Man, I'm amazed just to hear of someone who actually drew a tag. Those things seem to only be handed out to folks through an act of Congress. Like the others, please give some details, including what you used to take your elk. Congrats on that hunt. Tom Purdom
Posts: 499 | Location: Eudora, Ks. | Registered: 15 December 2003
This is a Once in a Lifetime Draw Elk hunt near Lawton Oklahomaon the WichitaMountains National Wildlife Refuge. There were 225 permits issued this year only 75 bulls.I've been putting in for this hunt for the last 18 yrs.The biologist said 30,000 appl. were submitted. We all reported on Monday for the briefing by US Fish and Wildlife then a tour of our hunt area we spotted 10 bulls on the tour but that was nothing to the first day of the hunt. We talked as we rode back. A quick total of the a11 of us we had seen over 100 bulls and no cows.The first bull taken in our area was a big broad 8X7 with a drop tine.I had seen a nice 7X7 the first day and had climbed a mountain of boulders to get above him but a 6X6 with him busted me and they took off just as I was getting into postion for the shot. The oakbrush was thick so no shot and it was the first day. I saw 9 bulls that day. Day two I knew I was to much of a couch potato sore as hell from the climb the day before.The worst windstorm I can remember blew in during the night to 40-50 MPH with Gusts at 65 with light rain but about 40 degrees in the morning going to 50 by afternoon but the wind didn't let up all day..Hard to even stand up straight. We thought it would be an easy day as the bulls would be pinned against the refuge fence. I went to a new area to the south and worked my way north thinking the bulls would be on the south facing slopes out of the wind.The first area I looked at had 4 bulls feeding but all 5x5's so I moved west and found a small spring fed creek as I followed it. I saw a lot of elk dung and it looked like the area where the spring came from was a small bowl in a dead end canyon. I slowly worked up the canyon glassing as I went.I spotted my elk at 400 yds feeding on the side of the canyon all by himself. He looked good a nice 6x6 so I backed off and got behind a rock outcrop and worked to within a lazered 165 yds sometimes crawling to the next rock.Which was hell on this 56 year old with bad knees but I made it. I was just getting ready for the shot when he bedded down behind some brush,so the wait was on.He finally stood about 45 minutes later and stepped out from behind the brush. My 7RM was loaded with 160gr Accubonds which I knew were dead on at 200 yds. The first shot was a double lung but he just stood there like I had fired a blank.So I hit him again still no reaction.I was thinking "MAN, I know I hit you". The third shot was the charm. I put one more to the front nicking the front leg bone at the shot there was a loud thump and he went down. He did try to get up one more time but just raised his head the dropped it back.I got to him and found he had dropped right between to elk size boulders. Lucky for me some guys helped to pack it out the 1/2 mile to the truck but it was one tough job getting him quartered by myself stuck between those boulders.I have a some pics but don't know how to post them. One of the other hunters got a monster 6X6 in our area and one was still hunting when we left.Only two of the 7 cow hunters had taken elk.We were in Bull Central.
Posts: 1111 | Location: Edmond,OK | Registered: 14 March 2001
Rob; Leaving tomorrow for deer camp, but when I get back after Thanksgiving, let's do coffee, I want to hear your story. I live in Edmond also. I have hunted whitetail in the area you hunted elk. Fantastic animals and country. Congrats again.
Rob, there is an outfit in Oklahoma City that does European Mounts using flesh-eating beetles to clean the skull. It is a lot faster than the boiling method I'm told and not as labor intensive. If you want I see if I can do a google search for the place. Tom Purdom
Posts: 499 | Location: Eudora, Ks. | Registered: 15 December 2003
Rob - For some reason my private messaging is on the fritz, or possibly it is just me. I'll post the information here. The outfit is named Skulls Unlimited International. They are located at 10313 South Sunny Lane in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The zip code is 73101. Their telephone number is 1-800-659-Skull. The website is www.skullsunlimited.com. I had an outfit in Kingsville, Texas, do a Euro mount on a nice whitetail I took at the King Ranch one year and the damn things are really, very, very nice. All up I paid $285 plus shipping for the mount. Mine is the kind without the lower jaw where they sawed on the back of the skull to just below the eye sockets right to the middle of the jaw. It was mounted on a piece of Mahogany just a tad larger than the actual size of the skull. I can't tell from the price list on the website but it looks like an elk would be a lot less expensive, however, I do not know if that includes the mounting back. I guess a 1-800 phone call to them would clear up that question. Again, they are very impressive. I hope this helps ... Tom Purdom
Posts: 499 | Location: Eudora, Ks. | Registered: 15 December 2003
Tom, I called them to clean the skull of a Elk is $175 without the lower jaw. They said they could tell how to mount it on a plaque but don't do it themselves and don't refer it to anyone. However, it does sound like something that would be great project for the trophy room. Rob
Posts: 1111 | Location: Edmond,OK | Registered: 14 March 2001
