Post by bushog on Oct 15, 2017 8:25:13 GMT -5
We left the house at 5:15AM on time to head up the hill for the 1st day of my gal's bull elk rifle hunt. We had been scouting as much as we could but the hunt was in the Valle Caldera National Preserve and access is pretty limited. Only 35 access permits a day and only from 8:00-6:00, missing prime elk spotting time......
Got parked at around 6:00 and started the short hike up the Cerro Pinos. We got to the top of a meadow where we had decided to wait until first light to move any further. Shooting time started at 6:40. About 7:00 after hearing some snapping and cracking quite a ways off we started easing uphill through the pines.
We were stopping and glassing about every 20 yards or so as the timber was pretty thick. She told me later she was so excited she couldn't hold her binos still enough to see unless she was propped up on a tree. As we came up over a little rise I spotted antlers about 100 yds off. There was a nice bull bedded down facing away from us.
He was a shooter. As we had discussed before hand, we wanted a 6x6 if we could but a good shot was the most important thing and this fella was shaping up to foot the bill. She got on her knees and propped her trusty Blaser R93 in .30-06 loaded with a 168gn Barnes TTSX over a fallen tree. She said she had the antlers in the scope as she couldn't see the his body because he was still bedded.
I said "ready?" she said "I think so..." and I said "here we go" and stepped on a good sized stick. At the "crack" the bull stood up giving her a nice broadside shot. I said "kill 'em" and the rifle cracked. The bull spun and took about 3 or 4 steps and stopped as they will when hit well. He was quartering away and I told her to shoot him again trying to put the bullet through him into the far shoulder..."crack" and he went down. The first shot went straight through both shoulders and the second entered behind the rib cage and exited the far brisket.
What a great feeling! Her first bull and a Hell of a respectable one. I called a friend and he came out to help with the pack out. Thank God for game carts! We can't usually use them because of the terrain we hunt but this time it worked. She pulled the trigger at about 7:30 AM and we had the bull off the mountain and in the truck by 12:30 PM. Lots of work but "her buck was in my truck" and we were thrilled.
Last eve she wanted to know how big he was so we rough scored him at 302. Funny how size doesn't matter...but that changes.
Quite a week...she killed an antelope last Saturday and a really nice bull a week later. I love living Life with her in NM!
Blessed beyond belief...
Here are a few pics.
Finally done!
Got parked at around 6:00 and started the short hike up the Cerro Pinos. We got to the top of a meadow where we had decided to wait until first light to move any further. Shooting time started at 6:40. About 7:00 after hearing some snapping and cracking quite a ways off we started easing uphill through the pines.
We were stopping and glassing about every 20 yards or so as the timber was pretty thick. She told me later she was so excited she couldn't hold her binos still enough to see unless she was propped up on a tree. As we came up over a little rise I spotted antlers about 100 yds off. There was a nice bull bedded down facing away from us.
He was a shooter. As we had discussed before hand, we wanted a 6x6 if we could but a good shot was the most important thing and this fella was shaping up to foot the bill. She got on her knees and propped her trusty Blaser R93 in .30-06 loaded with a 168gn Barnes TTSX over a fallen tree. She said she had the antlers in the scope as she couldn't see the his body because he was still bedded.
I said "ready?" she said "I think so..." and I said "here we go" and stepped on a good sized stick. At the "crack" the bull stood up giving her a nice broadside shot. I said "kill 'em" and the rifle cracked. The bull spun and took about 3 or 4 steps and stopped as they will when hit well. He was quartering away and I told her to shoot him again trying to put the bullet through him into the far shoulder..."crack" and he went down. The first shot went straight through both shoulders and the second entered behind the rib cage and exited the far brisket.
What a great feeling! Her first bull and a Hell of a respectable one. I called a friend and he came out to help with the pack out. Thank God for game carts! We can't usually use them because of the terrain we hunt but this time it worked. She pulled the trigger at about 7:30 AM and we had the bull off the mountain and in the truck by 12:30 PM. Lots of work but "her buck was in my truck" and we were thrilled.
Last eve she wanted to know how big he was so we rough scored him at 302. Funny how size doesn't matter...but that changes.
Quite a week...she killed an antelope last Saturday and a really nice bull a week later. I love living Life with her in NM!
Blessed beyond belief...
Here are a few pics.
Finally done!
