Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals
Tough To Beat
By Shaun Larsen | ELK-UT-DIY-PL
“When the smoke cleared, I could see him lying right in his tracks. I couldn’t believe what had just happened in a matter of a few short moments.”
When I opened the email, I couldn’t believe it! I had beat the odds and drew a Utah limited entry elk muzzleloader tag with only three points on a good unit right in my backyard. The scouting and preparations started immediately.
My family and I spent many days throughout the summer and early fall glassing, checking trail cameras and shooting my muzzleloader. We located several shooter bulls during the summer months all over the unit and kept tabs on them as best we could, but knew that once the hunting pressure started from other hunts that were before mine, it would be a challenge keeping track of all of them.
Once the hunts began, I decided to focus on a particular area that historically seemed to be less popular for other hunters and see what I could turn up. From hunting there the previous years on other hunts, I had remembered seeing a good bull that exceeded my expectations for this tag; long beams, good mass and long tines. It took a few long days, but in late August I finally found him, right where I had seen him in years prior. Read more…
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The week leading up to opening day felt like an eternity. I spent that time keeping track of him and trying to locate a couple other back up plan bulls, just in case this one were to disappear, like they’ve been known to do. The night before my hunt, my friend and I went to look at him one last time and make a plan for the next day. We located him immediately, in the same area he had been in for the last month. It was obvious he was the king of his mountain with all the cows he had with him and many satellite bulls surrounding the herd. We watched him until dark and put together a plan for the morning.
As my wife Alicia, friend Austin and I sat in the dark waiting for first light, the canyons were filled with bugles. We could tell pretty fast that the bull and other elk from the previous night hadn’t moved from where we last saw them. As it got light, we eased down a game trail to the ridge they were on. Immediately we were covered up in elk. We spotted the herd bull we were after about 500 yards below us, but with very little cover and a lot of other elk between us, it would be difficult to close the distance without getting busted by other elk. Little did I know that he was about to come to us. As we sat there watching him trying to figure out what to do, a smaller bull appeared out of nowhere, directly behind us. He let out a bugle and trotted towards the cows right below us. This got the herd bull’s attention and he instantly turned and started running towards us and the smaller bull.
He covered the distance between us in just a few short seconds. It was amazing to watch him run uphill almost effortlessly as he chased off the other bull. I quickly got set up for the shot as Austin started reading me ranges as he ran towards us. When he got within range, he stopped and let out a long bugle and began to rake a cedar tree. I took the shot when he presented me with one.
“You smoked him babe! He’s down, he’s down!” I heard my wife Alicia say.
When the smoke cleared, I could see him lying right in his tracks. I couldn’t believe what had just happened in a matter of a few short moments. My hard work and scouting efforts all summer long had paid off.
It was a very humbling experience as I walked up to him. As a Utah resident, you don’t get many chances to hunt big bulls on limited entry units very often. I had dreamed of this moment for my whole life. My hunt for a big bull to hang my tag on was over very quickly, but with such a great bull for the unit, the company I had with me and the memories made, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
We spent the rest of the day cutting him up and packing him out, with elk bugling all around us the entire time. We noticed as we were caping him out, that there was an antler tine of another bull stuck in the side of his face! Crazy how tough and powerful these animals are. I called my brother Ryan to come up and help us with the pack out, which was a huge help to me. It was an incredible, special day that many only dream of.
As an added bonus to the week, I was also fortunate to harvest a great general season muzzleloader buck three days later. It was a great week of hunting in September for me, spent with my family and friends. It will definitely be a hard one to top in the future.
