Big Bull Down! On the way home! The rest of the story!

[skoger]

I am stoked guys, guns in good order, plenty of extra ammo, backup scope, a dozen knives razor sharp, clothes packed, camera charged, and making some venison summer sausage for the trip to snack on. My buddy is stoked too, looking forward to the trip and sights, may be my only elk trip. Willl take pics, and get some help posting them when I get back. Wish you guys were coming along. Sam.

[EFBell]

Good luck!
I went out in 07. Was calling a bull first light on opening day. Saw him in the area the day before. Was within about 300 yards but not yet visable when a shot rang out. Wasn't mine. At least the guy that shot it could have been calling too but no... I called him in a nice 5x5. Well, not to come home empty handed I shot a young cow last day. It was terrific meat by the way. Probably way better than that nasty old 5x5. ha-ha...

[laportecharlie]

Be aware that we are having record high tempatures this September with no end in sight. Be looking for that big bull up in the timber and not in the grassy meadows during the day. Good Luck!
Charlie

[skoger]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yep, Guide has us some pinch points at timber and water sources, he feels very confident, one on one guided hunt. The 4x4 the wife killed here in Ky last year was delicious, still have over half of it, she is stingy with it. I am going to grind most of it besides the backstraps and filet mignon.

[skoger]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Big Bull Down! We are 2 for 2, will be home tomorow, story to follow! I will try to send some pics to post on this also, anyone who can post them I will email them. Bulls had been getting quiet week before we got there, Guide thought rut was waning, day befoe we got there temps dropped, bulls bugled all night and day next 4 days. We actually found 2 that had fought to the death, one was a huge 8x8, had his main beam broken off, and huge puncture wounds. Found another 7x6, punctures and his skull was split and one main beam broken off!! I could only imagine the fight that took place! Was definitley different in the high altitude, could breath great, but had other side effects.WE had a great hunt, hunted hard, light till dark, REst of the story tommorow and pics, I hope, gotta crash now.

[Bad Water Bill]

I hope you got pictures of that EIGHT point head. 7 has always been called a royal. What will we call an EIGHT pointer? Curious old mind wants to know.

[borg]

Just 'cuz we ain't postin' don't mean we ain't waitin' fer the story...

[Elkbane]

yeah, Skoger, yer killin me....... I'm leaving Thursday for WY and need something to get me even more stoked up. Give it up.....please......

Elkbane

[ctrout]

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d161/ctrout/Smileys/thisthreadisworthlesswithoutpics.gif

[Bad Water Bill]

I hope there is nothing wrong with him. Hmmm not having a hard time breathing at high altitudes sounds to me like he may have a LARGE oxygen bottle at his side playing catch up. Lets hope that he is one of the few that can go from normal altitude to elk heights without those nasty headaches most people get.

[Fjold]

I hope you got pictures of that EIGHT point head. 7 has always been called a royal. What will we call an EIGHT pointer? Curious old mind wants to know.


Big

[skoger]

Well guys sorry I hadnt posted, but been working overtime since I got back, no rest fer the wicked! Me and a buddy got up with the outfitter, Mennonite family, great folks, hunting on there land, one on one guided. I had saved up to go out west for years, figured I should pay more and go once, hope to get an elk, than 4-5 times do it myself and gain nothing. Turns out I was right, first class guides, food, lodging! We were in western Col., not sure how far from Utah, but not over an hour or two. They had had hot temps, thought the rut was waning, temps dropped 24 hours before we got there and they bugled next 4 days. They had hig box blinds set up to watch travel routes from and to water sources, , they had the only 3 for miles and miles. We would hunt from daylight till first 3 hours from a blind, then walk, glass, spot and stalk. About noon on the first day, we spotted 2 trophy class bedded down, got to within 175 yards or so, finally we got to 150, and my buddy got a rest with his .270 BAR and drilled the biggest one through the shoulders, and he never even wiggled much more! He was using the Hornady 150gr. Interlock, same load my wife used last year here in KY. Huge 6x6, big mass, but kinda uneven overall, still about 350 inches before deductions!! Good enough fer us hillbilly's says he! When he shot his bull, a management bull bolted out from under a bush 40 yards from us, and I started to shoot, was the hunt I had paid for when the guide stopped me. A 15 year old young man hunting with his grandfather had killed a cow just before my buddy, and he was afraid if I killed one, it might spoil before we could get it processed, and wanted me to hold out for a better managment bull, not get in a hurry. Any bull looked good to me for the first one! Walking out to get signal was when we found the big one dead, a guy was on the way there to hunt him from texas, they had been sending our email pics to him. His right horn was broken off just above the skull and in pieces, left broken up too, huge gore wounds in his left side. Man what a waste! I hunted 2 more days and just about1/2 hour before dark on the 3rd day, we got up with 2 bulls that had been driven out of the herd, one trophy an 1 management bull, which was what I was after. I was hunting with a Marlin, 45/70 Guide gun, ported and 300gr HP and 405 SP loaded to the gills. I will hover around an inch with either load, and shoot them within an inch of each other. Guide told me to put a 300 HP in the chamber and 405's in the mag for follow up if needed before we left, so I was ready to go. I got out my homade shooting sticks, (2 fiberglass fence rods, sharpened and camo tape,with a bolt through them), got a good rest and waited for him to get up. We did some cow calling and he stood up, with some oak brush an service berry limbs big as a shovel handle covering his lungs. Guide wanted me to shoot at the edge of the shoulder, double lung and not waste the meat. We waited till he stepped forward and I put one through the lungs, 1 inch behind the shoulder, dead center! He just flinched, and took off like he was late for the KY Derby!! Oh Crap, thinks I, throw down my sticks and jump up, sling up and dont even remember levering another round in, but heard the brass clink onthe ground. I come up the Right hand shoulder with the cross hair as he is running quartering away and BOOOM, WWHAACK, ZING, I hear the bullet richocet after punching through. He stumbles and keeps running,I get the crosshairs on him again, a little higher on the shoulder, Boom, Whack, Zeeng, and I break the shoulder just below the socket, and he still keeps running. At nearly 200, I hold 6 inches over his back and Whack, CRRASSSh he slide about 40 feet into a brush pile on his chest. I had hit the pelvis dead center, angled in under the spine, over the paundh and out through his chest. When I ran upthere he was still alive and tried to horn me twice when I got close enough. He was a 6x6 just under 300 inches, 290 or so, good mass, fat too. Guide thought I had missed 2nd and 3rd shot, couldnt beleive the damage he took and still kept running. Oddly enought when quartering and boning him out that night, we didnt loose 6-8 # of meat, due to the lack of water in the tissue, not a lot of bloodshot meat. I had read that this was the case in arrid climates, like Africa and such. Guide stuck a coke can in the exit hole on the double lung shot, got pics if anyone can help post them, I will email them to them. My email is samkoger10x@yahoo.com. Thanks fer looking guys.

[borg]

Somebody with knowhow needs to help this poor guy post his pics...I wanna see them!

[ctrout]

Pic posting assistance email sent!

Here you go! Pictures at last (and I feel honored to be the first to see them). A very nice bull and it looks like a great caliber you used. I think you can eat right up to the hole.

http://f369.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f42659%5fAExVv9EAAUdYTLeyVgQN8mfLO DY&pid=1.2&fid=Inbox&inline=1

http://f369.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f42659%5fAExVv9EAAUdYTLeyVgQN8mfLO DY&pid=1.3&fid=Inbox&inline=1

http://f369.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f42659%5fAExVv9EAAUdYTLeyVgQN8mfLO DY&pid=1.4&fid=Inbox&inline=1

[skoger]

CTrout, pics have been sent to your email, Thanks!!

[ctrout]

Deleted.

[borg]

Dangit!

[skoger]

Why were they deleted, can we post again or in pics?

[ctrout]

I didn't delete them, I just moved them to the first page of the thread so more people would see them.