Sorry this is long, read at your own risk!

Sun night my wife and I hiked up in the Madison range to meet up with some elk we had glassed the night before at last light. On the way up we passed two spikes by only 50 yds (didn't notice them until we were past and smelled them, as they were feeding down the ridge we were hiking up). We wasted too much time watching them and looking for others, and had to really hustle to make the place that I expected to find the herd. Thinking the elk had moved out early and we saw the tail end of them, I was complacent and sat in the snow next to a tree too far away (the snow was blowing in, and it was already 15 min past official sunset). Next thing I know, there are elk coming straight towards us, but still 200 yds out. The snow picked up, making them difficult to see well, and being afraid that we would not get a chance due to light/snow, we closed some distance to a nearer tree on the steep slope. Now, I could make excuses about a fogged scope, or poor conditions, but I screwed up. I watched in disgust as the first animal I've shot at in a long time trotted out of my life with a nice, even gait, unhurried. I had missed a straight-on shot at a cow from only about 150 yds. The others made their way from us to the opposite side of the steep ravine coming off of the main ridge. I told my wife she would have to shoot now, and she did. Dropping and placing her rifle in the crook of the shooting sticks, she pulled off a round within seconds, hitting the bull in the group through both lungs and clipping the spine before exiting through a rib. She shoots a .308 tikka, that I load up with mere 150 gn Interbonds. He staggered forward, and I told her to hit him again. Her second shot broke his shoulder, and did not exit, sending him down the ravine side at an alarming speed. He crashed off a tree, spinning, and slid from sight. After tracking mine for some time, assuring myself that she was fine, we returned to Kara's bull. He had slid about 400 yds from where she shot him, down the side of the ravine and then on a luge track down the steep bottom, heading in the direction of the truck. She shot with 4 min of legal light left.

Gutting the elk in the dark, I didn't find the second bullet. Maybe it is in the meat of the bull, and can be recovered. It will only be the second that did not exit from about a half a dozen animals she has killed using Interbonds. Between the accuracy and strength of this bullet, I can reccommend it with no reservations. She shot a 4x4 muley a couple of years ago, straight on through the brisket, and I found it resting against the off side femur. She shot the buck from about 200 yds. The bullet had 65% retention, if I remember correctly. That is fine performance.

To say I'm proud of her first elk might be an understatement. And she is thrilled. This elk was taken about 2500' elevation above the truck (no exaggeration), on public land, with no guide (outside of myself, and I can prove to be a hindrance usually). He isn't a monster, but I'm really proud of my wife. Sorry for the long brag-session, I'll cut it out now.






Oh yeah, she shot from about 250 yds.

If the photos don't show, check this site:

Elk Photos

It's never bad to brag on the wife's accomplishments. The pic's didn't show though.

Hey, It's worth bragging! Congrats. Nate

Beautiful job! I know you are proud, and should be. Like your Webshots albums too....I need to do the same thing.

Take it easy.

Thanks for the great story and for the great pics, gotta love that big grin don't ya!

Sounds like a great hunt!

Thx

Mark D

Terrific story! Thanks for sharing it. I was just as proud of my wife's first elk!

Very very nice congratulations to you and your wife. Good for her.

tell her congrats--chris

Really well done. Sounds like Kara did great in very challenging conditions

She sure looks happy. You both should be. 250 yards is a pretty long shot with 4 minutes left to hunt. That is great.

Congrats to both of you. Don't ever think braggin on the spouse is too long! I wish my wife wanted to hunt.

Great story. Great experience.

Congrats to you both!

Great story. Thanks for sharing and keep bragging.

My wife hunts as well, although, she has taken time out the last few years to take care of our two little boys. She plans to get back into it when they get older. But then all four of us will be going out.

Great story, great result too! Congrats.

Wish my wifw would still hunt with me but she gave it up with the birth of our first eight years ago.

JPK

This could well be Kara's last season for a while to take serious hunts as well, so her luck was especially fortunate. Can't wait to have kids to take hunting!

She read this post and wanted me to tell you all the name of her rifle, "W".

Thanks guys.

Mikea,

I started taking my son when he was three and a half. Lots of duck hunts or deer hunts turned into "throw the stick in the pond" trips or "I'm cold and hungry dad" evacs.

But last years when he was four and a half he spotted a deer a good 450yds away on a feild edge as we were heading to a stand during our blackpowder season. We managed to stalk within 45yds of the whitetail doe. If it was just me hunting I would have enjoyed the stalk and passed on the shot, maybe waited to see if she had company. But I shot the doe since I was with him. He was so proud of our effort I can't even tell you. I've shot a lot bigger stuff, even now a couple of elephants and cape buffalo, but that doe is the best and most signficant trophy I've taken yet.

Now every hunting trip I take without him is a scouting trip too.

Not to hijack your thread, just to let you know the fun you have to look forward to.

JPK

Yep taking the kids sure is fun. My oldest is now 5 years old. I took him Blackpowder deer hunting last year as well. He had fun and lastes longer than I thought he would. We did not see a deer though but we did leave when he got bored. Later that afternoon we took my bird dog out to work him on some more birds. Still training him with the mechanical release. Greg had fun holding the birds for me while I readied the release. He would pass them to me to place. he stayed with me the whole time working the dog and once we released and shot the bird he would carry it in his game pouch. When I told him we were done for the day he said, "good now we get to eat them". He has helped me cut up 2 deer and 4 Antelope thus far too. This reminds me I need to start cutting down that spar stock for his .22LR soon.

Besides being a great shot and getting a nice bull she is a damn pretty hunting mate...not often you get all that on one nice package.
She gets an Atta Girl for sure!

It's good to here that there are still some elk left up there! Judging from what I've heard lately it's sounded like the wolves had ate them all.

Mike, just saw this thread... your beautiful wife wears that grin well... great job! 2,500 ft of gain is not for wimps and speaks to the sort you both are. Again, great job!

BA

PS, expecting soon?

Thanks for the kind words for my wife. She is still strutting around Bozeman, telling everyone who will listen about her bull (I may have mentioned it once or twice too...). It was alot of work getting to, and more getting it out. We didn't have any snow down low to drag on, and the going was a bit rough by the end.

Not expecting, but hoping.

You are quite fortunate the bull did not go far after the shot with it snowing like that.

Webshots won't show on other sites. Folks can cut and paste the image properties into a separate browser window if they want to see them. Best advice for posting webshots photos is just to use the URL to link.

A Tikka 308, in my opinion is fine ladies rifle. I have a 30 06 T3. After seeing that gun a buddies girlfriend really wants one now. I am sure the 308 will have a more palatable recoil for her than the 06 will anyhow. Gonna steer her towards finding one of those. A 308 is plenty of oomph for almost all N.American game. I am not selling my T3. I like it alot.