AM Hunt
This morning was one for the books. I hunted with Wes this morning. We headed to the North bedding area very early and began glassing. Wes spotted one lone bull and he was super! We figured him around 320-330" and he was heading up the hill. So we grabbed our gear and quickly moved through the trees.
We couldn't find him. Wes didn't want to just blow down the hill unless we had a visual, so we stood and glassed for quite a while. After 30 minutes we moved further down the hill to glass the red cliffs and the valley that separated us from them. As we stood glassing, Wes motioned "get down!" I hit the deck and there they were, 5 bulls with three shooters! We video'd them for a minute until they moved out of sight. We scrambled to move closer.
We closed the distance to 70-80 yards. I moved in, using the pines for cover. I had one bull at 50 yards and the rest were on the ridge just behind him. We really had no options, moving would have busted them. As the last bull moved on, we moved back quickly and headed up a gully to try and get above them. We got another 80 yards but just couldn't close the deal before they walked across a flat meadow and headed to the trees just beneath their bedding area.
Three of the five bulls moved on, but two remained and both were shooters. The big one to the left, a heavy and wide 5-pt to the right. We needed to make our move and as soon as they walked behind some trees Wes and I sprinted across that meadow. The bull was raking a tree right in front of me. He was 40 yards away. I wanted to get closer and had no shot from here anyway. A thick pine was all that stood between me and a 320" bull. I was confident. I turned to Wes and said, I'm going to kill him.
Watch a video snynopis of this mornings' hunt! (12mb)
I moved closer to the tree when Wes whispered - "stop." The bulls were getting nervous, they may have caught a scent, or a glimpse of movement. We froze, 35 yards from the big bull. And I didn't dare move. They looked in our direction for a long time, but then walked off slowly through the trees. They were unalarmed and headed up to their beds. Wes and I backed off.
We know exactly where they are and are. We are heading right back there this afternoon. The wind, the setup, everything is perfect.
We are really confident! Wish us luck!
PM Hunt
I was really keyed up to get set up for those elk but as soon as we got there we checked the wind and it was all bad. We talked it over and there was just too much risk of blowing those elk out. There's a chance we can set up on them again tomorrow morning. So we left the elk area and headed after mulies instead.
It took us an hour to find a buck they call Fuego. I have no idea why he's named that but he's a very big 3-pt and around 5.5 years old. Wes spotted him first and we took off after him. Wes knows this area so well that he was able to get right to them in no time. But by the time we got there they were on their feet and moving through the brush. The stalk was going well until we got busted by a small 2-pt. He was standing next to Fuego who was oblivious. We played cat and mouse with him until they moved out into a meadow. It was over. We got close several times. Now I know why all you Western guys practice to 70 yards!
Tomorrow morning we're going after those bulls.
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Marty Edwards of Omaha Nebraska and his 7x7 Royal shot the night before last. Marty used a Ross Cardiac and Slick-Trick Broadheads to take his great bull!
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