
My dad and friend had to leave, so I would be hunting by myself for two days.
On the 17th, I started hiking by headlamp, but misjudged which ridge the elk were on the night before. I did see the herd bull, and managed to call in a 5 point that morning, but he had no cows.
That evening I made a 1 mile hike to the right ridge, spotted the elk, made a 300 or so yard stock, and missed about a 125 yard shot low.
The next morning, I rode the 4 wheeler in low, and hiked up. I was able to find the elk, but they were in the aspens, and would not come out. So I went in, bugling and challenging the herd bull.
I had him at less than 15 yards, and had a cow walk between me and him, with no shot. I stayed a little longer, and had him walk to within 5 yards before he busted.
That afternoon I went for a drive to clear my head, and at the last minute, I decided to head back to that canyon. I parked the 4 wheeler at 4:49 pm. I saw a cow about 5 minutes later, and pulled the trigger at 6 pm. I aimed at her back line, and she was walking so I put the sights a bit forward. I was not certain of the distance, but knew it was pushing 100.
As the Traditions barked, she dropped, and I had to reload and put on more in her head at close range, as I just broke her back.
I was now by myself, 1/2 mile from the wheeler with no way to get it in there, and not help until later that night for sure, with a dead elk at my feet.
I started at 6:10, and at 11:00 got the last load (of 5) back to the 4 wheeler. My dad showed up just in time to drag my tarp the last 300 yards, lol.
We hunted the next 7 days, I had shots at 2 bucks and missed, my dad missed a shot at a buck and missed, and also hit a buck, but after an hour of searching that night, and a couple hours the next morning, we were not able to find him. No blood, nothing, not sure what happened.
Either way, it was a fun hunt.
The gun was a Traditions Pursuit LT, with a 385 Hornady Great Plains on top of 90 grains of Goex 2f fired by a Win 209 primer.
A picture of the bull, my cow, camp, dad walking up a ridge, and what an elk looks like lying on a tarp.
Later,
Marcial
09-27-2010, 06:51 AM
#8
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Virginia
Posts: 542
Congrats on the successful hunt, but I just have to say something here. I counted 4 misses and 2 less than well placed shots in your story with only one animal recovered. I have to say, this is a less than stellar performance. Out of 6 shots fired, you have 1 dead and 1 wounded.
I don't mean to throw stones here, but I think you guys need to spend some more time at the range and/or take more high percentage shots. I hit a buck at 84 yards last year with my gun and open sites. It got away and I felt bad about that. So I scoped the gun and have been to the range 4 times so far. As you can see from my post this weekend, I have it dialed in and have full confidence the next deer is going down and staying down. You owe it to the animals to do the same.
I don't mean to throw stones here, but I think you guys need to spend some more time at the range and/or take more high percentage shots. I hit a buck at 84 yards last year with my gun and open sites. It got away and I felt bad about that. So I scoped the gun and have been to the range 4 times so far. As you can see from my post this weekend, I have it dialed in and have full confidence the next deer is going down and staying down. You owe it to the animals to do the same.
