3b early bull

[idgaf]

After spending most of my non working (and some of my working) hours in unit one helping my brother with his elk hunt, his hunt came to an unceremonious end on the last day in the last hour when he took a small six point "meat" bull. He saw and passed on so many bulls I began to think his standards were not attainable. He did miss two shots, one from nerves and one from a bad range from his spotter (me) on some real legends. Fortunately and unforunately, my step dads hunt in 3b started the next day to help ease the pain of spending all that time in unit one and getting the results we both desired.

 

The only picture allowed of my brother's elk, 75 yard shot (he is alot bigger and stronger than me)

 

My step dad has always been a big time fisherman with trips to Costa Rica for Roosterfish and yellow fin, Northern Cal for Albacore and rockfish, and Alaska for Salmon and Halibut, I think all in the last two or three months. Well after a generation of hounding from me and my brothers and half a generation of applying he finally drew an elk tag for his neighborhood in 3b and was finally putting down his fishing poles and picking up a muzzleloader.

 

Some of his fishing expoits;

 

There were some serious obstacles we were facing with this hunt. First and foremost was my dads COPD, I did not know it was as severe as it was. Secondly, are lack of scout time with me and my brother spending all of that time in unit one we did not have as much time as we like to "slum" it in 3b. Finally the weather was not good and my brother was suffering elk hunting burnout if that was possible. We head out opening morning and put my brother as the "eye in the sky" on top of an all seeing mountain that was surrounded by prime elk habitat. We head out and the morning only produces four cows and two sparring little bulls that did not quite make the cut. Throughout the day we see small bulls/spikes and a few cows . Finally, we see a mature bull at 230 in the afternoon that I learned how bad his COPD was after a short walk he was having a very hard time breathing. I decide this bull was not for us and we head back to the vehicle. We stop at a few places seeing a small five point when finally minutes from the house we see a big bull at dusk. Only minutes left of shooting light we out a time consuming stalk on and get within range of the elk with caribou tops. I set my step dad up for a shot on my homemade bi-pod, he settles down and takes aim and squeezes the trigger. Misfire. He tries to settle down after that and complains that he can't get steady, the bull walks off with his cows and spikes in tow.

 

The next morning we put the "eye in the sky" in place and head out to start our day where we left off the night before. Hoping the elk were there and seeing nothing. Then my brother calls me and says he has elk all over the place (the weather broke) including a giant. He guides us into the field with the elk and we promptly blow it, by trying to drive to close. This was the bull from the previous night and he picked up two shooter buddies along with his cows and spikes. I get another call from my brother saying go back they way you came in I have a bull picked out for you. The giant just pushed him down the hill and after you screw this one up I have two more picked out for you. We head back and I am wondering if the obstacles that we our facing were too large to overcome. As we get closer, the eye in the sky calls and says your close you should blow him out of there any minute. Right then my dad goes there he is and we start to get prepared. I position him to shot between two trees roughly a hundred yards from the elk, then he goes I can't see. We move again and this time he is rock solid and just seconds after the elk turns broadside, BOOM, the elks back half crumbles and he trots a hundred yards or so to our right. I grab the gun from him and ask for the speed reloader and he mentions "oh yeah I have that somewhere." After what felt like an hour but was only a few seconds he grabs it out of his pocket and I reload for him. We get closer to the bull that was obviously not feeling good and I have my stepdad sit down and try to put another round in him. Then he goes I prefer the bipod and another fatal quartering a way shot was placed. The elk runs a short ways spins five times and then falls.

 

The walk up

 

 

Trophy shots

 

Thanks for reading. Next up my limited opportunity muzzy hunt next Friday. We could not have asked for a better first hunt for my dad, although the giant is still out there. My brother and I made a bet during his hunt that whoever killed the biggest bull has the right of first refusal on the next hunt we share.

 

 

 

[cmbbulldog]

Nice write up, thanks for sharing. Congrats on drawing all those tags.

[Guest wdenike]

Pretty neat!! Nice bull, and I sure can taste them fish toooo!

 

 

Take care, Willie

[muledeerarea33?]

Great story and animal. 3b has been choice two or three for me for many years. One day maybe.

[idgaf]

Thanks, the fish were my price for being his guide. I have a couple of pieces of halibut and tuna and ten or so fillets of salmon. Life is good

[Pine Donkey]

That's a nice bull.

[Guest wdenike]

Thanks, the fish were my price for being his guide. I have a couple of pieces of halibut and tuna and ten or so fillets of salmon. Life is good

 

 

 

!!

 

 

 

Take care, Willie

[CouesWhitetail]

Great story! Way to get it done under difficult circumstances! Congratulations to your dad!

[200"mulie]

congrats all around thanks for sharing

[bonecollector]

Great story, congrats to your dad and both you and your brother.

[JLW]

congrats to your pops!

way to get it done!

 

James

[ElkyG]

Congrats to all of you, great job