Very nice!

Details?

Nice elk but where is the story?

Sorry guys, I'll try to tell later tonight........wapiti7

Cool photo Wapiti, looking forward to the story!

Let me add my request for "the rest of the story". I fell in love with the Gila while stationed at Ft Bliss in '71.

Nice bull!

Ok fellas. I'll try to give you the readers digest version. The morning before the hunt, my friend and I saw 2 bulls that would go around 330 ish. Later that day, he decided that he would look at some other bulls in hopes of a bigger one. So I said hey! I'll be glad to whack one of those and went out that evening to put them to bed. Instead of finding them, however, I found the biggest bull I've ever seen. Right in the 360-370 range. Well, that night we discussed some tactics and I decided to beat everyone to the woods and I showed up about 3:00 am. Well one thing led to another and I never found him again. I guess they don't get that big for no reason. That night led to bad weather and 2 spikes! Fun fun.
The next morning I changed plans again and moved west about a mile. At sun-up, there wasn't an elk to be found, unlike friday when I saw 300-400 head. As the sun began to rise and blind me, I spotted 3 tan dots on a ridge about 2 miles away. Far enough that to only reason I knew that the dots were animals, is that they moved! So I thought to myself, well, I've got nothing else to do. An hour later, and disoriented in the bottom full of pinon and cedar, I almost ran into a feeding cow! Well, I thought, I guess I found em. So on my knees I began to count cows moving parallel with the ridge in front of me at 65 yds. I had a natural shooting lane right to them, but just cows. After 15 minutes or so, a set of antlers came be-boping toward me from the other side of the hill. He stopped, only silloueting his neck and head. As I began to analyze him, I had a million thoughts go through my head....is he big enough, its only the 2nd day, should I hold out for a bigger one.......these thoughts faded as he spun his head to the side and bugled. Yes! I will take him!! I knew.....wow, what a set up, 2 miles to 65 yards, bugling. It was what I dream of every year and size didn't really seem to matter. So I popped the bipod down, clicked the safety off and started to squeeze.....then 2 cows decided to keep him company and he walked off, with them in front of him!! Ok, it's ok,right? When I knew the coast was clear, I bolted 20 yds to my right, under a juniper in the shade......open meadow.....cow....cow.....bull.....boom! I'm not sure which hit first, his nose or his belly!
Blessed, no doubt.......wapiti7

Sounds like you had a great hunt -- thanks for the details.