So I figure I should add in a successful hunting story to go along with my recent unsuccessful one. This was back in September 2004 and I wrote an email on it, so I'm feeling lazy and will just copy and paste from it. (Yes, I used a lot of exclamation points, it was all very exciting ;-)) I don't think I mentioned it, but this hunt was right in the middle of mid-terms. Lots of fun, I failed one for it (still pulled out a B in the class). Steve and I had put in for Unit 10 early hoping to not get drawn, as that year they were charging full price for the bonus point only option and we *knew* we wouldn't get drawn for this hunt with only a few bonus points.
After my last hunt I laugh about this one. For the 2008 hunt I had put together a Thompson Encore rifle in 300wm, spent some time getting fancy loads worked up with Barnes Triple X bullets and sub MOA grouping. I could hit a gong on every shot at 385 yards without much effort. This 10 east hunt was another story entirely. I had probably shot my rifle 3 times that year, used some bullets I had loaded 10 years earlier. Didn't zero in, probably shooting 3MOA (the throat is worn out on the barrel). Guess that's the way it goes :-D.
Anyway, I'll go ahead and paste the email now:
The hunt went great. Got up into unit 10 Thursday. My Dad had flown the area earlier this year so we had a general idea of where to go. We got up around 5 after camping out and drove the couple miles to where we were looking to hunt. As soon as we got out of the truck we could hear them bugling, but had to walk a couple miles to get to our desired spot (no roads went there). We spotted them around 800 yards away and were able to easily get about 400 yards from them. When we got closer we watched them fight a whole bunch, pushing eachother around, keeping the cows in their herums, and bugling like crazy! I hadn't done a lot of shooting this year so I didn't want to make that kind of a shot, so we spent the next two and a half hours trying for a closer shot. We'd move (my Dad (AKA Buahna Guide), then they'd move. Back and forth. Then we'd lose sight of them behind a hill only to somehow end up behind them again. We finally got up to where we figured they might come and were just kind of dinking along and all of the sudden there they were! Right in front of us around 150 yards were a bunch of them. We didn't have a clear shot at the herd bull so we stood absolutely motionless for half an hour! That was the longest half hour of my life! The biggest movements made was shifting weight from one foot to another.
Anyway, after waiting and watching and lots and lots of painful waiting, the herd bull finally came up on top of this little hill that we were standing on, but either had a cow in front of him, another bull behind him or a tree in front of him whenever I tried to get him in the clear. I blew a few elk calls (with a young bull type bugle) which got a quick "I'm the boss, stay away" response and look from him. I figured he would probably do some moving after the call, so I slowly placed my rifle on my Dad's shoulder as the grass was too tall for any sitting shots and nothing around us except grass in each direction for 50 yards. No chance we could make it that far to get a good rest without spooking them. The herd bull then proceeded to chase a couple cows around and finally started to follow one across an opening. Problem was, there was still another bull behind him about 50 yards. He didn't follow the cow across the opening. The elk behind him walked out of the way. He then followed another cow across the opening. Just as he was in the middle of the opening, BANG! I got a great shot right up through the ribs, caught both lungs and lodged in his left shoulder. (He was facing to our right). He ran about 20 yards and dropped dead. Man, what a sight it was seeing those monster antlers flop onto the ground! I was so excited! This is only my second elk, and a heck of a lot bigger than the first!
Then came the real work, getting him cleaned out and back to the truck. We had walked a lot further than I had thought, and the afternoon sun was really wearing on us. It was about 6 miles back to the truck. On the way my Dad almost stepped on a rattle snake! That'll get your attention when you're half awake walking.
After talking to some professional guides (the ones my Dad was flying when he found this area), they called this elk Scrappy and Topsy Tervy. Scrappy because he was always up fighting off other bulls, and Topsy Tervy because he has such a huge top end (5 and 6), but small in comparison bottom end. He has 7 points on the left side and 6 on the right. The guides figured him around 350" through a spotting scope. I measured him at 330" with my amaturish methods using the Boon and Crocket online measurement calculator. One of the guides watching him the day prior to my killing him (I got him opening morning, Friday at 9:30 AM) said that he had the number 4 on the left side which was broken off when I shot him. Guestimating the number 4 antler on the left side based on the right side gives him a score of around 347" :-D. Anyway, with that antler being there the day before, it could have broken off as I watched them fight.
It was an absolutely amazing hunt, can't beat a two and a half hour stalk! Definately something I will never forget. It still gets my blood going thinking about the excitement of it all!
Chaz got this nice shot of a bull doing some scouting with my dad and Steve:
A coyote that should have been schooled that day (another by Chaz):
Here we are, excited and tired. You can kind of see the #4 on his left side broken off:
My camera had old film in it and gave some odd coloring...I didn't want to lug the SLR around.
Another shot where he dropped:
This is back at my grandparent's house. Steve and my dad stayed out hunting so I was alone getting this one skinned and cleaned up for the butcher, having a tractor made it pretty easy :-D:
Back at my parents, I think this is my favorite shot of the antlers:
Another shot in my parent's back yard:
Blake is loving the camera this month, he is taking the best pictures. On this day he had on Jared's backpack, a belt for a necklace, and a backwards hat. He just loves to get dressed up and zoom all over the house on his bike.
Did someone say wrestle? Blake loves to wrestle, if you are on the floor watch out, he will jump and stomp all over you.
Kayla is a goof ball and loves to act crazy when the camera is out. 
Elizabeth hurt her wrist this month. She fell on it a few times throughout the week. So on valentines day night she was in so much pain Jared took her to the E.R. The doctors there thought she might have damaged her growth plate but weren't sure so they wrapped her up and told us to go see a specialist. Luckily no fractures or damage just a sprained wrist. I think she liked all of the attention she got at school though. :)
