Sons Opening morning Bull

[Shedhunteraz]

Well the Lawhorn Family's hunting & shed hunting year finally comes to a successful end. Our son drew the all coveted Very Late 22 N Rifle tag and we knew we were in for a crazy hunt. Well I only got to scout a few days before the hunt and several over the summer as a family. Got on top of the rim and did find a lot of quality bulls days before. Come Wednesday morning I was met with great little storm blowing 25 mph and snow and rain with no visibility. That day was shot. My wife and son come up later that night and we devise a plan for the next day. Hoping we could get back on the few bulls I had glassed up on Tuesday. Head out Thursday am to a warm 18 degrees and make the trip from the cabin over to 22. We set up and try to start glassing. Fog hung around under the rim for what seemed like 3 hours but we finally found a herd of cows and some decent bulls. Head back into town to hit the range so our son could get some trigger time. Long story short, both my 7 mag and his broke. Got ahold of clay in strawberry rushed up there and he attached the bolt handle on our sons 7mag so we could get through the weekend. Thank goodness for him.

 

Opening morning head out from the cabin with myself, wife, son, grandpa and our pack mule ken (out2hunt). Unload the ranger and head up the road to hit our spot and people everywhere. Shocker its 22. Anyway pass some guys on near the point we were going to bale off and get under the rim, I politely asked them which way you going so we know that we are not shooting your way and I don’t want to bump anything you have been watching. He went left we went right about half mile. So unload out of ranger dark, head lamps on, take off to where I would like to be. 3/4 mile off road over couple ridges under the rim. We get set up and low and behold here come someone else up another ridge to the east. At this point I am fuming but oh well. Start glassing nothing for a few and then glass up to little bulls. 3x and 4x. Ask our son which one do you want or do you want to wait. He said the 4x. We say ok, after arguing with grandpa for a few minutes on which way to go I said just go. So from glassing point we were right around 900 away. The gun was capable but not to sure in our son who shot well all summer but couldn’t hit paper the day before at 200. At this point its about 720 am we run parallel to the rim drop over two nasty vertical washes. I left Ken back in the glass watching the bulls and walking us in on the radio giving me updates. Gramps and Deion take off and wife and I follow. Mind you this is a woman who has torn meniscus in her left knee and hiking vertical down and up washes and the rim. Awesome woman. Anyway get to the side of the ridge I wanted to be on to pop over and have nice little 400 yd. shot. Reach out to ken on radio he is giving me play by play, and then BANG BANG. Some freaking jerk shot right over us. We all flinch and drop. Pop back up and 6x5 pops over the hill at 80yds. We all start yelling at our son shoot the dam bull. He is shaking so bad, cant get it in the scope finds it and misses. I reload the broken gun put the bolt down and boom the gun goes off on its own. Scared the crap out of us all, thank the lord I had it pointed away. Anyway the bull runs over ridge, grandpa and Deion take off after it. Wife and I go over way to get eyes on the two other bulls. Ken radios me, hey there are still there they have not moved. Yell at my son to get over here. Lay him down on the pack on a stump. BOOM BOOM to more freaking shots ring out below us. At this point I am looking at the bulls we spotted I have Deion in the scope ready to shoot. Who over just launched 3 bullets shot over and under and to the side of the same bull we were after. I tell Deion 426, I set the turret and boom. He smacks it but not sure how bad. Grandpa walks back to saddle and says we got blood form the 6x. So we run up there and start tracking blood and it come from two different directions and we determined it wasn’t our hit because the hair and blood pool started way on the other side of ridge we can up and missed the shot. Anyways track the blood and find the bull. Decent little 6x at about 280 or so. We sit and wait for someone to show up. Ken gets on the radio you guys smacked that 3x I am packing up heading that way. So we sit and wait and ken hikes around and under us to get a better vantage point on the bull Deion shot. Hour goes by no one shows up for the 6x. So I hear someone below us and man and kid and asked them about the 6x. At this point ken has made it to where this kid and man are. He starts talking they say they hit the bull we are after I am screaming down the ridge no freaking way you were way high and way left. Anyways ken say well are you guys going to shoot this bull, he has blood coming out his mouth and we don’t what him to suffer. At this point we are talking by phone because kens radio is dead. I have our son set up again on a nice log I range the bull at 386. Talking to ken the guys say no go head and take him. Phone went dead I hung up on ken and told Deion to drop him. Boom, wide left. Crap. Reset turret up three clicks, boom. Perfect shot dropped him in his tracks. Now the real fun begins.

It wasn’t the biggest bull on the planet but we have meat for the family and are very very proud of our son taking his first big game animal and you will see he worked his butt off helping pack this animal out. Holly and myself have to thank KEN (out2hunt) for helping out on this one. With holly doing everything this woman can do on a bum knee. I would have been in trouble trying to get this animal off the rim by myself.

 

On a side note. I would tell anyone who wants to hunt 22N to think again. That is the most dangerous unit I have ever been in and some one is going to get killed. We got shot over 3 times for a total of 8 bullets. On top of that to the a-hole who shot the very nice 6x and never bothered to go check blood and just let that animal waste. Karma sucks

 

Congrats to all the hunters who were successful and not successful hunting this year. Hope you all have a blessed holidays and great new year.

[Mocha1545]

Way to get it done. That unit is scary. Congrats to your son!

[bojangles]

congrats!

[out2hunt]

Great job again to the Lawhorn Family for coming together and sharing the outdoor experience with me. Deion made a great shot under pressure and I am so proud of his efforts to carry as much as he could. We were not in a favorable position to skin and quarter but we got it done. Thanks goes out to God for watching over us and allowing us to take one of his wonderful creatures. Cant wait for next year Kevin!

[cvw789]

So cool guys Congrats !!

[Couzer]

Congrats on the Bull!

[JLW]

congrats to your son!

I knew you would find something to put him on!!

sounds like it was a crazy rodeo!!

 

James

[huntjunkie]

Crazy!!!! Congrats Deion on your first elk! Nice job shooting under pressure.

 

"Pop back up and 6x5 pops over the hill at 80yds. We all start yelling at our son shoot the dam bull."

😂😂😂

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Glad it all worked out for you guys, sorry to hear of such conditions as those.

[tjhunt2]

Congratulations to your son. That had to be one crazy day for sure. Glad it all worked out. Thanks for sharing and thanks for the pictures. Happy Holidays!

 

TJ

[papa]

Congrats to your son.

I have had that happen to me and it is down right scary.

[oz31p]

Sounds scary but I'm glad d got it done. Deep down I was a little disappointed he was done before I could get up there.

[randyolson]

Congratulations on getting your bull! Fantastic job!!!! Can definately tell by that big smile that you are one happy camper!!

[cramerhunts]

Woah that is some kind of hunt! Congratulations and thanks for sharing the adventure with us!

[DUG]

Congrats to you all! Were you shooting a Remington 700 by chance?