Rollercoaster Elk (Squirrel & Coyote too) Hunt

[lancetkenyon]

It all started when Taylor drew her second year in a row bull elk tag, and then I found out my cousin, Leon, drew his first tag since 1999 after taking 15 years off from elk hunting, in the same unit. I took a lot of heckling from Taylor.

 

Knowing the year we were having as far as rainfall, we scouted a lot to find a big bull, and we found 4 on our hit list, with the biggest one being a monster. We named him Kardashian for reference, due to his huge beautiful rack with a really wide back end. We saw a lot of bulls from July to mid-October, but Kardashian was seen quite a few times, all within a mile throughout the year. Hopes were high for a shot at him.

 

A few of the bulls we scouted.

 

 

 

Hard to see, but the middle bull is Kardashian

 

Wednesday: All packed up and headed out. Got to my buddys cabin early and unloaded, and headed out scouting to locate some elk. Saw quite a few, and saw some decent bulls coming into Kardashians meadow at last light. Kardashian was one of them. We backed out slowly and left him alone so we would not pressure him.

 

 

Thursday (Thanksgiving) morning, we woke up at 4:00AM to go check the meadow. Kardashian was still there, and he had 11 buddies with him, all mature bulls, and some good ones to boot. We watched them from 640 yards away in the full moon light, and as the sun started to brighten things up, we saw Kardashian and 3 other big bulls start to spook out. Look to the left, about 1000 yards out, and there is a truck pulling into the meadow. We watch the truck stop and a guy get out. The elk, all 12 by now, start to drift slowly towards their exit route they have used numerous times in the past. Well, this IDIOT, jumps back in his gold/brown Chevy extra cab long bed (just in case he is a member here, he will know I am talking about him) and roars across the meadow in hot pursuit.......elk bugged out like a pack of wolves were on their heels. I was so pissed!!!

 

So off we go, down the road before sunup, and we would see another 6 shooter bulls that morning. So a total of 18 6x6 or better were seen that morning. My older daughter Paige, and her husband Ryan came up and we did some squirrel hunting to pass the midday doldrums. It is funny how competitive my 13 year old and 24 year old daughters are with each other. We took a total of 16 squirrels between 4 of us. Goin to make squirrel and Andouille gumbo. We glassed up a few more elk during the evening. Hopes were nervously high for opening day.

 

 

 

 

 

Friday, opening day. Wake up at 4:00AM again, and drive to the meadow. We can see elk in it, but too dark to make out what they are. Hoping they are the bachelor herd of elk, we drive a couple miles around to the back side and park ¾ mile away to hike in. Get set up well before light, in the exit route and wait. I sneak around to try and glass into the meadow to check the elk, whenyep, two trucks drive right through the meadow. We never got to verify the elk were the big bachelor herd, and this would be the last time we ever saw the bachelor herd, or any of their members.

 

Later that morning, I glassed up a smaller 5x5 on a hill top at 830 yards. We watched him for a bit trying to decide if we would go after him. Taylor, and my cousin Leon, both still had visions of grandeur with the big bulls we had been seeing, and decided to pass. I showed him to a passing hunter, and he made a decent stalk, but could not seal the deal before the bull spotted him and disappeared over the ridge top.

 

We opted to hike the thick juniper ridges above the meadow in hopes of jumping any of the bulls. That didnt work out..but..we had an amazing experience with a couple young cows. While stalking down a ridge, I spotted a bedded elk (unknown sex at this time) about 70 yards in front of my under a juniper. Taylor was right behind me and started getting her tripod set up just in case. Leon was about 20 to my right when I caught his attention I saw elk. He quietly walked over to me while I sat down trying to see horns below the trees. I spotted a second elk just downhill from the first, bedded as well. Wind was perfect, blowing uphill. About 5 minutes later, they got up, and I saw they were cows. Not wanting to spook them and possibly alert a close by bull, we stayed put. They slowly walked around the trees, and had us dead to rights, as we were in the wide open, on a rocky slope, 60 yards above them, with no trees within 10 of us. What happened next is on video, and one of the highlights of the hunt.

 

 

The rest of the weekend went pretty much the same, with my brother coming up for Sunday-Tuesday to help out. Saw some small bulls, but no shooters. Lots of hiking, lots of glassing. Lots of hunters driving the roads. A few elk, turkeys, coyotes, deer, bald eagles, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Monday, we had a chance at a small bull, and my cousin had lowered his standards a bit. At first light, I glassed up a small group of elk, with one small bull. Another herd on the same slope had a couple small bulls too. We were 1300+ yards away, and my cousin took off on foot to get to the base of the hill before they moved out. He was at the base with me texting him where the elk were, whenyou guessed it..2 trucks pull up to the base and guys get out and start talking and light up a couple cigarettes. Well, the elk bugged out over the top before Leon could get a shot. We drove around the hill to where they disappeared, and I started glassing again. We saw one of the bulls on the very top, feeding in some thick trees. 960 yards, we would need to close the distance for Leon to get a shot. We heard a rifle shot, the ONLY one we heard that morning, from on the hill, but the bull just slowly walked out of view. I was not sure if someone had shot at one of the other bulls, so we quickly grabbed our gear and headed up to circle the hill and see if we could locate the bull. What I found when I got to the top disgusts me still.

 

The shot we heard about an hour before had to have been at the mule deer buck, and not a bull elk. Funny thing is, the deer was about 75 yards from where I was watching the bull elk when the shot was made. Blood was still fresh and wet, body was still warm. Well, I made a call to Operation Game Thief, but with not seeing any vehicles, people, etc., I doubt they will ever be able to find a responsible party. I sent photos, GPS coordinates, and a description of events to AZGFD after we got back. Bums me out. I am not sure if it was an honest mistake by a novice hunter, a quick reaction shot on something moving, or just some asshat who decided to shoot a mule deer, and we either scared them off or they left it for later, or what. I hate poachers.

 

 

 

At the time of the shot, the bull elk was right up in the trees on top.

 

 

Tuesday was an epic hiking day for Taylor and I. My cousin wanted to sit a remote trick tank we had found. The float was frozen up, and the water was gone. We worked the float, and got water into the trick tank. We brushed the dirt around it to see if anything would come in the night before, and there were elk tracks all around it the next morning. So he sat the tank while Taylor and I started off for a mountain a mile away to glass the big flats. What I thought was flat ground to the foot of the mountain was actually a series of small canyons. It took us 3 hours to get to our glassing spot instead of my estimated 1 hour. Started off at 8°F, and by the time we got near the top, it was 45°F, way too warm for all of the layers we had started off wearing. So Dad (AKA the Pack Mule) got to carry a LOT of extra gear back. I glassed up turkeys, coyotes, antelope, deer, and a couple cow elk from my lofty perch from heck. Got set up on the cows in case there was a bull with them, they were at 730 yards. No bulls. Luckily, the hike DOWNHILL was a lot easier until we hit the canyons. Made it back in about 1.5 hours, but we were not being nearly as stealthy either.

 

Freaking ridiculous!

 

But I would do anything for this little girl!

 

On our way back to the cabin to grab some lunch, we spotted a frozen over small seep, and decided to check it out. We noticed a couple ravens in the distance, so I was going to head over to investigate when Leon asked me if there were wolves in the area, because he thought he just saw one in the distance. I grabbed my elk rifle and saw a coyote take off. I was hoping to a shot, but the yote turned around and came back to where we had first seen him, about 120 yards away.to close for him. He paused for about 3 seconds with the back half sticking out from behind a tree. A 210 HVLD @ 2956fps from a .300RUM will literally explode a coyote when he is quartering on.

 

 

 

Wednesday found more hiking, more glassing, very few elk. We did see two spike bulls hightailing it across a meadow into the thick hills at first light, but they gave us the slip. We chose to find out where they were coming from in hopes of an ambush. Found a great set of linked meadows, and decided to sit the center one, with me planning on hiking up to a small hill to glass the other two in hopes of catching a bull sneaking in. Well, when we were hiking in, I spotted another couple coyotes in the top meadow. I quickly guessed them at 250 yards, and with my 210 yard zero, held just under top of shoulders and squeezed one off. I saw dust impact and the yote took off like his tail was on fire, a miss. I watched him as he went behind a couple junipers in the meadow, but did not see him come out. Sneaky sucker. So we found a couple good ambush spots to sit for the night with the sun at our backs. I kept getting up and climbing the hill to glass for elk, when I noticed a couple ravens about 400 yards away. I glassed them up.and there was my yote! I went and grabbed him and brought him back. The bullet had impacted a touch low, and the exit was the size of a baseball. Absolutely no heart left in the body cavity. That coyote ran 100 yards with no heart at all. Blood trail was quite impressive as you can imagine. Again, no bulls. A couple of bald eagles made an appearance though.

 

 

 

 

 

MURICA!!!

 

Thursday, last day of the hunt. More glassing, more hiking, checked a few spots I have actually never been to. Started seeing elk with an hour of daylight left. A cow here, a cow there. I was frantic. Another cow. Glassing hillsides, nothing, drive like a rally racer to the next hill, glass that, nothing. Repeat. Repeat. See another coyote, but he booked out. With a sense of regret, and a bit of relief, we kind of resigned ourselves that it was not going to happen. I was taking a few last minute photos, and luckily, my cousin was going to scare the crap out of me by firing off a 7RM round while I had my back to him. Click. Chamber another roundclick. The rounds that he was shooting 2 weeks ago would not fire. I think he had too much oil in the bolt, and it got a bit thick due to the cold, and would not let the firing pin hit the primer enough to fire off the round. Looked like light primer strike to me. Ha ha, very funny. Anyway, we pile into the Jeep and start back towards the cabin, as we are about 30 miles away at this point. I told Leon and Taylor to keep their eyes peeled, as we had about 12 minutes of legal light left. But with nothing but open flats and no more hills to glass within miles, I doubted we would see anything.

 

7 minutes later (5 minutes left in the hunt)

While booking down the dirt road, Leon says, I think that might be an elk over there. I hit the brakes, and he is trying to glass them, and I jump out and grab my rifle out of the back of the Jeep and get it set up about 5 off the road. Pop the scope cap and look through the scope and see 2 elk, both spikes. Tell Leon, It is a bull. He jumps out of the truck.

 

4 minutes left: I tell Leon, Chamber a round, let me grab my rangefinder! As I run to the Jeep and grab my rangefinder, I range the spike at 214 yards, quartering away. I told Leon, hold right on him and squeeze slowly. BOOM. I watch the bull through my binos and see him hunch up and start to walk towards the trees on the edge of the meadow. I said, Put another one in him, I dont want him getting to those trees! BOOM. Texas heart shot as he was walking away put him down like a ton of bricks. Bullet shattered the pelvis/hip joint and travelled up into the vitals. First shot was a liver/single lung shot with a 2 exit hole. After months of scouting, and 9 days of scouting/hunting hard, with 4 minutes of legal hunt left, Leon had taken his first bull elk ever. A few photos were taken, sunsets, family, smiles. We grabbed the packs, knives, saw, flashlights, headlamps, and headed up to see Leons bull. 300 yards from a road, across a meadow, downhill to the Jeep. Quartered him up, and packed him to the Jeep in about 2+ hours.

 

 

 

By the time we got everything ready, and got to the elk, it was full on dark.

 

Packing out the front quarters

 

Finally over

 

 

Thank you to Taylor, for letting Leon take the shot that was rightfully hers, so Leon could take his first elk. A true sportswoman like move. As lucky as she is, she will probably draw a third year in a row bull tag next year anyway.

 

And my dogs thank Leon too.

 

 

[SO I HUNT]

Great story! Love the pictures and to add to this I HATE POACHERS

[Pine Donkey]

Wow, great read! Congratulations on your success.

[stanley]

Outstanding, Lance!!! Sounds like a great hunt! (Sans, dead deer.. ) Such precious times with great family & friends!! THAT is what it is obviously all about!! Good stuff!!!

 

S.

 

 

PS: "huge beautiful rack with a really wide back end"..... Too funny!!!

[Flatlander]

Love your write ups lance. What a lucky little girl Taylor is. Props to you.

[DUG]

What a great hunt! Sounds like a lot of effort went into this one. Love the story and photos!

[Kelney]

I was waiting to hear your report. Nice write up and I can see why it took some time.

[goinhuntn]

Great story & pictures thanks for sharing!!

[Hoss50]

Nice work Lance.

[CouesPursuit]

Always a great story from you Lance and this one was no different. Thanks for taking us along on your hunt! Way to stay hunting until the very end and make it happen, congratulations to Leon!

[wildwoody]

Great story and hunt, but a little concerned about the piggy back ride while you have a gun on your shoulder, not good in my opinion which means nothing.

[StraightTequilaNight]

Thanks for taking the time to share! Great story & great pics.

[AZHog]

Congratulations! Another great write-up and pictures/video Lance! Amazing how close that elk got to you in the video! Thanks for sharing your adventures with the rest of us.

[Javelinasports]

Awesome story, Congrats!

[6ANut]

Great write up and awesome pics, Poachers suck big time. Best nickname ever for an elk BTW,