Report - Lee's First Elk
Posted: October 11th 2016 @ 1:14pm
Lee's First Elk Image

Last week was tough with high winds and very warm temperatures. We almost got it done on day 2. The gentleman had a family emergency and had to head home after day 3. Unfortunately, we were only able to get close. 
This hunt was shaping up to be about the same. Yesterday morning, we got into them, they just would not come out where we could get a shot. Had them in the thick trees at under 100 yards, just couldn't see them to make a shot. We backed out and came back in the afternoon. We got close again in the afternoon, we were just a couple minutes behind them though. They were already in front of us, heading downhill fast. It just didn't happen, again, the bull came back to inside of 100 yards, but the trees were too thick to see him, let alone make a shot.
This morning, we went back to the same spot. There was nothing happening there, so we backed out and went elsewhere on the property. We saw a lot of turkeys and deer, but no elk. At 9, I said we were going back up. We were almost to where I wanted to get set up and a bull bugles inside of 100 yards. I immediately know that the wind is wrong, so we back out 200 yards to reassess and wouldn't you know it, the wind shifts again! We go back to where I was originally going to set up. We work our way in and I can hear them splashing in the pond that is 40 yards to our right. We just have a small ridge in the way. Unfortunately, there is no quiet way through this ridge, so you must go around it. We get around it and I begin to see elk. At first there were a couple cows, then 10, then 20, 30, and they just keep filing by. Then one of them winded us and took off running. I grab the Hunter and we go 5 yards closer and I see a really big bull. Unfortunately, at 20 yards, he saw us at the same time and took off through the trees. No shot. I take 3 steps forward and see 2 more good Bulls. I set up the sticks and my Hunter was not quite fast enough to pick out the bull and make a clean shot. We blew them out if there. We headed home for a good meal and rest.
I got home, just in time to take Tucker and Jamie into the ER. Tucker started having some rather significant cardiac arrhythmia. We were there all day. I got back late, but there was still time to take my Hunter out, knowing that we had to take Tucker to Albuquerque tomorrow.  
We got out and sat up high to glass. We had been there about 20 minutes and I saw a group of cows in a meadow that was on us. I said there they are, let's go. Grabbed my stuff and off we went. We drive down about 3/4 of a mile and walked from there. We made a great stalk and Lee ended up making an incredible shot from 204 yards and harvested his first elk. This guy has some character. He is a 5x9. There was a herd of probably 30-40 cows, a small 5x5 and this guy. Congratulations, Lee, on your first elk.

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