Elk hunt recap. The hunt that almost didn’t happen!

[The Insurance Guy]

We are 1/2 way home and fixing to hit the road to finish our drive back and I wanted to let you all know how the hunt went!

After asking advice on here on how to handle the cold weather we were excited to go. We loaded the truck the night before and was supposed to leave at 5:00 AM but after dinner I started to feel sick and as the night went on I got worse. For the 1st time in many years I got a stomach virus. It was bad! I was up all night and was hurting bad and nothing I did could get me relief. I stayed in bed trying to see if or when I would get some relief. I was very upset about the possibility of missing the hunt now and was battling with the decision on what to do. At 3:00 I told my wife we were going. If I didn’t leave then we would be missing the 1st day of the hunt and we only had 4 days to hunt. So we hit the road hoping I would feel better in the next day. The drive that day was horrible because of how bad I felt. I forced myself to drive until around 10 and got a hotel.

We got back on the road at 6:00 and I felt a little better. We drove all day and and made it to the unit a couple hours before dark which did not give me much time to check things out and I had never stepped foot in this unit. Luckily we found a great spot to camp and setup everything just as it was getting dark.

[The Insurance Guy]

The next 2 days we covered as much ground as we could on foot and in the truck. I drove over an hour away from camp one afternoon even to check a spot that looked way different than where we were even. I was turning up older elk sign that looked like at least a week or two before but zero elk and zero fresh sign.

I was still getting over my sickness and had a horrible night sleep on night 3. I texted my wife when I woke up the next morning and was contemplating coming home. Everything I heard about this unit is the elk migrate out in the late season and I was told by a local guide most of the elk already left. She encouraged me to stick with it at least another day and see what happened.

[The Insurance Guy]

We were facing single digit temps the 1st few days and temps didn’t get above freezing until the afternoon of day 3. We were dressed right but it was tough staying warm all day and night so that was wearing on us also.

On the morning of day 3 I went down a different road that took us to a different area of the unit. About 5 miles down this terrible road we found a pretty big area that was burned a few years ago and as we topped a ridge I looked over at a wooded hillside and in the only opening was standing an elk. I put my bino’s on it and it was a legal bull. We scrambled to get the gun and shooting sticks out and just as we were almost set up he had enough of us and went into the timber. We went in after him and snuck over a mile down that ridge and found a bunch of fresh sign!! Now we were reenergized!

[bowhunterhelm]

I remember your post about almost canceling due to the cold. Looking like you're glad you didn't cancel.

[tps7742]

Good luck and go get him!

[The Insurance Guy]

That afternoon we setup on a high point in that area and sat until dark and in the last 30 min of dark we saw a heard of elk a little over a mile away on a ridge. We took off to the truck and I wanted to drive down to at least see what ridge they were on for the next morning.

so now we had another clue and the next morning the plan was to be in that area and cover ground from the truck and glass the burn for elk at 1st light.

the plan worked and I spotted a herd a mile away and we took off in the truck to get to that ridge. Once there I could still see them from the road and it looked like a perfect opportunity. Wind was in our face and there was just enough terrain to hide us. We hike a little over a mile down the ridge and got to 500 yards of the elk and couldn’t go much further.

I was glassing them all looking for a legal bull. All I was seeing was cows and spikes. The elk were feeding their way back to the timber and I knew we didn’t have much time. Finally I spotted a legal bull and he was a little over 500 yards away. We setup for the shot but prone the grass was too tall. I set up the tripod and clamp but he wasn’t steady enough for that distance.

we crawled a little further down the hill and he could shoot prone. The bull had moved a little closer to the timber and we only had a little time. My son felt steady so I told him to shoot when he was ready. At the shot the bull jumped up and took a couple quick steps and tipped over. I couldn’t believe it!!!

[The Insurance Guy]

Thank you to everyone that gave advice and encouraged us to go. The hunt did not start out the way we wanted but ended up perfect.

My son did get scoped on the shot but luckily it didn’t cut him. He made a perfect 500 yard shot that took out his shoulder and both lungs. We found the bullet just under the skin on opposite side.

[The Insurance Guy]

[TeamAmerica]

Heck yeah! MANY things worth doing are most often tough. Congrats to you both!

[chino]

Congrats to both of you.

Wonderful memorial experience for a lifetime !

[The Insurance Guy]

When I walked back to get the truck to drive around to get closer my son hiked down 2 loads of meat and when I got there I helped him finish the last trip. He earned his 1st elk and worked his tail off. I could not me more proud of him.

we did hit a little traffic jam on the way home!

we made memories that will last a life time! I cannot wait to see what next year has in store for us!!

[bowhunterhelm]

Fantastic!!!! Glad you pushed through it and got it done. You and your boy will never forget this. Congratulations.

[diamond10x]

Congrats to you both! Glad you decided to go contrary to many of the posts on your other thread

[Chew]

What a great father / son adventure. Congrats to both of you.

[Katch66]

Congrats to both of you. Great story of a great hunt!