In pursuit of elk

[High Desert Hunter]

Well, my son and I venture forth to try and get him his 1st big game animal. We will be hunting near Ruidoso New Mexico. He is 13 and will be shooting my Ruger M77MKII in .300 Win mag, I will be toting along my Marlin 1895GS with a Williams receiver sight. I ran low on cash, so I am shooting the RCBS 325 Universal at 345gr from Wheel weights, over IMR 4198. Next year I will have a 400+gr bullet to use. We will be hunting from tomorrow until next Thursday. One elk would be great, 2 would be a huge get through the winter bonus. Hope you folks all have a great weekend.

Dave Beeman

[McLintock]

Good luck and I hope your son gets a nice one. Nothing like watching a kid after getting their first big game. My cousin's boy was about your son's age when he got his first elk, just a big calf. The next year he got a 6X6, but wasn't much happier than with the big calf. We have to wait till just before Thanksgiving for our elk hunt here in Arizona, but no kids to take along now, they're all growd up. Enjoy the hunt.
McLintock

[Bullshop]

Hi Dave!
What a plesant surprise to see your post here. May I suggest first a little prayer befor you head out. It worked for me, praise God. I hunted the first four days here by my house and saw bulls but not shure if they were legal with the antler restriction ya know. Was getting up at 3:30 pouring down a coffie and skin out till about noon. Come home, get my work done then back out till dark. So I was hitting it pretty hard but no joy. On the 5th day Tina says we have all prayed individgualy but not all together. I was out that morning but again nothing. She was clamped on to the 4 wheler and wouldnt let er go until we all prayed together befor I went back out that afternoon. We did and on my way to intended destination prolly 10 minutes after the prayer I had to skidd to a stop or run head long into a fork bull standing in the trail. He stood there while I dismounted and fumbled my rifle out of two soft cases bunjied to the wheler, and found some ammo that was also well secured. Well you know it all came together and as it was happening The Lord was speaking to my heart saying THANKS FOR ASKING. You know he does want us to ask even for the little things just as any father does with his children. After the first 4 days I began to wounder if my view of needing a moose was in line with Gods view of me needing a moose so we prayed for his will be done and eather way it would be good with us as we have his promis he will care for our needs and we would not go hungry over the winter. So like I said within ten minutes of asking we had moose. We were not only blessed with one but two befor season was over, so we were able to give half a moose to a brother at Church and share that blessing. I shure do love being HIS, it takes all the worry out of things! Let us know how it goes. I think there is another fella that posts here called Fin from across the pond and he uses about the same set up as you for moose. Sounds like it has worked good for him so no reason it wont do the same for you. Sorry I missed your call the other day I was bussy putting up a new range house. Its done now and we have a nice place to shoot this winter, and its heated too. God bless brother!
BIC/BS

[High Desert Hunter]

Dan,
Thanks so much for the words of encouragement, unfortunately, we did not tag out. We had a torrential downpour the opening day, which made even getting in to the hunting area a muddy challenge. We hunted hard for all 5 days, and managed to see one cow, 9500ft up in the White Mt Wilderness area, on Nogal Peak, she looked tasty too. Saw a lot of mule deer, but the elk seemed to be nocturnal with the full moon. We tried prayers, but I am not sure our hearts were in it, as I know full well that I will make it through the winter fine without an elk. I am very happy to hear that you scored on a bull, I do miss the hunting up there. As far as the range goes, what a nice setup that will be, I am very envious, I would love to have my own range. I will try and call you again in the very near future, in the mean time, you and the family are in our thoughts and prayers, especially with another winter coming on strong. I have plenty of firewood, but it is still in the low 80s here during the day. Take care and tell the Bullshop Mom we said hello.

Dave Beeman

[Bullshop]

Dave
No worries mate, in about 10 years when you retell that story you will remember it as being fun. Funny how that happens ha. The pain seems to get forgotten and the memories of spending time together stay. Dont ya love it. Every year when hunting season draws near we get excited and look forward to having fun. Then we go sleep on the cold hard ground, eat our own cookin and then when I kill a moose I remember for shure this is not fun, its hard and it hurts. A friend wrote a peace for the Delta paper that said if you dont hunt but want to experiance what its like to pack out a moose take the engine and transmission out of your PU strap them to your back and go up and down you stairs about 50 times. Still after less than a year goes by I find myself getting excited and ready for more fun. Weard ha? Still a bad day huntin with my boys seems better than a good day workin. Like the guy sittin at the river fishin and another fella comes by and says what ya usin fer bait. The first fella says not usin any bait. Second fella says well you aint gona catch no fish without bait. First fella says I dont like catchin fish I just like fishin.
BIC/BS

[lar45]

My elk season here starts on Tuesday. I was wanting to find a load for my 350 mag, but life conspired against me and I'll probably be useing the ol 06'. The last few years we have gotten 2 Elk, which is good as we have extended family as well as my elderly parents here and helping each other out is just a way of life. 2 Elk will go quite aways, but there would be room for just one more.

[Bullshop]

LAR45
The last elk I kilt was out of Deer Lodg MT. He wasnt big just a rag horn but oh man he was good eatin. There is some wheat in that area and I think he was a helpin his self. I jumped him from his bed and he ran straight away through some scrub timber. I rested against a tree and got him in the scope right away but didnt shoot. I was using an origonal 1st model Newton rifle in 256 newton and had doubt about penitration on that clasic shot. Shooting a mid weight Nosler like 129 gn or some such but it was a partition and had clocked it at 2900 fps. When he got to about 70 yards he turned just enough that I could see some of the lighter yellow color of the flank. That is what I was waiting for and touched off right there. At the crack of that little rifle he skidded on his lips and lit in a pile and never got up. He did get front legs under him for a second but just a second and fell over dead before I made the 70 yards to him. When I dressed him out I found that tiny weany itty bitty little bullet ( Elmer camp) at the base of the neck on the oposite side. It went through a lot of elk to get there and the cal had earned the respect of another hunter. Thought you fellas with 260 Rems might like to hear that. If I had been totin the 35 Newton he proly wouldnt have made the 70 yards. I have some old 300 gn copper tubeing jacket for that and it will shoot through some elk. So like you I used a smaller club than I like but once again shot placment picked up the slack where caliber left off. That 06 will be just fine Roy (Quiggley)
BIC/BS