- Joined
- Aug 30, 2015
- Messages
- 258
- Reaction score
- 312
Drew my second choice of an early season antlerless elk tag. After four days of chasing them around the mountain, I was closing in on a big bull who just kept on singing. Possibly a couple different bulls. One draw short, my cow stepped out of the trees, and hesitated when she saw me, just long enough. Boom. By the time the smoke cleared, she had disappeared. There were so many elk, all cows as far as I could see, dashing this way and that. I kept thinking, "hope that one isn't mine, because she looked pretty healthy." The bull in the next draw was still bugling, now with maybe more urgency. Then a big 5 point strode by, looking for his best exit. Muzzleloader reloaded, I figured I shouldn't pursue my cow too quickly, so I went to go look at the heard bull in the next draw. So, up to that ridgeline, and another big 5 point and I came face to face inside 10 yards before he makes a quick exit. Reaching the ridge, there's elk everywhere in this little draw. The big 6 point makes his exit directly, without ado. So, I'm primarily watching for the cow limping and leaking blood. Nope, that one is another big 5 point, so much like the others, it's like they were triplets. Not that one either, it's another bull, and another, and another bull... Counted seven bulls in the one draw, and one in the first draw, with the indeterminant number of cows. It was like they'd been segregated. Never seen so many bulls in one place, outside of the winter months. I'll admit, I've gone whole seasons without seeing a bull.
Anyway, I did find my cow, after following her blood trail for 75 yards. Bullet went in tight behind her left shoulder, and lodged just under the hide, in front of her last rib on the other side. Knight Bighorn, 50 yards, 420 grain 0.502 No Excuse, wool wad and 80 grains RS. Haven't broken out the calipers and scale, but the bullet looks good to my calibrated mark-one's. Looks like about 2X diameter expansion, and good weight retention.
Anyway, I did find my cow, after following her blood trail for 75 yards. Bullet went in tight behind her left shoulder, and lodged just under the hide, in front of her last rib on the other side. Knight Bighorn, 50 yards, 420 grain 0.502 No Excuse, wool wad and 80 grains RS. Haven't broken out the calipers and scale, but the bullet looks good to my calibrated mark-one's. Looks like about 2X diameter expansion, and good weight retention.
