Opening Day Success!

[LckyTylr]

[BROKECARPENTER]

Nice!

[LckyTylr]

Saw two rag horns about 300 yards from me 5 minutes before I shot this buck. Someone/thing had spooked them as they ran for about 100 yards into the timber. I figured that they would be difficult to hunt that day, since they were on alert, it was hot, and nobody was bugling. I heard another elk giving me the nervous bark (it was down wind at about 200 yards away into the timber). I was thinking that I'd have to find some elk that hadn't smelled or seen humans already when this buck and 4 others came trotting past. They came from the direction of the nervous barking, so it was odd that they ran right to me being down wind of me. This was the largest of the bunch. I tried to stop him with a whistle with no reaction, but a "hey!" did the trick. I didn't have time to range him, but guessed 40. Looked like a decent hit except that it was higher than I like. I watched him run about 100 yards, stop for 30 seconds and look hurt, then he ran another 50 before I lost sight of him. Took my friend and I an hour and a half to follow the blood trail. He died right where I last saw him. NO BLOOD other than just a few drops every 25-30 yards. All of the blood was pooling inside the chest cavity. We were working as a team and following his tracks (very slowly). It was the most difficult tracking job I have every had.

I'm very happy to have a deer in the freezer and thankful that my friend Tom was along to help, without him, I'm not sure I'd have found this buck. I knew he was dead the whole time, I just wasn't sure that I'd be able to find him before the hot sun ruined the meat. All worked out well though. Kind of a bummer that I had to cut my weekend short though. I can't hunt next weekend because I have to work, but I'll be out there for the last 3 weekends. Hopefully I can get my first Bull!!!

[Yotkilr]

Nice buck! Good luck with the bull

[mandrroofing]

Awsome man!keep the updates comming With the elk

[elkmtngear]

Great buck Tyler, awesome!