Second trip to the mountains

Elkhunter

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Joined
Dec 20, 2000
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Jackson, Wyoming
Well I left for the hills again on Friday the 10th of October. Set up electric fence, gathered firewood and took it easy. Saturday found me sitting on the ridge at 7:00. Cool morning, slight breeze, pretty nice day. About 8:30 I saw an elk below me, then another and what looked like a total of 8 elk and could not locate a bull amoung them. They started up the hill and I lost them in the trees. By 9:30 my ass was numb so I got up and headed to the top to see if the elk had come up the ridge all the way. From the top I was going to pick a tree to sit by and watch for awhile. Well as soon as I crested the top and started over, I found the elk, right there in front of me. They immediately spooked and no shot was offered at a decent 6x6.

Saturday night the wind was a howling and the camper was rocking all night. Got very little sleep and 7:00 found me on the ridge again. Wind was too much to handle so sat on the other side. Still too much so headed down the mountain into the gladded meadow on the other side and still wicked winds. I then tried hitting the timber, but I just could not shake the winds so called it an early day and headed out.

Sunday morning found me on the same hillside looking down. Saw 4 elk by 7:30 which quickly disappeared behind the ridge, heading in a northerly direction. Guestimated range about 800 yards. By 9:15 they reappeared and bedded down, just as far away as before. Glassed them for awhile and counted 13 elk, cows, calves, spikes and then one humungous friggin bull. I go up and headed around the hump I was on and made my way to the northerly ridge and worked my way down it towards the elk. I got to roughly 250-300 yards from them and found Mr. Big still bedded down behind a tree with only a gut or ass shot to be taken. I then went back up a little ways and crossed over a little opening and made my way down closer and farther to the left. Still not shot. I had to get farther to my left. This time the cows saw me and ended my hunt. They were history.

Monday morning , same place. Just tied up the horse and headed to my little hump. Saw two bulls, not real big, about like the one I got last year. Finally had a clear shot. Missed.
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Don't know why, but I missed. This was about 7:15 in the morning.

Wednesday and Thursday, saw not a thing.

Friday I was headed to a ridge to see what the winds would be like on my little hump. If the winds were not bad, I would continue to go to the hillside and sit. If the winds were bad I would head down to the gladded meadow and watch. I hit the ridge and looked down and saw an elk. I tied up the horse to one of the few trees there and went to see if it was a bull or cow. When I got back to where I saw the elk, it was gone, but not far. It was now about 75 feet to my left on the trail, a spike. Well it didn't take me long to decide on taking it as no elk seen for a couple of days and only one more day to hunt. Good solid hit behind the left shoulder, elk turned around and was slightly staggering. Second shot quartering away, behind the right shoulder, staggered a little and fell. Neither bullet opened up, two small holes on each side of the elk, but dead elk all the same. End of story.
 
Good story Elkhunter..The more I read these storys this year, the more I get pumped to get to Wyoming...That was a nice looking spike Elkhunter...

Hunterman(Tony)
 
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>two small hoes on each side of the elk <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

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Hey Elkhunter, Kudos on the Elk man !!! I've hit the hills already and haven't gotten one yet still. Congrats again !!!

PS, Be carefull how you answer the Bullet question. Someone might tell ya they don't work
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Congrats on the Elk Elkhunter. Hate to hear about the miss but I had to grin reading about it the way you explained it, sometimes we just miss with no explanations of why.
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well done Elkhunter, great account of your hunt. inspiring read for this Aussie..ds
 
Hey Elkhunter
Congrats on the elk...
Hey if we killed somthing every time we shot it would take alot of the fun out of hunting.... Youll have some tender eats-enjoy
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Leupold BX-4 Rangefinding Binoculars

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