Scouting Trip

[lancetkenyon]

Had a great weekend of scouting for my 13 year old daughter's upcoming elk hunt.

 

We hit the road at 3:30AM on Satuerday and headed to 7W. Got to one of my favorite spots about 6:00AM, right at sunup. We immediately started hearing bugles, so we prepped to head out and see some bulls. My wife, in all of her wisdom, decided to stay in the truck and nap.

 

After 30 minute of listening to multiple bulls bugling back and forth, we found ourselves within sight of a couple of them. We counted 4 mature bulls slowly heading up the mountain. What happened next will remain in my memories for a long time, and I hope Taylor's too.

 

For the next 4 hours, 4+ miles, and over 1000' of elevation change, we moved with a herd of 6 mature bulls to their bedding spot, all within 30 to 100 yards, with one or more visible to us the entire time. 4 in front, 1 paralleling us about 50 yards consistently to our right, and one trailing us at about 50 yards. They never seemed spooked, and never bolted. Bugling the entire time back and forth. One would start, and the other 5 would follow, almost in the same order. We got to learn who had what bugle in the 4 ahead of us. One had a really high bugle, and one had a deep growl. One would chuckle after each bugle.

 

It was amazing. When they finally bedded, we backed out slowly and headed back to the truck. We got back after noon. Luckily, we had radios and let my wife know what was going on, or else she would have had my butt when we got back, because I told her we would be back in a "couple hours".

 

We then went to lunch in Williams after dropping off the expensive stuff at my buddies cabin, and got back around 2:00PM in time for me to take a 2 hour nap before we headed back out for the evening.

 

Saturday evening was fairly uneventful, seeing a few pronghorn, some deer, and right at sundown, I spotted a herd of elk about a mile across a huge flat. Stopped the truck and was glassing them and saw a spike bull with 11 cows and calves. I broke out the 15s and tripod and was watching them, and decided to glass the mountain behind them, at the perfect time. Right in one of the last sunny spots on the hillside, was a good bull standing there with the sun highlighting his antlers. Really tall, average width, 6x6 bull. Decent length. He was a mile+, so hard to see exactly how big. I told my daughter he was a shooter when her hunt opens. She agreed......at that time.

 

Darkness fell, dinner was had, a movie was watched, and sleep hit me like a sledgehammer.

 

This morning.....things would change this morning.....and make my guiding tasks for this fall a lot harder.....

 

Up at 4:45AM, wife slept in again (which was good for me, because that meant I could stay out scouting until 11:00AM, and not have to head back early to clean up the cabin we get to use), and Taylor and I head out by 5:05.

 

5:20AM Spot a herd of elk in a meadow. Hard to see, but they all looked like cows. I broke out the binos just to verify, and low and behold, about 100 yards away, a really nice 6x6 bull is with them. This is the first mature bull we have seen with cows. We watched him for about 3 minutes and headed on. At the next big meadow, still too dark to see really well, I stopped and glassed it to check for elk. I spotted a cow and calf and was slowing glassing along the tree line when my daughter says, "Big bull, getting ready to cross the road". I look ahead of my truck, and at the limits of my headlights I see a "Big" bull. Behind him, are two more bulls. I shut off the truck and hurry to break out the 15s & tripod, as they are moving pretty fast across the meadow. Then, just shy of the opposite tree line, they stopped to feed, giving me time to break out the 15s.

 

I got the 15s set up.....and watched in awe. The 3 bulls were as follows:

#1 Coloring on this guy was really dark. More charcoal gray than cream and brown. Huge body. A mature 6x6, maybe 320"? He might be on his way down with how big he is. Or he is going to be a giant if he is young.

#2 Your standard mature 6x6 bull. 300-320"ish?

 

If you would have looked at them by themselves, nice bulls, great bulls, don't get me wrong. I would be happy to take either one of them.

 

I am OK at judging elk. Not fantastic, but I am usually within 10-15" either way, from a 280" to 350"+. I have seen some big bulls in 7W. One was a verified, measured 404" bull that a buddy shot about 18 years ago on an archery hunt. I had photos of him previously, and had guessed him at 390"+. I have also seen 2 other bulls I would guess were 390"+. I never saw them taken, so who knows.

 

#3 The bull that dreams are made of. He made the other two bulls look like raghorns. Easily 60+" wide. Fronts were good. 3rds were great. 4ths were probably 32"+, 5ths were 18"+. Main beams were looong. I bet he could scratch his tail with the tips. Had a small 6"+/- 6th on his left side. He ran with his head back with the weight. I would guess 370" conservatively, I am actually thinking better, but hate to say 380"+. I sure hope I get to have Taylor get a shot at him.

 

I got a few grainy photos, and some video with my phone and SLR on 300mm zoom. It was still pretty dark, and he was into the trees b 6:09AM, 10 minutes before sunrise @ 6:19AM.

 

After seeing this bull, my daughter might have become obsessed. We will be up a bunch looking for this bull again.

 

Sorry the photos are not better. They were a LONG way out by the time I got the camera out. They had stopped at about 600 yards, then 800, and by the time they I got the camera out, they were 1K+.

 

I have some video that shows them better and clearer.

 

 

 

[DUG]

Nice! Maybe I missed it, did she get cow or bull tag? That one bull looks pretty neat. We may only get a couple days to hunt for Bub's cow in 7W. Good luck again, I know Taylor will put another one down!

[lancetkenyon]

7W rifle bull.....again! And a 12AE Oct. Muley tag. Too bad she is not old enough to go to Vegas.

[HuntHarder]

I am going to doubt your skills on judging elk. If he is 60" wide with 32" 4ths, and 18"5ths, you are looking at a new world record. WAAAAAYYYY over 370"

[218buck]

That's awesome I hope you guys can find him again when her hunt rolls around

[AZHog]

Awesome scouting trip! Hope you find him on the rifle hunt and Taylor puts that big boy down!

[hoghntr]

👍

[lancetkenyon]

Went back out on Saturday. No big story, just a few photos this time. Saw 12 mature bulls, a few other smaller bulls. about 50antelope with 7 different bucks. 11 turkey. Maybe 12-13 deer? And a quick coyote.

 

About a 340" bull @ 347 yards.

 

 

 

 

After looking at this bull for about 15 minutes until the only light we had was from the full moon, I am thinking 355-365". Not sure, but he was nice. I did not get any good photos of him due to the darkness. My cousin took these with his iPhone. The iPhone sure takes crappy photos.

 

 

[lancetkenyon]

It is funny, those iPhone photos look like a watercolor painting!

[rph]

Those are some good looking bulls. Good luck on keeping track of them.

[lancetkenyon]

I doubt they will be in the same place, but it gets the blood pumping, optimism higher, and gets me out of the hustle & bustle of the Valley. Time spent with the family is awesome too.

[trphyhntr]

nice bulls!

[OpticNerd]

You had a couple great scouting trips. I sure hope your able to find that big bull come opening morning. Crunching the numbers you gave your looking at a 420-440 bull. Good luck!

[.270]

When is the season? Lark

[longshooter]

Great pics