Got my elk, what a day it was too

[McBaine]

Well guys, I'm back from my elk trip. I got one. Here's the story:

It was Tuesday morning, about 7:15 when I shot her. I walked up a spur road off Dave's Road, which is a closed road, I rounded a corner at an edge of an old clear cut. There they were, a whole bunch of elk. The one I shot, I thought she was 120-140 yards away. But more than likely she was only 80 yards away. The shot I tried was a heart shot. But my miss ranging caused me to shoot low. I hit just under the heart. To even get to this spot I've already walked a mile. Anyway, she bolted along with 2 dozen head of elk.

I called Dad and John, letting them know I just shot an elk, and should come up for help. Leaving that damn cell phone on, I started tracking. She bedded down just under 500 yards way. When I approached her, dad called, spooking her out of bed. I tried for a shot on the head, but the round was a dud. With a quick reload I took a snap shot, missing. I tracked her for a good hour to hour and a half. This covered just over 1/2 mile. When she crossed the main Dave's Road, at it's end, I went back to the truck. I did this for three reasons, one I was out of water, Dad and John were going to come up from town and help me out, finally I wanted to give her time to go out and die.

Once they got up there, we started after her, about 12:45. We all got on her trail and started tracking the blood. It took us almost an hour traveling about 1/2 mile to catch up to her where she was bedded down. When she got up I took a quick shot, but she dropped off a steep incline to quickly. We did this basic cat and mouse thing with her for the rest of the day, traveling over 3 miles, in one big circle.

At about 3:15 to 3:30 we finally made it back to the same drainage that I originally left her trail the first time. Which is just below Dave's Road. She ended up crossing Dave's Road going back to the same area where I first shot her. Once on Dave's Road Dad when and got the buck buggy, and pack frames to bring back to the truck, and get his gun. He was going to go up into the drainage and hopefully we would run her to him.

After about 15 minute break, John and I got back on the trail, which went into the clear cut, no over grown with manzenita bushes. Once close to the end of the clear cut, I took the high point to get into the timber, where I could see in to spot her bedded down. John stayed on the trail. Not minutes later she got up about 15 yards in front of John, lol. He let off 4 quick shots from Dad's Remington 740, a semi-auto, in just over 1 second. I could hear everything, but couldn't see **** . She made her way into the timber where I finished the job. Once quick shot into the neck, followed by a shot into the right shoulder/lungs. (She was still standing.) I was about 40 to 50 yards away with no obstructions. It was about 4:15pm when it was all over with. Sunset at the time is 4:45.

We didn't get back to camp till after 8:30 that night. Luckily the pack to the truck only took one trip between the three of us, even though it was close to a mile and a half. Thankfully it was all down hill, and not in some of the holes we tracked her through.

For those of you wondering, John only hit her once. It was a solid hit through both lungs. That first shot that I made, hit just under 2 inches below the heart.

My Gun: Ruger M77 MKII
Caliber: .300 Win Mag
Bullet: 200 grain Nos. Partition HE (Federal Ammunition)

Dad's Gun that John used: Remington 742
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Bullet: 180 grain Nos. Partition (Federal Ammunition)

[Straydog]

Awesome hunt and story!!

Way to go buddy!!

Dog

[McBaine]

Yeah it was. Glad to see you around stray. Hop to catch you on Monday. I'll have to bring the pictures, lol.

[o-mykiss]

good story, sounds like you got some good tracking experience. My brother shot a big bull last year about 2 miles from the nearest road. Let me tell you, before I shoot one, I will think twice as to how far the nearest road is. Or, the adrenaline will take over and I will shoot one in the biggest hole known to man.

[OneLastCast]

Great story and my hat is off to you for keeping on her.
Now sit back and relax it sounds like you earned it.

[McBaine]

Thanks guys for the kind words. Yes Dad, John and I have pretty extensive expirence tracking game down. I have more than a few stories. But there were some hard spots. When she got into the heavy timber there wasn't much snow on the gound, in some spots none. There was one time where we were circling the trail for a good 10-15 minutes to find her tracks/blood again. But as they say the rest is history. :smile: My body still hurts though. A mile and a half pack, even on a closed road is still a mile and a half pack. lol

[jokester]

Great Story Nice job on getting your elk! I agree with OneLastCast, go rest...you DEFINITELY earned it!

-jokester

[Mello-Yello]

Sounds like you thought things out real well as the day's events changed. Good Job! Great Story!

[dla]

I'm glad that you stuck with it to retrieve this animal - many guys don't.

But there's a whole lot here to learn from.

[Old MAn River]

Great story ,sounds like you got a work
out on that one

[McBaine]

Alright, as promised here is a pic. I finally got an FTP site up and going. Enjoy

[gottafish]

is that a westfly hat you got on??

[McBaine]

lol no it's says Remington :grin: I had to switch hats, my camo had that I was hunting with was soaked with sweet.