Hey Guys,
Well.....Saturday was a great day for me. Opening day for a hunt that I have been waiting for all season and one that I have been building priority for 9 years to draw the tag. I have scouted hard and been out hiking and driving several times from the summer on until this past week. Seen a pile of country and a good number of elk.
The hunt started by a long scouting drive on Friday where we found a good number of bulls including one bull that was holding a herd of cows. We made a plan to make a move on him in the morning.
Saturday morning Jordan and Darren and I arrived at our spot an hour before legal light. We grabbed our gear and started our hike to the hills. Arriving at dawn we sat and glassed the area the bull had been the night before. The herd was nowhere to be seen. We continued to glass and found a different herd approximatly 2 miles from where we were sitting. There was a good bull in that herd with 2 smaller bulls.
We spotted the herd from the night before and made a play on them. Getting to within 1000 yards we stopped and glassed the bull. Through the scope I could tell he was a decent bull, but just didnt have 'exactly' what I wanted to shoot on opening morning. He was a 6pt that we guessed at 320-330. We left him and continued on to make a hike and look for the second herd.
After a good hike through the valley, we located the next herd and made a stalk into range. At 450 yards we stopped and put the glasses on the bull for the first time. He looked immense, and for a moment we thought we had my bull found. After a quick look however, we noticed that he had a big big 6pt side on his right side, but his left side was a small deformed 3pt. We left him and his cows and continued the hike. Here is a pic of the herd with the 6x3.
Moving on through a low coulee the wind picked up very strong. It was probably the strongest wind I have ever hunted in southern Alberta and it was starting to take its toll on us. It was around 11:00 when we walked down another depression and I looked back to see that 2 bulls were laying on the hill in a small spot looking directly at us. They were ranged at 450 yards and one bull looked decent.
I made a quick play down the depression and towards the bull. THinking I would pop up on them I snuck along. I faintly heard Darren and Jordan yelling at me. I glanced back and they motioned that the bulls had spooked and I needed to gain some ground to catch them. I made a quick dash to the next coulee and layed down prone when I saw the smaller bull in the bottom. My rifle rested on my pack as I ranged him at 328 yards and waited for the big bull to step out. When I saw him go by I saw good top points and good mass, and he just gave me that 'shooting' feeling! I didnt size him up long but decided I would take the shot if he gave it to me. He turned broadside in the same spot I had ranged the first bull and I squeezed the trigger. Lunging forward he sprinted toward the far side of the hill. I had felt confident about the shot but put the crosshairs on him again as he was climbing the hill. A second shot put the bull down in his tracks hard.
Walking up to my bull was a pretty damn good feeling. He has amazing main beams that sweep up and measure 54". His frame is big and he's all I could ask for in a bull. I had 2 good friends with me to help do some packing and we managed to get him quartered up and caped out and back to the truck by 5:30. We had walked several miles in the day in the extreme wind but it paid off huge! Thanks again to Darren and Jordan!!
Rifle was a Rem 700 in 7-08AI shooting 140TSX at 2930 fps
A few pics.....
Well.....Saturday was a great day for me. Opening day for a hunt that I have been waiting for all season and one that I have been building priority for 9 years to draw the tag. I have scouted hard and been out hiking and driving several times from the summer on until this past week. Seen a pile of country and a good number of elk.
The hunt started by a long scouting drive on Friday where we found a good number of bulls including one bull that was holding a herd of cows. We made a plan to make a move on him in the morning.
Saturday morning Jordan and Darren and I arrived at our spot an hour before legal light. We grabbed our gear and started our hike to the hills. Arriving at dawn we sat and glassed the area the bull had been the night before. The herd was nowhere to be seen. We continued to glass and found a different herd approximatly 2 miles from where we were sitting. There was a good bull in that herd with 2 smaller bulls.
We spotted the herd from the night before and made a play on them. Getting to within 1000 yards we stopped and glassed the bull. Through the scope I could tell he was a decent bull, but just didnt have 'exactly' what I wanted to shoot on opening morning. He was a 6pt that we guessed at 320-330. We left him and continued on to make a hike and look for the second herd.
After a good hike through the valley, we located the next herd and made a stalk into range. At 450 yards we stopped and put the glasses on the bull for the first time. He looked immense, and for a moment we thought we had my bull found. After a quick look however, we noticed that he had a big big 6pt side on his right side, but his left side was a small deformed 3pt. We left him and his cows and continued the hike. Here is a pic of the herd with the 6x3.
Moving on through a low coulee the wind picked up very strong. It was probably the strongest wind I have ever hunted in southern Alberta and it was starting to take its toll on us. It was around 11:00 when we walked down another depression and I looked back to see that 2 bulls were laying on the hill in a small spot looking directly at us. They were ranged at 450 yards and one bull looked decent.
I made a quick play down the depression and towards the bull. THinking I would pop up on them I snuck along. I faintly heard Darren and Jordan yelling at me. I glanced back and they motioned that the bulls had spooked and I needed to gain some ground to catch them. I made a quick dash to the next coulee and layed down prone when I saw the smaller bull in the bottom. My rifle rested on my pack as I ranged him at 328 yards and waited for the big bull to step out. When I saw him go by I saw good top points and good mass, and he just gave me that 'shooting' feeling! I didnt size him up long but decided I would take the shot if he gave it to me. He turned broadside in the same spot I had ranged the first bull and I squeezed the trigger. Lunging forward he sprinted toward the far side of the hill. I had felt confident about the shot but put the crosshairs on him again as he was climbing the hill. A second shot put the bull down in his tracks hard.
Walking up to my bull was a pretty damn good feeling. He has amazing main beams that sweep up and measure 54". His frame is big and he's all I could ask for in a bull. I had 2 good friends with me to help do some packing and we managed to get him quartered up and caped out and back to the truck by 5:30. We had walked several miles in the day in the extreme wind but it paid off huge! Thanks again to Darren and Jordan!!
Rifle was a Rem 700 in 7-08AI shooting 140TSX at 2930 fps
A few pics.....
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