This summer I was successfully drawn for my Antlerless Elk in 510 for the late season (Dec 21-Jan20). I set up a couple blinds on the last day of general on Nov 30th. I Hunt on a friend’s farm and decided to not come back and check the area so the Elk would not be spooked. I showed up on opening day Dec 21. After parking at the farm I hiked in a mile to the 1st blind and sat there till noonish. I had to work afternoon shift so I left shortly after lunch. On my way out I spotted a herd of 35-40 elk on the next property over. I spoke with my friend about the herd and she informed me that the property owner where I spotted the herd does NOT allow hunting and doesn’t take kindly to people asking either. She said not to worry, in the past that herd always makes their way to where my blind is set up on her property and hangs around there for a couple weeks before moving on. My brother was scheduled to hangout with me for my day off on the 23rd so I decided to not pressure them and come back the 23rd instead of the following day on the 22nd.
My brother and I got to the farm at 7am on the 23rd and hiked into the same blind. We set up in the blind before shooting light got the coffees poured and waited. Around 9am my brother spotted a cow making her way out of the adjacent treeline. She walked directly into our shooting lane and started to graze. About 5 minutes later 6 more cows came out of the same treeline and joined her. As we glassed the small herd we spotted around 25+ elk feeding inside the bushes and treeline about 100 yards from the ones in the open.
We had already selected the largest cow of the 7 in the open and because I was so excited I decided to take her. We had already lased her at 255 yards so I was very confident in my shot placement. I used my blind as a rest and my walking stick to support the rear of the stock for a rock solid rest. Of course once I got situated to take the shot she started to move and preposition herself while grazing. If time is on my side, I normally always shoot for the neck right behind the ear for a DRT kill, although because she was facing me I had already picked my spot right in the middle of the wind pipe and out the back of the neck. Just as she stopped, I lightly squeezed the trigger and let one fly.
The majority of big game I’ve shot in the past has always dropped in my line of sight, so it was really messing with my head that I couldn't see her on the ground. After glassing for her I figured I couldn’t spot her on the ground as she was in a slight wallow and fell out of sight from my position. My brother was 100% certain she dropped so we waited quietly for 15 mins or so and finished out coffees.
As we made our way to her I started to get concerned as I couldn’t see her on the ground. As it turned out, I was all turned around and was looking at the wrong spot when trying to locate her. She was about 20 yards from the spot I was scanning. When I spotted her on the ground my heart skipped a couple beats and I knew the hunt was a success.
I’ve shot loads of deer and a few moose but this was my first elk. To top it off I was with my brother for the whole thing! This was also my first time hunting from a blind and I must admit I can really see the appeal. We had chairs, wool blankets, books and even our coffee. On a cold day it sure beats sitting under a spruce tree or lying in the snow!
The rifle used was a Sako 85 Finnlight, in a 243 win shooting 95gr SST over H100V. I’ve personally used this rifle for years taking everything from coyotes to moose. I gave the Sako to my brother this spring when I ordered a new Cooper. The new cooper hadn’t arrived yet so I got to use the old familiar girl again. After I butchered her, all said and done in vacuum sealed bags, I was left with 209lbs of meat. That isn't the biggest elk but from what I've been told that's a pretty decent for a cow.
My brother put together a short video he took with his phone. Here’s the
link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cum9vqX_VNc&t=1s
Happy hunting and Happy new year everyone!
First Elk
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