This year I drew a Cow Elk tag for area 48 in Idaho. The northern portion of this area was devastated by fire in early August. My part of area 48 was the southern portion. This hunt is in south central Idaho and is south west of Sun Valley, Idaho.
It was my first time hunting in this area. I have never been that successful as an Elk hunter. I have lived in Idaho 23 years and killed 2 Elk. I go every year but have never been as driven to hunt hard for Elk.
I put my wife, Mary, and I in for this tag and we were lucky enough to draw. She was excited but apprehensive about it. My previous success rate on Elk did not instill confidence in her that this would be any different than my past hunts. I had no defense for myself.
We took our family up on a day trip that was fun for everyone. My son found a bear track and several Mule deer were seen up close. My wife seemed a little bit more comfortable about this hunt but I think she felt that it might go better for her if I was not there to place a pox on it. Unfortunately her need for a strong back if she scored necessitated that she take me. WIN!
We went up on a cool morning in early August. She was able to watch a herd of about 30 Elk work across a river and onto private land. She was excited. The next morning it took no prompting to get her out of bed and headed north.
That morning my sons, 9 and 13 and I watched my wife kill her first Elk with a single head shot at 138 yards. She cheated by using her Remington 700 in .250 Ackley Improved. She chose the head shot for those that are wondering. She wanted an instant stop. She got it.
My Turn
Equipment:
Gun: Ruger stainless Bisley 5.5” 45 Colt
Load: 19.5 gr W296 OT 360gr WFN GC
Shooting sticks, Zeiss range finder
I had practiced quite a bit with this gun and my confidence level was high. I shot a 3”group at 100 yards with it a week before. I only shot one group at this distance as I did not want to know that this was a lucky group for me. The gun with the burden of me behind the trigger shoots into 2”at 50 yards consistently.
Fast forward two weeks later and I was sitting in the same spot Mary had been. My brother was with me. It was an evening hunt. Early on we had a 2 point (western count) walk by us at a lasered 13 yards.
Shortly after that we heard several bugles and mews. They were coming. We did not know where they would appear but I felt like I could adjust my position a little if need be. I was facing the river and with a fairly large area that was all within my range. I had lasered several spots as references using my Zeiss LR. My brother was sitting next to me facing behind me and would advise if I any coming that way.
I suddenly noticed brown bodies moving thru an opening approximately 35 yards to my 2 O’clock. I told my brother that Elk were moving thru in front of me. He adjusted slowly moving to where he had a decent camera angle. As a side note. My brother, God love him, is a horrible camera man. But, you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.
The group started moving out of the timber and toward the water’s edge. I watched several but did not get that warm fuzzy feeling about any of them. Suddenly that changed. I looked at a good sized ol’girl and knew that she was the one if I could get a shot.
She stopped broadside at 43 yards. I had practiced for a head or neck shot all summer. She gave me ample opportunity to make this shot. However, my adrenalin laughed at this notion and promptly dumped enough of itself that I did not feel I could maintain well enough for the neck shot. I moved the front sight down to her front shoulder and touched it off. The trigger broke perfectly and I saw the bullet strike the water behind her and geyser up. I was absolutely confident that the shot was good. I held for both shoulders to be broken and the bullet to take the heart.
She stumbled and turned to run back the way she came. Most of the group went with her. But, one cow and a spike bull came up toward us in the confusion. They stopped for several seconds in front of us. Distance was seven yards. They finally ran off and I barely noticed as I was busy checking this particular event off my Bucket List. Big Game with a handgun……Check!
I am 46 years old, have hunted most of my life, I work in a dangerous profession and have seen and done things. Twice in my life I have experienced weak knees. This moment was my second. I found her graveyard dead 19 yards from where the bullet hit her.
The Oregon Trail 360 grain WFN GC had broken the near shoulder, a rib, passed through the major arteries 2”above the heart, part of the off side lung, broken a far side rib, far side shoulder and exited. The entry hole was perfectly round. The hair had been cut perfectly in a circular fashion as if with scissors. I had held the front sight perfectly for a heart shot. In my excitement though I forgot that all my practice, mental and actual, had been with a 6 o’clock hold. My training had kicked in and I held where I wanted the bullet to go. Hence an impact 3” higher than intended. Still deadly and effective.
It was a great moment. I feel lucky to be blessed with a hunting family and to live in a state where I can do this.
That is all.
Dave
And now a short film entitled,
The Shot
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Daveinidaho/media/107_0894_zpsbd7f849e.mp4.html
