After two long days of driving my hunting partner and I arrived in Steamboat Springs, Colorado on the evening of October 11th. Our hunt was a do-it-yourself hunt. We paid an outfitter for hunting rights on approximately 350 acres that adjoined the Routt National Forest. With this setup we could hunt the private ranch, as well as the national forest land.

We met the outfitter the following morning in Yampa, Colorado. We followed him to our campsite which was located in the center of the private property. He pointed and showed us in general the boundaries of the property, where the national forest was, and where the neighboring tracts of private property were. After the outfitter left, we set up our camp and resisted the urge as best we could to go blundering into the moutains looking for elk and deer. We did scout a little bit right behind camp. We noticed several elk droppings and I encountered a group of five cow/calf elk just before dark.

Elk season opened the next day. I sat on top of a mountain at daylight the next morning and I had an elk bugling to my left and another one bugling farther away straight ahead and slightly to my right. Since the elk on the left was closer, I thought that I would check him out first. I slowly worked my way toward where I heard the bugling and peered out into the first open meadow. I could see no elk. I slowly walked across the open meadow and into the timber on the far side, listening for the sounds of elk but could hear no more bugling, except for the bugling of the other bull that was still farther up the mountain.

All of a sudden, I heard the sound of elk hooves on aspen logs in the timber. I assumed that I had spooked the herd becuase it sounded like they were running. Instead, I looked approximatley forty yards below the ridgeline that I was standing on and saw a cow elk walking from my right to left. Following her was a small calf. Next, I saw horns! Unfortunately, he was a small guy, he appeared to be a 3 X 3. After what seemed like forever, he finally went on out of sight and there were no more elk following him. I slowly began climbing the mountain to where the other bull had been bugling, which had now ceased.

I walked awhile and then stopped and listened, repeating this process, trying to remain as silent as possible. I sat down and was eating a mid-morning snack when all of a sudden I heard elk hooves hitting Aspen logs again! The sound was quite a ways off, but I began moving in the general direction of where I thought the sound came from.

I reached an area in the pines that was beginning to open up into a beautiful mountain meadow with a scattering of aspen trees. All of a sudden, the elk began moving again and they were CLOSE!! I heard an elk bugle and my heart began racing. I could hear them moving in the timber that was across the meadow ahead of me and to my left. I moved as quickly and quietly as possible to my left and all of a sudden, I saw an opening in the pines with cow elk coming toward me single file. I had no choice but to stop as they crossed the open meadow and were 15-20 yards to my left in the timber with me! The elk across the meadow continued working their way toward me and all of a sudden I saw antlers! I didn't count points. I could see his dagger and could tell he had one point past it so he was a legal bull and my overall impression was that he was a pretty good one. However, I was looking through a small opening in the timber and he was all the way on the other side of the small meadow approsimately 80-100 yards away.

I cocked my Bullberry .308 Win Encore pistol and with my heart racing and no rest, I couldn't hold it steady to save my life. I fired and the bull disappeared and the cows surrounding him began circling around. Then I saw him standing there with his head held high; he had not been hit! I can't believe that the cows in the pines with me didn't even run, but all of the elk just stood there wondering where the shot had come from.

I was able to reload, and forced myself to calm down and took as steady a rest as I could off of a tree within reach. All of a sudden a small cow stepped right in front of the bull! I was about ready to shoot that cow when finally she stepped clear of the bull. The bull was quartering to me with his left shoulder exposed. I aimed for the center of his shoulder and fired. At the shot, the bull reared straight up in the air and fell down on the ground, hard. The cows did not run, but they did finally continue walking off. The remainder of the cows came across the meadow right toward me and passed like their predecessors within twenty yards of me in the timber.

The bull did not get up, however he was still shaking his head as he lay dying. I thought to myself that this was too noble an animal to suffer any more than was absolutely necessary and risk losing him, so I swung through the timber to my left and put another 150 grain Accubond in his right shoulder. This ended it quickly.

I spent the remainder of the morning taking pictures, skinning, and boning elk meat. It took me all day to get the hide off and meat boned out and I was exhausted! I packed one load of meat back to camp and planned to return the following day for the remainder of the meat along with the cape and antlers. When I got back to camp, I found out that my hunting partner had ran into a resident outfitter on horseback who was clientless this week. He offered his "packing" services if we needed him, so we went into town and called him and arranged for him to pack the remainder of the meat, cape, and antlers back into camp the following day.

Nice elk! Congradulations. Ya gotta love those pack animals.

Yes , one of those will get your heart racing !! Now you can enjoy fine eating !

Oh My!

My Holy Grail ... and with a pistol!!!!

Congratulations on a fine trophy and some great munchies.

WEll done, and a great story!
Ah, those marvelous elk steaks!!
Congratulations!
Walt

Way to go, that is a fine bull and hunted the right way.

Nice bull, he's a dandy!

congratulations, and nice trophy! a great lifelong memory....

Congats on a great hunt.....when is the cookout???

Bob

Would you mind sharing who the outfitter was and associated contact info?

quote:

Would you mind sharing who the outfitter was and associated contact info?

I don't mind at all. I found out about Larry Bishop from a post that I made earlier in the year on Accurate Reloading, so I am happy to recommend him and pass on his contact info.

Rocky Mountain Ranches

X

Great, thanks.

Very nice Bull and a damned good story too. Well done!

Very Nice - congrats on a great bull!

Very good bull, well done! Not much beats hearing elk bule in the early morning.