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Your last elk

Moderators: Swede, Tigger, Lefty, Indian Summer, WapitiTalk1

Where did you kill your last elk?

Above timberline
1
7%
Spruce
2
14%
Cedar
0
No votes
Fir
5
36%
Quakes
0
No votes
Sage
1
7%
Open meadow
0
No votes
Only in my dreams
1
7%
Farm field
1
7%
Other
3
21%
 
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Your last elk

Postby Lefty » 08 01, 2019 •  [Post 1]

Give us a brief story if possible
Was the elk called in?
Spot and stalk?
Ended up at the same place at the right time
Or do you sit on your bum , just wasting away your time sitting in a tree ok ok that was just to get Swede
Riled up
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Re: Your last elk

Postby Lefty » 08 01, 2019 •  [Post 2]

We’re limited to 10 options
My daughters last shot at 21 feet was in the thick and nasty in a fir forest
My last shot opportunity was an open side hill mixed with sage above a willow creek bottom with quakes and Doug fir behind me
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Re: Your last elk

Postby Swede » 08 01, 2019 •  [Post 3]

I was not on my "bum" as accused. In fact I have never shot a critter of any kind sitting on my bum. I don't know why, but I always find a was to stand, but could shoot sitting if needed. I was waiting at a water hole where several game trails come together. I admit it: I have become a lazy hunter and prefer the elk to come to me. By the time the season opens my "hunting" is over. I am just waiting and shooting after the stands are set up.
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Re: Your last elk

Postby Tigger » 08 01, 2019 •  [Post 4]

Saw him slipping through the trees at about 80 yards. set up and gave a few cow calls and he came in on a string. Mix of spruce and aspen.
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Re: Your last elk

Postby saddlesore » 08 01, 2019 •  [Post 5]

2018. I got to my usual stand right at timber line before 1st light where I have killed two other bulls and a cow. Saw elk shapes and then full elk as it got lighter. Finally when I could see horns, I dropped him at 7:15.

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Re: Your last elk

Postby 7mmfan » 08 01, 2019 •  [Post 6]

Called a small bull out of a nasty creek bottom onto an old burned hillside that was mostly grass with some big pines and brush. Whole area is fairly open with a few dense strands of fir and pine that the fire jumped over.
I hunt therefore I am. I fish therefore I lie.
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Re: Your last elk

Postby six » 08 02, 2019 •  [Post 7]

Stalking a bugle attempting to get close before I started calling. Stepped around a spruce and came face to face with a 5x5. I had already put an arrow on the string because I was getting close. I drew as he spun and ran off. One of his cows just stood there oblivious to what just happened. I shot her a little far back. She just stood there. 2nd shot went right in the v. Both shots were lethal.
She ran 50 yards and everything went silent. 5 seconds later I heard her rolling down the mountain.
Elk are where you find em...
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Re: Your last elk

Postby ishy » 08 02, 2019 •  [Post 8]

Located with cow call, closed distance then cow called when close. Bugled over the top of him when he answered. Shot 35 yards. Best part of the day was my wife's face when I was home before dark first day when I had planned to be gone a week.
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Re: Your last elk

Postby Lefty » 08 02, 2019 •  [Post 9]

I see someone marked only in their dream

Just curious; cow? Bull? mature bull? big bull?
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Re: Your last elk

Postby Swede » 08 02, 2019 •  [Post 10]

Nice bull Saddlesore. I don't know why, but I thought you killed it with a smoke pole.
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Re: Your last elk

Postby saddlesore » 08 02, 2019 •  [Post 11]

Swede wrote:Nice bull Saddlesore. I don't know why, but I thought you killed it with a smoke pole.


I hunt cows in ML season ( "B" tag) and then get an OTC bull ("A") tag for rifle season. In Colorado there are "A",, "B" ,and "C" tags.

You can only have one "A" tag ,but you can have an "A" tag and a 'B" tag or two "B" tags or an unlimited number of "C" tags
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Re: Your last elk

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 08 02, 2019 •  [Post 12]

Shot my last elk just off a cedar creek bottom. He and his gals were just dropping into their beds up about 100 yards from the bottom on a bench... We had heard him earlier and we made a huge sweep down a ridge, down to the bottom, and worked up the creek till we felt we were close enough to get his attention. Called him in off his small herd, twice. Had my buddy set up to the right but as the bull dislodged from his gals (both times), Joe did not have a shot. First time he came towards my calling, I drew back but had a tuft of wispy brush blocking his vitals provided no shot.... He spun, went back up hill, I moved about 15 yards quickly and called again... He did a 180, I drew as he came back down the hill, and the arrow was on its way right when he put the brakes on looking in my direction (broadside but ever so slightly quartering to me). He crashed up towards the small herd, the cows bolted, and the bull cleared several blowdown firs and dropped not more than 50-60 yards from where I shot him. I would say he was down within 7 or 8 seconds max after the arrow plowed through his vitals. I wasn't positive but was pretty sure he was down from everything I saw/heard. Next thing I see is Joe walking slowly towards the spot where I "thought" the bull had dropped with an arrow nocked. I got his attention and loudly whispered "is he down"? Joe... yep. "Is he dead"? Joe, yep. "5 point"? Joe, yep. It wasn't a bad pack out as pack outs go. Probably less than 1/2 mile straight up a side hill to an old road (some tight lodge pole to maneuver through but not too brushy).

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Re: Your last elk

Postby Elkhunttoo » 08 05, 2019 •  [Post 13]

2018 5 point bull

Watched him and several other elk go into the timber in th morning... slept all day where I thought they would come out in the evening. Had to work my way down the ridge a little and the were coming out of the timber onto the open side hill for the evening
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Re: Your last elk

Postby Indian Summer » 08 05, 2019 •  [Post 14]

My last elk committed suicide. Still hunting mid day along a ridge top in fairly open timber I came to an opening. The fir trees on the other side were really thick. I saw an elk move to the right and disappear into the darkness. But another one moved the opposite way and angled toward me and crossed the opening at about 80 yards to my left. Bad move.
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Re: Your last elk

Postby elkstalker » 08 05, 2019 •  [Post 15]

2018 elk.jpg
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Last elk was spotted headed out of the high country with his cows during heavy snow in mid-October, could barely see the 120 yards to make the shot due to the snow.
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Re: Your last elk

Postby Elk97 » 08 08, 2019 •  [Post 16]

Last (and only) elk was in the timber with at least two other bulls that had been bugling back at us since first light. We'd gone down a really steep hillside to a bench where there was an open area and then the bulls went down another steep section. We didn't really want to follow them down there but...that's where they were. They stayed in the timber but we cut across an open area and got pretty close to them and set up to try and get them to come in at a small clearing. My son stayed back in the timber and I was about 25 yards ahead and at the lower edge of the clearing. A 5X5 came charging in after blasting out a challenge bugle. I had to move a bit and we saw each other at the same time. I froze and we had a stare down for a couple of minutes (seemed a lot longer), then he turned away from me and took a couple of steps uphill which gave me time to draw. He was broadside to my son at that point and I was hoping he had a shot. The bull decided to take off back where he came from at a fast trot and I gave him a little chirp of a cow call and he stopped broadside to me at 32 yds. He went about 75 yards before falling over. 0915 first day of hunting. Got done packing him out and back to camp at 2100. Hunted hard for 8 more days and never saw or heard another elk. Fir/pine mix with clearings, approx. 8500' in SW MT.
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