Jape
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- Sep 26, 2017
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- 1,722
Welcome back!
montana till I die
- Thread starter montanakai
- Start date
Rzrbck918
Well-known member
Welcome! Look forward to following the Hunt
montanakai
New member
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2013
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- 15
Maybe we will meet somewhere on the mountain or in camp. I am doing a lot of research and talking to anyone who has hunted it. I have dreamed of this hunt for so long it is hard to believe it is going to happen. Cannot wait till September.
Ya, I've been waiting to have the tag for years. My dad had it 4 years ago and ate it! Passed on several small bulls and a few pretty nice bulls! Just didn't find the one he wanted! My brother had it 6 years ago, he ended up shooting one jyst shy off 350! I've hunted the area for 25+ years! Several spikes and cows. Have you hunted it much? You planning on hunting privste or public land? I usually hunt above radersburg!
montanakai
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- Aug 1, 2013
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I have hunted it a fair amount. Mostly hunted in the Elkhorn area on public ground also killed a few cows on private land down low in the foothills. Planning to bow hunt off of the mules so looking at maps and Google earth searching some remote Backcountry areas with water so we can get away from the people. Probably set up a camp opening week and see how it goes.
renello
Active member
Welcome to the forum. Interesting story, I will keep it short. Me and my wife went through the process of getting points and then getting deer tags for central Montana in a decent unit and we didn't end up going because I was chasing a specific deer near my place in Ontario. I ended up getting that deer on Nov 26th that year. So I tossed those rather expensive tags away and have never applied in Montana again. Good luck on your upcoming elk hunt!
375H&H
Well-known member
Welcome
Danders134
Member
How's the hunts going?
montanakai
New member
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2013
- Messages
- 15
So first off this will be my 4th post on HT and I appreciate this forum so much. Everyone is willing to help if they can and it shows the good of humanity and the brotherhood we have as ethical hunters and sportsman.
As some of you know there is a certain curse that comes with a hard to draw special tag. I fully understand this and was prepared to weather the storm of bad days and good days along with the days away from family, and the doubts on the daily decisions on a hunt. There were some days where I was ready to give up. I know you have all experienced it.
I hunted most week days through archery season and had some amazing experiences. Probably the funnest action packed day was with Griztax and watching 6 bulls chase one or two cows across a draw from us at about 400 yards. This went on for several hours and even watched one big 6 point bull fall sound asleep with his whole rack laying on it's side. Non stop bugling and screaming for the whole time. The cow finally disappeared and we went on the stalk only to get caught moving down the steep side of the canyon by this same cow, while the bull slept she felt safe and was on guard. Needless to stay she ran back and told everyone we were coming.
So many archery stories and bulls on every hunt. I actually have no real idea of how many bulls I saw or heard. I passed on several smaller bulls and just never had it come together on big bulls. Many call ins but big bulls even in this district choose to live.
Rifle out and hunted most weekdays and no weekends. I probably should have hunted the opening weekend but chose to go to a Griz game in Missoula but my buddy who helped scout for me went out to see what was happening on the opener and had 2 groups of bulls walk by him. One group of all 6 and 7 points at 275 yards and one group of bulls all 6 points.. 19 bulls ... So that was the start of 3 week journey trying to find one. I hunted so many places my ONX maps now looks like one big red marker blob. The weather did not cooperate well from well below zero to 40"s and even 50"s in November. I hunted alone most days and would get dropped off on top of the mountain and then picked up at the end of the day miles away. Some memorable hikes and even some setups on bulls that just were not big enough.
November 15th a Friday after a slow week. My buddy shot his cow on Wednesday and we drug it out and got hung up at dark. I was about ready to give it up and head home but we decided to do one more morning hunt and then get. Friday am on top of the mountain in a awesome park before shooting light I find myself walking on incredibly quiet snow and kind of going easy and glassing every 5 steps or so then there is a cow 150 yards away feeding uphill.... There has to be more right and there he is 225 yards away from me and feeding away from me. To far for an off hand shot but when I kneel the roll of the park blocks my view.. Drop pack and crawl on hands and knees until I get on top more. Drop bipod legs and get a good look at him through scope. Yes.... calm and my mind says shoot when he turns broadside....safety off... ready and notice out of the corner of my eye there are 15 or? cows feeding towards me at only 80 yards why have they not seen or smelled me? Bull will not turn so waiting for the rodeo to begin and then he goes broadside at 250 yards 3 minutes into legal light BOOM bull down. So relieved so happy so blessed.
I had hunted this park at least 5 other mornings and so it goes to show you it pays to stick with a spot you know holds elk they will be there again.
He was a fighter and both ears were split to his skull and if you look close you see the left antler comes off skull weird almost over his eye. A seventh point broken off at main beam between 4th and fifth
As some of you know there is a certain curse that comes with a hard to draw special tag. I fully understand this and was prepared to weather the storm of bad days and good days along with the days away from family, and the doubts on the daily decisions on a hunt. There were some days where I was ready to give up. I know you have all experienced it.
I hunted most week days through archery season and had some amazing experiences. Probably the funnest action packed day was with Griztax and watching 6 bulls chase one or two cows across a draw from us at about 400 yards. This went on for several hours and even watched one big 6 point bull fall sound asleep with his whole rack laying on it's side. Non stop bugling and screaming for the whole time. The cow finally disappeared and we went on the stalk only to get caught moving down the steep side of the canyon by this same cow, while the bull slept she felt safe and was on guard. Needless to stay she ran back and told everyone we were coming.
So many archery stories and bulls on every hunt. I actually have no real idea of how many bulls I saw or heard. I passed on several smaller bulls and just never had it come together on big bulls. Many call ins but big bulls even in this district choose to live.
Rifle out and hunted most weekdays and no weekends. I probably should have hunted the opening weekend but chose to go to a Griz game in Missoula but my buddy who helped scout for me went out to see what was happening on the opener and had 2 groups of bulls walk by him. One group of all 6 and 7 points at 275 yards and one group of bulls all 6 points.. 19 bulls ... So that was the start of 3 week journey trying to find one. I hunted so many places my ONX maps now looks like one big red marker blob. The weather did not cooperate well from well below zero to 40"s and even 50"s in November. I hunted alone most days and would get dropped off on top of the mountain and then picked up at the end of the day miles away. Some memorable hikes and even some setups on bulls that just were not big enough.
November 15th a Friday after a slow week. My buddy shot his cow on Wednesday and we drug it out and got hung up at dark. I was about ready to give it up and head home but we decided to do one more morning hunt and then get. Friday am on top of the mountain in a awesome park before shooting light I find myself walking on incredibly quiet snow and kind of going easy and glassing every 5 steps or so then there is a cow 150 yards away feeding uphill.... There has to be more right and there he is 225 yards away from me and feeding away from me. To far for an off hand shot but when I kneel the roll of the park blocks my view.. Drop pack and crawl on hands and knees until I get on top more. Drop bipod legs and get a good look at him through scope. Yes.... calm and my mind says shoot when he turns broadside....safety off... ready and notice out of the corner of my eye there are 15 or? cows feeding towards me at only 80 yards why have they not seen or smelled me? Bull will not turn so waiting for the rodeo to begin and then he goes broadside at 250 yards 3 minutes into legal light BOOM bull down. So relieved so happy so blessed.
I had hunted this park at least 5 other mornings and so it goes to show you it pays to stick with a spot you know holds elk they will be there again.
He was a fighter and both ears were split to his skull and if you look close you see the left antler comes off skull weird almost over his eye. A seventh point broken off at main beam between 4th and fifth
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dirtclod Az.
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2018
- Messages
- 2,776
Congratulations,Perseverance pays off in the end.Beauty Bull! 
Az. Till' I Die!!
Az. Till' I Die!!
Jape
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2017
- Messages
- 1,722
Congrats! Cool bull.
WyoDoug
Well-known member
Greetings from Wyoming and welcome. I do want to do a Montana hunt before I get too old to do it or die. Prolly just a once in a lifetime hunt because my state has so many premium opportunities I can't justify paying high nonresident fees to do it. So the sight seeing will be what is important to me then but a Montana hunt in the near future for me.
