http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/mdarlow/DSCN0171.jpg

After 5 years of trying it finally happenned. He's a small 5 x 6 but thats good enough for me.
We saw him with the spotting scope in a herd of about 10. 8 cows,1 spiker and the one in the picture.
there was about 45 minutes of shooting time left so my buddy and i hurried to the closest spot possible.
We were still very far away when the lead cow spotted us, so we decided to set up for the shot wright where we were. By the time we got there the Bull had disapeared, behind a small hill. WE knew he would probably pop up again so we waited. Not 30 seconds later we saw the antlers and i got ready to shoot in the prone position. we didn't have a ragefinder but my khales scope has a TDS reticle so i estimated the range between 350 and 400 yards.

I was very stable in this position the Bull was broadside and i knew where my SAKO 75 300 WSM shot a 400 yards "Lots of range time".
So i didn't mess around and took the shot and TWAK. We knew it was a hit. Thed Bull to a few steps back and ran towards us a few yards but did not drop. In the interest of not wanting to trak in fading light I took another shot and hit him again but he still wouldn't drop. So once again I shot him and he finally fell dead. Upon later inspection we found that the first shot was in the lungs, the second broke a shoulder and the finishing shot was a spine shot.

The hunt of a lifetime.

Congrats! Nate

Nice elk! Nice shot too. Yep, range time will give you the confidence to make that kind of shot.

Well, only thing I can say is you're hooked now!

Oh no, now you've gone & done it! You are going to be hooked on elk hunting the rest of your life! Congrats, & good shooting.

Oh Yeah ,,, heres the buck we got too. a nice and even 5x5