My First Elk Story to my Next Elk Story (Fly In?)

[Hammsolo]

Great thread, awesome stories here.

First tag, first elk in 2025 at age 51
South Dakota

I scouted all summer via satellite images and also went out a day early to scout in person. I did not see any elk while scouting, but did find tracks and scat. On opening morning, I left the truck just after legal shooting light. It was a foggy morning, and I would have sufficient cover in the fog to maneuver to a pre-determined glassing point. I planned to use a long cedar belt to get in position to glass for awhile after the fog lifted. With a very slight breeze in my face, i walked to the cedar belt which were mature, ~20 yards wide and 1/4 mile long. Let out a couple cow calls as I entered the trees, all was silent after that. I had walked maybe 20 yards into the trees and heard thundering of hooves not far ahead. I didn't know at the time if it was elk or deer. I threw out a couple calf distress calls anyway, and the whatever was running stopped. I kept slowly still hunting into the breeze, and maybe 50 yards later bumped a bull elk about 10 yards to my left. He abruptly whirled and disappeared into the cedars. I quickly threw out a couple calls, and figured I had just blown my chance in the first 20 minutes. I had no intention of walking directly at the elk from my truck! I worked to get the edge of the cedars quietly in the event he had stopped, all the while thinking he had run to the next county. I still hunted another 30 yards and found a shooting lane that I could use to get to the edge of the cedars. I suddenly saw antler tines peaking up over a cedar, a bull was about 20 yards away at the edge of the field, facing directly towards me and slightly to my left, but I could not see the whole rack nor any of his body. I slowly went to one knee and readied the rile. I threw out a couple calls, and to my surprise a large bull (2nd bull) came from my right at about 45 yards, in the field, and stopped in the shooting lane. I got on him, tried to calm myself, & fired. He did not flinch and disappeared to my left. I walked towards the field edge quickly and knelt again, he had made a u-turn and was now running left to right and about to enter another cedar grove. I let out a excited calf call, and he stopped. I shot again at about 75 yards distance. Again, no flinching and he ran into cedars and the second bull followed him. I waited several minutes, picked up my shell casings and started looking for blood. I could find none! I've hunted for many years, did not believe I could miss with a rifle at an animal of that size at those distances. I ended up tracking them from hoofprints in the moist ground through the cedars, and was relieved when the bull was piled up about 75 yards from location of the second hit. He did not bleed externally until about the last 5 yards. During filed dressing, determined both shots were good. 12 year wait for a tag, 340” gross bull on the ground. I wish I would’ve started hunting elk in my 20s, I’m hooked.

Great story! Any pics? I have none of my first sadly… the era of film rolls. I hope to post a pic of two racks together post season!

 

[SD_redbear]

Great story! Any pics? I have none of my first sadly… the era of film rolls. I hope to post a pic of two racks together post season!

Yes sir. Later lab aged at 9.5

 

[Hammsolo]

Yes sir. Later lab aged at 9.5

Great bull! Congrats and I my gpa is a mature bull.

 

[Hammsolo]

I picked up a pound of Retumbo today. Waiting on Peterson Brass, Redding dies and the new Berger reloading manual. I will pick out rings when the rifle arrives. I’ll go for Seekins or the Vortex that is made by Seekins. Whatever gives me that just right clearance.