BuzzH
Well-known member
Thought maybe an update was in order, despite my pathetic hunting season this year.
I didn't even get out hunting until the middle of October for the first time all year, what a sorry excuse of a hunter. Lots of other stuff going on...work, new house, moving, renting the old one, etc. If anyone plans on moving or building a new house, make sure you do it long before fall (hint).
Anyway, got out for a few days in mid-October with a friend from Montana and we each shot a cow elk in Wyoming. Both shots were right at 236 yards, from the same bunch. Killed mine with the 7-08 and broke both shoulders.
My buddy with his cow:
Got out the last couple days of pronghorn season and decided this guy was good enough. Just a pinch over 250 yards again with the 7-08.
Headed out to Montana last week with my Dad and Brother.
I had already decided that with the MT elk tag I had, that I just wanted to shoot any 6 point, since I also drew a good WY bull elk tag.The second day of the hunt, we found a large herd of elk that had strayed onto public from some surrounding private. My brother Matt and I scrambled down there quick and found 300 or so elk strung out on the far corner of the BLM. There were several 6 points, none really any better than the other, so I picked what I thought was the best one and shot him with my 7RM at 258 yards. He walked about 10 yards and tipped over. He died 111 feet from the private line. Not sure how I ever lived without the hunting GPS maps.
Matt and I packed half of it back to the truck and decided to go back and get the rest the next day.
The next day, we were stopped glassing and ran into 3 hunters from Billings, 2 of whom had drawn bull tags. They asked us if we'd seen any bulls, I told them we'd seen some the day before, but nothing yet today. They headed down the same road we needed to go pack my bull. When we reached some BLM, I stopped and decided to glass some open hillsides about a mile away and the first place I put my bino's I saw 2 bulls bedded. I got my spotting scope out and determined one of the bulls was a nice clean 6x6. So, I debated for a while and talked it over with Dad and Matt...and we decided to help out the guys from Billings. I caught up with them where I needed to go to pack my bull. I walked up to their truck and asked them, "how good of bull you looking for?". They said any mature bull. They jumped in and followed us back to the 2 bulls. I showed them the 6 point and the one guy decided it was good enough for him.
So, I went out there with him and his son and put a perfect stalk on them coming out at 250 yards from the 2 bedded bulls. We crawled into position and the hunter from Billings shot, hitting the bedded bull perfectly. It slowly stood and he shot it once more and down it went. He was really happy with the bull and even more happy that his son was with him when he shot it. He said he'd been applying for the tag for many, many years and it was the best bull he'd ever killed.
After the fact, and learning a bit more from the hunter, I'm really glad I helped him out.
His bull:
Me with his bull:
We then went and packed the rest of my bull...and were rewarded with one of the best sunsets I've ever seen in Montana. Double rainbow and brilliant colors that the pictures cant do justice to.
The last evening of the hunt in Montana, I filled my elk b-tag with one that might be better eating than a 6-point.
I didn't even get out hunting until the middle of October for the first time all year, what a sorry excuse of a hunter. Lots of other stuff going on...work, new house, moving, renting the old one, etc. If anyone plans on moving or building a new house, make sure you do it long before fall (hint).
Anyway, got out for a few days in mid-October with a friend from Montana and we each shot a cow elk in Wyoming. Both shots were right at 236 yards, from the same bunch. Killed mine with the 7-08 and broke both shoulders.
My buddy with his cow:
Got out the last couple days of pronghorn season and decided this guy was good enough. Just a pinch over 250 yards again with the 7-08.
Headed out to Montana last week with my Dad and Brother.
I had already decided that with the MT elk tag I had, that I just wanted to shoot any 6 point, since I also drew a good WY bull elk tag.The second day of the hunt, we found a large herd of elk that had strayed onto public from some surrounding private. My brother Matt and I scrambled down there quick and found 300 or so elk strung out on the far corner of the BLM. There were several 6 points, none really any better than the other, so I picked what I thought was the best one and shot him with my 7RM at 258 yards. He walked about 10 yards and tipped over. He died 111 feet from the private line. Not sure how I ever lived without the hunting GPS maps.
Matt and I packed half of it back to the truck and decided to go back and get the rest the next day.
The next day, we were stopped glassing and ran into 3 hunters from Billings, 2 of whom had drawn bull tags. They asked us if we'd seen any bulls, I told them we'd seen some the day before, but nothing yet today. They headed down the same road we needed to go pack my bull. When we reached some BLM, I stopped and decided to glass some open hillsides about a mile away and the first place I put my bino's I saw 2 bulls bedded. I got my spotting scope out and determined one of the bulls was a nice clean 6x6. So, I debated for a while and talked it over with Dad and Matt...and we decided to help out the guys from Billings. I caught up with them where I needed to go to pack my bull. I walked up to their truck and asked them, "how good of bull you looking for?". They said any mature bull. They jumped in and followed us back to the 2 bulls. I showed them the 6 point and the one guy decided it was good enough for him.
So, I went out there with him and his son and put a perfect stalk on them coming out at 250 yards from the 2 bedded bulls. We crawled into position and the hunter from Billings shot, hitting the bedded bull perfectly. It slowly stood and he shot it once more and down it went. He was really happy with the bull and even more happy that his son was with him when he shot it. He said he'd been applying for the tag for many, many years and it was the best bull he'd ever killed.
After the fact, and learning a bit more from the hunter, I'm really glad I helped him out.
His bull:
Me with his bull:
We then went and packed the rest of my bull...and were rewarded with one of the best sunsets I've ever seen in Montana. Double rainbow and brilliant colors that the pictures cant do justice to.
The last evening of the hunt in Montana, I filled my elk b-tag with one that might be better eating than a 6-point.
