The Hardest Hunt of My Life!!

[45-70justbecause]

I have just returned from my first elk hunt...I was hunting in the NW corner of Montana, and now have a profound appreciation for elk hunters, elk hunting guides, and anyone in general who can climb those mountains with the ease of a mountain lion.
  Let me start off by saying that I started training for this trip at least a year in advance, carrying my backpack filled with water jugs,while wearing my hunting boots, on the ski slopes in my area. I did a lot of
cardio- work-outs, and a lot of general hiking. I was ready; or so I thought to conquer the mountains!
  Boy, was I wrong!...My guide did compliment me on how well I was doing, that most first-timers have a really rough time of it. Well, I wouldn't want to know how they felt; knowing how tough it was on me.
  Anyway, the 2nd morning of my hunt started with a 5 mile hike up a dry creek bed, a 1200ft elevation climb, a 600yd cross-canyon shot on a very respectable 5x5 that became obscured in the fog right before the trigger was pulled, followed by a 1200ft elevaton descent and another 1000ft elevation climb. We next bumped a 6x6 bull while side-hilling after the 5x5. He hustled all the way down to the dry creek bed, but my guide was able to stop him with a bugle. While contemplating a game plan for the 6x6 below us, we heard a bugle about 200 yds above us. Needless to say that after 3 bugles back and forth between my guide and this new bull, the end result was this beautiful 6x7 bull. All those range sessions shooting out to 700 yds, and this bull was taken at 60 yds offhand!!





There are a lot more stories about this trip, but after 7 days in those mountains, and 3 more days driving home, I'm a little wiped out...hope I didn't ramble too bad.
  By the way...my back-up rifle was my Marlin 336 ER in 356 Win for timber hunting.... Thought I would be taking the long poke that day, and left the Marlin back at the lodge...dang it!!

good shootin'
johnny

[Rowdy]

Excellent story and a beautiful trophy, comgrats. 

Yep hunting the mountains does take some getting use to. 

[brianscott12]

EXCELLENT!!!

[M700]

Congratulations! I don't think many folks who haven't hunted them realize how tough it can be to hunt a bull elk on public land.

That may well be the Trophy of a Lifetime right there. Great looking bull, and I applaud you for the serious work you put in to get him.

Regards, Guy

[bigjeepman]

Great job Johnny ... thanks for sharing and anxiously awaiting to read Chapter II about your elk adventure. I have yet to go on an elk hunt but I walk/hike/climb in the mountains here on occasion with today being one of them. I am exhausted and sore and I wasn't carrying a firearm, backpack, or hauling any meat. Congratulations to you for taking your hunt seriously by getting physically ready and all that shooting practice.


bjm

[Catherine]

Congrats!  Beautiful.  I will show your picture to my husband - a born and raised Montana man and hunter.

Nice meat for sure... yummy.

Were you way up in the 'Yaak' region right below B.C., Canada or further south and east a bit or more in miles/hours?

Care to say what 'town' or region that you were close to?

Thanks for sharing.

Catherine

[WyoStillhunter]

Way to go, johnny!

Keep the installments coming.  Three days of driving...where do you call home?  We want all the juicy details.

Obviously you got good service out of your guide/outfitter AND you were up to the challenge.  Congratulations to all.

[Rowdy]

Johnny,

Just had a group of 5 hunters stop by on their way to Heron MT for a 1 week elk hunt, old friends from CA.

They drooled all over your pics.

 

 

[MaineHunter]

Leaving early the day after tomorrow for Colorado for an elk hunt.  Hope we are half as successful as you were.  Great job !!

[six_gunz]

Awesome!! That's one fine looking Elk!!

[big medicine]

Great looking bull. It will be hunt you will never forget.

[45-70justbecause]

Thanks Guys...I was hunting with an outfitter in Plains MT, but hunting near a town called Thompson Falls.
I was using a Shilen-barreled 338-06 M700 topped off with a Shepherd scope,(which I really didn't need for this shot)and shooting 210gr Barnes TTSX's.
  We had some rain the day of my bull, but the neat thing to me was the altitude, and the way it affected the weather...rain below a certain altitude, and snow above. We get that effect here in NW NJ, but not to the effect that it happens out west.


This was one of my little snipers nests I made while looking for mule deer;just an example of it snowing at altitude, while raining down in the valley.(14" of snow) the pine boughs keep your butt from freezing to the ground!!


You can kinda get the idea of the altitude here by the major power line towers in the distance.

  After harvesting my bull, I wanted the guide to spend more time with my hunting buddy who didn't get a bull yet, so I would drop the 2 of them off and either watch brush fields/ burns/logging areas, or still hunt the higher elevation logging roads where my guide would send me. I saw alot of wildlife, but no shooter mulies....but what I did see was a tremendous amount of wolf sign on the mountain, and in one case the remains of a mulie doe that the wolves ran down and shredded. 10 hunters in camp all had similar stories to tell, including one hunter who videotaped a pack of 10 wolves chasing a group of elk.
  I, not being from the area, would usually keep my opinion to myself as to the matter of the wolves, but it really looks like predation is going to really,really hurt the balance of things in those areas. The guys from fish and wildlife at the check station said that the elkcalf #'s where about half of what they would normally be. Hope that situation gets remedied soon.
  Anyway...Good luck to all of those of you who may be going elk hunting this year, and if you haven't done it yet...I highly recommend getting in shape...if you think your ready, youre probably not!! Go back to the gym and get your cardio in shape!!
  
good shootin'
johnny

[bigjeepman]

Again, thanks for sharing Johnny. Great pictures showing great country. Would love to see your trophy mount when you get it. Have you tried any of the elk yet?

bjm

[45-70justbecause]

Oh Yeah!!

I donated a backstrap for the guys at the lodge...grilled up some nice 2" thick steaks!! Yummy

johnny

[papajohn]

An absolutely awesome report, with a great narrative and marvelous photos.............and you're worried about rambling?  I think not, we were hanging on every word!  And I'm glad you stressed the importance of working out and working up to the trip..........a mile and a half high and 30 miles from anywhere is NO place to be having chest pains!  

That last photo was a real eye-opener........I had to put my glasses on and squint at the screen to even SEE the powerline towers!

Absolutely beautiful country.............If God vacations in Colorado, Montana must be where He works!