My friend Dennis encouraged me for a number of years to apply for a Roosevelt Elk draw on Vancouver Island. In 1985, while hunting in the Nanaimo Watershed, a 5 x 5 came to within 13 yards of where I was having lunch.
That was the motivation needed, an in 1986 my first application was drawn for the Upper Campbell Lake.
Wanting something heavier than my Remington 700 30-06 proved fruitless, and in the end the 30-06 was loaded with a 165 grain Nosler Partition, 57 grains of IMR4350 and CCI 250 primers.
On the first day, October 4, it was foggy, and would just have to sit and wait every now and again. During one time when the fog lifted, a cow and calf were in the clearing but that was it.
One the 5th, Dennis went with me. I came across a wallow, and then saw a clearing towards some higher ground.
On the logging road at the top of the hill there was a cow and calf in the clearing. Within moments, a bull came out of the timber.
After about five minutes of meandering through the logged off area, he was just above the road at something less that a "guesstimated" 300 yards but there was a log quartering across his body from shoulder to flank.
A quick prayer asking for him to take one step was answered, and the first shot did not appear to have any effect but he walked down to the road, stopped and the second shot produced a resounding hit.
He walked another 10 yards and stopped again for a third shot and it also sounded like a solid hit. He continued on until he came to log and at the moment the fourth shot was fired his hind end crumpled.
Dennis heard the shooting and his thoughts were "one shot a hit, two shots a maybe, three shots a miss . . . but four shots".
I started walking towards the elk, and after about five steps realized this had to be paced off. It was about 275 yards to where he had come down to the road for the second shot.
Once he was gutted out, the first three shots made a 4 inch group and none had exited. The fourth shot was the only one to pass through.
Dennis' mother, dad and son came out to haul my elk back to Campbell River and we were able to load him whole into the truck.
Once skinned out, he weighted 534 pounds to the locker. A tooth aged him at 12 years.
The official score was 318 and 6/8's. The main beams were 49 7/8 and 49 3/8. Inside spread was 38 5/8, R. circumference 9 5/8 and left 10.
These antlers were judged the best trophy at the Nanaimo Fish and Game Awards. He contributed to the best feed on Sweet and Sour Elk Balls for the game dinner.
At that time he placed around 29th in the BC Records book but by the time the next book was printed in 1988, he was now 44th due to a change in the scoring process (no deductions after the fourth point).
Just last year I received the pictures taken by Dennis' mom but since I subscribe to the theory "without pictures it is just another lie", the story was never published.
To add insult to injury, I was drawn again in 1987 and harvested a 5 x 5 about a mile from the previous year. The neck was shared with Dennis' dad, and this one went to the locker at 401 pounds.
This one was shot with a Remington 700 Classic in 338 Winchester Magnum
That was the motivation needed, an in 1986 my first application was drawn for the Upper Campbell Lake.
Wanting something heavier than my Remington 700 30-06 proved fruitless, and in the end the 30-06 was loaded with a 165 grain Nosler Partition, 57 grains of IMR4350 and CCI 250 primers.
On the first day, October 4, it was foggy, and would just have to sit and wait every now and again. During one time when the fog lifted, a cow and calf were in the clearing but that was it.
One the 5th, Dennis went with me. I came across a wallow, and then saw a clearing towards some higher ground.
On the logging road at the top of the hill there was a cow and calf in the clearing. Within moments, a bull came out of the timber.
After about five minutes of meandering through the logged off area, he was just above the road at something less that a "guesstimated" 300 yards but there was a log quartering across his body from shoulder to flank.
A quick prayer asking for him to take one step was answered, and the first shot did not appear to have any effect but he walked down to the road, stopped and the second shot produced a resounding hit.
He walked another 10 yards and stopped again for a third shot and it also sounded like a solid hit. He continued on until he came to log and at the moment the fourth shot was fired his hind end crumpled.
Dennis heard the shooting and his thoughts were "one shot a hit, two shots a maybe, three shots a miss . . . but four shots".
I started walking towards the elk, and after about five steps realized this had to be paced off. It was about 275 yards to where he had come down to the road for the second shot.
Once he was gutted out, the first three shots made a 4 inch group and none had exited. The fourth shot was the only one to pass through.
Dennis' mother, dad and son came out to haul my elk back to Campbell River and we were able to load him whole into the truck.
Once skinned out, he weighted 534 pounds to the locker. A tooth aged him at 12 years.
The official score was 318 and 6/8's. The main beams were 49 7/8 and 49 3/8. Inside spread was 38 5/8, R. circumference 9 5/8 and left 10.
These antlers were judged the best trophy at the Nanaimo Fish and Game Awards. He contributed to the best feed on Sweet and Sour Elk Balls for the game dinner.
At that time he placed around 29th in the BC Records book but by the time the next book was printed in 1988, he was now 44th due to a change in the scoring process (no deductions after the fourth point).
Just last year I received the pictures taken by Dennis' mom but since I subscribe to the theory "without pictures it is just another lie", the story was never published.
To add insult to injury, I was drawn again in 1987 and harvested a 5 x 5 about a mile from the previous year. The neck was shared with Dennis' dad, and this one went to the locker at 401 pounds.
This one was shot with a Remington 700 Classic in 338 Winchester Magnum
