This One Still Haunts Me

[DrMike]

Gerry's thread on "Your 'Best" Big Game Animal" has me wondering about the "one" that haunts you. Perhaps it was the bruiser wall hanger that managed to elude you, or perhaps it was the one that somehow managed to absorb your best shot and still managed to somehow slip away. Did you learn any lesson that could be shared with others to perhaps aid them avoiding being haunted as you are haunted.

I had such a bear slip away a few years ago, and it bothers me to this day. He was a good sized black bear. It was April, and there was still just a cover of snow with patches of brown beginning to show. There were just enough new shoots beginning to stick up through the thatch to draw the early risers from their dens. BlkRam and I were inspecting some pipelines when we spotted him. I managed to get within about 120 yards or so. I was kneeling with a very steady rest when I pulled the trigger on my .358 Win. I was shooting a 200 grain TSX at a muzzle velocity of ~2500 fps (Barnes 200 grain TSX, 49.0 grains H335; F210--2518 fps/0.66 inches at 100 yards). I had aimed for the front left leg. At the shot, the bruin rolled and came up on his feet. Spinning as fast as any bear I've ever seen, he darted into the woods before I could get a second shot.

We agreed that the bear was hit and should die shortly. We waited to allow him to stiffen and die before we began our search. We easily found his spoor and there was blood staining the snow. I was certain we would soon find him. As we moved deeper into the woods, the snow became thinner and the open ground more prominent. We had soon penetrated a hundred yards or so into the woods. We trailed that bear through some of the thickest underbrush imaginable. The blood trail was becoming more splotchy all the time. Several times we found where the bear had laid up to watch his back trail, and the blood in those instances was becoming less with each passing yard. We were finding a drop--a single drop--at intervals of as much as fifteen meters or so. The tracking took the remainder of the afternoon until we were about be overtaken by darkness. We had tracked the bear through thick brush for well over a kilometer, though he had made a circuitous route that covered considerably more than a kilometer; we were no closer than when we started. Worse yet, blood sign was becoming non-existent. We agreed that we would quit for the night.

I went out the next day, hoping that I would find the bear. I found no bear and no sign of ravens feasting. I returned a couple of times during the remainder of the week, but I never found that bear. I don't like losing an animal, and I certainly didn't want to lose that particular bruin. BlkRam and I replayed that stalk and shot in our minds, discussing it repeatedly over the next couple of years. We still talk about it at times. The best explanation that I can some up with is that the shot was higher than I intended, passing over the lungs and below the spine. Such a shot would not necessarily be fatal to a bear, though it would definitely be a shock. Usually, I would imagine that such a shock would at least temporarily disrupt neural transmission, causing the rear legs to cease functioning. However, I was using a monolithic bullet launched from a relatively mild cartridge. In such an instance, the bullet would not have hit any hard tissue to promote expansion. Moreover, it would have passed through a relatively narrow area of body, which would not have promoted expansion. This is the best explanation I've been able to come up with.

Since then, I've worked up some new loads built with 225 grain Partitions or with 225 grain Game Kings. I've never lost an animal with these bullets. I do have a renewed appreciation of how tough these animals are, which makes them one of my favourite game animals. They are a worthy quarry for any hunter. However, this one bear haunts me to this day. I surely hope he managed to survive. Since I heard no scuttlebutt of anyone finding a carcase in that area, it is just possible that though he had a bad day, he managed to dodge the bullet and make it to another year.

 

[truck driver]

That's some story DrMike.

 

[6mm Remington]

That's a tough one Mike.

 

[6mm Remington]

A gorgeous and huge 6 point bull still haunts my memories even though our paths crossed roughly 30 years ago! Thanks Dr. Mike for making me think about this old boy again. I was very lucky a few years ago to get a really nice 6 point bull that has a 43" inside spread and 53" main beams. Many of you have seen pictures of him, some might say too many times! I never had him officially scored, he was just a beautiful old bull. Well this story is about a bull that was every bit as large if not larger than that bull was.

It was about mid-November and I was hunting about 50 miles west of Missoula in a spot that I have NOT hunted for quite some time. I'm not quite certain of the reason why as it's pretty good hunting there. Maybe it's because this bull still haunts my dreams.

It was a beautiful morning and I hit the trail-head about 45 minutes before first light so that I could climb to the top of the ridge before it got light. As I got up on top of the ridge the sky was just beginning to lighten up in the east. It was cold and clear with the temperature about 15 degrees and there was roughly 8" of brand new snow. There was no wind and it was just a gorgeous morning to be out. With the conditions I figured the elk and deer would be moving and would be out late feeding.

I poked my way up the ridge glassing as I went. I had gone about 3 miles from the truck when I cut 5 sets of elk tracks that came up the ridge from the west side to the top. The elk must have been laying in the thick timber while the storm passed. When the tracks hit the top of the ridge the elk continued north the same way I was heading. I figured they were heading to an old clear-cut that was about another mile up the ridge to feed. I often found elk there at first light.

One of the tracks looked really big and I figured it was a bull. At the time I could shoot any bull, so if he had horns he was legal. As the tracks were smoking fresh I followed the tracks at a very slow pace. I could tell they were moving very slowly and I did not want to rush it and bump into them without getting a shot.

About a mile further up the ridge I came to the edge of the clear-cut. I had some fir trees in front of me right at the edge of a bank above a closed logging road on the edge of the clear-cut. I eased around the tree looking up the ridge and instantly saw elk about 300 yards away. I just caught the tail end of a cow and a big bull as they walked around two large Junipers on the hillside. My heart just about jumped out of my throat it was beating so fast. Just the quick look that I got at this bull told me he was a spectacular one! The hillside was completely clear around these couple Junipers and I knew that I was going to get a shot. The elk had no idea I was there.

I took my pack off and laid on the ground using it as a rest. I was carrying at the time a Remington 700 ADL 30-06. My rifle was sighted in to be dead on at 250 yards and I knew that at 300 yards and with the slight uphill slope to where the elk were, I was going to have at the most roughly a 2" drop on my bullet. I got comfortable and waited for the elk to mosey around the tree so I could shoot.

It seemed like it took forever for the elk to show themselves, but in reality it was probably not more than a minute or two. By this time though lets just say that I was pretty excited! :mrgreen: Two cows and a spike bull were first to make their appearance and they walked around the trees and came up onto a little flat spot on the knob and stood there looking around. The spike was legal but I knew this giant bull was going to come out right behind him so I waited. Soon the first elk were followed by this huge 6 point bull and a calf. As the bull was walking, this calf was seriously trying to get the old man to play with him. The calf was bucking and crow hopping and running around the bull. He even head butted the bull and then quickly turned and tried to kick at the 6 point with his back legs. The big bull finally had enough "of this damn kid" and lowered his rack below the calf's butt and scooped him up off of the ground and shoved him to the side. The calf finally got the message and figured out that the old guy didn't feel like playing any more. It was pretty funny and was almost missed in all of my excitement. I'm not sure but I think I was just a wee bit excited by this time, and some of that may have been caused by having to wait so long for this to all play out.

I was very solid over my rest and there was no wind to contend with. I felt very confident in my shooting and knew I could make this shot. When the calf and the other elk were clear the bull just stood there broadside. It was quite a picture as I had 5 elk at first light on this gorgeous mountainside standing in the sun in a small group. I settled in behind my rifle and held the cross-hairs about 6 inches over the bulls back. Yes I know! I have no idea what happened from the time I first saw the elk, they walked around the Junipers, and then stood majestically on the mountain looking around, but something did. I squeezed the round off very carefully and the elk just stood there. They did NOT run, they did nothing! :shock: :shock: I quickly put another shell in the chamber and I held the same spot thinking it might have been me and I pulled the shot or something. Boom and nothing. The elk just stood there! I put round number THREE into the chamber and now figure I must be hitting high. Hey dummy you know it's 300 yards and your bullet is only dropping a couple inches at that distance. You think that could be it? I held just a bit lower for shot number THREE and squeeze the trigger. Boom and nothing happens. That's generally what takes place when you miss your target, nothing happens! :twisted: Once more the elk JUST STAND THERE!!! I quickly put round number FOUR into the chamber and still don't "hold on hair" and fudge a couple inches over the bulls back. Boom and another miss!

Now get this, the elk have been shot at FOUR times and still they do not spook. With how we are directly on top of this steep sided ridge, they cannot tell where the shots are coming from. After the first shot though I might just as well have packed my lunch, stood up, and headed back to the Jeep. By the time I fired the FOURTH shot I'm pretty sure if you looked in my face I had the look of a deranged mad-man! The elk have finally had enough and they slowly and calmly start working up the ridge, walking! The big bull was in the rear and as they were walking up the steep hillside, I had the complete top of his back and shoulders as a target. All I had to do was grab one shell and quickly put it into my rifle and shoot him right between the shoulders. Did I do that.................Nooooooooooo! I take four rounds out of my shell-holder and put each of them into the magazine of my rifle and then put a round into the chamber. By the time I had that accomplished, the elk were just disappearing over the top of the ridge and out of sight! :twisted: :twisted: :roll: :lol:

I had just let the bull of a lifetime get away. After I got my stuff gathered up I hiked up to where the elk had been standing when I shot. There was no blood, no hair, no nothing. I followed the tracks up the ridge checking the whole way just to make sure I did not hit this animal even though I knew that answer already. When I got to the top of the mountain it leveled off a bit and the tracks continued on a leisurely pace up the hill. I knew from hunting here that about a mile further up the ridge there was some nice stands of lodge-pole pine and they would most likely bed down there for the day. If I followed them very carefully there was a really good chance that I could slip in on them again and catch them in their beds. I was so disappointed in myself that I was completely done though. The old boy got the better of me this day and he deserved to come back another day to fight again.

I walked back to where the elk had been standing when I shot four times at them. I sat down in the snow and found a small 2-3" patch of bare dirt on the bank right next to where I had been laying in the snow shooting from. Just sitting without a rest or anything I put my sights on the bare spot and squeezed the trigger. My bullet hit dead center in the little patch of dirt. I unloaded my rifle and walked back to my Jeep and drove home. I was done for the day. A lot of years have passed since this took place and yet this bull still haunts my memories. I smile as I write this and remember what an ass whipping he handed me that day on the mountain!! It's as precious of a memory as any I have in many years of hunting. He was something special!

David

 

[6mm Remington]

Sorry it posted twice.

 

[DrMike]

More a humbling than a haunting, David. Elk will do that. Did you ever figure out why you kept missing? I had a humbling experience (again with BlkRam) a few years back--and I never fired a shot! The early season for moose meant that any antlered moose was fair game. We weren't even hunting hard as we drove along a resource road. Topping a hill, Gil locked the brakes. Two bulls were standing in the road and one was feeding in the ditch. I was carrying my 350 RM which delivers a 200 grain TSX AT ~2700 FPS. That rifle and load would account for a young elk later, but it would drop nothing on that particular day. The nearest moose, standing in the ditch, couldn't have been more than thirty yards from me. The two in the road were standing stunned, looking somewhat sheepish at having been caught in the open like that. Gil piled out of the driver's seat holding his rifle, saying "Take the nearest bull, Mike." I was looking down the road and he meant the one in the ditch. The two I was looking at were standing slightly in a row, causing me concern that if I shot I could easily have two moose with one shot. I would have to wait until they moved. His perspective, however, allowed him to take the moose standing farthest back and I could then take the front moose. I waited for him to shoot, and he waited for me to shoot. An eternity passed in about five seconds before all three moose whirled and darted into the bush.

To the best of my ability to analyze what happened, I was somewhat like an African lion that has encountered a herd of wildebeest. If the lion fails to focus on one, it will capture none. I had too many moose and failed to focus on one. It has engendered a good number of laughs in the years since as we recall our gaffs. Those moose did humble me, though. I did manage to tag out that year, but it was over eight weeks later. Oh, yes, I've been humbled on a few occasions.

 

[6mm Remington]

DID YOU FIGURE OUT WHY YOU KEPT MISSING? Yes, it was operator error on holding high, nothing more. Well that and the bull got my adrenaline pumping so much that I was like a puppy piddling because someone's home finally to play with him.

 

[Silentstalker]

Great Stories all. 6mm your story reminded me of my first rifle hunting experience hunting elk. I grew up a bowhunter. I had drawn a cow tag for the Manti area in central Utah. It was bitter cold and the elk were scarce. I was being assisted by my mentor, my Dad. We were on our way to try another glassing location and came upon 4 cows standing near the top of an extremely steep ridge. We guessed them about 350 yards. We did not have a rangefinder back then. I jumped out of the truck and loaded my rifle. I crept towards a tree to use as a rest. I quickly settled in and placed my crosshairs just over the broadside cows shoulders. I was shooting a 7mm rem. Mag. Back then. 150 gr. Partition handloads. I was sighted dead on at 200.

At the first shot they all just stood there. No reaction. I fired another. Nothing. Third shot I adjusted to her backline thinking maybe I was shooting over her. She dropped in her tracks and rolled about 75 yards down the steep hill! Then jumped up and ran right back up with the others.

I really lost my composure then. Due to the steep angle of the shot and frigid cold we could not see where I was hitting. I fired and reloaded multiple shots. Finally I heard my Dad tell me to hold right on her. I placed the crosshairs on her heart and ended the hunt.

I had just put on a fine display of missing. When we got up to her the third shot had gone right through her backstraps effectively stunning her momentarily. My final shot was perfectly placed in the heart. I learned a valuable lesson that day. Always hold on the animal if I felt they were in range. Im quite certain I would have dropped her with the first shot had I done that!

Elk, even small bulls and cows have brought on a fever that most hunters have had difficulty controlling for ages! They are truly majestic!

 

[6mm Remington]

Silentstalker they certainly are majestic. I had to chuckle when I read your story. Obviously I have been there with you on that one!

 

[sask boy]

Approximately 15 years ago we were WT hunting in my favourite spot and it was around 2:00pm so we spread out and started rattling and calling. After about 10 minutes I heard something to my right so I glanced over and there about 75 yards from me was a true Saskatchewan giant :wink:. I at that time had shot 2 buck just over 180 and this one dwarfed them. I carefully lifted up my 375 H&H in a Browning Medallion and had the cross hairs placed right between his eyes and just waited as he did not seem to be nervous, finally he took another step and I placed the cross hairs on his neck and again waited. It seemed like a hour had passed but I know that it was just minutes he then looked right at me so I figured it was now or never so I squeezed the trigger and when the rifle came down I did not see any buck I figured I would just walk over and start to field dress him until the guys showed up. Well I walked over to where the deer should have been but to my surprise there was nothing and I mean no deer, no blood & no hair. I sat down and could not believe I had just missed a legit 200" Whitetail every year since that time I walk by that spot or sit & rattle there and shake my head in disgust :mrgreen:.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[SJB358]

Holy smokes! Great stories gents. I'll have to think on this one a little....

 

[SJB358]

Man, I'd like to hunt in the area where a 200" WT lives Dan. I like to deer hunt, but the great North has some seriously big deer.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I have one that bugs me to this day. Again it was rifle season in WI. On the 2nd day of the season, I had a really nice buck skirt past me at about 75 yards. I pulled up my 30-06 and fired. He reacted like he was hit good. I gave him an hour and then went to track. At the sight of the hit there was blood hair. I was able to track him 300 yards before he went across a swamp where I lost blood. I was sick about it. 3 days later, we made a drive near my stand and one of the standers fired a shot and they yelled, "got him". Well when it was all over, he was standing over a 17" wide 10 point with a broken leg just below the chest. My shot was 4 inches to low. I was happy we got the buck and he was not coyote bait but it bugged me. Come to find out, I zeroed my rifle in on 9 power and when I turned it down to 3, the point of impact moved 4 inches low on that old piece of crap Bushnell scope. Once I found that out, I replaced it with a Leupold. I also double check my zero on high and low powers before hunting season.

 

[DrMike]

Oh, WT, that had to irritate. Nothing worse than a scope that is out of whack. It can sure ruin a good day of hunting, that's for sure.

Dan, it's what I've always said, if you're gonna' shoot white tail, bring a BIG gun. Those .375 bullets will just bounce off. :grin: Great story. Buck fever for sure. I'm actually quite sympathetic. Since I've already demonstrated that I'm quite capable of screwing up chip shots, I might as well relate the story of my first bear hunt.

The first bear I ever lined up on, my hunting partner at the time was filming. Man, it is terrible when it is on film! We were about sixty feet up a hillock and he was alternately napping and grazing. It was springtime, and he was totally unaware that we were lined up on him. I'm hyperventilating and my Model 94 .356 is keeping time with my gulps as I tried to get enough air to calm down. The fellow filming (an erstwhile hunting partner) asked, "Are you gonna' shoot?" "Let me catch my breath," I pleaded. The camera pans out to the bear, who is blissfully unaware of all that is going on above him. I finally get my breathing under control...

just in time to see the bear saunter off into the bush. Almost three minutes of film alternating between me gulping air and the bear grazing and lying down. That fourteen foot bear (okay, he was maybe six foot or so--but I'm only conceding because you raised your eyebrows and doubted my veracity) was a brown colour. It didn't help that my partner, a former bear guide in Alberta, wasn't certain whether we were on a grizzly or a black bear. Grizzlies weren't supposed to be in the Skagit Valley. However, since then, I've verified that grizzlies do come into the area from time-to-time.

The next bear, a week later, wasn't so lucky. I was in much greater control of my breathing and shooting. The shot went straight through his ears.

 

[gerry]

I actually stalked an animal and got so close I couldn't shoot, how is this possible? Well let me tell you the story...........

In our area we have general open seasons and also areas where you need to draw a permit for mountain goats. Open area seasons are August 1 - November 15 and LEH areas are August 1 - February 28.

I had the permit for the area where I shot my first mountain goat which is in one of my favorite valleys. It was the second half of February and the snow depth was quite minimal down low so hiking was easy. It was an absolutely beautiful day to hike in, it would take a bit over 1 hour to hike in on an old logging road to a spot where we could glass from and set up. We glassed for a while and all of a sudden I spotted a nice billy very low on the mountain on a small bluff about 50 feet wide by 50 feet tall poking out of the conifers, he was so low you could only see him from one spot due to the timber just ahead of us.

I got very excited of course and went after him. The stalk went well and I found myself climbing up the bottom of the bluff very carefully but I couldn't see the goat. There was a bit of snow on the bluff so I had to go up carefully, I passed a small tree and went a bit higher and still no goat. I thought he has to be just on the other side of a rocky out cropping just to my left and under 25 feet away. I got ready and clapped my hands loudly hoping to get him to stand up and look at me. The plan was he would look over the rock and I would shoot (260 Rem 140 gr Speer Hot Cor) and then he would drop to the bottom where I would collect him.

I heard a rock roll and still no goat, he ended up going on a little trail just above me but hidden and then he appeared about 10-12 feet directly above me. I went to shoot but then realized that the law of gravity wasn't my friend at that moment, if I dropped him he would have taken me with him. I got a real good look at him as he walked by but he never even glanced my way and had no idea I was around!!! Had I stayed by the little tree I could have held on and maybe he wouldn't have taken me with him, then again he could have hooked me with his horns if I had tangled up with him on the bluff. Goats can be really aggressive and will defend themselves, my friend has a video of a grizzly trying to get a goat and the goat held his own and hooked the grizz in the guts a few times.

So that's the story, I was really pumped to have gotten that close but also disappointed that I never got him. I will always wonder if I should have pulled the trigger...........

 

[DrMike]

Wise move on your part, Gerry. Those goats are nothing to get agitated.

 

[truck driver]

I don't know if I can say it haunts me or not but I can still see it as clear aas the day it happened. I had bought a new Ruger 77 30-06 and Weaver accutrack scope back in 1980 and had gotten it zeroed and broken in good , I was also very familiar with it so there was no problems with handling and function. The first day of deer season it was 60 degrees and raining like cats and dogs. Everything got soaked including me so when I got home I towled it off and set it in a corner near a heater to dry out as I had done numerous times with other guns before and gave them a thorough cleaning the next day with out a problem and done the same thing with this one. On Monday I went back out early to hunt again. A nice 6 point walked out of some Laural and I naturally put the cross hairs just behind the front shoulder and squeezed the trigger. The gun went bang but the deer didn't flinch and just ran off. I looked for blood but there was none and I knew I couldn't have missed at 50yds this rifle scope combo shot 1/2" groups and the scope set on low power but that is just what I had done. I went back to where I was standing and looked at the place the deer had stood and looked for anything that was disturbed, 10 feet to the right which was behind the deer was a big Birch tree and it had a fresh bullet hole in it with the bark blown off. There was no way I missed that deer that badly it was just impossible for me to have pulled off that badly so I took a shot at the tree which was 3 feet across and missed the tree. The ground was torn up to the right of that tree ware the bullet had hit since I was aiming low so not to send a bullet out threw the woods.
I unloaded the rifle and headed to my local gun smith to get it checked out. Put a bore scope in the end of the barrel and couldn't get it to line up with the scope. So we attempted to take the action out of the wood to see what was wrong. Took the action screws out and could not pull the action from the wood. This stock had not been bedded so it was still like it had come from the factory. It took several whacks with a 3lb no bounce hammer to get it to separate. The forearm had warped and was putting a lot of pressure on the barrel. We had to hog out the barrel channel to get it back together. So I sealed it back up and resighted it in so I could finish the season with it with plans on bedding the whole stock and forearm after the season which we did and it hasn't changed point of impact with a VXII 1.5-5 on it since it was done in the 1980s. I now make sure all wood stocks are sealed after I purchase them. Ruger had a bad reputation for not sealing the barrel channels on their rifles.

 

[sask boy]

gerry you did the right thing Bud. There is no need to take that kind of chance :wink:! Hopefully you get many more chances to go after goats before you hang them up!!

Blessings,
Dan

 

[6mm Remington]

I'm seeing a trend here. We all mess up sometimes.

Dr. Mike - I figured you were cool as a cucumber all the time Mr. I have no pulse in my veins!

Sask Boy - What a whitetail. He sounds like a toad. Hard to think about those like that which get away.

Gerry - Good call on the goat. I can imagine it was pretty exciting though to be that close to him and for him to not even know it!

Wisconsinteacher - I'm glad they found that deer. That would have been sad to know he very well went to waste and suffered. On the other hand I've seen some animals taken that have had what appear to be some serious injuries and have lived through it. It's amazing what they can survive.

 

[DrMike]

Dr. Mike - I figured you were cool as a cucumber all the time Mr. I have no pulse in my veins!

BlkRam says all he needs to do to waken me is whisper, "Bear!" The mere mention of a black bear (to say nothing of a grizzly) gets me moving pretty fast. I've taken my fair share of bears, but I still get somewhat excited.