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Black Range Elk 2016
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Just got back from Elk Camp. Hunted with outfitter Mike Root in Unit 21A, out of Hermosa NM. Mike and his assistant, Steven Gomez, packed me into North Seco Canyon using mules and on Monday we found this one on the mountain side in front of us about 650 yards away. I had to climb down from where we were and up the other side onto the top of a finger ridge that was between us and the Elk. Took me most of an hour to cover that but by the time I got to the top the Elk had finished polishing his antlers and moved to a shady bed under a Pinion. We spotted him and as I got ready to shoot he stood up and was just about to step out of sight as I shot across the canyon with my BLR in .308 Winchester at 317 yards using Hornady Light Magnum 165 grain ammo. One shot dropped him right there and he died in less than a minute. Bullet hit him about an inch from the center of his spine and proceeded through his heart and lungs. Another hour's hike down and back up to where he laid and then the work began. Terrain was way to steep to get the mules up to him so we removed the quarters, backstraps etc. and caped out the skull. Packed the horns and backsrtaps back to camp and the next morning brought the mules as close as we could then climbed back up to him, boned out the meat and dragged panniers full of meat down the mountain to the pack mules. My legs are tired.



John Farner

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Posts: 2939 | Location: Corrales, NM, USA | Registered: 07 February 2001Reply With Quote
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That is some beautiful country and one heck of an elk!

beer


Jason

"You're not hard-core, unless you live hard-core."
_______________________

Hunting in Africa is an adventure. The number of variables involved preclude the possibility of a perfect hunt. Some problems will arise. How you decide to handle them will determine how much you enjoy your hunt.

Just tell yourself, "it's all part of the adventure." Remember, if Robert Ruark had gotten upset every time problems with Harry
Selby's flat bed truck delayed the safari, Horn of the Hunter would have read like an indictment of Selby. But Ruark rolled with the punches, poured some gin, and enjoyed the adventure.

-Jason Brown
 
Posts: 6834 | Location: Nome, Alaska(formerly SW Wyoming) | Registered: 22 December 2003Reply With Quote
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Used a 308 hmm. I've heard a lot of talk about magnum this and magnum that only for elk but I'm glad you've proved otherwise as I'm taking the wife on her first elk hunt with her new 308 this Friday!!

Great job
 
Posts: 623 | Location: Manitoba, Canada | Registered: 10 September 2013Reply With Quote
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Congrats on a fine Elk!

One day I'll get one like that, one day.


--------------------
THANOS WAS RIGHT!
 
Posts: 9823 | Location: Montana | Registered: 25 June 2001Reply With Quote
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Wow, look at the mass on that guy! Well done John. Nice way to spend a few days eh?


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Posts: 3293 | Location: Southern NM USA | Registered: 01 October 2002Reply With Quote
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Nice one John.
Good shooting too.'
One thing about elk country,
not much of it's on the level.
Most times they end up on the bottom
of the steepest hill around and have
to be packed out from there. Usually in
pieces as you just found with this one.

Good eats though. Don't recall seeing
a rack that bent in at the top like that.
Heavy beams though.

First day of hunting and filling your
tag makes for a short season. Nice
weather for it too.

Thanks for sharing with us.
George


"Gun Control is NOT about Guns'
"It's about Control!!"
Join the NRA today!"

LM: NRA, DAV,

George L. Dwight
 
Posts: 5947 | Location: Pueblo, CO | Registered: 31 January 2006Reply With Quote
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Congrats on your hunt.Gotta love those BLR`s!!! Big Grin
 
Posts: 4372 | Location: NE Wisconsin | Registered: 31 March 2007Reply With Quote
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Very nice, congratulations...


Jim coffee
"Life's hard; it's harder if you're stupid"
John Wayne
 
Posts: 4954 | Location: Central Texas | Registered: 15 September 2007Reply With Quote
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Here's a shot looking down the canyon.



John Farner

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Posts: 2939 | Location: Corrales, NM, USA | Registered: 07 February 2001Reply With Quote
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Great one! John, well done.


Frank



"I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money."
- Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953

NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite

 
Posts: 12552 | Location: Kentucky, USA | Registered: 30 December 2002Reply With Quote
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Great elk, love the lever action too!
 
Posts: 5701 | Location: Ohio | Registered: 02 April 2003Reply With Quote
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tu2
 
Posts: 551 | Location: Idaho | Registered: 27 July 2008Reply With Quote
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John,

Great looking elk. Is that 7 on the right side and 5 on the left where one looks to have been broken off on the left?


Mike

Never under estimate the internet community to use any opportunity to reply to a post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence problem.



What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10068 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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Thanks everyone. Bull has 8 points on the right and 6 on the left. I rough taped it last night while boiling the skull and figure it will score somewhere around 360. Here's A shot of Mike trying to show the mass of these antlers



John Farner

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Posts: 2939 | Location: Corrales, NM, USA | Registered: 07 February 2001Reply With Quote
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Nice!
 
Posts: 8169 | Location: humboldt | Registered: 10 April 2002Reply With Quote
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Great hunt. Nice bull with a BLR!


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NRA Benefactor Member
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Westley Richards 450 NE 3 1/4"
 
Posts: 864 | Location: Idaho/Wyoming/South Dakota | Registered: 08 February 2006Reply With Quote
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Well done John! And with a lever action . . . next time . . . a .256 Mannlicher!


Mike
 
Posts: 21243 | Registered: 03 January 2006Reply With Quote
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Fantastic. Great Bull.


.
 
Posts: 41786 | Location: Crosby and Barksdale, Texas | Registered: 18 September 2006Reply With Quote
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Wow... now that is a nice New Mexico bull... heck, a nice elk from anywhere!


On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of ten thousand, who on the dawn of victory lay down their weary heads resting, and there resting, died.

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch...
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!
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Posts: 7532 | Location: Victoria, Texas | Registered: 30 March 2003Reply With Quote
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