My first elk hunt ...was a success!

[SentientHunter]

Fantastic! Congratulations! I took my first elk two years ago at the age of 65 (I started hunting late in life at 58).

 

[Pieter Willem Vorster]

Well done, jd126!!! Thats a bute!

 

[Pauleye]

Congrats enjoy the memories and the delicious meat

 

[Gills]

Congratulations man. That's exciting. Any bull elk is a trophy in my book that is a ton of work one of those animals. That's one thing that bothers me about hunting these days every one gets caught up on the numbers. I used to score a ton of whitetail deer for people and I recently quit with the exception of mine and close friends. I got tired of seeing people extremely excited about their kill and then get the score and suddenly be extremely disappointed it didn't hit a surten number. We as hunters forget that there is so much more to that trophy like the adventure and work that went in to it. Any way that's sweet and I am happy for you!

 

[John Bucklin]

Elk hunting is one of my passions. I no longer go after trophy bulls but try to harvest a nice fat cow every year. No more wall space for antlers.
A couple of friends and I have a honey hole in Utah we hunt.
I've only come home empty handed twice in the last 15 yrs.
The mountain scenery makes up for any disappointment in not bringing home some delicious meat. I posted recently that I use a Model 700 35 Whelen. 58 gr RL15 under a 225 gr Accubond bullet. It's a great load out of that gun.

 

[Pulpwood]

Good job ! Don't get caught up in all this tv (bs) on scoring animals . The trophy is in the experience of it all . Public ground diy hunt is a different animal from the high dollar tv hunts on tv. Just go and enjoy time with family and friends , make some memories.

 

[rockwallraider]

Awesome post. Thanks for sharing your trip.

 

[Pulpwood]

Ps . They taste great also .

 

[Dirtscoots]

Awesome diy Hunt that's definitely a trophy !

 

[WV338]

I know the feeling. I'm 71 years old and took my first elk in the lava canyons of Central Oregon with a 35 Whelen that I had built that summer. What a rush!

 

[koger]

Congrats, any elk taken fair chase is a trophy. I have went on 2 elk hunting trips, one here in KY with my wife who drew a bull tag, we hunted public land and she shot a nice 4x4 2 year old bull right at last light when I called him out of the timber. At 150yds, she broke his neck and he dropped at the shot when her .270 spoke! I went on a guided hunt the next year in Colorado, and shot a 6x6 the second day just before dark, with a 45/70. Where we were hunting was11,000 feet and 200yds was the longest shot you could get, due to being flat to slightly rolling terrain and high live oak brush.

 

[Darrel67505]

I hunted elk in Colorado over 30 years with Dad and cousins. Lots of memories. Still hunt white tails in Kansas with son and grandson.
Congrats on the elk

 

[cre8alegacy]

jd126, "The pain in my legs from backpacking the meat out only last a short while but the memories will last forever."
Congratulations! So psyched to read of your adventure and your success! You are spot on, making memories is the key, having delicious elk meat to enjoy (and share) is truly a bonus!
Refreshing to hear a first time elk hunter with the right ethos, I hope you are able to enjoy many more successes!

 

[BasilPascali]

I could not hunt this past season due to a botched back surgery. My two grandsons, ages 14 and 17, shot 400 lb cow elk at 150 and 160 yards respectively. Both sported custom built K98 Mauser rifles in 30.06 and 280 Remington calibers. Zeiss optics on both. 3 shots for two elk. The freezers are full along with a bison their father had to shoot twice at 100 feet with a centerfite 50 cal magnum. Next time we will have the grandsons do it. They elk tags were on Deseret