2021 Elk Success Thread

BuzzH

Very Active Member
Apr 15, 2015
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Going OK so far this season.

Helped a couple friends in August with elk, including a first elk for this hunter:



First of my 3 WY elk tags, Ruger M77 6mm, 90 grain accubond 194 yards.



General bull I shot day 3 of the season, 247 yards top of the heart, 7-08 140 accubond...blah, blah...



A few days later my friend shot this bull, 70 yards 7 RM, yada, yada.



This morning helped the last of our camp with this one, 80 yards with my friend using my 7-08.



I have one more WY elk tag left and have another 9 hunts with friends before its all over for the season, fair to middlin' start.
 

tdub24

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Dec 15, 2011
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Carlin, NV
congrats on your bull! I think that may be the whitest antlers I have ever seen on a bull!
I thought he was light too. First thought maybe because he lived in pinon/juniper country but quickly realized the other bulls I was looking at didn't have that light of antlers. His teeth were fairly worn down, not much left for ivories, could old age be a factor??
 

kidoggy

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Apr 23, 2016
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I don't know . I suppose it's possible. just to old and worn out to rub much??????? I really have no idea. kind of a unique bull because of it though.

would expect it from a desert bull where there is little brush to rub on when shedding his velvet but from your pic it appears to be pretty brushy country.

when did you kill him???? the pic says mid october ,is that correct?
 

tdub24

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Dec 15, 2011
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Carlin, NV
Yes the date is accurate on the picture, shot him around 1:20pm from approximately 120 yards away. At the end of processing, found a perfect hole through his heart. Bull only ran 30 yards before tipping over.
 
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Colorado Cowboy

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Jun 8, 2011
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[QUOTE="tdub24, post: 313064, member: 200 His teeth were fairly worn down, not much left for ivories, could old age be a factor??
[/QUOTE]
Age, injury and anything that contributes to low nutrition can effect antlers. How much fat did he have?
 

tdub24

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Dec 15, 2011
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Carlin, NV
Age, injury and anything that contributes to low nutrition can effect antlers. How much fat did he have?
I felt there was a ton of fat. Almost like he never even attempted the regular rut and is now hoping for second cycle. And, on the Wednesday before his demise and before my buddy left that evening, we saw him with 7 cows. I remarked how much his gut was hanging more so than all the other bulls we were chasing. He had to be in the top 3 of fattest bulls I have seen since I got in the game in 2008. My buddy agreed that it might be the fattest one he has seen.

I didn't see any visible injuries, which isn't saying much. Nutrition can definitely play into it, just weird how all the other bulls within the whole hunt unit group were not that light. All the hunt units is made up of the type of terrain, pinyon/juniper with grasses down in the "flats". I would go as far as to say the mountain and area I killed him on is one of the better if not the best feeding area than other portions of the hunt units.
 
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Colorado Cowboy

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Jun 8, 2011
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I shot a buck deer many years ago that was a stag (no balls). His horns were still in velvet and really deformed and he was really fat. Not chasing does, just eating. One of the best eating deer I have ever shot. Never know, he could have been sterile.
 
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BuzzH

Very Active Member
Apr 15, 2015
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The third day of hunting my Nephew took this bull, his first, out of a herd of 5 bulls. There were 2 busted up six points that were the same age class, but this 5 point was clean. He chose the clean 5 point over the busted up 6 points...I think he chose well.







Not a bad 3 day stretch with 8 elk taken.

Down to one local friend having a cow tag...may get out one more day if he wants his second elk for the season. It was a decent year, between myself and the guys I hunted with we went 13/15 on elk with one friend passing up on lots of cows on his additional tag after he killed a bull. The other friend that didn't get one, had a couple chances that didn't pan out, he may come back later this month.
 
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