usmc1371
Member
I got this bull north of the Steens Mts in the southeast corner of Oregon. This is only the second bull I have ever gotten and he is my best by a few inches.
My dad and I had just set up camp and gone out for a quick look around for sign and to do some glassing when I got a glimps of this bull. Sign was looking pretty scarce and there was only about thirty minutes of day light left. I stopped to take a drink of water and was glassing with one hand kind of half assed, and then there was an elk. There was a moment of dis-belief, I couldn't believe that I was looking at a bull at about 900yds and he had no idea I was there.
Light was fading fast so I picked out some cover to keep out of sight and started towards him as fast as I could get through the sage. I was cursing the fact that I was wearing a Tshirt and jeans and not something quiter and more camo. There was a nice steady cross wind so I wasn't worried about the bull winding me. After I coverd some ground I topped a small rise and stoped to glass but couldn't find the elk any place. I coverd a couple hundred more yards and this time when I stopped to glass I saw him. The bull was in tall sage brush and juniper looking right at me. I through my rifle up and put the cross hairs on his nose but I really didn't want to take a 300yd off hand shot at an elks head.
The light was fading and I don't think he could tell what I was. The bull just turned and started to slowly walk up hill. He went about ten yards and gave me a full broad side view so I let him have it. I hadn't ranged him yet but my eye told me it was a hold on shot and I hit him tight behind the shoulders. The bullet made a loud smack sound so I knew it was a hit. The bull turned and dropped from sight.
I took a quick range, 300yds, good stretch for an off hand shot I thought to my self. By the time I got to him and finished jumping aound like a kid at christmas it was dark. If you have never gutted a bull elk on a hill side by your self in the dark you are missing out. My little head light got a work out and was a life saver.
I called my dad and he was able to get an atv to the bull and even with that it was still a mission to get him out. It's true that the fun in elk hunting stops when you pull the trigger. It was 2am when we got done skinning and hanging him in camp. Best first day of elk season I have ever had. This was on public land and all DIY, no lease or spendy guide. I was shooting a ruger M-77 300wm with 180G nosler partitions, bushnell 4200 4x16 set at 4, zero at 300yds.
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