Elk down

Guy Miner

Master Loader
Apr 6, 2006
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Finished the cleaning and skinning chores a bit ago.

Enjoyed a terrific day afield with some great guys. Two of us held these late-season cow elk tags; a fifteen year old guy and me. Everyone else was support! Nice to have help.

First we located a terrific big bull elk, I don't know, but a couple of the guys think he's a 7x7... NICE! But our tags were for cows. We located a herd of twenty-some elk, with two young bulls, at 1100+ yards. Got closer. Ranged at 470. We weren't getting any closer... Both shooters were prone in the snow, the young man of course was first, and he put two shots into his cow with a .300 Weatherby magnum. Nice shooting! She was down.

Of course "my" elk and the rest of the herd were now all bunched up, milling around, no shot opportunity and they took off farther up the mountain. No problem. Two buddies came with me, and we stalked to 338 yards. A single 165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip smashed her on-side shoulder, breaking it badly, and hit the lungs pretty darned well too. She was down in short order.



I thought it was pretty funny, that I've been asking about shoulder shots on elk, and intended to put the bullet right behind the shoulder, but no... I had to nail the shoulder! Dang. Ah well. Interestingly the off-side shoulder is also pretty bloodied up. I haven't found the bullet yet, but I think it's still in there somewhere.

It was a good hunt, and finally my 2016 big game season is finished. Four big game animals, each with the .30-06 and the 165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. It's been a good season, I am very grateful.

Regards, Guy
 
Guy Miner":ewhj5xet said:
Finished the cleaning and skinning chores a bit ago.

Enjoyed a terrific day afield with some great guys. Two of us held these late-season cow elk tags; a fifteen year old guy and me. Everyone else was support! Nice to have help.

First we located a terrific big bull elk, I don't know, but a couple of the guys think he's a 7x7... NICE! But our tags were for cows. We located a herd of twenty-some elk, with two young bulls, at 1100+ yards. Got closer. Ranged at 470. We weren't getting any closer... Both shooters were prone in the snow, the young man of course was first, and he put two shots into his cow with a .300 Weatherby magnum. Nice shooting! She was down.

Of course "my" elk and the rest of the herd were now all bunched up, milling around, no shot opportunity and they took off farther up the mountain. No problem. Two buddies came with me, and we stalked to 338 yards. A single 165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip smashed her on-side shoulder, breaking it badly, and hit the lungs pretty darned well too. She was down in short order.



I thought it was pretty funny, that I've been asking about shoulder shots on elk, and intended to put the bullet right behind the shoulder, but no... I had to nail the shoulder! Dang. Ah well. Interestingly the off-side shoulder is also pretty bloodied up. I haven't found the bullet yet, but I think it's still in there somewhere.

It was a good hunt, and finally my 2016 big game season is finished. Four big game animals, each with the .30-06 and the 165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. It's been a good season, I am very grateful.

Regards, Guy

Guy I'm so danged happy for you. That's a great looking cow that I'm sure will make excellent meals.

That's hilarious about the shoulder shot, and at 338 yards that bullet was at its peak, you couldn't ask for more. Well done and congrats. You've had a great year with that 30-06!!
 
Guy, congratulations on the fine elk. That was an excellent shot. Also, congrats to the young hunter, well done.
 
Guy,

Congratulations on a very nice cow elk and on a great season

JD338
 
Well done Guy. Ive a whole new level of respect for ballistic tips. Love learning. Sounds like your young friend did a heck of a job too.


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That is great Guy, you hunted hard and connected, congratulations on a beautiful elk. She will eat far better than a 7 by.
 
Yee haw! That's taking it to 'em! Congratulations to you and to the young feller! Excellent.
 
Congratulations Guy, very nice conclusion to a great season. Have you estimated the age by examining the ivories? Montana Fish & Game has a good article on their website to use.
 
Congratulations to the both of you on two fine elk. She should be some great eating! Man what's not to like about a 30-06. Scotty sure needs to get himself one.

David
 
Thanks all, your comments are much appreciated.

This group of elk spends their winter in an area that is partially public land, and a LOT of private land. I spent several days & half-days trying to find them. The elk kept moving onto lands where I had no permission to hunt. Yesterday, we were able to get after them where we could hunt! Yahoo!

It's been a great December hunt, just getting out into the snow covered hills several times, sometimes alone, sometimes with a good friend or two. Yesterday, we had six of us, and a couple of the local landowners showed up to help us get the elk out with their ATV's! First time I'd ever loaded an elk whole into a pickup bed! Two elk and three hunters gave that big F-350 plenty of traction to get back up the snowy road!

Later this morning I'll finish cleaning up the carcass a bit and two of us will take it to the meat processor. Looking forward to some really good eating this year. While skinning the carcass yesterday afternoon, I noticed that she seemed to be in really good shape, but without as much fat as I'd expect for this time of year. I think we're looking at some GREAT meat.

Still hoping to find the bullet, or whatever is left of it. And I'll see if I can get some photos of the entrance wound & damage. I neglected to get a photo of the shredded lungs yesterday.

Sure is nice to take another elk, my only other one was in 2000, sixteen years ago. I was reminded again yesterday, with my arms way up inside the chest cavity, that these rascals are a LOT bigger than mule deer! :grin:

Guy
 
Oh, and the young man with his elk at 470 yards? I praised the heck out of him for that! His first elk, two shots, two hits. Down and done.

He was using a stainless Rem 700 in .300 Wby Mag, with a muzzle brake, and shot from a bipod while we were belly down in about 8" of snow. He did GREAT. Then he did a fine job of cleaning his first elk. Nice kid, good hunter & marksman.

Guy
 
Woo-Hoo! Just discovered that a friend took a photo of me moments before I fired yesterday:



Cool.
 
Congratulations Guy, your household will be well fed this year :) you and the 30-06 did very well this year.
 
Yeah, it is very nice when you can load your game whole in the bed of the pickup! :grin:
 
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