What would be your shot?

[royinidaho]

Scenario:

You've planned and prepared for you hunt for 6 months. You're set up for as much as a 1K shot if conditions are favorable. Your rig is plenty for the bull elk you have been dreaming of.

After a 1300 mile road trip, you arrived at your selected main camp site 6 days ago. Camp was set up in fine style on day 1. Day two and three were spend getting the ambush/hide setup with range chart development. Elk were seen moving through the area during these two days. Your hopes are high for success.

Season opens for bulls on day 4. You are up before dawn and head for the hide after morning activities are complete. Before day light the LRH accoutrements are set up. As day light approaches all is ready and you are behind the spotter. Switching between spotter and binos you continue your observations continually adding ranges to landmarks on the range chart. The LRF is handy ready for use.

You see elk now and again. Nothing but cows moving through with a few spikes. Nothing large so far.

This is repeated all of day 4 and 5.

Day six arrives. You know that this will be the day, as it is the last day of your hunt before you head back to the J. O. B. You feel it in your bones.

The day is overcast, a the first light snow of the season fell while you were snugly tucked in your tent. You heard the snow on the tent in the night. You are pumped!

After seeing a couple of cows with calves passing through your area you are wondering why the herds are small and crisscrossing the area? Hmmm, what's with that?

You see movement in an unexpected direction about 500 yards towards what you have come to know as "That Bare Ridge" as the top of it is so bare that it isn't worth checking regularly.

Out come the binos. . . horns . . . moving . . . he's gonna top the ridge.

The binos are replaced with the LRF. Range the rocks on top of the ridge. Nothing but clouds behind it. You slowly lower the LRF until you hit the precise top of the skyline. While this is going on you can confirm with your own eyes that the horns are headed directly for the ridge. Three reading return 635 yards. Your heart is pumping!

You get set up behind your rig. Rig is leveled on the bipod, elevation turret is set to the correct. The over cast day has zero wind with it. A good thing! Parallax is adjusted. YOU ARE SET!!

With out any optical assistance you see the elk is on a high headed trot. Why is he in such a hurry you wonder. There has been no bugling and no cows are seen? Hmmmmmm.

He approaches the skyline and into the scope. Not a trophy but definitely a shooter. You quickly review you set up. You are ready.

You steady yourself behind you rig. Elk walks into the sight picture you blink a couple of times to clear your eyes. . .

HERE IS WHAT IS IN YOUR SCOPE!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.WHICH SHOT WOULD YOU TAKE? WHY?

 

[Broz]

The Gray!! He looks a little bigger. Roy would you have taken the Black? The only other shot in that pic would be to hold and wait to line em up for a pass through double.

And I am dead serious.

Jeff

 

[Browninglover1]

I like the double idea! If I ever get around to buying a big 338 I'd like to triple

 

[HARPERC]

At the ridge top waiting for the double or triple is greedy and may cost you the whole deal.
I've shot bigger elk so making him #3 is an easy choice. The gray then the black time permitting. I've got a 6.5-284 semi-auto in the works for just this occasion. Most likely in the scenario given I'd have my .338 RUM so I'd focus and make sure of one, and hope they break back my way.

 

[Nimrodmar10]

Is that a tracking collar on the black?

 

[Derek M.]

Well, I know "ethics" is a naughty word when it comes to distance, but, now and then some of us get a verbal spanking for shooting at something on a ridgetop. You know, the whole, "you don't know what's on the other side, you shouldn't take the shot."

The simple answer for me is the black wolf hands down. I'd really like to know if it is wearing a collar. Gray wolf is #2. The bull is not a shooter for me. He needs about 2-3 more years.

 

[kcebcj]

Great post Roy. The grey....then would just take things as they come. The elk would live a little longer guaranteed.

 

[SidecarFlip]

The wolves are a harder shot. Smaller body dimensions. The picture reminds me of an old man confronted by two muggers.... Not that the bull is old.

I'm all about muggers......

It would also depend on if the ridge was ar a higher evevation than the shooters location. Higher means the projectile will travel above and beyond the ridge as it passes through the wolf so whatever is behind the wolf (if anything) isn't adversely impacted.

Looks like a fun shot.....

 

[bigngreen]

I think I'd sneak one in front of the bull and smoke the black one first, and while everything is milling around trying to decide what just happened the grey will be in the clear for a faster shot.
Any other day the bull would be kicking in the dirt about 2 seconds after I got a rangegun)

 

[CliffM]

Any other day the bull would be kicking in the dirt about 2 seconds after I got a rangegun)

If you are faster on the draw than me

 

[sp6x6]

I would take the black in a heart beat, because there is one in my fav. spot and a friend missed him already, hes on my short hit list. Elk doesnt make cut for me, good bull for the kid thoughgun)

 

[SBruce]

I've never shot an elk, never even shot at one. I buy a tag every year and make soup out of it. Still, I'd shoot the grey wolf first, hopefully the black one next. I'd leave the elk alone because pretty soon there won't be enough of em left for any of us to hunt!

 

[Greyfox]

Great post!
I'd put my crosshairs on the Grey, but hold. I would hope that the bull might take advantage of running back down the hill towards my direction given the wolves appear to be in back of him. He looks like he's deciding what to do next. I would do this for sure if I didn't know what was on the other side of the ridge. What the elk did would determine my next move. If all worked out, might get a crack at the other one. If I shot the two wolves, I'd try for the elk. If successful, I'd have them all made into a full size mount, duplicating the picture.....LOL.....just dreaming! I'd have to mortgage my house, which they would never fit in, and my wife would shoot me and have me mounted.

 

[HARPERC]

Of course you Montana, and Wyoming, folks are hunting non-resident in Idaho where you have 2 wolf tags. LOL. If the black does have a collar somebody is liable to chip a good shovel in that icy looking rock trying get the tag count right. Roy likes pack goats so he can always collar one and turn it loose.