10-10-2006, 04:26 AM
Ok, so here it is.
We headed out of Clearfield at 11 am friday morning and headed for the south slope of the Uinta's. It was raining and miserable. It rained the whole time. We got to camp without any trouble and set up with the rain still with us. Met up with some friends and discussed the following morning hunt.
The rain stopped at 5:30 and the sky cleared. We left camp on the 4 wheeler and got to the trail head in about an hour. We hiked into the clear cuts and found a good spot to sit. After it got lighter, there were people all over the cuts so we started moving around. By this time, it sounded like WWII and there were elk everywhere except where we were.[mad]
We hiked about 10 miles without seeing anything at all. We heard some going through the trees, but could not see them. We stayed up there all day and went back to camp well after dark.
Sunday morning was beautiful weather. We sat on the edge of a huge meadow and cow called and listened to all of the elk just inside of the trees. They would not come out. I had a bull(i could hear his antlers hit the trees behind me) 15' inside the trees and could not see him. Eventually they started to climb for their beds and we followed softly cow calling. We jumped a cow and calf and stayed on our course. My cousin broke off from me and headed down to the meadow again. I called him on the radio and said if he heard a shot to come in that direction. I put the radio on my pocket and took 10 steps. 4 bulls (a 6-point, 5-point, a raghorn 3x4, and a spike exploded from the deadfall. The 3 bigger bulls never stopped. The spike stopped behind a big pine with only half of his neck and head exposed. I aimed for the lowest part and shot. He ran in the direction of the other bulls and i ran after him. I could hear the other bulls crashing down the other side and stopped just on top. I could hear some heavy breathing, and i looked over to my right and there was my bull. I hit exactly where i wanted and he only ran about 20 yards. The bullet ricoched(sp?) and went back toward the lungs. He was dead and my hunt was over. I ran down to get my cousin only to find i was not anywhere near where i though i was. I finally found him, and he did not believe i shot him. I can't imagine that due to all of the excitement and adrenaline i had coursing through my veins. We headed up my flag trail and he was blown away. He had never witnessed elk hunting and was awestruck by the sight.
We made quick work of quartering, bagging, sawing and cutting the bull. We packed him out in one trip. A little more than a mile.[pirate] I took the front shoulders, backstraps, liver, scraps, and all of our gear. My cousin took the head and both hind quarters. We slept very good sunday night. On the way back to camp, my cousin popped a grouse and we had inner loins and grouse for dinner.[
] It was beyond good!
Monday we slept in and had a good breakfast. About 11 am, we decided to try one more hunt for his bull. We left camp with threatening skies. We got back into the cutts and found a good hiding spot. It began to rain and get worse as the hours passed. The temp dropped and it turned into a blizzard! We ran out of the cutts and back to the bike. When we got back to camp, the snow was piling up and we decide to break camp and go home. It rained all the way from Vernal to Clearfield. It was horrible. Took 6 hours to get home.
All in all, it was a great trip and a hunt i will never forget. We saw alot of bulls taken, and mine was only a spike, but he still gave me about 200# of prime meat.
On sunday night, we hunted the same ridge my bull was shot and i found a huge bear track. The pic isn't very good for detail, but if you look close you can see the claws and pads. I would not want to spend the night near a carcass up there. Any body else have any success?
BTW: I found the bullet and i must say i am very impressed with the new Federal Fusion bullets. It performed perfectly. I was using the 165 gr. 30-06 boattails.
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We headed out of Clearfield at 11 am friday morning and headed for the south slope of the Uinta's. It was raining and miserable. It rained the whole time. We got to camp without any trouble and set up with the rain still with us. Met up with some friends and discussed the following morning hunt.
The rain stopped at 5:30 and the sky cleared. We left camp on the 4 wheeler and got to the trail head in about an hour. We hiked into the clear cuts and found a good spot to sit. After it got lighter, there were people all over the cuts so we started moving around. By this time, it sounded like WWII and there were elk everywhere except where we were.[mad]
We hiked about 10 miles without seeing anything at all. We heard some going through the trees, but could not see them. We stayed up there all day and went back to camp well after dark.
Sunday morning was beautiful weather. We sat on the edge of a huge meadow and cow called and listened to all of the elk just inside of the trees. They would not come out. I had a bull(i could hear his antlers hit the trees behind me) 15' inside the trees and could not see him. Eventually they started to climb for their beds and we followed softly cow calling. We jumped a cow and calf and stayed on our course. My cousin broke off from me and headed down to the meadow again. I called him on the radio and said if he heard a shot to come in that direction. I put the radio on my pocket and took 10 steps. 4 bulls (a 6-point, 5-point, a raghorn 3x4, and a spike exploded from the deadfall. The 3 bigger bulls never stopped. The spike stopped behind a big pine with only half of his neck and head exposed. I aimed for the lowest part and shot. He ran in the direction of the other bulls and i ran after him. I could hear the other bulls crashing down the other side and stopped just on top. I could hear some heavy breathing, and i looked over to my right and there was my bull. I hit exactly where i wanted and he only ran about 20 yards. The bullet ricoched(sp?) and went back toward the lungs. He was dead and my hunt was over. I ran down to get my cousin only to find i was not anywhere near where i though i was. I finally found him, and he did not believe i shot him. I can't imagine that due to all of the excitement and adrenaline i had coursing through my veins. We headed up my flag trail and he was blown away. He had never witnessed elk hunting and was awestruck by the sight.
We made quick work of quartering, bagging, sawing and cutting the bull. We packed him out in one trip. A little more than a mile.[pirate] I took the front shoulders, backstraps, liver, scraps, and all of our gear. My cousin took the head and both hind quarters. We slept very good sunday night. On the way back to camp, my cousin popped a grouse and we had inner loins and grouse for dinner.[
] It was beyond good! Monday we slept in and had a good breakfast. About 11 am, we decided to try one more hunt for his bull. We left camp with threatening skies. We got back into the cutts and found a good hiding spot. It began to rain and get worse as the hours passed. The temp dropped and it turned into a blizzard! We ran out of the cutts and back to the bike. When we got back to camp, the snow was piling up and we decide to break camp and go home. It rained all the way from Vernal to Clearfield. It was horrible. Took 6 hours to get home.
All in all, it was a great trip and a hunt i will never forget. We saw alot of bulls taken, and mine was only a spike, but he still gave me about 200# of prime meat.
On sunday night, we hunted the same ridge my bull was shot and i found a huge bear track. The pic isn't very good for detail, but if you look close you can see the claws and pads. I would not want to spend the night near a carcass up there. Any body else have any success?
BTW: I found the bullet and i must say i am very impressed with the new Federal Fusion bullets. It performed perfectly. I was using the 165 gr. 30-06 boattails.
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