Father in Law’s First Bull

[375H&H]

My FIL is 64 and has never shot a bull elk. I offered him my services if he could draw a unit close to my home that I am very familiar with. He drew it his first time applying.

I had already gotten my bull bison so I had all October to help him get his elk.

 

[Scott85]

And….

 

[choc dogs]

And….

We’ve got the whole offseason…

 

[375H&H]

Day 1 - I sent my FIL to one of the highest points in the unit where the bulls summer. I have never been successful in this area but it is a very neat spot to spend some time and I believe there are bulls there, but it is very difficult to hunt the areas below tree line. Needless to say he did not see any elk and day 1 was uneventful.

Day 2 - I decided that working down the mountain until we find where the elk are was a good plan so we dropped down 1000’ and into a completely new area where I have been successful in years past called No Name Creek (the creek truly has no name). The trail is a bit grown over and very hard to navigate unless you have done it multiple times in the dark by headlamp. The hike is just over 1 mile through heavy timber and then it opens up into high sagebrush meadows. As we were nearing the meadows, we start hearing bugles every minute or 2 and clearly action is happening in the pre dawn darkness. I struggle to keep myself in second gear with my FIL as I want so badly to charge up the mountain and see what is going on, but the tag is his and slowing down often has significant benefits when hunting.

 

[MT_elk]

And.....

 

[LWC55]

 

[375H&H]

We enter the meadows and multiple bulls are sounding off from the top of both sides of the drainage. No sooner did we check the first hillside with scattered timber where I killed my first bull in the unit 7 years prior, that I spot a 5 bull group about to head into the timber about 400 yards away.

I tell my FIL to stay put and set up and I will drive the bulls to him where he should have a clean shot. I book it up the 9000’ hill and begin to work towards the elk to push them down. I spot the group heading down the hill and yell to my FIL that they are coming his way.

 

[FAIR CHASE]

We enter the meadows and multiple bulls are sounding off from the top of both sides of the drainage. No sooner did we check the first hillside with scattered timber where I killed my first bull in the unit 7 years prior, that I spot a 5 bull group about to head into the timber about 400 yards away.

I tell my FIL to stay put and set up and I will drive the bulls to him where he should have a clean shot. I book it up the 9000’ hill and begin to work towards the elk to push them down. I spot the group heading down the hill and yell to my FIL that they are coming his way.

Stud!!!

 

[RyGuy]

We enter the meadows and multiple bulls are sounding off from the top of both sides of the drainage. No sooner did we check the first hillside with scattered timber where I killed my first bull in the unit 7 years prior, that I spot a 5 bull group about to head into the timber about 400 yards away.

I tell my FIL to stay put and set up and I will drive the bulls to him where he should have a clean shot. I book it up the 9000’ hill and begin to work towards the elk to push them down. I spot the group heading down the hill and yell to my FIL that they are coming his way.

Bold move to drive elk. Any time I try this they run the exact opposite way I’d like them to.

 

[375H&H]

As I am working down the hill it begins to snow and visibility is dropping. I know the bulls went right by my FIL but I have yet to hear any shots. Just then I spot the 5 bulls on the edge of the timber deciding what to do. I take a peek through my binos and see the largest is a 5 point; a great first bull. Then 3, maybe 4 shots ring out with the last one dropping the largest bull. The bull flops and I whoop excitedly and watch the elk. It continues to move until it gets up and takes off showing a large red patch on its hind quarter and dragging its leg.

 

[375H&H]

The drive had worked beautifully, but my FIL never saw the bull get up as he was getting his pack so I describe what I saw. At this point the snow is beginning to pile up so we quickly start tracking.

It is clear at first the bull is bleeding with regularity and dragging his leg. After about a quarter mile the blood lessens and the leg appears to not be dragging anymore. We continue to track blood on the ground, smeared on tree limbs, tracks, anything we can find and after about 1 mile the blood is nearly gone and the bull has not stopped. It appears the elk is actually gaining speed as the leg gains more function the farther he goes.

At this point the snow is approaching 4” and covering any remaining blood and tracks. Dejected, we turn around and head back to the truck.

As a side note, it is always amazing to me when tracking through heavy timber if you lose the tracks/blood, just follow your instinct about which way is easiest to get through the trees/obstacles and you will likely find sign again within 100 yards. I have done this multiple times with deer, elk, bears, etc and it never ceases to amaze me how closely we can predict their path when it is at first unclear.

 

[375H&H]

My FIL is quite upset (understandably as the shot was less than 200yds) so we call off the evening hunt and try again in the morning.

We go to a new spot across the road and see a bull moose and bull elk tracks from the night but no elk.

We try sitting and glassing my honey hole for this area during the evening with only a few cows spotted right at last light.

We plan to hit no name Creek in a week when he is back for his next few days of hunting.

 

[375H&H]

The next week rolls around and we are back in no name Creek at first light. Immediately we spot a 5 point bull that we put a stalk on. He slowly meanders into the timber before we can get a clear shot. We finish the morning hunt with no other elk seen.

We again take the evening off as no other spot is producing elk like no name creek is. We plan again to be there at first light tomorrow morning.

 

[375H&H]

The next morning we hunt the meadows like I have developed through numerous other hunts for elk/deer for maximum opportunity.

We are walking around all morning smelling elk, seeing tracks and sign, but no actual elk. We crest the top of the hill where we can see most of the huntable area and I advise my FIL that since it is 8:30 and no elk seen, we should hunt back to the truck.

No sooner did I say that and about 3/4 mile away I see a rag horn cross a large opening and and enter the timber where the original 5 bull group was driven out of.

 

[375H&H]

I tell my FIL the best bet is to have him set up opposite to where he did during the first drive and watch the spotted timbered hillside. I will book it to where the rag horn went into the timber, find his tracks, and drive them again into his shooting window. No way an elk drive would work twice, but worth a shot.

I make it to where the rag horn was last seen and find his tracks and begin the push. Not long after, a second set of bull tracks is seen to join the first bull while in the timber.

I am zig zagging around the tracks and clearly noticing they are headed down the hill to a perfect spot for my FIL to get a shot.

When I nearly reach the bottom of the hill and wondering where the elk have gone I hear a shot ring out.

 

[375H&H]

I immediately stop, not knowing exactly what is going on, and wait. About a minute later another shot is heard.

I yell “yes?” Which is answered with a confirmation from my FIL of “yes! I just saw horns and started shooting. 6 point bull.”

Needless to say I am a little skeptical since I only saw the rag horn, but since my FIL does not yet have dementia, I know he can still count to 6.

 

[375H&H]

I work my way down to my FIL and am absolutely shocked at what I see. It’s the biggest bull I have ever been a part of in this unit on the ground. I have seen larger, but never dropped one myself or helped with one.

An absolutely beautiful elk that would spoil anyone as their first bull, and to top it off taken during our second successful elk drive!

Really happy for my FIL but I advised him that now that he has taken a big bull, I am no longer obligated to help him if he draws the tag again.

The best part for him was having so much good hunting and never seeing another hunter the whole time. I made him sign paperwork confirming he would never divulge this spot (not really but I did ask him not to share specific details).

Note where the first shit hit near the hindquarter, a similar spot to the first bull. I asked my FIL why the shots were so far back and he said “maybe I should clean my gun more often than every 3 years.”

The cutting up of this elk felt like doing an antelope compared to my bison. Elk are ridiculously easy to maneuver.

Thanks for following along.

 

[Bowmannate2000]

I work my way down to my FIL and am absolutely shocked at what I see. It’s the biggest bull I have ever been a part of in this unit on the ground. I have seen larger, but never dropped one myself or helped with one.

An absolutely beautiful elk that would spoil anyone as their first bull, and to top it off taken during our second successful elk drive!

Really happy for my FIL but I advised him that now that he has taken a big bull, I am no longer obligated to help him if he draws the tag again.

The best part for him was having so much good hunting and never seeing another hunter the whole time. I made him sign paperwork confirming he would never divulge this spot (not really but I did ask him not to share specific details).

Note where the first shit hit near the hindquarter, a similar spot to the first bull. I asked my FIL why the shots were so far back and he said “maybe I should clean my gun more often than every 3 years.”

The cutting up of this elk felt like doing an antelope compared to my bison. Elk are ridiculously easy to maneuver.

Thanks for following along.

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Nice story and nice bull!

 

[WNC2500]

Nice bull, and I agree with you, for that to be his first bull, he is now spoiled for sure.

 

[Sask hunter]

Congrats!