12 YEARS TRYING FOR A BULL ELK TAG - LUCKY 13_
Utah issues a limited number of mature bull elk tags for specific areas in the state that are inhabited by big old bull elk. I have been trying for a tag for 12 years. On my 13th try I got lucky and drew one in the Utah big game lottery of 2013. The tag I drew allowed me to hunt in the Bookcliffs area in the northeastern part of the state. My hunt was late though, starting November 9th. It was after the rut and the animals in the area had already been hunted since August by archers, muzzle loaders, and early rifle hunters. I was after some rather skittish old bull elk. I have hunted bears and cow elk in the area before and liked the high desert conditions mixed with quaking aspen and some pinion and juniper forest. My son, Dax, was going to take some time off work and hunt with me. He really likes the area and has hunted bears, cow elk, and deer in the area. I am so glad he could go with me. I am getting older and younger eyes and legs are such a help. Besides I just love to hunt or camp with my sons.
I got notice of my tag via the internet and preceded to go nuts for a few days. I was so excited. I was thinking constantly about the hunt to come. I was deciding where exactly to hunt, what rifle would be best, and what gear would be required. I know in November it can get pretty cold and snowy in the northeastern mountains at around 8,000+ feet elevation and I am a desert guy. I need to take enough warm clothes. I also needed to arrange for a 4-wheeler to move me from spot to spot in the hunt. My best friend told me I could borrow his so things were starting to come together. Last thing I would think about at night and first thing in the morning was the up coming elk hunt for months prior to the hunt.
GEAR WISE: I decided to take my .300 Remington Ultra Magnum rifle as my son told me there could be some long distance shooting involved. The elk were spooky and shots may be across canyons sometimes. I started to practice shooting here in Santa Clara between 100 to 450 yards. Ammunition used was handloaded Barnes 180 gr. Triple Shock bullets powered by 96 grains of Hodgdon Retumbo powder generating a muzzle velocity of 3,330 feet per second. Practicing I got to where I could hit a 6" bullseye prone off my bipod pretty regularly at 450 yards. I though "no problem" on an elk, who's vitals are lots bigger than 6" in diameter. {I didn't know my shooting would be stretched in the end.} I also have the philosophy to take a back-up rifle if I hunt over 100 miles from home. I sighted in my trusty .30-06 with 165 gr. Hornady GMX bullets for back-up. My Leupold lazer range finder and spotting scope both came in handy on this hunt. I took 3 large coats, 3 hats, and 2 sets of thermal underwear. Two pair of water proof boots and lots of dry socks were packed. It seemed as if I were moving out and taking all my hunting stuff. I was taking my mobile motel, the good old Alpine camper towed on the trailer hitch and the borrowed 4-wheeler in the bed of my truck.
DAILY DETAILS:
Wednesday 11-6-2013 I arrived in Roosevelt and visited with my son, his wife, and children. I was fed well and then wrestled and read books with the kids. I spent an anxious night and was ready to head on to the adventure. We were enjoying sunshine and mild for season temperatures. I was hoping the temperate weather were going to continue for two weeks.
Thursday 11-7-2013 we journeyed out to the Bookcliffs area. We made camp, off loaded the 4-wheelers, and then drove around to some likely spots looking for big bulls. We went down a ridge above a east-west drainage and spotted 4 raghorn bulls feeding in a meadow. We watched them from the truck at 800+ yards with the spotting scope and didn't want to disturb them. I was so excited to know there were bull elk in the area! Thursday night we had dinner at camp of cheese and crackers. That is all I could think about eating as I was so excited.
Friday 11-8-2013 we were up and out early, 6:15 a.m. to scout. We drove then hiked down another ridge above a drainage to the south and we got a good look at several big bulls feeding just as the sun came over the mountain. One bull seemed to interest my son lots. He had bladed number 4 antlers, maybe 3" wide all the way up to the ends. He was not exceptionally large score wise but his antlers were indeed unique. I was just jazzed as I could be to know we had a tag and were in an area where there were some bulls worth going after. We also saw several groups of wild turkeys and a smattering of deer in our travels. We ran into some bear houndsmen and they were not having any luck finding bears to chase. I was glad the bear chasers were coming up empty as the elk would not be stirred up so much with dogs running and barking all over the mountain. We scouted all morning and then wandered back to camp for lunch. After turkey sandwiches and chips my son had to leave for home. He had some work to be done. I took a brief nap for an hour. I awoke and test fired my .300 RUM at 115 yards and made sure the scope was right on, I had come 400+ miles from Santa Clara with the last 30 miles on dirt roads after all. The rifle shot fine. It is actually lots more accurate than I am capable of shooting. I took the 4-wheeler to the north of camp and looked for game. I covered a few miles and hiked around just seeing 2 dozen deer and 1 coyote. I went back to camp around 6:30 p.m. in the dark, on frozen cold roads. Dinner was ramen noodles, hard rolls, sharp cheese, tomatoes, and turkey lunch meat. I fired up the heater and was rather comfortable in camp. Dax came back to camp late in the evening having eaten and showered at home. I nestled down in my double sleeping bag and had visions of big bulls dancing in my head as I went to sleep.
Saturday 11-9-2013 up at 6 a.m. still dark outside. We have a quick meal and take off in the truck to a southern situated drainage. {A quick meal is a cheese danish while driving to the ridge over the drainage before a hike in the dark.} We park the truck and hike very quickly and very quietly to the ridge crest overlooking the meadow where the bladed bull was yesterday. By now Dax is calling him "Blades of Glory" and I just go along with it. We sneak along the ridgeline in the juniper trees north and east of the meadow. We are at about 250 feet higher elevation than the meadow. The meadow is +/- 400 yards away. Dax sees the bulls feeding first and signals me to look and be more than quiet. I kind of hold my breath and try not to move. The sun is behind us and now just on the horizon to break dawn. Blades of Glory is there with maybe 10 amigos. They all look great to me. I crawl to a small clear spot in the trees and put down my bipod legs and turn up my rifle scope to 20X. Dax sights with the lazer and says 388 yards. It is a do-able shot. I am looking through the scope and checking out all the bulls. Dax has a spotting scope on a tripod and at 75X is also checking out all the bulls in the meadow.
Dax cautions me Blades of Glory will not score real high, about 310" we guess, but is super interesting. I watch through my scope and can't decide whether to shoot or not. It is opening morning and the 9 day season has just been going for 30 minutes or so. Do I want it all to be over? Maybe we can find a bigger bull that is more traditional? Can I really make the shot? Lots of questions are running through my mind and we converse about pros and cons for what seems like an hour. Dax keeps saying "It's your call." He is so good to me. Actually our deliberations are for about 15 minutes and the wind shifts some, the bulls smell us. Their noses go up and into the wind -- POOF -- they are gone into the trees. {I guess I won't shoot.} Dax has a Masters Degree in wildlife biology he really knows his stuff. I am so lucky to have a son that likes to hunt more than me and is smarter about it than me. He doesn't let on but I think he's disappointed I didn't shoot.
We hike back to the truck and drive to another drainage further south and east from camp. We park the truck way back in the trees and walk silently toward a big open meadow we had found by way of Google Earth. We see 15 - 16 bull elk grazing in the open space. We don't see any big ones but there are several we can't get a good look at. As we watch something spooks one or two elk on the west side of the meadow and the rest follow them into the trees to hide. I can't believe it, it's 11:00 a.m. and I have seen 24 or more bulls in my hunting area. This is great. We head back to camp for lunch and a nap. We get out again around 2:30 p.m. and go to some of the same places we have already been and to some new ones nearby. We see deer and wild turkeys but the elk seem to be all sleeping in the trees and out of sight.
Sunday 11-10-2013 up at 6:00 a.m. I am resolved to shoot Blades of Glory today if we can see him. We travel to near the meadow where he was last seen, park then hike to the lookout point we were at yesterday morning but alas, no elk at all in the meadow. We travel again to the area where we saw 15 bulls yesterday morning and hike silently to a lookout spot, NO ELK. I think they have all gone to elk church? We head back to camp and Dax grills some double elk cheese burgers for lunch. Burgers are from the cow elk I shot last year in this same area. The lunch is great. A small nap follows then out to look again for elk. This time we drive 4-wheelers south and hike ending up in a large oval shaped meadow from Google Earth. I walk quietly to a spot with a 2-way radio in one end of the oval and Dax takes an overlook spot on the other end. The terrain raises some so we can't see each other. Dax calls me on the radio at around 5:00 p.m. and says he saw 5 bulls walking toward the trees on the east. I am excited to maybe see something. A few deer come out to feed and I take some photos. The deer are not afraid of me. They don't know what I am I guess. They never see humans out this far.
Back at camp I am in for cheese and crackers for dinner, Dax has a grilled cheese sandwich. He has brought a keylime pie for desert, this is a great elk camp for food. Dax knows how to make things great. I have had great conversations with my son for 3 days and we have seen some of God's best country. No interruptions of people or phones it's great to be out camping or hunting or both! I feel so blessed as I look up at the millions of stars. I've been given a life much better than I deserve. Thanks be to God for all I enjoy.
Monday 11-11-2013. We are up early and out looking for Blades of Glory in his usual spots. In route to B of G usual spots there are several cow elk, 2 spikes, and raghorn bull elk that see the truck. They spook and head down the canyon to the bottom and west at a trot. We see B of G grazing on a hill about 8/10ths of a mile away. We stop and look with the spotting scope and the rascal takes off. I can't believe it, later we hiked it, Blades of Glory was a GPS measured 1,328 yards away and he still took off when he saw the truck or heard the elk trotting down the canyon below. Crap-o-rama. We explore around the area on foot looking for elk without results. We return to camp for lunch at 11:00 a.m. Ramen noodles with a teaspoon of salsa in the water for new a flavor. Chips, salsa, and turkey sandwiches for lunch. I nap until 1:00 p.m. then we take a 4-wheeler trip to Chipeta canyon area. We travel due east to circle the Rat Hole canyon area and through Colorado a bit and back to camp. No elk to be seen. Arriving at camp we have elk steaks and mashed potatoes for dinner -- excellent food thanks to Dax. Dax takes off after dinner to find a cellular phone connection spot. He needs to check in with his wife. She is such a sweetheart to let him go hunting with me. I tell him to talk to her for an hour if necessary, don't worry about me. I sleep with desires to shoot an elk tomorrow. I am thinking if I can get Blades of Glory or get the 5X6 to stand near the road again I will fill my tag tomorrow.
Tuesday 11-12-2013 up at 5:50 a.m. another quick breakfast, however, this time it is deluxe with a berry danish and even hot chocolate to drink. We give Blades of Glory a day off to settle down. We drive the truck with a 4-wheeler in the bed to the big meadow area again. It takes about 20 minutes in the truck south and east of camp. We have seen elk in this meadow three times so we are hoping there is a big boy waiting for us. We park well back in the trees. I walk down a trail westerly I had found the day before deep in the trees to a center overlook of the oval meadow. Dax says he is walking down the road another 300 yards and will circle around and meet up with me overlooking the big meadow. He just wants to check out the east most side of the meadow. I am only down the trail about 100 yards when Dax comes running up behind me. He says there are 6 big bulls grazing in the eastern side of the meadow. I follow him anxiously back to the road. When we get near the road again he tells me to take off my coat "big red" and use his coat as it is much more quiet. Big red is warm but nylon and really loud when small tree branches scrape against it. I comply first the blaze orange vest and then big red is off. A wool coat replaces it topped with the blaze orange vest and I feel extra stealthy. We walk down the road 30 yards and I can see with my naked eye the bulls grazing the meadow. They are a long way off and they don't see us. We are concealed in the trees and 200 to 350 hundred feet higher in elevation above them. The trees almost make a tunnel for us to hide in as we walk down the fire road.
Dax sets up his spotting scope and takes a long look at 75X examining all the bulls. I look with my 10X binoculars. They all look big to me. Dax lazers the range and indicates the largest one to me. We have a bit of a discussion as to whether we can get closer for a shot. Maybe we could walk down the road 30 yards closer but to get within 150 yards would take 20 minutes we don't have and require someone like me to be more quiet than is possible at my age and physical condition. Dax asks me if I can make a 552 yard shot. I say let me see, and I drop the bipod legs and lay down in the fire road. It takes me a minute to get the bipod level and Dax is running out of patience with me being so slow. He doesn't say a word to his credit and wisdom.
I finally get the bipod level for a shot and look through the scope. We make a small diagram on the ground with pebbles of which elk is the largest. I place a stone in the middle of some others representing the group and say this one. He agrees that is the one. I'm to shoot the middle rock. I turn my scope to 550 yards for parallax and turn the power to 20X. I take careful aim and hold appropriately on the elk with the stadia line on the vertical crosshair between 500 and 600 yards. I ease off the safety and hold my breath. I pressure the trigger and a loud .300 Ultra Magnum boom wakes up the entire forest. I hear within a half second the slap sound of the bullet hitting the elk. I didn't see the bullet impact due to the recoil of the rifle but knew it hit. Dax is all excited and says you hit him good. He had seen bullet impact the chest cavity and the ripple that went through the elk when the bullet hit. I chamber another round and watch very closely through the 20X scope. I don't want a wounded elk to make it into the trees. The big bull tries to trot with his mates to the tree line but stops in 30 yards. He stretches out and lays down like a dog would then topples over. We are both ecstatic. I say, lets give him a few minutes to bleed out before we start down there. The elk was far enough away to not hear the rifle report until after being hit by the bullet. We all were taken by surprise this November morning, Dax, me, and the elk. I have shot antelope in Wyoming at 425 yards or so but never any game at 552 yards. I am so happy about how it all turned out.
Latitude North 39º42.428' Longitude West 109º08.708' Elev. 7,218 feet
We {Dax} field dresses the elk. Dax takes the 4-wheeler out of the truck bed and digs a small hole for each back tire of the truck to drop into. He backs the truck up to a small hill and we use the 4-wheeler ramp to slide the elk almost level into the truck bed. We tug on ropes and antlers lots and get the elk in the truck. Dax drives the 4-wheeler back to camp and I drive the truck. I can tell there is definitely some heavy weight in the truck as I go up the fire road back to camp.
I am writing this down over lunch of elk sirloin tips over pasta with mushroom gravy. Utah doesn't allow me to apply for a limited entry elk tag for 5 years. If it takes me 12 more tries to get a tag I would be only 78 years old when I get my next tag. THIS WAS A ONCE IN A LIFE TIME HUNT. Thanks to God for this special experience.
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