Yeah! I know. You've never been elk hunting? All true but I've been waiting for the hunt I wanted to come along and this hunt with Matt Woodward/ Borderland Adventures was exactly what I wanted. I needed to hunt with a rifle, hunt during the rut, not use horses at all and for the hunt to not be a nut buster. Matt's hunt offered all that and it also gave me a chance to spend some time with Matt to look over his opperation as we've recently entered in to a business realtionship with him.

Travel was uneventful from Cody to Albuquerque and we were in Matt's big Dodge in about 20 minutes from arrival. We then picked up my client at the private terminal and we were off to camp after a nice lunch in town.

On the way to camp we stopped and set up to check rifles. Matt had a real table and adjustable rest for this. Nice touch! All rifles were dead on.

We arrived in Matt's excellent camp late afternoon. Matt had new spacious tents with 40" wide cots, 3 inch thick pads and freshly laundered sleeping bags and pillows. The cook tent was spacious and a good place to hang out when it poured and hailed which it did for three days. Best part of the camp was Matt's camp trailer having a flush toilet, plus inside and outside shower particularly in the nasty weather.

Day 1 dawned clear with elk bugling just below camp. We put these bulls to bed on the mesa mid morning with a plan to come back that evening.

My client had an opportunity at a 280-300 class bull but Mario his guide advised to wait for one of the big boys that were on the ranch.

That evening we returned to the mesa and got two bulls talking with one coming in on string but alas his horns were a broken up mess.

Day 2 It rained and blew but in the evening it abated and the rain stopped. We called up on the top of the mesa and brought in a very big bull at about 25 yds but I just didn't have a shot. Once he finally spook we got a brief look at him and he was a very big bull.

My client had a chance at a 5x5 But once again waited for a bigger bull.

Day 3 offered more horrid weather although Mario saw a 375 class bull late in the day but my client just could not get on it.

Day 4 because of personal reasons my client left for home after a night of gail force winds and rain. When Mario return from delivering my client to the airport we all went out for the evening hunt. We ran into elk pretty quickly. At first a few cows showed in a meadow then a 5x5 and another bull was bugling below us. Next thing I knew we were flying down off the side of the measa to intercept what Matt and Mario thought was a really good bull. After nearly heaving up a lung I made it to the bottom and there was the elk undisturbed with about 15 cows but the cows were betwwen us and the bull so I took the shot with my 30-06 at 375 yards. Of course the shot opportunity came during a rain squall and although I made a hit it was not immediately lethal. it did slow the bull up and after nmore running and two more bullets the big bull was down.

Here I'd like to say that a 180 TSX in 30-06 is adequate for anyting I know of shy of a Cape buffalo. I got penetration from the hip all the way into the chest cavity with devastating damage on this bull.

Once the bull was skinned and quartered we made it back to camp before it poured rain again and the scotch did flow. Matt also managed delicious ribeyes and baked potatoes. The guy's a genius.

The 5th and last day we packed up, ate, drank and just had a day of rest. We did measure the bull by B&C method and came up with 338 7/8 with only 5 inched of deductions. I was very happy and to my surprise the guys told me on a good moisture year the bull would certainly have scored nearer 360.

After the hunt Sadie and I toured around NM for a couple of days taking in some of the sights in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos. Santa Fe was our favorite and I recommend it for galleries, dining and just touristy stuff.

All in all this was a great trip and Matt Woodward is great outfitter offering good elk, mule deer, antelope, cougar and coues deer hunts. I look forward to other hunts with Matt and doing business far into the future with him.

I've added all the details for booking this hunt if it interests you on the Outfitter's Offered and Discounted Hunts forum.

Well done Mark, congratulations.

Arjun
www.huntersnetworks.com

Darn nice elk!
Looks like a good camp too.

Good for you Mark, Congrats, beautiful bull and to get to enjoy it with your wife had to be the icing on the cake.

Hey Man, have you like aged 10 years in the last five?

Sadie looks the picture of beauty as expected but I swear you look geriatric.

Nice bull by the way. Matt told me on the phone he took it easy on you and had 9-1 pressed on his cell phone so he only had to hit the last 1 and send.

Great report Mark! I'm like you, I kind of don't want to hunt elk until I can get on a good bull like yours. Arizona's on the agenda, but it'll take about 10 more points to draw.

Well done and it looks like you guys had a great time.

Congratulations!

Greg

Congrats, Mark.

Looks like you had a couple of nice days there!

Too bad that your client had to skip out early but that seems to be hunting...

Nice Bull!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention to you Mark about the "short rains" in New Mexico. Sort of like the ones you advised me on in Lobo, eh?

A hearty congratulations on a fine bull. That's my kind of elk hunting. Just don't seem natural to not jump on something that weighs 800 pounds, has the brain the size of a walnut, and ride 2 freakin hours in the dark at 10 below zero only to see the herd going over the far ridge with the rising sun. Nope, just ain't natural, but what a great way to hunt elk, and bugling too.
Nice job.

great bull Mark. COngrats!

quote:

mark@safaritrackers.com

A beautiful elk and what sounds like a great hunting experience. I'll send a PM off-list.

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:
Hey Man, have you like aged 10 years in the last five?.....I swear you look geriatric.

Ouch!!!

Nice bull Mark! Glad you had a good hunt!

Brett

Guys,

Thanks for compliments on the elk and comments on my person. Yeah! I'm old, fat and balding (the balding bothers me most) BUT I got the job done so

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:

Mark;

With all the hunting you two have done, it's great to see an elk can put such smiles on your faces!!

Congratulations! D. Nelson

Well done, Mark.

That is a nice bull.

SWAMBO,

Thanks! We just love to hunt period.

Mark

Wonderful elk, Mark! Congrats

Mark,
It was a pleasure hunting with you and Sadie. Great bull, and you earned him.
Looking forward to having you back in camp.

Matt

That's great stuff Mark. Those Elk sure are stunning animals. One day, one day....

Rgds,
K