MT opening day Elk hunt , the swing shift

[MT Super Puncher]

Well done! Congrats!

 

[BenP]

Way to make it look easy. Congrats!

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

Way to make it look easy. Congrats!

Ain’t nothing easy about killing an elk, even when it seems like it

 

[WNC2500]

Congrats Chris! Since you have moved to MT, you are making it easy. Oregon seemed to equip you for all the intensity that Montana provides. Nice elk!

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

Congrats Chris! Since you have moved to MT, you are making it easy. Oregon seemed to equip you for all the intensity that Montana provides. Nice elk!

Thanks, 5 years has flown by, sometimes feels like I haven’t been here that long

 

[Lmartin5]

My job I have to work till 1 AM, yesterday was the rifle opener in Montana

Got up about 730am packed the truck left the house around 10am
got in the Woods at around 1pm … Bull down 6pm

He came past me, bugling and screaming pushing about 10 cows at about 75 - 80 yds , now he’s pushing up daisy’s

I’ve only been hunting elk for 11 years. This is my sixth elk and my biggest , pretty amazing day.

Well, time to start thinking about deer hunting and guiding for my family , I still got four weeks off of rifle season …

View attachment 420412
View attachment 420415
View attachment 420413
View attachment 420419

Hung him in a tree overnight came back with friends and a game cart this morning View attachment 420422
View attachment 420416

On to the next one Ol’ Son ……
View attachment 420417
View attachment 420418

The end !!!

Great bull...congratulations!

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

Great bull...congratulations!

Thank you !

 

[typhoon916]

Congrats on your bull

 

[El Jason]

Congratulations!

 

[8andcounting]

Good job nice bull

 

[Pagosa]

Wow, really nice bull. That is a great find on public land and easy terrian in a non limited unit. I only got to elk hunt 3 days this year and was hoping for any elk. I only seen one five point and two cows in a lot of miles through deadfalls. No shots but already planning for next year when I can hunt a full 7-10 days of the season. Congrats and I bet he will be great eating

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

Wow, really nice bull. That is a great find on public land and easy terrian in a non limited unit. I only got to elk hunt 3 days this year and was hoping for any elk. I only seen one five point and two cows in a lot of miles through deadfalls. No shots but already planning for next year when I can hunt a full 7-10 days of the season. Congrats and I bet he will be great eatingView attachment 420578

Thanks ! Hope you get your bull next season ……

 

[Forkyfinder]

Great one - happy for you!

 

[noharleyyet]

Good looking bull, congratulations...

 

[alanx]

off work at 1am and still have a screaming bull at 75 yards, that's just unfair to the rest of us lol. congrats on your biggest

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

off work at 1am and still have a screaming bull at 75 yards, that's just unfair to the rest of us lol. congrats on your biggest

Thanks ….. I’ve been thinking about it all week and the way it all went down, how some comments said it seemed easy or lucky , and the more I thought about it, I came to the realization that it took five years to get to that moment, and that hour in that point in the journey of my life .

Back in 2021 a friend mentioned moving to Montana and after we thought about it, the wife and I made the decision to do that and we moved here in January 2022, leaving all friends and family behind , moving to a new state where I knew nobody had never been and never hunted and had to start all over again, building, friendships, relationships, and going out and using ONX and put boots on the ground and start all over.

So having that moment happen the way it did on Saturday felt rewarding and it’s something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life when I get older and I sit there and sip on a whiskey and look at that bull, but there was also friends behind the scenes that I’ve made since I moved here that gave me a tip or a suggestion that helped put me in that position. But I also see the 5 years of hard work….. guess that’s my deeper more philosophical reflection on this week and the hunt

 

[Hem]

Thanks ….. I’ve been thinking about it all week and the way it all went down, how some comments said it seemed easy or lucky , and the more I thought about it, I came to the realization that it took five years to get to that moment, and that hour in that point in the journey of my life .

Back in 2021 a friend mentioned moving to Montana and after we thought about it, the wife and I made the decision to do that and we moved here in January 2022, leaving all friends and family behind , moving to a new state where I knew nobody had never been and never hunted and had to start all over again, building, friendships, relationships, and going out and using ONX and put boots on the ground and start all over.

So having that moment happen the way it did on Saturday felt rewarding and it’s something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life when I get older and I sit there and sip on a whiskey and look at that bull, but there was also friends behind the scenes that I’ve made since I moved here that gave me a tip or a suggestion that helped put me in that position. But I also see the 5 years of hard work….. guess that’s my deeper more philosophical reflection on this week and the hunt

LE hunts dont equate to easy. An elk that comes out in pieces confirms it.
Now if you had that bull hanging intact from the bucket of a loader I might roll my eyes.

 

[MT_elk]

Congrats!

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

LE hunts dont equate to easy. An elk that comes out in pieces confirms it.
Now if you had that bull hanging intact from the bucket of a loader I might roll my eyes.

That was the first time I’ve done the gutless method on an elk by myself it sucked , at the end because I didn’t have enough water in my pack. My hands started cramping closed. I was laying down and having to move to different positions to get the last backstrap off and tenderloins out , I was cramping in my legs as well , even though I do a crap ton of Crossfit and I’m in a Elite shape for a 57 year-old dude the lack of water definitely got me…

I told @JCS , after going back to back now on bulls in MT , I’m fine if I don’t kill an elk for a while because there’s so much more invested and involved in trying to get one out I think I’m fine for a while …..

 

[Hem]

I know where there are two bulls in the 370 class in the LE unit behind the house. I hope they make it until next year.