salmonchaser
Handloader
- Dec 13, 2013
- 4,580
- 3,753
Had a bit of luck this morning. Hiked in about 11/2 miles, dropped about 1,000 feet in the process. Slid down a side ridge a couple hundred yards and planted my butt on a rock. I had a series of basins I could watch, from point blank to out further than I would shoot. Windy as hell, rain, fog and snow tormented me.
Just a few minutes after legal shooting light I needed to get rid of the extra cup of coffee I drank.
I stood up and immediately saw elk in a blind spot to my sitting position. Forgetting the task at hand I snatched up my rifle, found the elk, angling away.
The crosshairs settled high on the shoulder of the bull and I tapped the trigger. He jumped hard and was gone over the ridge. A minute or two later the cows appeared. They milled around for a bit, the bull never showed.
I ranged the spot at 300. Ugh, that's a pretty good poke off hand. Hadn't even thought about the wind, I was sheltered but it was blowing hard out where the elk were. Crud, probably shot him in the butt.
I gathered my kit and hustled out to where the bull had disappeared. I peaked over the ridge, eased up a little more and started glassing. Spotted him in a hump about 60 yards away, done.
Got to him and found I had hit him behind the ribs, angled forward and out through the off side shoulder.
Got him quartered and headed up to the trail at about nine, to go fetch my pack frame. When I hit the trail there was a guy there with a couple of mules. Said he was looking for a guy who swore he was on my trail, but he's not.
He offered to pack my elk, since he was there. I only had 60 bucks in my wallet.
Done deal, mules walk right to the elk, 10 minutes and we are loaded. I had to hustle keeping up on the way out.
Instead of two days packing I was in the truck, called Bill to brag on my good fortune by noon.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Just a few minutes after legal shooting light I needed to get rid of the extra cup of coffee I drank.
I stood up and immediately saw elk in a blind spot to my sitting position. Forgetting the task at hand I snatched up my rifle, found the elk, angling away.
The crosshairs settled high on the shoulder of the bull and I tapped the trigger. He jumped hard and was gone over the ridge. A minute or two later the cows appeared. They milled around for a bit, the bull never showed.
I ranged the spot at 300. Ugh, that's a pretty good poke off hand. Hadn't even thought about the wind, I was sheltered but it was blowing hard out where the elk were. Crud, probably shot him in the butt.
I gathered my kit and hustled out to where the bull had disappeared. I peaked over the ridge, eased up a little more and started glassing. Spotted him in a hump about 60 yards away, done.
Got to him and found I had hit him behind the ribs, angled forward and out through the off side shoulder.
Got him quartered and headed up to the trail at about nine, to go fetch my pack frame. When I hit the trail there was a guy there with a couple of mules. Said he was looking for a guy who swore he was on my trail, but he's not.
He offered to pack my elk, since he was there. I only had 60 bucks in my wallet.
Done deal, mules walk right to the elk, 10 minutes and we are loaded. I had to hustle keeping up on the way out.
Instead of two days packing I was in the truck, called Bill to brag on my good fortune by noon.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
