1-day elk hunt in Montana

GearJunky

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Aug 7, 2014
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196
With my wife giving birth to our 3rd child on October 23rd, I had told her I would really limit my hunting activities this year. So time was going to be short for elk, I just wanted one day to smell the mountain air and hope to find an elk! Well we found them, and an hour after shooting light we had two bulls dead.

Walking into my "spotting scope" spot in the dark, I noticed something up ahead of us on the ridge. It turned out to be a spike bull. We decided to back track on our side-hill trail and then head straight up the ridge to gain some elevation and see if we could see more elk (spikes aren't legal in our region). As we approached the top of the ridge I spotted a legal bull walking out of the draining, joining us out on our ridge. I motioned to my buddy to get in a shooting position, but we still needed to climb 20 yards of elevation before we could shoot. As I climbed I spotted a bigger bull following up the drainage as well. I quickly looked at him, and new I was shooting him!

The first bull fed over the ridge and the 6x6 was walking straight away now, with no shot. I ranged him at 300 yds just as he stopped at the ridgeline. Thankfully he turned for me and I flipped him on his back. After the shot, I told my friend we had to go and try to locate the other bull before he reached the thick timber. After twenty minutes of working our way up through deep snow, we finally caught another look at the bull. He was standing down below us at the timber line looking back for his buddies. I ranged him, 457 yards. I told my friend to use our packs and get a real stable rest. If the bull would stand there, I thought we had a chance. Well luck would have it, he didn't move. The trusty Tikka .270 found it's mark and exploded the elks heart. He ran about twenty yards.

My biggest bull ever, and my friends first elk! We were too happy campers. The deep snow and a game sled made it easy work.

For the first time ever, I was also home early from an elk hunting trip!




 
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