In the years I lived in Montana I shot a pile of elk...lots of spikes and cows. At that time, hunting public land my goal was meat for the table. In all of those years I never shot a bull with branched antlers and that has been on my bucket list for a long time...
My wife and I went to Cross Mountain ranch in NW Colorado to try to check that item off my list. The lodge was top notch, so we were not roughing it at all...




The first morning we looked over a lot of country and saw a bunch of elk including several bulls that were not close enough to shoot. I did pass on one 5x5 bull that was at 300yds, it was the first morning and Buddy my guide thought we could do better.



We went back to camp when the elk began to bed down for the day...that afternoon we headed out to sit for the evening. My wife was along with us too. We went to a place called Bob's knob, the spot over looks this small basin...



When we got into the sitting spot there were already elk in the meadow. What followed is something I have never seen in all the years I have elk hunted.... Elk poured out of the timber from every direction in small groups. We stopped counting at 60, the elk just kept coming....cows, calves, spikes and small bulls. It was 350yds to the timber on the far side of the meadow...there was a wallow at 250yds and the bulls were rolling in the mud... We watched the elk until it was full dark. There were 2 bigger bulls bugling in the timber but they never came out... we snuck out of there in the dark trying not to spook the elk....

The next morning we saw elk near Bob's knob moving across the fence into the neighboring ranch.



That evening at the knob we only saw about 20 elk, a long ways off and some closer slipping thru the oak brush and aspens...the wind was blowing hard and the elk just would not come out into the open..

On the morning of the third day we went to a part of the ranch called the green gate. We crossed the Williams fork river and went up the mountain. When we hit the top a herd of elk crossed in front of the atv in the head lights..they crossed the fence on to the neighbors in the dark. We parked, hiked across the top and down the side of the mountain to a steep face that over looked this basin..


When we arrived there were 2 spike bulls and several cows below us already...we could hear elk bugling on the far ridge at about 450yds. We watched and soon saw elk feeding on the hillside and moving our direction...small groups of 3-6 elk but probably 30 or so total, one 5x5 was in there but we couldn't tell how his antlers were... As we watched Buddy told me he was pretty sure the elk would move closer and I needed to be ready... That bull was following this cow...


My wife was along and using my camera to take these pics...she had just learned to use the telephoto on it and I am amazed that she did so well.... Anyway the bull followed the cow to within 200yds, he was just about to step out, I could see his head and just the very front of his shoulder...then....he decided to lay down and watch the cow...all we could see was his head....



by now we had been watching that bull for over an hour...and there he laid. In about 15 minutes, that cow decided to move on with the rest of the elk, the bull was not going to let her out of his sight, he was up and moving... I was ready, the bull was following the cow, he stopped broadside at 198yd and the rifle went off! I lost him in the recoil, put another shell in, I could see that I had hit him behind the shoulder...he tried to run, went behind some trees...I was waiting for him to come out......he never did... this is how he landed....




That 200gr accubond bullet from my 338-06ai hit right behind the front shoulder and did its job, the elk went about three steps before piling up...


My guide Buddy, knew the country and how the elk used it...he was great to hunt with. He made my wife feel welcome and was glad to have her along hunting with us, and it was a thrill she was not expecting. Now she is ready to go back and get a bull of her own...so that is the plan for 2018.




It was a great trip!

Congrats on a long sought trophy!

Nice report.
You're lucky to have a wife who participates so fully.
Great pics.

Fun hunt and great report.

Hunting elk when they are bugling is a thrill. Congrats!

Congratulations Sir, you did good.

A job well done. Congrats.

Thanks for sharing, and thanks to your wife for the great photos.

Glad you got your Bull and got to see all that beautiful country. That ranch and that part of Colorado are really something.
Congratulations and great pictures.

Great report and pictures. Congratulations!

Very well done, hunting elk in a terrain as beautiful is one of my dreams, congratulations and thanks for sharing!

Fine looking country. Great pictures.
They don't get any deader than that!
Am happy for you filling your dream tag.
Good eating bull too.
George

Big congrats!

Outstanding. Thanks for sharing your hunt.


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