ElkHunter11
New member
Well, I just got back from my 1st rifle CO elk hunt late last night. I once again came up empty handed, though had many encounters and a great time with my Dad and some friends. Having said that, I definitely wished I tagged my first elk (had been on 2 archery hunts prior to this and am now 0-3 elk hunting). I got a shot at a decent 5x bull and missed at 230 yards. I stand hunt a lot in Texas and I think it has ruined me... We did a lot of running/gunning on this hunt- I had to run about 100 yards, uphill and dropped to my knee to make a shot at the bull. This is where stand hunting has ruined me- I have never had to shoot winded or from my knee/freehanded. I was very out of breath and couldn't get steady enough to make a good shot. I shot just under the bull and he took off on a dead sprint. It's going to be a very long year waiting on another chance to tag a bull. I did learn a lot on this hunt and will be practicing this offseason shooting from different positions and winded. I will also do some different style white-tail hunting this season to get more comfortable with those style of shots. Though very discouraged, I am very blessed I got to spend a week with my Dad (he lives in California and I live in Texas) and will cherish those memories forever. Good luck to the rest of you who still have hunts planned!
