I had a great elk hunt this thanksgiving with my Dad and one of his friends that runs a sweet guide business just outside Tetonia, ID. His name is Rob Hill, and I would HIGHLY recommend him for anybody looking for an awesome guided hunt. Feel free to e-mail me for contact information for his business.
On thanksgiving day we were tracking a large herd with a bull through the snow. We were traveling on Tennessee Walkers, and came on where they were bedded down. We got within 25 yards before they broke their beds.
It was elk everywhere! I wanted a cow because I'm poor and wanted to eat the meat, and because my wife loves to cook game meat. My dad wanted the bull.
I spotted one of the big cows, though I don't think she was the alpha. The way the cows broke in every direction in confusion, I think the alpha deserted the herd. The bull went to my left at 20 yards. We tore off after the cow I spotted, galloping through the trees jumping the fallen timber.
Truly, I wish at that point I had a larger life insurance policy...
After chasing the cow for a little over a mile, we came to a deep canyon. We watched the other side that was less thickly treed as we went down it. We didn't see any elk going up, so we figured they had turned and were going side-hill.
We climbed the opposite side after dropping into the canyon, and looked at the hill we'd just come down. To the left, there she was...
She was looking back thinking we were still following her, and was walking broadside exposing her left side to me.
I had my 30-06 (the same one in the pic of me on the first page of this thread) loaded with 180 grain federal premium Barnes MRX. This round was unbelievable! The expansion was immediate and extremly destructive.
I shot her twice, hitting the same spot. Based on her angle, the first bullet cut the back end of her lungs and grazed the front of the stomach before going all the way through.
The second shot hit the same spot. She had not dropped, but had humped up indicating that the first shot had not been a miss. She had turned a little, and was leaning differently, so the bullet tore through the upper lungs and took out part of her spine. She dropped immediately after the second shot rolling to a stop.
I doctored the pics with lines to show the shot angles. The purple circle is the first exit wound, the blue circle is the second that cut across the spine.
This was my first elk, and I was very excited. I think the chase was almost as fun as double-tapping her.
me with elk
Me and Rob with elk
exit wounds
entrance wounds
On thanksgiving day we were tracking a large herd with a bull through the snow. We were traveling on Tennessee Walkers, and came on where they were bedded down. We got within 25 yards before they broke their beds.
It was elk everywhere! I wanted a cow because I'm poor and wanted to eat the meat, and because my wife loves to cook game meat. My dad wanted the bull.
I spotted one of the big cows, though I don't think she was the alpha. The way the cows broke in every direction in confusion, I think the alpha deserted the herd. The bull went to my left at 20 yards. We tore off after the cow I spotted, galloping through the trees jumping the fallen timber.
Truly, I wish at that point I had a larger life insurance policy...
After chasing the cow for a little over a mile, we came to a deep canyon. We watched the other side that was less thickly treed as we went down it. We didn't see any elk going up, so we figured they had turned and were going side-hill.
We climbed the opposite side after dropping into the canyon, and looked at the hill we'd just come down. To the left, there she was...
She was looking back thinking we were still following her, and was walking broadside exposing her left side to me.
I had my 30-06 (the same one in the pic of me on the first page of this thread) loaded with 180 grain federal premium Barnes MRX. This round was unbelievable! The expansion was immediate and extremly destructive.
I shot her twice, hitting the same spot. Based on her angle, the first bullet cut the back end of her lungs and grazed the front of the stomach before going all the way through.
The second shot hit the same spot. She had not dropped, but had humped up indicating that the first shot had not been a miss. She had turned a little, and was leaning differently, so the bullet tore through the upper lungs and took out part of her spine. She dropped immediately after the second shot rolling to a stop.
I doctored the pics with lines to show the shot angles. The purple circle is the first exit wound, the blue circle is the second that cut across the spine.
This was my first elk, and I was very excited. I think the chase was almost as fun as double-tapping her.
me with elk
Me and Rob with elk
exit wounds
entrance wounds
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