singleshot Report post Posted October 12, 2013 I had just stepped out of my truck in a wide spot on the well traveled road to glass a burned ridge when a truck drove up and stopped. The occupants craned their necks out the passenger window towards that burned ridge, so I walked over to ask what they had seen. Friendly enough, as most people who share our passion tend to be, and it wasn't long before we realized that we knew some of the same people who also had the same tag as themselves. The frustrations of their hunt arose to the surface, and that they had been drawn for this unit for three consecutive years.The younger of the two remarked "four cows" and as the Super Duty rattled up the road the sound of a bugle floated across the canyon. The wind was howling that evening and spitting rain. The "four cows" was actually eight and a really great bull was pushing one hot cow in constant circles through a thicket of six foot aspen and locust. He was in a perfect spot for a stalk and with the heavy wind to boot, I laughed to myself about the situation. And that's how it went. For twelve days prior to the muzzleloader hunt my good friend Bryan and I would get up before light and go looking for bulls. We talked to other hunters, no bugling, the rain, people everywhere, 350, 360, 375 running the fence, 400 here 400 there. Really? Some afternoons a dozen or more vehicles including quads would drive up the two track past our camp only to drive back out an hour later. We counseled, tried to motivate, and told people what a great tag they had. Oh how badly we would have wanted their tag. But in the end it was their tag and how they chose to go about their hunt was their business. Everyone should be able to go on an elk hunt, at least once. Bryan and I took a few nature walks don't get me wrong, but we tried hard, and stayed positive and we found lot's of elk, and a handful of big, mature bull's. It was almost scripted. Or was it the homework? We slowly dropped in elevation peering over the shelves of rock below us and Bryan did one of his famous from two legs upright, to the belly crawl moves. I'm not nearly as agile, so when I see him doing that I usually just freeze. "I got a cow" Bryan whispered. My son Dane, and I eased through the burned timber keeping an eye on the few cows that were visible and picked apart the scene below us for the bull we knew was there. He had bugled once. When we see him will it be "him"? You just gotta appreciate good glass, his nose and brows at 120 yards, bedded and chewing his cud. We slid down the mountain and started side hilling trying to get a better look at at him, studying him, no breaks, great mass, mature face. He turned straight away, in his bed. I told Dane, "I think you should take this bull". No argument. I indicated to Bryan that we were going to shoot this bull and he nodded in affirmation. You give birth to them, you raise them, you love them. You send them on their way and you hope that they have listened to everything you had to tell them, and show them. They go out into the world and fight for their place. Making good decisions, and some a little questionable. Dane scratched his way closer looking for a decent opening. That log, that tree, take a rest with that rifle. From his knees and freehanded, fathers nightmare. The heavy smoke from 150 grains of black powder drifted away to reveal the bull still bedded. A few cows had stood up. Freehanded again, but somewhere all those conversations, those stories that you tell, those hunts that are behind you, take hold. Beautiful shot. Friends, Please watch the video on YouTube. Here is the link to Dane's Big Bull: 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CRAZYBUCK Report post Posted October 12, 2013 Wow that bulls a hog congrats to you and your son on a bull of a lifetime Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2 Full Curls Report post Posted October 12, 2013 Wow! What a great, dark horned, thick bull. 'Silver timed' monster! I enjoyed the video and the gnarly beards. That last photo of your son is awesome. Congrats and thank you for sharing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joe hunter Report post Posted October 12, 2013 Heck of a nice bull !!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle Eye Report post Posted October 12, 2013 Awesome bull! Love his fronts, mass, and dark horns! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
papa Report post Posted October 12, 2013 Super Nice Bull, Congrats. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kidso Report post Posted October 12, 2013 Great Bull and great beards! Haven't seen a beard that sweet since the prophet Lorenzo Snow! In what unit did you harvest that monster? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DesertBull Report post Posted October 12, 2013 EPIC BULL! EPIC BEARD! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted October 12, 2013 cool looking bull. has red stag look going kind of Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diehard Report post Posted October 12, 2013 love the MASS Congrats on a great bull.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted October 12, 2013 Woo-hoo!! Enjoyed the story and congrats on a great bull! It was also nice chatting with you up in Alpine! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pine Donkey Report post Posted October 12, 2013 Great bull, congratulations! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Meyer Report post Posted October 12, 2013 That's an awesome bull....Congrats Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apache7mm Report post Posted October 13, 2013 Diggin' the bladed G5's among all the other goods! Congrats. DAN Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted October 13, 2013 One of the nicest if not the best looking bull I've seen this year. Congratulations! Nothing like hunting with family and friends. Thanks for shaowing. TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
