The Accurate Reloading Forums
July Texas Elk!
04 July 2012, 02:38
Austin HunterJuly Texas Elk!
My 17 yo son took this Sunday night at our 5,200 acre lease in Edwards County. This is a low fence ranch and a free range Elk. He took it with my 8x57 Mauser @ 60 yards. This is his first animal that he has taken on his own without a guide or me. He was very proud. The Elk was a 5x6 (one of the sides has a point going back) and there is a small scoreable point that technically would make it a 6x6. BTW - for size comparison, my son is 6'6.5" and sitting right behind the Elk next to it.
We are going to do a European mount. The taxidermist said he was fully grown out, perhaps 1/4-1/2" to go at most. We are going to leave him in velvet.
Needless to say, there was LOTS of work to get this field dressed, loaded, and quartered!
What's interesting is that my son shot the Elk during a heavy downpour while it was grazing.
"Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan
"Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians."
Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness.
04 July 2012, 02:46
NortonCongrats to you and your boy! Everyone oughta have something or other in velvet on the wall.
04 July 2012, 02:53
GeedubyaFantastic!
I've hunted hill country leases for 13 years on low fenced ranches and have only seen 1 elk. Congrats to your son on a wonderful trophy. He can hunt the rest of his life and not do that again. I bet he is still on cloud nine.
Best
GWB
04 July 2012, 03:07
Outdoor WriterGood job, and nice bull!!
quote:
Originally posted by Norton:
Congrats to you and your boy! Everyone oughta have something or other in velvet on the wall.
I have a painting of Elvis on velvet. Does that count???
Tony Mandile - Author "How To Hunt Coues Deer"
04 July 2012, 03:27
Austin HunterThanks!
we have quite a few elk, just never seen a mature bull, only spikes and 4x4s. I wish we would have waited another month or so, but with the heat going up, he might have gone nocturnal.
I have 2 game cams where I think the herd hangs out (on a hill top in some thick cedar) and if the pics confirm it, I'll go into there in late August/September and look for another bull for me.
"Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan
"Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians."
Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness.
04 July 2012, 03:53
GeedubyaSounds like a plan. I hope it works. I would be counting the days.
What are you going to do with all that meat?
BTW, what did you load your son's elk with?
Will you be able to get in to the area to load the one you'll take whole, or will you have to quarter it to bring it out.
As an aside, I've have this thing about loading up anything and everything I shoot by my self, unassisted on to the back of my ATV. The heaviest deer I've loaded was an axis that weighed 184 lbs. live weight. When i did this My weight was 182. I was panting and blowing by time I finished dragging him up on the back of my polaris. Then he slid off and I had to do it again. Bummer. Since double hernia surgery last year, I'm having to finesse things rather than bulling through.
Good luck on that. Be sure and post pix.
Best
GWB
04 July 2012, 04:14
GhubertThat's a brute!
As a first solo deer too, well done that man.
04 July 2012, 04:17
Austin Hunterquote:
Originally posted by Geedubya:
Sounds like a plan. I hope it works. I would be counting the days.
What are you going to do with all that meat?
BTW, what did you load your son's elk with?
Will you be able to get in to the area to load the one you'll take whole, or will you have to quarter it to bring it out.
As an aside, I've have this thing about loading up anything and everything I shoot by my self, unassisted on to the back of my ATV. The heaviest deer I've loaded was an axis that weighed 184 lbs. live weight. When i did this My weight was 182. I was panting and blowing by time I finished dragging him up on the back of my polaris. Then he slid off and I had to do it again. Bummer. Since double hernia surgery last year, I'm having to finesse things rather than bulling through.
Good luck on that. Be sure and post pix.
Best
GWB
200 grain Accubond @ 2,400 fps.
I gave the hindquarters to the ranch foreman. I'm having the backstraps and loins cut into 1" steaks; the rest into hamburger and chili; then I keep half and the rest goes to my 2 friends that helped me.
I'll be able to get a truck or UTV close to the hill top if I get one there; will have to pack out 1/4 mile. I figure if it's in the morning, I'll string a tarp up to block the sun while I work to protect the meat.
I loaded several 200+ lb animals by myself, several pulled by hand from extremely steep ravines.
I give the Aug/Sep elk hunt a 10% chance - the area is extremely thick - been looking for them for 7 years!
"Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan
"Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians."
Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness.
04 July 2012, 04:32
Outdoor Writerquote:
Originally posted by Austin Hunter:
I give the Aug/Sep elk hunt a 10% chance - the area is extremely thick - been looking for them for 7 years!
Learn how to call!! Then just wait until the rut kicks in to hunt. That way, you can get the bull to come to you in that thick stuff.
Tony Mandile - Author "How To Hunt Coues Deer"
04 July 2012, 04:49
Tim Heraldexcellent
Good Hunting,
Tim Herald
Worldwide Trophy Adventures
tim@trophyadventures.com
04 July 2012, 05:27
Austin Hunterquote:
Originally posted by Outdoor Writer:
quote:
Originally posted by Austin Hunter:
I give the Aug/Sep elk hunt a 10% chance - the area is extremely thick - been looking for them for 7 years!
Learn how to call!! Then just wait until the rut kicks in to hunt. That way, you can get the bull to come to you in that thick stuff.
I have all the calls; it's just remembering to schedule the time to go out and bringing the calls.
I remember opening rifle weekend November 2010; I was near the area hunting for whitetail and heard an Elk bugling. We hear the Sika all the time in the same area, but this was a bull Elk. I reached in to get my cow call...... damn! Not there!
"Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan
"Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians."
Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness.
04 July 2012, 05:37
GeedubyaSIKA also!
Yum!
GWB
04 July 2012, 05:58
Austin HunterTwo different types of Sika nonetheless!
"Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan
"Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians."
Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness.
04 July 2012, 06:07
GeedubyaYou are a truly blessed man there AH.
Good on ya!
Best
GWB
04 July 2012, 06:31
Crazyhorseconsultingquote:
My 17 yo son took this Sunday night at our 5,200 acre lease in Edwards County.
Great looking animal! Congratulations to your son on his kill, ongratulations to you for having a son to share such moments with.
Even the rocks don't last forever.
05 July 2012, 11:42
Patricio GaudianoThats awesome....
06 July 2012, 09:07
Eland SlayerCongrats to your son!! There are not many decent free-range bulls taken in the Hill Country region....but his is a dandy.
06 July 2012, 19:31
Austin HunterThanks. I agree - for free range Elk in this area it's a nice trophy. His body was none the smaller though, might as well been a well fed Elk from the Rocky Mountains - he had a huge body!
"Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan
"Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians."
Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness.